Smackdown Live! Archives

December 27, 2018December 27, 2018

THE APOSTLE AWARDS [Best Wrestling of 2018]: Assassins’ Creed.

Calling all smarks across the globe: It’s the third annual Apostle Awards! To come up with the very Best of Everything in Pro Wrestling for 2017, we asked 11 members of the Ringside Apostle congregation to vote. And, damn did we have answers — answers that ranged from the highest mountaintop of World Wrestling Entertaiment (N-X-T!?!?!!!) to the epic tradition of the New Japan Pro Wrestling rising sun, right down to the fancy new downtown nightclub home of Pro Wrestling Guerilla (P-Dub-G!).

We hope you and yours had a #OneSweet Christmas Holiday.

***MATCH OF THE YEAR***

1. *TIE* Okada vs. Omega IV (NJPW Dominion) / Ciampa vs. Gargano (NXT TakeOver: New Orleans, Chicago II, Brooklyn 4)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15vFgX-_X_g

Destiny “Evangelical” Edwards
@mochaloca85

2018 may have been a dumpster fire of a year in general, but it was an excellent year for wrestling. So much so that we had a tie for Match of the Year! No surprise that the fourth meeting between Kenny Omega and Kazuchika Okada made it — they don’t call Kenny the Best Bout Machine for nothing — and their match at Dominion was sheer perfection. And to cap it off, Kenny went home with the IWGP title? This Omega mark was so overcome with emotion she cried tears of joy and relief on the sofa afterward.

https://youtu.be/UhfA56vGnS0

(cont.) Our other MOTY winner was Tommaso Ciampa vs. Johnny Gargano. ALL OF THEM. Much like last year’s winner (Okada vs. Omega I-III), each match was superb, but together they told a story that couldn’t be beat. The rise of Tommy Sports Entertainment. The fall of Johnny Wrestling. The attack of Aleister Black. Gargano’s heel turn. And now the reunion of #DIY. It’s a Greek epic. It’s Steen and Generico. It’s the Shield, except we actually care.

-Destiny Edwards

3. North American Championship Six-Man Ladder Match (NXT TakeOver: New Orleans)

Honorable Mentions: Super Elite Bros vs. Impact Wrestling 10-Man Tag Match (Chris Jericho Rock ‘n Wrestling Rager At Sea), Kota Ibushi vs. Cody vs. Kenny Omega (NJPW Kings of Pro Wrestling), Kenny Omega vs. Tomohiro Ishii (G1 Climax 28), Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kota Ibushi (G1 Climax 28).

***BRAND OF THE YEAR***

1. NXT

I wanted to write this one so badly, seeing how I’ve been one to sing the praises of New Japan as the “Be All, End All” in professional wrestling. NXT had such a grand 2018 that it’s hard to fathom that this is, indeed, a WWE product. It’s like fucking night and day from the main roster. Led by Paul “Hunter” Levesque and William Regal, NXT is essentially, literally and figuratively “PWG with WWE’s budget”. The amount of wrestlers signed by WWE’s “performance center” that I’ve grown to love and adore at a 350-seat armory in a little town 20 miles north of Los Angeles is astounding. Thankfully, NXT hasn’t ruined too many of them yet, with Matt Riddle, Keith Lee, Adam Cole and Ricochet leading the charge, holding on to much (if not all) of the persona that got them over in the first place. Moreover, you could also argue that any of NXT’s TakeOver shows belong in the conversation for the best wrestling events of 2018. TV was bolstered with a surplus of ROH/indie/IMPACT pick-ups (Punishment Martinez, Velveteen Dream, EC3), an outstanding and ever-improving tag team division (War Raiders, Street Profits, Heavy Machinary), and the best female wrestling roster on American soil (Kairi Sain, Shayna Baszler, Bianca Belair). I can’t say enough about NXT and with its plethora of talent ready to blow for 2019 (Dijakovic, ACH and Trevor Lee?), it appears the rich only about to get richer.

-Travis Moody

Honorable Mention: PWG.

***PPV/EVENT OF THE YEAR***

1. All In

All In was a very hard thing to judge, a pro wrestling event that focused more on giving the fans what they wanted than G1/BOLA-level match quality. But fans got that too; every match delivered, and delivered in many different ways. Variety was a key to success, so even if you thought the Cody/Magnus match was boring, you had your Dominion main event-style match later with Okada/Scurll. If the old WWF shenanigans of the Battle Royal/ROH title match weren’t for you, you had the insane Lucha-style efforts of Omega/Penta and the 6-man tag main event. Even a guy who dresses up on TV as a DC Comics superhero had a good match. The Chicago crowd was amazing, the selection of refs and ring announcers were outstanding, and the commentary on the iPPV was top-notch. All In was such a success that The Elite — Cody, Matt and Nick Jackson, Adam Page and Kenny Omega — have decided to “Change the World” in 2019 and superkick-start their own wrestling promotion, All Elite Wrestling. And to think they didn’t even need CM fuckin’ Punk…

-Travis Moody

2. NXT TakeOver: War Games
3. *TIE* NXT TakeOver: Chicago II / NXT TakeOver: New Orleans

Honorable Mentions: WWE Evolution.

***MOST IMPROVED WRESTLER OF THE YEAR*** (new category)

1. Hangman Page

Is there anyone on Earth who would object to most improved wrestler being Hangman Adam Page? Rounded by his hotly contested TV title match at Final Battle against Jeff Cobb, dude hasn’t put on a bad match in ages; and while his work in this year’s G1 Climax was rock-solid, it was matches against Joey Janella (All In) and Kota Ibushi (Supercard of Honor XII) that helped elevate his status in the industry. To boot (pun most clearly intended), Page has been entertaining in promos and on Being the Elite. Even in the an AEW full of “Elite” wrestling pals, there’s no way Page won’t be a world champ sooner than later.

-Gene Selassie

2. Shayna Baszler
3. Roppongi 3K

***MANAGER OF THE YEAR***

1. Lio Rush

“LASH-LEY! LASH-LEY! LASH-LEY!” The people took notice to Lio Rush when he first hopped onto the indie scene (he straight killed it in CZW, did his thing in PWG), and when he got “called up,” we continued to look on, nervous as to what MeekMahan would do with him. And, even with a minus-205 lb. division — what did Vince do? Made him a damn manager. But, Lio is doing quite fine in this position, and I think the people are just happy to see him getting air time. But still, he’s got a certain IT factor to his swagger that hasn’t gone unnoticed. At least not by us marks.

-Craig Chisolm

2. Brandi Rhodes

Honorable Mentions: Zelina Vega, Gedo, Eddie Kingston.

***COMMENTATOR OF THE YEAR***

1. Mauro Ranallo (NXT, Showtime Boxing)

Felipe “The 3rd Deacon” Crespo
@F7ovrdrv

I hate this rambling idiot. Enough of the congregation voted for Mauro, but I’m the one to write this category– so here we are. I told the Apostles I wasn’t going to praise him. Anyway, I guess in 2018 he continued to hone his craft of sounding like an overexcited stroke patient trying to be a poor man’s Jim Ross. He also has a great knack at trying to use pop culture references to try to seem cool… Ugh, what else? Oh, and he’d be rich if yelling “MAMMA MIA!” during big matches payed $10,000 per instance. Thank you, Ciampa for the best moment of 2018: You throwing his notes in his face at TakeOver. I love you. Hopefully he doesn’t cry about you bullying too.

-Felipe Crespo

2. Kevin Kelly (NJPW, RevPro)
3. Renee Young (WWE Raw)

***CRUISERWEIGHT/JR. HVYWT OF THE YEAR***

1. Buddy Murphy

After Blissy went to the main roster, we’d seen neither hide nor hair of Buddy Murphy. (Unless you watch Total Divas. Or follow their pet pig on Instagram.) So imagine our collective shock when the guy who had exactly one televised match last year, showed up as part of the tournament to crown a new a cruiserweight champ after the title was vacated by that dumbass who got himself fired and then banned. Murphy didn’t win, but he quickly established himself as the new breakout star on 205 Live. After an unsuccessful attempt against Cedric Alexander, he captured the Prince Memorial Championship in his hometown of Melbourne and hasn’t looked back since.

