Wrestling 101 2012 WWE/TNA Awards – The WinnersBy Jimmy Redman| February 7, 2013 Wrestling Finally! Votes have been cast, polls have been tallied, bribes have been taken, and here they are: the results for the Talk Wrestling Online/Wrestling101 Wrestling Awards for 2012! A huge thank you to everyone who voted this year. We had over 150 voters from 18 different countries, a fantastic cross-section of wrestling fans from all corners of the globe. Three countries in particular made up over 4/5ths of the total votes in almost equal measure – the United Kingdom (28%), the United States (27%) and India (26%), so we shall be taking a special look at how those regions voted as well. So without further ado, your best of the best, and worst of the worst, for wrestling in 2012… BEST WRESTLER OF 2012 CM Punk United Kingdom: CM Punk received 37% of the votes followed by Daniel Bryan with 23% then Austin Aries with 14% United States: CM Punk received 39% of the votes followed by John Cena with 29% then Sheamus with 17% India: John Cena received 51% of the Indian votes, followed by Sheamus with 20% then CM Punk with only 15% As expected after over a year straight as WWE Champion, CM Punk claims top honours this year, ahead of John Cena (very popular in India it seems…hold that thought) and my personal pick, Sheamus. BEST FACE of 2012 Ryback United Kingdom: Daniel Bryan received 29% of the votes followed by Sheamus with 21% then Jeff Hardy with 19% United States: Ryback received 29% of the votes followed by Jeff Hardy with 24% then John Cena with 15% India: Ryback received 28% of the votes followed by John Cena with 26% then Sheamus with 21% In a very crowded race with a lot of strong babyface stars on the scene, it is the newcomer Ryback who surges ahead with his power moves and edible chant to be named the best all-round good guy of 2012. BEST HEEL of 2012 CM Punk United Kingdom: CM Punk received 56% of the votes followed by Bully Ray with 14% then Damien Sandow with 12% United States: CM Punk received 54% of the votes followed by Bully Ray/Brock Lesnar with 15% then Christoper Daniels/Dolf Ziggler with 7% India: Brock Lesnar received 36% of the votes followed by CM Punk with 33% then Big Show with 15% This was seemingly a no-brainer, with CM Punk running away with almost 50% of the vote. His villainous antics from the second half of the year make him clearly the year’s best bad guy, with the infrequent Brock Lesnar a very distant second. BEST MOMENT/DECISION OF 2012 Jerry Lawler comes back from death United Kingdom: Jerry Lawler received 16% of the votes followed by Brock’s return/CM Punk’s year long reign and Daniel Bryan and Kane teaming together with 14% then CM Punk’s heel turn / Austin Aries winning the title with 12% United States: Jerry Lawler received 49% of the votes followed by The Rock beating Cena at WrestleMania with 17% then CM Punk’s year long reign with 12% India: The Rock beating Cena at WrestleMania received 28% of the votes followed by Jerry Lawler/Brock’s return with 18% then CM Punk’s heel turn/year long reign and Daniel Bryan and Kane teaming together with 10% Brock returning to beat up John Cena was cool, The Rock beating up John Cena was even cooler, but obviously nothing is as cool as literally coming back from the dead, as Jerry Lawler did when he returned to work after suffering from a heart attack live on TV. Long live the King. BEST ANGLE/FEUD OF 2012 Triple H & The Undertaker United Kingdom: The Undertaker/Triple H feud received 26% of the votes followed by Daniel Bryan and Kane teaming together receiving 16% then Bobby Roode/James Storm feud with 12% United States: The Uundertaker/Triple H feud received 29% of the votes followed by John Cena and The Rock’s feud with 20% then CM Punk ‘Best in the World’ run vs Cena & Ryback with 17% India: The Undertaker/Triple H received 38% of the votes followed by John Cena and The Rock’s feud with 33% then the CM Punk/Bryan/Kane/AJ soap opera angle/CM Punk ‘Best in the World’ run vs Cena & Ryback with 8% Triple H and Undertaker finishing the final chapter of their epic rivalry takes out the top spot for best angle. A win for the grandeur of a big stage, as the top two feuds from Wrestlemania garner over half the votes between them. BEST PPV OF 2012 WWE WrestleMania 28 United Kingdom: WrestleMania received 49% of the votes followed by WWE TLC with 16% then Extreme Rules and TNA Destination X with 9% United States: WrestleMania receuved 66% of the votes followed by WWE TLC with 15% then Extreme Rules and TNA Bound for Glory with 7% India: WrestleMania received 62% of the votes followed by WWE TLC with 21% then Extreme Rules with 15% Speaking of the grandest stage of them all. In a race that is always Wrestlemania’s to