-Destiny Edwards

2. Will Ospreay
3. Ricochet

Honorable Mentions: Mustafa Ali, Darby Allin, Roppongi 3K (Sho & Yoh)

***HEEL OF THE YEAR***

1. Tommaso Ciampa

He’s always been a wolf in sheep’s clothing. I, like many others were just waiting for Ciampa to show his true colors. His teaming with Gargano was a timebomb waiting to explode. Now that Ciampa has his prize, for the latter half of 2018 he has his darkness deeply wrapped around that belt. He’s not wrestling for the fans. He’s not there for the accolades. He’s there for himself and himself only (hell, Tommaso’s not even in WWE 2K19 and he’s the damn champion!) From walking out for weeks with no ring music because the fans don’t deserve it, to manipulating opponents into major matches just days before they have to challenge him for his prize — there are many heels in pro wrestling — but there is only one Tomasso Ciampa: “The Greatest Sports Entertainer of All Time”.

-Sean Farrell

Honorable Mentions: Shayna Baszler, Daniel Bryan, Trevor Lee, Jay White, Chris Jericho.

***FACTION OF THE YEAR***

1. Undisputed Era

Anthony “PriestMode” Holloway
IG @Grumpykore

The Undisputed Era faction has taken NXT by storm. The emergence of the “Messiah of the Backbreaker” Roderick Strong as the fourth member has made the team more powerful and diverse as ever. As if the star-studded cast with leader and initial North American champ Adam Cole and his relentless cronies Kyle O’Reilly (one of the best technical brawlers in the game) and Bobby Fish (on the shelf for most of the year but has made an immediate impact in multi-person matches and a solo outting with EC3) weren’t dangerous already. The chemistry between former ROH/PWG vets is *****-worthy each and every week. While this Era is the present (and perhaps future) of NXT, it would have been great to see the Raw roster shaken up with their invasion. Ah well. That said, there hasn’t been a faction this dominant in the WWE since The Shield’s original run, bay bay!

-Anthony Holloway

2. The Elite

***WOMAN WRESTLER OF THE YEAR***

1. Becky Lynch

The woman of the year is most certainly The Man. After years of marks screaming about how underutilized Becky has been, they finally got a glimpse of what the Irish Lasskicker is capable of. She spent the first half of 2018 as just another woman on the roster but at SummerSlam she turned on her best friend and never looked back. She became an antihero that hasn’t been seen in the PG era of sports entertainment with a social media game second to none. But when Nia Jax botched her nose with an ill-advised stiffy, Becky became the hottest thing in wrestling with blood gushing from her face. A blood-soaked and concussed Lynch didn’t skip a beat, whooped Raw woman’s champ Ronda Rousey and left through the crowd covered in blood, arms outstretched, much to the delight of everyone in attendance. 2019 should continue Becky’s meteoric rise to the top and the rumor of her main eventing WrestleMania is not at all far-fetched.

-Tony Valenti

***TAG TEAM OF THE YEAR***

1. *TIE* The Shawn & Sean Show / The Rascalz

Of course the Ringside Apostles’ Sean & Shawn Show was voted Best TT of 2018. Did you expect otherwise? Somehow, those pesky wittle Rascalz were able to tie us for votes. A great year on the Indy circuit (AAW, PWG) and an Impact contract to end the year makes them the team to watch in a sea of great tag teams right now, I guess. That alley-oop finisher though…

-Shawn Puff

Honorable Mentions: Mustache Mountain, The Young Bucks, War Raiders, Ringkampf, Lucha Bros., Undisputed Era, Golden Lovers.

***COMEBACK/HEEL TURN OF THE YEAR***

1. Daniel Bryan

I don’t know what was going nowhere quicker: Bryan‘s “fight for your dreams and blah blah” catchphrase, or his “nerd trying to intimidate” one of “I want to punch you in the face”. Thankfully, he took a training camp at Nakamura’s Nut-kicking Heel Turn Dojo (it was refreshing for Bryan, but not anything we haven’t seen before.. this year). Since Naka’ing AJ’s balls for the 40th time this year and grabbing the title, Bryan has been a vicious and entertaining champ, showing no mercy and introducing new moves (love the double wrist hold face stomp). On the mic, he’s gotten annoyingly preachy, infusing his real life beliefs into his on-screen persona (a-la CM Punk’s straight edge savior). The “New Daniel Bryan” thing is lame; we don’t do that when people turn heel and it’s fucking stupid. Second, I feel it’s a huge misstep to not incorporate The Miz into Bryan’s behavioral change considering that not even a month before they were fueding over Daniel’s “you don’t have to cheat to win” and Miz’s “you have to do anything it takes”. They could’ve done something great with Miz coming out and starting with “Thanks for proving me right, Daniel…”

-Felipe Crespo

2. Roderick Strong (Heel Turn), PCO (Comeback)
3. Chris Jericho (Comeback)

Honorable Mentions: Becky (Comeback), Johnny Gargano (Heel Turn).

***GIMMICK OF THE YEAR***

1. Velveteen Dream

Velveteen Dream started the year as a midcard heel but is ending it as the top face of the brand, and he didn’t have to change his character or attitude to accomplish that. All he did was steal the show week after week with solid skills and off-the-charts storytelling. The Dream went from defeating Kassius Ohno on the undercard of TakeOver: Philadelphia in January to stealing the show in the classic North American Championship Ladder Match at TakeOver: New Orleans (ultimately won by Adam Cole) to having one of my favorite feuds of the year with Ricochet (which included a MOTN at TakeOver: Chicago II) to finishing 2018 with a great match for Ciampa’s title at TakeOver: War Games. As we enter 2019 he is the most over person on the NXT roster and it’s only a matter of time before he gets to showing off “the experience” to the mainstream.

-Tony Valenti

Honorable Mentions: Daniel Bryan (“Fickle!”), Becky (“The Man”).

***JOBBER OF THE YEAR***

1. Finn Balor

Hey Finn! You’re finally over!! Someone in the back loathes Finn Failure as much as I do and decided to make this guy nothing more than a glorified spot monkey that just doesn’t win. I’d like to shake that man’s hand, whoever he is. Balor Club is for Everyone because winning isn’t. Loser. At least the former most vicious heel ever (Prince Devitt) can say he won something this year.

-Shawn Puff

Honorable Mentions: Fabian Achner, Sasha Banks, Dakota Kai, Kassius Ohno.

***BREAKOUT WRESTLER OF THE YEAR***

1. Bandido

It was almost a no-brainer that Bandido wins our breakout star of the year. He was an instant success when he suddenly popped up at the new homebase for Pro Wrestling Guerilla (downtown LA’s Globe Theater). By the end of his first match, a team-up with Mexiblood partner Flamita against The Rascalz at Time Is A Flat Circle, the crowd had completely lost its mind with the innovative luchador. Bandido would go on to shine at PWG’s All-Star Weekend the following month in matches against Ishimori and Rey Horus (a match that gave his top rope fallaway slam instant legendary status). Bandido would go on to compete in several must-see tag and 6-man tag matches for PROGRESS, WrestleCon, RevPro, AAW and, hell, was even in the main event of All In. Bandido was everywhere. Enter Battle of Los Angeles 2018 just a few months later, and the PWG faithful reacted as if he were a returning legend. He’d go on to have 5 matches in 3 nights, highlighted by a heartbreaker of a BOLA finale against Jeff Cobb and Shingo Takagi. This guy deserves max respect, and I’m anxious to see how this worldwide sensation fairs in Ring of Honor in 2019.

-Craig Chisolm

2. Becky Lynch
3. Jeff Cobb

Honorable Mentions: Tommaso Ciampa, WALTER, Flip Gordon, Drew McIntyre.

***RIVALRY OF THE YEAR***

1. Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa

The best rivalry in the entire industry has to be Ciampa/Gargano. The matches, the promos, the heat.. this storyline has been aces. With a series of classic Unsanctioned, Chicago Street Fight and Last Man Standing matches, never has the chant “Fight Forever” been more apropos. Rounding on this year-long storyline was a reunion of sorts for #DIY at the tail-end of Gargano’s grueling catch match with Aleister Black on last week’s NXT TV. Without hesitation, Johnny Wrestling accepted his former best friend’s calling. 2019 could be a mega-year for #DIY as a heel team, and who knows — maybe these former brothers-in-arms can obtain the Tag Titles again in addition to both solo straps? Would make for one hell of a story, that’s for sure.

-Gene Selassie

2. Ricochet vs. Velveteen Dream

Honorable Mentions: Alpha vs. Omega, Okada vs. Omega.

***DEBUT OF THE YEAR***

1. Ronda Rousey

Every so often there is a debut that us a wrestling fans dream off: to make it in the WWE and the stay on top. As a champion in the Octagon as Ronda was, we always had a feeling she would eventually end up in the squared circle. And it’s worked due to her impeccable athletic talents and the gift of being a plain ol’ badass. With a booming in-ring presence and steady improvement — both in the ring and on the mic — Rousey has been able to carry the (in)arguably weaker of the two WWE Women’s divisions on her back. She’s been so good, her work has even inspired “The Man” to drop the SD title in search of bigger and better things, as we’ll soon see at the Royal Rumble. It has been fun watching the “Rowdy” one grow as the WWE Superstar; here’s to her keeping it up.

-Anthony Holloway

2. Ricochet

Honorable Mentions: Matt Riddle.

***OVER– USED MOVE OF THE YEAR***

1. Codebreaker

Far removed from Noah’s Naomichi Marufiji, or Sugar Shane Helms’s double knee finisher or even Chris Jericho’s famed Y2J finisher — what was once a visual treat and a deadly move has been overused so much it’s almost a weak front grapple preset for generic wrestling set #1. One episode of IMPACT Wrestling (a now much better product than a year ago, mind you) or SmackDown Live and a surplus of all-too inspired lucha/spot-monkey doin’ these stomach kneebusters will surely urge you to start the new wrestling drinking game (#CodebreakCity). Thankfully we didn’t have to suffer though Codebreaker Parties.. yet.

-Sean Farrell

2. Superkicks

Honorable Mentions: Destroyer, Suicide Dive, V-Trigger, Cutter.

***WRESTLER OF THE YEAR***

1. Will Ospreay

I’ve always been fond of Will Ospreay as a super athlete who could do things in the ring that no one (but arguably Ricochet) can do. But it’s been a joy to watch the growth of Ospreay as this high-spot driven super junior attraction into a full-fledged heavyweight marquee talent. Submissions, selling, and psychology: who knew Ospreay had it in him? Hell, he even got a 4+ match out of fucking Taichi. Os’ tremendous year-long growth initially had us more concerned for his health than match quality; the Aussie took too many stupid/dangerous bumps no one ever should, nearly cracking his skull during a Spanish Fly spot on the apron in a classic with Marty Scurll at Dontaku. He miraculously recovered (we think) and Ospreay had the greatest WrestleMania Weekend long performance of all time, with 5 of his 7(!!!) matches earning a 4-Bible score or higher.

(cont.) While things got a touch quieter following his 5-2 record at Best of the Super Juniors in June (where he was just ousted by Hiromu — who Ospreay had legendary matches with this year at New Beginning (Osaka) and Dominion, and Ishimori — who he saw on first day of BotSJ), that was all part of the plan. Evident by his match with fellow CHAOS pal Okada at the 46th Anniversary, Ospreay used his brief downtime (a.k.a. touring Britain’s indies and having bangers with everyone from Jordan Devlin to Jimmy Havoc to Chris Ridgeway to WALTER) to get ready for the heavies. Tall for a “junior” heavyweight, Ospreay was also disciplined enough to put the pounds necessary to compete with the Omega’s and Ibushi’s of the world. Our 2018 Wrestler of the Year finished 2018 just like that, teaming up with Hiroshi Tanahashi to have a 5-star classic againt the Golden Lovers just months after an incredible team-up with Ishii against the same team. For 2019, sky’s the limit for the Aerial Assassin.

-Travis Moody

2. Pete Dunne

Honorable Mentions: Kota Ibushi, Bandido, AJ Styles, Rey Fenix, Ricochet, Shinsuke Nakamura.

June 17, 2017June 17, 2017

WWE MONEY IN THE BANK [Ringside Apostle Preview]: All Cashed Out.

The Hype Bros vs. **The Colons** (*Kickoff Match*)

Just me, or has Zack Ryder looked like a fuckin’ heel? If you watched his appearance with Mojo on Talking Smack this past Tuesday, you may’ve noticed that something was a little off. That, or just the fact Mojo has been featured so prominently on television–win or lose–with various segments of him thanking Shane for match opportunities, talking about his future legacy and what the Andre Invitational Trophy means (although, it surely means nothing), etc. Mojo is about as white meat baby as you can get. Zack has always had a certain edge to him and I think now’s the time for him to unleash it–on his friend, nonetheless. Remember, they always talked about how well they got along despite their different attitudes, likes, and hobbies; here comes the chief difference. PREDICTION: The Shining Colon Bros get the de facto pinfall once Ryder drops the apron like the bad habit, leaving Gronk’s bff for #DEAD.

*SmackDown Tag Team Champions* The Usos vs. **The New Day**

So the New Day debuts on Smackdown Live and WHOOOOO immediately gets a title shot? Who? Who? Who? Who? Who? … ahem… I’d normally would tell you how much I hate that but, if I could be serious for a moment, the Smackdown Live tag team titles could use a shot of rainbows, magic and unicorns. Am I wrong? I just can’t get behind the tag team title picture on Smackdown no matter how much I try. Maybe it’s just me but I bet not. PREDICTION: So anyway, I don’t think the Usos stand a chance in this match. They’ll put on a good showing. We’ll see some high flying and a few good spots. Don’t get me wrong’ I don’t hate Jimmy & Jay with this heel gimmick. I actually kind of like it. But is there any reason for them to win this one? Basically the Usos’ day definitely will not be H, but it might be ish. Smart mark money is on The New Day leaving your NEW… SMACKDOWN LIVE… TAG…. TEAM… CHAAAMPIOOONS … BECAUUU– USE!! … NEW… DAY ROCKS! NEW… DAY ROCKS! NEW… DAY ROCKS!

Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Natalya vs. Tamina vs. **Carmella** (*Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match*)

In a year that’s been full of women firsts at the ‘E, the annual Money in the Bank is now boasting a Women’s MITB match. With crowd favorites, Lynch and Flair, expect them to be on the losing end with flashes of brilliance. Also expect the Welcoming Committee to implode as all three heels have the Women’s championship in their crosshairs. If WWE is to continue their streak of swerves as of late I’d say keep your eye on Natalya. PREDICTION: But all chatter seems to be heavy on Carmella walking away with the briefcase as James Ellsworth is more than likely to play a role in the match, and maybe take a Bexplex through a table.

*SmackDown Women’s Champion* **Naomi** vs. Lana

Naomi’s reign as Smackdown Live Women’s Champion has been a disaster. Don’t get me wrong; nobody feels the glow more than me. I danced around my bedroom both times she beat Alexa Bliss for the blueberry cheesecake title (and as a loyal Blissfit, it’s hard to get me to pull against the Goddess) and I get more HYPE than Mojo ever could when the lights go down and her music hits. But let’s face facts: the only babyface champion in all of WWE has had the weakest reign in the women’s division since the revolution/evolution begun. First she had to forfeit the belt because her injury meant it couldn’t be defended within 30 days (a rule that seems to be ignored on the red brand, unless Brock has been defending the Universal Championship against Ice Warriors on Mars). And after getting her Wrestlemania Moment ™, she’s just been getting pinned in more meaningless tag matches than Captain Fookin’ New Japan.