lose, she runs away with almost two-thirds of the vote, well ahead of two rather excellent gimmick shows in Extreme Rules and TLC. BEST MATCH OF 2012 The Undertaker vs Triple H (HIAC) – WWE Wrestlemania 28 United Kingdom: The Undertaker vs Triple H received 51% of the votes followed by The Shield vs Bryan/Kane/Ryback with 16% then Daniel Bryan vs CM Punk with 9% United States: The Undertaker vs Triple H received 54% of the votes followed by Brock Lesnar vs John Cena + The Shield vs Bryan/Kane/Ryback with 12% then James Storm vs Bobby Roode with 7% India: The Undertaker vs Triple H received 72% of the votes followed by Brock Lesnar vs John Cena with 10% then Big Show vs Sheamus / Chris Jericho vs CM Punk / The Shield vs Bryan/Kane/Rybackwith 5% And speaking of running away with it, this is a staggering landslide win for Hunter and Taker’s Mania epic, garnering over half the votes in all major regions, and almost three-quarters of the Indian vote. Well, it was awesome. BEST ANNOUNCER OF 2012 Jerry Lawler United Kingdom: JBL received 33% of the votes followed by Jim Ross with 23% then Jerry Lawler with 21% United States: Jerry Lawler received 55% of the votes followed by JBL with 30% then Jim Ross with 15% (no one else got a vote!) India: Jerry Lawler received 64% of the votes followed by JBL with 15% then Jim Ross with 10% Perhaps it was the sympathy vote, but Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler uses his new found appreciation in the US and India to beat out traditional winner Jim Ross and JBL to take the crown. Ha! The crown. Get it? Oh, I kill me. BEST TALKER OF 2012 CM Punk United Kingdom: CM Punk received 63% of the votes followed by John Cena with 14% then Damien Sandow with 9% United States: CM Punk received 44% of the votes followed by John Cena with 37% then Austin Aries with 7% India: CM Punk received 49% of the votes followed by John Cena with 44% then Paul Heyman with 5% Once again in a category he was fully expected to win CM Punk gallops home easily with almost half the votes, ahead of his only challenger in John Cena. BEST FEMALE OF 2012 AJ Lee United Kingdom: Eve received 33% of the votes followed by AJ with 30% then Miss Tessmacher with 12% United States: AJ received 46% of the votes followed by Kaitlyn with 20% then Miss Tessmacher with 15% India: AJ received 39% of the votes followed by Kaitlyn with 28% then Eve with 18% After being all over TV all year in every role imaginable – babyface valet, heel valet, General Manager, general psycho – AJ Lee is our favourite female lady wrestler person of the year, ahead of the newly-heel Eve Torres and the much improved Kaitlyn. BEST TAG TEAM OF 2012 Daniel Bryan & Kane – Team Hell No United Kingdom: Team Hell No received 65% of the votes followed by Rey Mysterio/Sin Cara with 14% then Daniels/Kazarian with 9% United States: Team Hell No received 51% of the votes followed by Rey Mysterio/Sin Cara with 22% then Daniels/Kazarian with 10% India: Team Hell No received 72% of the votes followed by Rey Mysterio/Sin Cara with 15% then AJ Styles/Kurt Angle with 13% (no one else got a vote!) And the biggest landslide victory of the awards goes to Team Hell No, with a whopping 64% of the vote. Their wacky Anger Management antics and constant bickering made them easily the most visible and most loved tag team of the year, light years ahead of the popular masked luchadors. BEST CRUISERWEIGHT OF 2012 Rey Mysterio United Kingdom: Austin Aries received 42% of the votes followed by Rey Mysterio with 16% then Seth Rollins with 12% United States: Tyson Kidd/Austin Aries received 24% of the votes followed by Rey Mysterio with 22% then Seth Rollins/Sin Cara/Justin Gabriel with 10% (no one else got a vote!) India: Rey Mysterio received 51% of the votes followed by Sin Cara with 23% then Austin Aries with 10% And speaking of, despite missing half the year the veteran Rey just pips Austin Aries as the best purveyor of all things flippy in 2012. You can see the TNA influence on the UK at times like these, with Aries winning the vote easily in that region, the only TNA wrestler to do so yet. BEST NEWCOMER OF 2012 Ryback United Kingdom: Ryback received 35% of the votes followed by The Shield with 19% then Damien Sandow with 16% United States: Ryback received 66% of the votes followed by Antonio Cesaro/Damien Sandow/Joseph Park Esq./The Shield with 7% then Joey Ryan with 6% (no one else got a vote!) India: Ryback received 82% of the votes followed by The Shield with 13% then Antonio Cesaro/Joseph Park Esq. with 2.5% (no one else got a vote!) And we are back to the runaway victories, as breakout star Ryback is clearly and undoubtedly the pick for best newbie on the scene this year. 82% of the vote in India is the highest