So now, on the night the very first Ms. Money in the Bank will be crowned, she’s in a title match with goddamned LANA! Yes, Lana has been down in NXT working on her in-ring skill, but we’ve already been down this road before in NXT with Bayley and Eva Marie. And while that helped more people get behind Bayley–and Lana cares more about her wrestling ability than Eva Marie did–this does nothing for Naomi except make her look like an idiot since she was the one that suggested putting the title on the line. Does it illustrate that she’s a fighting champ? Yes, but you know what demonstrated it more? Giving a shot to Charlotte who has been proven in the ring and was able to give us a great, entertaining match before the Welcoming Committee (God, how I hate that name) interrupted. This will be the hottest of messes and Naomi deserves better. PREDICTION: Naomi is gonna snatch Lana bald—as in she is going to literally rip out those horrific extensions Lana has. And we still won’t know why anyone thought this was a good idea, unless Ms. Money in the Bank crashes the party.

United States Champion Kevin Owens, AJ Styles, **Baron Corbin**, Sami Zayn, Dolph Ziggler and Shinsuke Nakamura (*Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match*)

Whereas some matches on this lackluster card are quite the conundrum, this match in particular seems pretty cut and dry to me. Styles and Owens do not need the briefcase at this point. Despite his talent, Ziggler seems to be a lost cause with upper management. The briefcase doesn’t do well in the hands of white meat babyfaces, so that eliminates Zayn. Nakamura still has a lot to prove to the WWE audience; not because he lacks talent, but because booking and creative have already seemingly dropped the ball with him. PREDICTION: The only logical choice is the one that the powers that be have been salivating to put championship gold on — despite the fact that he still needs fine tuning — and that’s Baron Corbin.

*WWE Champion* **Jinder Mahal** vs. Randy Orton

Orton has a championship title match in his hometown of St. Louis, Missouri, so… ummmmm ummmmm ummmmmm ummmmmm ummmmm ummmmmm… PREDICTION: Jinder wins again! A cause for yet another Smackdown Live championship celebration that no one in India sees! Daniel Bryan books them in a Punjabi Prison Match.. rematch! Yeah!

May 18, 2017

WWE BACKLASH [Sean & Shawn Show Preview]: Don’t Hinder Jinder.

“FATHER” SEAN FARRELL: It’s time for the WWE Smackdown Live! brand PPV Backlash. SD makes ’em, Raw takes ’em — AJ Styles said that. Man alive he wasn’t referring to this card. Backlash? More like Treading Water.

“PASTOR” SHAWN PUFF: No. Its time for the…

**Tye Dillinger** vs. Aiden English (*Kickoff Match*)

SEAN: The rebranding of English continues — to use his old gimmick, which has a better chance than the old-timey strongman gimmick ever had a chance of working — against the longest road to midcard status, “The Perfect 10” Tye Dillinger. Gotta start somewhere. I see Tye getting an easy win with a lame finisher (that knee to the head isn’t working for me, kid).

SHAWN: Oh, sweet–I love kick-off show matches. Wait.. you like that singing gimmick, Sean? God. At least this one will be quick. Tye walks out with the W faster than you can count to.. 10! 10! 10!

SEAN: Man, oh man. This Father couldn’t careless about Corbin. Dude has the look, the moves, but the charm of a broken flip-flop. Poor Sami just can’t catch a break, but at least he won’t be losing to Kevin Owens again. Corbin wins as the crowd goes meh.

SHAWN: This gets worse and worse. I can’t stand El Generico. Corbin needs to get a push. Who booked this trash? At least we can agree that Sami won’t be dancing when this one is done. Corbin for the win.

SEAN: Why isn’t this the preshow match? Both these guys can work, but neither should be feuding with each other–at least not to start. This might be the sleeper match of the night (in both ways imaginable), since these two have the most to prove.

SHAWN: You contradict yourself, brother. This match could be the sleeper match but.. you would put it on the preshow? You didn’t even pick a winner. Who are you? Vince Russo? I got this one. Harper wins because he deserves the push. My brother agrees with me.

SEAN: “Man, I hope when Shinsuke gets called up, Vince doesn’t screw it up” — and that’s exactly what he did. White hot debut, with a crowd losing their minds.. and all he did was walk to the ring. But then, Dolph happened. Terrible “comedy” promos. Nothing clicking. With Nakamura, less is more on the mic. Dolph is a lame duck worker who has been yoyo’ed so much, that beating him means less than nothing. End this now. Now!

SHAWN: Well, what else is there to say? Oh yeah. KINSHASAAAAAAAAA!!!!

United States Champion Kevin Owens vs. AJ Styles

SEAN: Why isn’t AJ going for Orton’s title? Why is he working backwards down the card? Who knows. Kevin Owens morphing into Jericho? Uh, sure. Okay. At least the wrestling will be good. I see Owens winning by something shady, as usual.

SHAWN: I cant agree with you here. Owens brought the US title over but he’s gotta be in the main event picture. He’s the new face of America and the future face of the WWE. In order for that to happen, the Champ That Runs The Camp needs to take that belt from him. I won’t say it in French, because I can’t; but The Phenomenal One wins and this is your match of the night.

SmackDown Women’s Champion Naomi, Charlotte Flair & Becky Lynch vs. Natalya, Carmella & Tamina (Six-Woman Tag Team Match)

SEAN: What happened to the women’s division? Oh right: Bliss left. These women all deserve better. The champion deserves better. Quick, do you know which one is the champ without looking it up? Exactly. How does a division take a step down when you add Charlotte Flair to it? Winner will be my bladder during this bathroom break match.

SHAWN: Wrong again. Ellsworth wins… because he STILL has a job. DUH!!

SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos vs. Breezango

SEAN: Uh, what? I don’t even know what to say. This makes no sense at all. At. All. Remember when Smackdown was stacked with teams and the champions were two solo guys slapped together as a comedy bit? The joke continues here. Hurry up, New Day. We need your feud with American Alpha to start like 30 days ago.

SHAWN: Haters gonna hate — I like this one. Should be a good match. Breezango is pretty entertaining and over, and I actually like this heel Usos thing. But you know about that Day One ish, son. The Usos win because they’re brothers–like us. Plus, they need to job to the New Day when they finally show up.

WWE Champion Randy Orton vs. Jinder Mahal

SEAN: Yeah, yeah; don’t hinder Jinder. I’m a fan of the xenophobic challenger. It’s easy. It works every time. Orton is a boring champion who’s not really had a chance to do anything, thanks to his nobody cares matches with Wyatt. I don’t see the title changing hands here, but I do expect Jinder to show the world what he can do. The guy has the look, the moves and the drive. But, then again, so did the other two members of 3MB. Orton hit the RKO and this show is in the books with 30-minutes to spare.

SHAWN: Yup. Agreed and agreed. I would love the Maharaja to win this one but it wont happen. Ooh look, we’ve still got time to go take shots before the boss assigns us the Slammiversary preview!

January 26, 2017January 29, 2017

WWE ROYAL RUMBLE 2017 [Ringside Apostles Preview]: No Alpha, No Omega.

Hey wrestling geeks, you knew we couldn’t let this one slip. It’s Weekend 1 on the “Road to WrestleMania”, and the Ringside Apostles have the full preview of NXT TakeOver: San Antonio (Saturday) and WWE Royal Rumble 2017 (Sunday).

You ready? Naw, you’re not ready.

***WWE ROYAL RUMBLE 2017*** – 1/29/17

“Bishop Zom” Richard Pearson
@eyebzombie

Still running the backstage block, Sasha Banks walks ever confident (ignoring her bum knee) into Sunday for pride and territory. You cannot discount a true Bo$$; she has a plan and eyes set on the Samoan enforcer, Nia Jax. The female high volcano is rumbling within as she boils over, rage and destruction is set to leave Sasha bloody, beaten and laid out in the streets. PREDICTION: This will be one hell of a female David and Goliath match, with Banks for the swift win.

**Cesaro and Sheamus** (c) vs. **The Club** (*WWE Raw Tag Team Championship; Two Referees are Assigned to the Match*)

“Aw man, know what’s SO KEWL?! THE CLUB! THEY’RE LIKE NWO! And, and.. And Anderson and Gallows? They were in the Club back in Japan! Man, it was great! ‘Member??” Ugh. Me, and many fans have had to put up with this incessant babbling since they rode AJ’s coattails (ain’t nobody want them as the main dish) into the WWE. And know what? They’re not great. Karl Anderson? Sure. But Luke Gallows is as meh as ever. I guess they’re a solid enough tag team, but in the WWE, you also need charisma. And they couldn’t buy it if they made “Cena money”. PREDICTION: They Club is above average, are going against a team that’s working great together (and features Cesaro), and they’re in an era that’s known for lengthy title reigns. I know AJ probably made sure there’s a “title run” clause in their contracts (God bless him), but I don’t think it’s happening just yet. Sheasaro > Club Light.

**Alexa Bliss**, **Mickie James** and **Natalya** vs. **Becky Lynch**, **Naomi** and **Nikki Bella**

Since I’m the resident “Jerry Lawler” over here at the Ringside Apostles, there’s no surprise that yours truly took a liking to this match. (“PUPPIES!”) But, no, seriously; there’s a lot of talent in this ring–and I don’t just mean looks.. OK, that’s a lie. But these women can go! Actually, although the heat between former 5-time, 5-time, 5-time, 5-time, 5-time Women’s Champ (and former TNA Knockout) Mickie James and recent SD Titleholder Becky Lynch is as hot as you’d imagine, it’ll be the outstanding heat between Natalya & Nikki that should get all the attention. It should be interesting to see where Naomi and Alexa fit into all of this since their newfound championship-intended rivalry popped off on Tuesday. That’s two athletically-gifted–and hella bootyful–women that are about to make the Woman’s Division on #SDLive “must see TV”. PREDICTION: Single (and lonely) Moody wins.

**Rich Swann** (c) vs. **Neville** (*WWE Cruiserweight Championship*)

There comes a time when a Superstar gets his shot–and this might be Adrian Neville‘s. Arguably a better heel, his drive to succeed in the WWE after his long awaited return has put the 205 Live and the CwC title on notice the last few weeks. It’s the perfect main dish for a show that is just starting to build momentum with its fans. Rich Swann, on the other hand, has done well making an impact on the ring with his high-flying moves and charisma. Despite that…. PREDICTION: It’s time for Neville to lead the Cruiserweight division to new heights, in what should be a great bout with a Red Arrow crashing down to victory.

**Kevin Owens** (c) vs. **Roman Reigns** (*No Disqualification Match for the WWE Universal Championship; Chris Jericho Will be Suspended in a Shark Cage Above the Ring*)

The deck has definitely been stacked against the Big Dog. Sunday night will be different, though: Chris Jericho will be suspended high above the ring–in a shark cage–ensuring he won’t interfere. And to add to it, it will be a No Disqualification match. Hmmm… Vince has tried to shove Roman down our throat the past two Mania’s as a face, much to the chagrin of the IWC and many wrestling fans, resulting in the main event being hijacked and pops going to the guy they wanted heat for. What better way to fix that than to give Reigns the strap and send him into April as the champ, turning him heel sometime in the process? PREDICTION: Y2J does interfere by dropping a foreign object into the ring from the Shark Cage. Owens will fail in his attempt to use said object and Roman Reigns will instead get his hands on it and use it to “KO” K.O. and become the new Universal Champion, thus causing a rift between Besties and sending them into Mania for Jericho’s US Title.

**Charlotte Flair** (c) vs. **Bayley** (*WWE Raw Women’s Championship*)

Coming off the heels of possibly one of the greatest female rivalries in wrestling history, I have been watching Charlotte‘s newest feud pretty closely. While most of the promos have come across as ‘petty girl fight’ type stuff, there is no doubting either woman’s work ethic or ability. Though Ms. Flair is the queen of the ring in my view, there’s more than likely be a title run in the future for the queen of the hugs–and I’m pretty sure that starts this Sunday. PREDICTION: Bayley.

**AJ Styles** (c) vs. **John Cena** (*WWE Championship*)

This will steal the show. Mark my words. AJ Styles/John Cena matches have always been barn burners and I could watch them–quite literally–wrestle forever. Considering the promo they cut on Smackdown Live this past Tuesday was white hot, this war of words will erupt into quite possibly a “6 star match” (thanks, Melzer). Believe me when I say, I know WWE officials and wrestlers alike were watching Wrestle Kingdom 11 very intently and they’re looking to outdo Okada/Omega–especially the former IWGP Heavyweight Champ that once ran that Japanese camp. Prediction: Styles will do what he does best, again, and that’s #BeatUpJohnCena and retain.

**30 Man Royal Rumble** (*#1 Contender at Wrestlemania 33*)

With the likes of Goldberg, Undertaker, Brock Lesnar and the Big Show entering the prestigious Royal Rumble the big men are the odds on favorites to win it all. But out of the 30 men, there are only 22 known superstars, 8 of which are surprise entrants; now and then WWE knows how to surprise the hardcore and casual fan alike. PREDICTION: My money is on Samoa Joe getting called up from NXT (finally) and, although a long shot, winning the Rumble. A mark can dream, right? – Lauro Rojas

The Rumble this year is so packed to the gills, it’s hard to pick a winner. You’ve got heavyhitters like Braun Strowman and the aforementioned legends, but it wouldn’t surprise me if… PREDICTION: Somehow, Seth Rollins gets into the match and pulls this thing off! That will be a dope surprise. – JaDarrel Belser

I.. don’t know.. I really don’t want to see Taker win and get the belt at WM. I love you, Undertaker, and appreciate everything you’ve done, etc, etc. But it’s time, man. Go into the Hall of Fame… And with Rollins out of the Rumble, I’d guess Bill Goldberg; but… PREDICTION: He’ll eliminate Lesnar, and Lesnar will screw him out of the 30-Man. Sure as hell won’t be a Smackdown guy. Ugh. A spot is going to be wasted on James Ellsworth, isn’t it? Fuck you, SD. – Felipe Crespo

This year’s Rumble looks good. With 7 or so spots still left to be filled, we’re sure to see some surprises as we get ready for the Road to WrestleMania. Since we already have a good idea of what big names will be doing what at Mania… PREDICTION: I expect a few surprise entrants and an unannounced return for Finn Balor to lead to a Balor victory and either a Balor/Reigns or Balor/Styles WrestleMania Main Event. I’ll pay (the $9.99) for either of those. – Shawn Puff

One thing is for certain this year: This year’s Rumble is completely up for grabs. Usually it’s well known/telegraphed who’s going to win–be it Rock, HHH or rammed-down-our-throats Roman. But this year, there are legit six entrants (that we know of) and stories colliding. Be it Roman, Goldberg, Brock, Taker, Jericho– or any one of the as of yet known 8 wildcards. Could it be a returning Finn Balor? Or Samoa Joe, as Lauro just mentioned? Whoever is the last man standing this year, we’re all winners. PREDICTION: Although Joe is my outside choice, I gotta list the dark horse himself, “Y2J” Chris Jericho. – Sean Farrell

Surprises have become legendary with the Royal Rumble; hopes of seeing a new mastery, ala Kofi Kingston surviving the over the top rope elimination by his almost-heels. Braun Strowman will step up and break the most eliminations by one wrestler (Kane/Reigns?). But I will stand fast with the surprise entrant taking victory for the night. PREDICTION: I’m saying.. Kurt Angle is returning and winning the Royal Rumble. Oh, it’s True, it’s damn True. – Richard Pearson

Sounds wild, but I’m going with Sami Zayn. Here’s why: After being pummeled by Strowman week after week after week… he’s the perfect underdog story. He’s way over with the fans. This week on RAW, he was clearly the brand’s best actual in-ring performer (although Rollins is a close second). That pedigree reminds me of Daniel Bryan and with all these old slugs in the ring my friends have mentioned, maybe Mrs. Foley’s baby boy can convince the whigs in Stamford that this is a way to get HARDCORE fans’ attention following the massive critical success of NJPW’s WK11. After some terrible reactions to recent RR winners (Sheamus, Batista and Reigns ring a bell?), isn’t it time to listen to the fans? At Mania: 1.) Goldberg vs. Brock becomes a Triple Threat with Taker, 2.) HHH fights Rollins, 3.) Samoa Joe causes havoc, but makes more impact at the Elimination Chamber, 4.) Sami either gives Foley the “F U” and challenges Cena and/or AJ for the WWE Title, or… 5.) Finds his long-awaited revenge against K.O. (way back from 2014 in NXT) for the Universal strap. 6.) Reigns could then fight Strowman, and Y2J could fight Balor. Wullah! PREDICTION: El Generico. – Travis Moody

***NXT TAKEOVER: SAN ANTONIO*** – 1/28/17

Well, this should be interesting. We have the still relatively new incoming Indy signing in Roderick Strong (Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, Ring of Honor) going up against the other dancing gimmick Andres “Cien” Almas. Now one would put Strong over since he’s a new commodity and still has that new car smell on him to the WWE Universe; but, Cien needs a win in Texas where he’s sure to have some fans from his time in Mexico. PREDICTION: Almas needs to keep it at a hundred to have a chance against the King of the Backbreaker. Sorry WWE, keep looking for that crossover talent from South of the Border.