percentage anyone got in any single region for any category. They love them some Ryback on the sub-continent. MOST IMPROVED OF 2012 Sheamus United Kingdom: Bully Ray received 23% of the votes followed by Dolf Ziggler/Ryback with 16% then Sheamus with 14% United States: Sheamus received 29% of the votes followed by Dolf Ziggler with 20% then Ryback with 17% India: Sheamus received 44% of the votes followed by Ryback with 26% then Dolf Ziggler with 15% The vastly impressive Sheamus is voted most improved wrestler of the year, ahead of Ryback, who I suppose is seen to have improved since his Skip Sheffield days. And we have another TNA winner in the UK with the shiny new Bully Ray. WORST WRESTLER OF 2012 David Otunga United Kingdom: Jinder Mahal received 33% of the votes followed by The Great Khali with 26% then Garrett Bischoff with 16% United States: David Otunga received 34% of the votes followed by Jinder Mahal with 24% then Garrett Bischoff with 17% India: David Otunga received 49% of the votes followed by John Cena with 18% then Jinder Mahal/The Great Khali with 10% Mr. Jennifer Hudson is the winner of this dubious title, ahead of the infinitely more deserving Jinder Mahal, and perennial contender Great Khali. Cena placing in India while getting over 50% of their WOTY votes sure is something. Nobody in WWE/TNA history has evoked a response out of the W101 Indian Universe like John Cena has King. WORST PPV OF 2012 WWE Over the Limit United Kingdom: Over the Limit received 19% of the votes followed by No Way Out/Hell in a Cell/TNA Genesis with 14% then Elimination Chamber/TNA Against All Odds with 12% United States: Over the Limit received 27% of the votes followed by Hell in a Cell/TNA Against All Odds with 17% then TNA Genesis/TNA Lockdown with 10% India: No Way Out received 27% of the votes followed by Hell in a Cell with 23% then Over the Limit with 18% Who would have thought John Laurinaitis in a comedy main event did not do it for you? Over the Limit beats out other underwhelming WWE shows to be the worst big card of the year. WORST MATCH OF 2012 John Cena vs John Laurinaitis – WWE Over the Limit United Kingdom: John Cena vs John Laurinaitis received 23% of the votes followed by Brodus Clay vs Tensai/The Great Khali vs Brad Maddox with 19% then Garrett Bischoff vs Wes Brisco with 14% United States: John Cena vs John Laurinaitis received 39% of the votes followed by The Great Khali vs Brad Maddox with 20% then Brodus Clay vs Tensai with 15% India: The Great Khali vs Brad Maddox received 31% of the votes followed by John Cena vs John Laurinaitis/John Cena vs Kane with 18% then Brodus Clay vs Tensai with 15% Once again, it is obvious that Ace and Cena having a lame comedy PPV main event was the most offensive big match this year, beating out the most recent abomination in Khali vs Maddox – not even his own people could excuse him for that. WORST MOMENT/DECISION OF 2012 Vickie Guerrero back in another GM/Managing Supervisor role United Kingdom: Jerry Lawler and Vickie Guerrero received 23% of the votes followed by John Cena beating Brock Lesnar with 21% then Bobby Roode defeating James Storm with 14% United States: Vickie Guerrero received 37% of the votes followed by Jerry Lawler with 20% then Raw becoming a 3-hour show/Brock’s return not meeting expectations with 15% India: Vickie Guerrero received 41% of the votes followed by John Cena defeating Brock/Brock’s return not meeting expectations with 18% then Jerry Lawler with 13% Apparently you all hate Vickie Guerrero being around so much that you would rather a man literally drop dead right in front of your eyes than watch her a second longer. You callous bastards. ‘GET OFF MY TV’ AWARD John Cena United Kingdom: Claire Lynch received 16% of the votes followed by Jinder Mahal with 14% then AJ/Brooke/Khali/Vickie with 12% United States: John Laurinaitis received 31% of the votes followed by Vickie Guerrero with 20% then AJ Lee with 15% India: John Cena received 31% of the votes followed by John Laurinaitis with 18% then AJ/Vickie with 15% Claire Lynch won the UK with I think practically all her votes coming from that country, and the various Raw GMs combined polled almost 45% in total (I cannot imagine what you’re trying to say…). But of course, the man we all love to hate is the second best wrestler of the year, second best babyface, second best talker, had the second best match…and yet you still just want him to go far, far away. I just recently asked rhetorically when John Cena will ever be given any credit. Apparently, not today. So there you have it. Once again thank you to everyone who voted all over the world, and I hope you keep coming back for the fantastic content as Wrestling101 continues to grow and grow.