TEN! TEN! TEN! Yeah, you’re going to be sick of that number by Monday, since it’s the number you’ll hear screaming from marks all over south Texas. But who can blame fans who’ve witnessed tremendous in-ring progress from Tye Dillinger (as well as a super boost of popularity). While his charisma or personality might not be there just yet, many feel he’s ready for the jump–perhaps to continue a heated Twitter squabble with The Miz on Smackdown Live. “The Perfect Ten” announced at.. you guessed it.. during the Rumble? Let’s hope he can get out of a possible SAnity TakeOver the night before first. PREDICTION: Does NXT really wanna bury either one of these guys? Eric Young‘s SAnity faction would be dired useless if he loses. At least if Tye falls, it gives him all the more reason to hop in the 30-man and make the fans forgot it took 4 psycho-grunge artists to beat him the night before.

Here it is. NXT’s hottest tag team, #DIY–who put on a recent clinic with TM61 and made a strong case for Tag Match of 2016 against the Revival–will be defending against the Authors of Blehhhhh, I mean Pain. A pair that would give the Monstars (that was a Space Jam reference) a run for their money, Akam and Rezar have been making their presence felt throughout NXT since June of 2016 dismantling teams left and right. Expect some stiff hits and a powerful moveset from the teams and mayhaps some ringside shenanigans with the likes of Paul Ellering about. PREDICTION: #DIY have had a good run but this writer believes it’s time for them to get called up (fingers crossed for Smackdown); Authors of Pain take the belts.

Three heels and a face. Peyton Royce and Billie Kay banded together because they’re both Australian and pretty, so they’re the best (obvs). Their mean girl gimmick works for them and they’re both good in the ring. SAnity’s Nikki Cross is there because, well, she’s sooooo crazy and unpredictable (like they keep telling us Dean Ham-brose is). She just inserted herself into the title picture because she wanted to. And, you know what? I’m OK with that because it’s Nikki Fucking Cross. PREDICTION: My heart wants Cross (God, do I love her), but she’s not ready yet. Truthfully, neither are Kay and Royce, and their partnership will probably implode after this match and start a feud between them. Asuka retains until Orlando.

I might be looking forward to this match more than any other on either card this weekend. The King of Strong Style is coming off what was an incredible fued with Samoa Joe that saw the title go back and forth between the two. I can’t help but wonder, with the expected call-ups for and following the Rumble (in addition to Shinsuke being booked for WrestleMania Axxess weekend), if the current champ will drop the belt and show up as a Rumble surprise–or even the following Monday/Tuesday night. Spicy! On the other hand, they just got this fued going and it’s been gold since the start, with Bobby Roode nothing short of #GLORIOUS since his arrival. PREDICTION: A title reign could see a main event push for the already over Perfect 10, reigniting Tye’s fued with new champion Roode.

December 23, 2016

RINGSIDE APOSTLES [The Apostle Awards Show]: Only ‘The Elite’.

You read our first annual Apostle Awards, but the three of the Ringside Apostles — some would even say “The Elite” of the Apostles *wink wink* — “Monsignor” Travis Moody, JaDarrel “Bad Luck” Belser, and “Angelic” Destiny Edwards give you the why behind the choices for “Match of the Year”, “Woman’s Wrestler of the Year”, “Brand of the Year”, “Even of the Year”, “Wrestler of the Year”, and more!

We also give some quick thoughts on (and Bible scores for) WWE Roadblock: End of the Line; preview the next big wrestling PPV event, NJPW’s Wrestle Kingdom 11; and, of course, chat up our projections and predictions in the world of wrestling for 2017. So do your annual day-long commute to grandma’s house a favor this holiday, and hear the brilliance of “Brother” Myke Ladiona’s entrance themes and the witty banter and “insiders” insight of our Ringside Apostles in our first ever Apostle Awards Show.

Download The Apostle Awards Show 2016 (right click and save)

Merry X-Mas, from The Belser Club!

December 13, 2016February 9, 2017

THE APOSTLE AWARDS [Best Wrestling of 2016]: A ‘Phenomenal’ Year.

Welcome to our first annual Apostle Awards! To come up with the very Best of Everything in Pro Wrestling for 2016, we asked 14 members of the Ringside Apostle congregation to vote. And, damn did we have answers — answers that ranged from the highest mountaintop of World Wrestling Entertaiment to the epic tradition of the New Japan Pro Wrestling rising sun, right down to the sweaty #HolyShit(!) bingo halls of Reseda, CA.

Do you agree with our selections? Love ’em? Hate ’em? Pissed at anything we missed or marked out to? Let the Apostles know we “Suck” or that we’re “Awesome!” over @GodHatesGeeks on Twitter. For now, enjoy what we have to offer, because you know we’re just #TooSweet.

***MATCH OF THE YEAR***

1. Kenny Omega vs. Tetsuya Naito [NJPW G1 Climax Semis]

"The Man Called" Moody @travmoody — “The Man Called” Moody
@travmoody

Nearly a unanimous decision for the congregation, Omega/Naito in the semifinal of the 19 Day epic that was New Japan Pro Wrestling’s G1 Climax, was also our highest recommendation of 2016. “Before you write your list, watch this match now!” It was also the fight that made me feel beyond stupid for having stopped watching NJPW after AJ, The Club, and Nakamura defected to the big time. Fellow congregant Ryan Davis told me this epic battle between two of the biggest heels was “Piper/Flair for the new generation”. But I’m gonna 1-up that notion: the match was Omega’s high-flying nuttiness of Pillman, strength, intensity (and groaning) of DDP, acrobatic “strong style” of Muta, and scrappiness of Benoit to the Los Ingobernables member’s submission expertise of Flair meets a high-flying variant of Piper’s sheer evil. Yes. Kureijī!!! While Omega eventually went on to beat Goto–in another blockbuster–to become the first gaijin to win G1, if any match in 2016 was 5-stars, it was his war with Naito.

2. *TIE* A.J. Styles vs. John Cena [SummerSlam ’16] / A.J. Styles vs. Dean Ambrose [TLC ’16]

3. #DIY vs. The Revival [NXT TakeOver: Toronto]

Honorable mention: Will Ospreay v. Ricochet [Best of the Super Juniors], Kota Ibushi v. Cedric Alexander [CWC Semifinal], Samy Zayn v. Shinsuke Nakamura [NXT TakeOver: Dallas], Sasha v. Flair [HIAC ’16], Adam Cole & The Young Bucks v. Ricochet, Matt Sydal, & Ospreay [PWG Battle of Los Angeles 2016].

***BRAND OF THE YEAR***

1. Smackdown Live!

The Apostles have spoken and named Smackdown Live brand of the year, or rather, the A-SHOW BAY-BAY! It may have shorter run time and not as many Superstars as RAW, but, man, can they pack it inside of a 2-hour broadcast. They have such stellar talent the likes of A.J. Styles (has yet to deliver anything lower than 5-stars), Dean Ambrose, Becky Lynch, also my personal favorite, and soon to be second wife, Alexa Bliss. Upstarts from NXT, American Alpha, Vaudevillains, Apollo Crews–and that’s not even touching on seasoned vets Cena, Orton or Miz. With fan favorites like Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan running the show there’s nary a blemish on the weekly broadcast; solid booking and surprising swerves add onto the brand, not to mention great PPVs, and–sometimes–an even great post-game show, Talking Smack.

2. NXT

3. Lucha Underground

***PPV/EVENT OF THE YEAR***

1. NXT TakeOver: Dallas

"Bishop" Richard Zom @eyebzombie — “Bishop” Richard Zom
@eyebzombie

In 2016, NXT solidifed itself as the benchmark of indie/crossover wrestling. With three potential arguments for “Event/PPV of the Year”, NXT’s TakeOver: Dallas was the excitement that kicked it all off: Finn Balor going full demon mode on the not-to-be-taken-lightly Samoan Suplex Machine/Palonishian Terminator was a sheer thrill of great highs of incredible in-ring work. The second match that had me fanboying out like a middle school girl to the early days of Bieber Fever, had to be the Japanese Queen of Music Asskicking, Asuka vs. the dangerous hugger, Bayley.

(cont.) It was, without question, yet another installment of women’s wrestling coming full circle and outperforming the men on various levels. Lastly, match on the night for me was also one of the Apostles’ MOTY nominees, the NXT debut of “The King of Strong Style” Shinsuke Nakamura vs. NXT veteran Sami Zayn. Sweet Christmas! Did these two make the ring sing with fluid chemistry of working styles, complimenting each other with every strike, kick, lock-up, submission and chain-grappling combo. I was literally sweating watching this wrestling version of Apollo Creed vs. Rocky! Follow NXT, my fireflies. BZW.

2. Cruiserweight Classic [CWC]

3. *TIE* PWG Battle of Los Angeles 2016 / NJPW G1 Climax 26

Honorable mention: SummerSlam 2016, NXT TakeOver: The End, TLC ’16, ROH All-Star Extravaganza 16.

***MANAGER OF THE YEAR***

1. Paul Heyman

Guy "Padre" Copes @guycopes3 — Guy “Padre” Copes
@guycopes3

Why Paul Heyman? Simply put, in an era where kayfabe is all but dead and buried like Impact on payday, Heyman makes us believe that all of this matters. He pulled us in like the best of the carnies, suspended our disbelief and made us believe that every match counted, that the predetermined outcome scripted in a writer’s room was nothing more than a figment of our own imaginations. Why Heyman? Because he sold us on the dream matches, the indestructability of his “client Brock Lesnar” and the very epitome of a great showman and storyteller. The former Paul E was every great manager of the past rolled into one this year and he reminded us all just what an important role that character plays in making this whole business work.

2. Maryse

3. Xavier Woods

Honorable mention: Paul Ellering, Lana.

***COMMENTATOR OF THE YEAR***

1. Corey Graves (RAW, NXT, 205 Live)

Jim Ross. Kerry Bawler. Tony Sheeabony. Some of the more memorable wrestling commentators in history; what does Graves have in common with them? Thankfully not much. Corey has been a breath of fresh air. No moronic, near incoherent babbling when excited (OHBAWGAWD, HEIZBROKKENINHAFF!), no drooling over female superstars like a teenager with hormones on overdrive (lol.. he calls breasts puppies, GET IT?!), and no Herculian exaggerations (Tony once kept increasing The Giant/Big Show’s weight throughout a match). He’s concise, knowledgeable, and has fantastic wit, making him the best “heel commentator” since Punk (I detest him now, but dammit did I enjoy his stint as a commentator). It sucks that his wrestling career was sidelined as it was beginning, but in retrospect, we can say: Graves is dead, long live Graves.

2. Mauro Ranallo (Smackdown Live!, NJPW on AXS, CWC, 205 Live!)

3. Matt Striker (Lucha Underground)

Honorable mention: JBL.

***CRUISERWEIGHT/JR. HVYWT OF THE YEAR***

1. Brian Kendrick

Not so many wrestlers get a third stint in the most popular company on the planet, but Kendrick has paid his dues for nearly 16-years all over the globe. His charisma is top-notch and has always caught fan’s hearts, heel or face. It’s almost fair to mention that he started the Cruiserweight class way back Attitude Era and other feds during his career. Crazy, but this great singles competitor actually held the WWF Tag Titles (with Paul London) longer than anyone but Demolition before there ever was A New Day. All this backstory brings me to the CWC event and the importance of making the new show (205 Live) another stepping stone for new talent and progress. I have always enjoyed watching #HeelKendrick wrassle, and had the opportunity to catch him live at a TNA event. His new gimmick suits him very well. His crafted movesets are well polished. It won’t be long before we see Brian with the giant purple strap over his shoulder once again!

2. Rich Swann

3. Cedric Alexander

Honorable mention: Ricochet, Will Ospreay.

***HEEL OF THE YEAR***

1. Charlotte Flair

What can I say about the current RAW Women’s Champion, Charlotte? She is 100% a chip off the old block. She’s become just as good and just as vicious a heel as her legendary father–a man she has made cry twice, mind you–in his heyday. Yelling at her own manager; commanding approval from the WWE Universe peasants. Plus, her rivalry with Sasha Banks is quickly becoming the thing of Legend. The first female Hell in the Cell. The first ladies championship match that was Falls Count Anywhere. And, now, this Sunday at Roadblock (**plug** check out our upcoming Year-End Wrap-up Show following the ppv **plug**), a 30-minute Iron Woman match. And the sheer craziness about it all is that Ms. Flair’s been around less than two years. Amazing.

2. The Miz

3. Kenny Omega

Honorable mention: AJ Styles, Chris Jericho, Tetsuya Naito, Kevin Owens.

***COMEBACK OF THE YEAR***

1. Broken Matt Hardy

Aaaaaaaaaaahhh!!! Ooooooooohh!! Ahhhhhhhh!!! I just had a PREmonEEEEtion. The one shining moment of the year, the single reason they are not obsolete, for TNA has been the emergence of the disheveled Broken Matt Hardy. Sure, we were forced to endure the monstrosities known as the “Final Deletion” and the “Great War”, but in the end we were able to bear witness to the single greatest character ever created by a Hardy and after 20-years, Matt’s PREmonEEEtion of broken brilliance finally shone through. Eeeeeeeeeh!! Yeeeeeeees!! Aaaaaaahaaaaaaa!!! Now reunited with the Nefarious Brother Nero, the Broken Hardy’s have proven without a shady of a doubt that they are the greatest tag team in all of space and time. Greater than the Bucks of Youth or the Day of the New or any other tag team that you may think of in all of professional wrestling. It may possibly be the one thing in TNA that doesn’t deserve to be “Deleted”. I think it’s safe to say that the Broken Brilliance of Broken Matt has been the greatest comeback of the year if not in all of space and time. Brother Moore… I knew you’d win!!

2. Shane McMahon

3. Goldberg

Honorable mention: Mickie James.

***FACTION OF THE YEAR***

1. The Bullet Club

Kenny "Saint Superkick" Sanders @HueySkyywalker — Kenny “Saint Superkick” Sanders
@HueySkyywalker

The Bullet Club has grown greater throughout the years. This year, Kenny Omega took the reigns of BC from A.J. Styles earlier this year. He went as far as to create a subdivision group–hell, a faction within a faction–within the B.C. known as The Elite with the Young Bucks (and later, “The Dream Team” with Adam Cole). For the longest time, the comparisons between The Bullet Club and that of Degeneration-X and the New World Order have been spot-on: beat-downs, ref bumps, outside interference, spray paint, “clickiness”, and *ahem* SUPERKICKS!!! It’s no secret these guys are fans of these legendary past factions. What makes it even more great is to get co-signs from these legends, while remaining synonymous within the WWE. Guys like Styles, Finn Balor (formerly Prince Devitt), Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows represent the globally large faction on the biggest brand in professional wrestling. I believe this great faction will come into full formation down the road–and the place will be WWE.

***WOMAN WRESTLER OF THE YEAR***

1. Charlotte

"Sister" Jenn Casals IG @Jenn_Casals — “Sister” Jenn Casals
IG @Jenn_Casals

This year’s winner shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. Although Sasha and Asuka have done great work this year, they just didn’t match the consistency and strength of Charlotte Flair. In 2016, “The Genetically Superior Athlete” had a well-timed debut on the main roster as well as an immediate push to the title. Her athleticism is unmatched in the women’s division and she has yet to have a bad match. She’s managed to look strong even during her losses and, as JD mentioned above, done some amazing character work in the process. Combine these things along with her excellent heel work on the mic and there’s no denying she’s this year’s winner.

2. Sasha

3. Asuka

Honorable mention: Sexy Star, Alexa Bliss.

***TAG TEAM OF THE YEAR***

1. The New Day

"Sister" Shy Janine IG @shyjanine — “Sister” Shy Janine
IG @shyjanine

When was the last time a tag team in the WWE went from near laughingstock (“New Day.. Sucks!”) to the most endearing part of the RAW program (#NewDayRocks!)? Billy & Chuck? Welllll, this trio –operating under the “Freebird Rules”, obv — is just as colorful; Kofi, Xavier and Big E are just as much as a social media hit as a hit in the ring. They even managed to make the #2 Team on this list’s old runningmates and big time free agents, The Club, look bad. After becoming the winningest tag team in WWE history the other night, it’s a wonder more of “if” than “when” The New Day will ever give up those titles.

2. Young Bucks

3. #DIY

Honorable mention: American Alpha, The Revival.

***HEEL TURN OF THE YEAR***

1. Sean Farrell turns on the Ringside Apostles Chat [#outtanowhere]

"Father" Sean Farrell @hashtag — “Father” Sean Farrell
@hashtag

Nobody saw it coming — which makes it all the more sweet. Some would say #TooSweet. I came to the Apostles, the smiling white bread baby face. I marked out for Indy darlings coming to WWE and NXT. I loved all wrestling companies. Even TNA. I was an apologist for great workers in bad feuds and even worse ran companies. All was smiles and thumbs up. But, slowly, things started to change. First it was an accidental spoiler here, a slip there. Then I volunteered for assignments, and then “something” came up. Leaving my fellow Apostles to pick up the slack. When nobody was looking, I besmirched WWE 2K17, showed my open disdained for the much-loved Young Bucks. Chairs swinging everywhere. Nobody was safe! 2016 was the year of the heels. AJ Styles, Kevin Owens, Samoa Joe, Adam Cole, and…Me. “Say hello to the bad guy!

2. James Ellsworth

3. AJ Styles

Honorable mention: Kenny Omega.

***GIMMICK OF THE YEAR***

1. Broken Matt Hardy

See “Comeback of the Year”, up above.

***JOBBER OF THE YEAR***

1. James Ellsworth

Ryan "Father Grimm" Davis @OGMrGrimm — Ryan “Father Grimm” Davis
@OGMrGrimm

The man formerly known as “Pretty” Jimmy Dream is actually a near 15-year veteran of the squared circle. Straight out of high school, Ellsworth went into wrestling school where he was trained by Axl Rotten. He decided that he was going to focus on being the best “selling” man in wrestling, where his first ever match was a losing effort against a young Mickie James. He has also worked with legends such as Jake “The Snake” Roberts, Tommy Dreamer, and The Rock N Roll Express. He has done everything in wrestling including starting and running his own promotion called Adrenaline Championship Wrestling. But, by far, it was his RAW debut in WWE in a squash match against Braun Strowman that put him on the map — where, even though he lost miserably, he won over the crowd and became an internet sensation with his never-say-die attitude and catchphrase. “Any man with two hands has a fighting chance!”

2. Dolph Ziggler

3. Heath Slater

Honorable mention: Everyone that spent money on “that broken AF game”, WWE 2K17.

***ENTRANCE OF THE YEAR***

1. Bobby Roode

Screw the choir entrance… Not really; Bobby Roode has the best entrance theme in the WWE right now. I can already hear you whining, Nakamura fan: “oh, what about Shinsuke’s entrance? What about the violin one?”… What about it?? Glorious Domination has that great, over- the-top quality that cheesy late 80’s and early 90’s rock songs had. Seriously, it’s the perfect montage song. Need more proof? Next time you’re having a crappy day, think you can’t do one more lap on the treadmill, or feel you can’t finish one more set at the gym, play the song and you’ll pull through. Just like in a montage.

2. Shinsuke Nakamura

3. Dalton Castle

Honorable mention: TJ Perkins, Finn Balor.

***FINISHER OF THE YEAR***

1. Flying Corkscrew Stunner [Ember Moon]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rgfuEeT06Y

Ember Moon’s awe-inspiring top rope corkscrew stunner–originally known as the “O-Face”–is now known as “The Eclipse”. This move perfectly complements the intense style of Moon who is a graduate of Booker T’s wrestling school. It’s just the kind of thing that will no doubt lead her to the top of NXT, and as I’ll predict right now the NXT Women’s Championship by the end of 2017.

2. Kinshasa [Nakamura]

3. Styles Clash [AJ Styles]

Honorable mention: Grand Amplitude [American Alpha].

***RIVALRY OF THE YEAR***

1. Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte Flair

See “Heel of the Year” up above. WHOOOOOOO!!!

2. #DIY vs. The Revival

3. *TIE* AJ Styles vs. Dean Ambrose / AJ Styles vs. John Cena

***DEBUT OF THE YEAR***

1. AJ Styles [Royal Rumble ’16]

Nuff said.

2. Shinsuke Nakamura [NXT]

3. Enzo & Cas [RAW]

Honorable mention: Bobby Roode [NXT].

***OVER– USED MOVE OF THE YEAR***

1. Superkick

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIBq-KydL_M

“Suuuuuupppperrrrrrkiiiiiccck!” – Steve Corino/Mr Wrestling IV

#HeelSean Farrell @IAMSCF — #HeelSean Farrell
@IAMSCF

Shawn Michaels, the HBK himself would pick his spot, tune up the band–and then with one swift motion–end the match. “Sweet Chin Music” and a 1-2-3. He used it to win multiple titles, and used it to drop that albatross Marty Janetty. But today? People doll out Superkicks like they’re sold in bulk. Be it Dolph Ziggler using three per match, The Uso’s one of four moves they use per match or those spot monkeys, The Young Bucks, who use no less than ten thousand per match. It’s even worse on the Indies. You get a superkick, and you get a superkick and YOU get a superkick!

2. Spear

3. German Suplex

***WRESTLER OF THE YEAR***

1. AJ Styles

This one came down to the wire, y’all. There is only one other person that is worthy of being called “the Best Wrestler on the Planet” — A.J.’s successor as the leader of Bullet Club, Kenny Omega. Kenny has been having a fantastic 2016 after jumping A.J. at New Year’s Dash. He’s gone from being IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion to winning the Intercontinental Championship to holding the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Titles with the Young Bucks to (as Moody mentioned up top), becoming the first gaijin to win the grueling G1 Climax tournament to main-eventing Wrestle Kingdom and possibly winning the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in a little over 2-weeks from now. On top of that, he’s managed to wrestle GHG’s “Match of the Year” against Naito and be embroiled in the hottest feud in wrestling today with New Day’s Xavier Woods.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ak9Vg-JvLJc

So why A.J. Styles over Kenny? After years of wowing us in TNA—where he held both incarnations of the top belt multiple times, won the X-Division title six times and completed both the TNA Triple Crown and Grand Slam championships—he left the company he built and stepped his game up. If there was a championship, he held it, everywhere from England’s Revolution Pro to NJPW. At Wrestle Kingdom 10 he battled Nakamura for the IWGP IC belt, a bout that almost everyone thought was going to be MOTY. That’s right; AJ put on a MOTY candidate four days into 2016. After being tossed from the Club, the man formerly known as Mr. TNA would make his WWE debut at the Royal Rumble to one of the biggest pops evah…

https://vimeo.com/159657051

(cont.) He could only go up from there, giving us another MOTY contender against John Cena at SummerSlam that saw SuperCena pull out new moves. Styles still wasn’t done, ending the first brand-exclusive PPV (Backlash) by defeating Dean Ambrose for the WWE World Championship. And just a week ago, he and Ambrose had yet another MOTY challenger in their TLC face-off at the titular PPV. He’s the “Champ That Runs the Camp”, the “Heel That Seals the Deal” and your Apostle Awards’ Wrestler of the Year.

2. Kenny Omega

3. Shinsuke Nakamura

Honorable mention: Charlotte Flair, Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens.