What you're gonna do? Brother? When Jeff Townsend media runs wild on you? All right, all right, all right, this is Jeff Townsend with me? Is the man Bill Deamont. Bill, you love that intro more than anybody. I always see you laughing and giggling. Man. I love the beat of the tune and then the boy what you're gonna do? Brother? It just makes me laugh. It sets me up for a good episode. It sets me in a good mood. Good man. We have people, a bunch of people kicking off the experience with us live tonight. We've been out for a few weeks, so I'm excited to get back into things. Man, how are you doing? It's been like storming like crazy here all day. We're quite the opposite. You know. This is the time where a lot of people are getting ready to come out of winter and get ready for spring. And in Florida you come out of winter and go right this summer. So it was eighty six today. Allergy season is horrendous. And that's all I got. Eighty six degrees, oh man, sun eighty six. It went from literally in the watching baseball games in like forty two degrees to watching baseball games in the eighty six Bill. Tonight, we are live across eight different platforms as usual, and we're outload live on a new platform tonight. It's called Kick. What do you know about kicking, Bill? I used to kick it back in the day. Well, there you go. We're kicking it tonight. Man, I have no idea where kick is now. But it's a it's a it's Chad Michael's favorite streaming service so early. It's an up and coming it's an up and coming dreaming platform, I guess. Unfortunately, it doesn't quite interact with stream yard here, so I can't see comments on the screen. So people, we're one of the first to go out on this platform now. No, there's a bunch of people doing it. No, we're the first. We're the first. We're the first, uh pro wrestling discussion one. I'm making that up even I don't even know that. That's probably note. We're the first ones today, were the first ones this hour. We'll say that's what I feel comfortable saying. Yeah, Hey, thanks for listening here to the built and watching along at the Bildemont experience. Of course, we're live as we are on Thursday. Some of you listen to this later, which is perfectly fine. Like I said, we've been out for a few weeks, but we have some catching up to do. Bill probably jump fully back into things the next time we record. A lot of the listeners had a special request that what we covered this evening, this was actually news a few weeks ago, but we missed it because we've been out and they wanted to make sure that we didn't get away from it. Okay, it is the Wrestling Observer newsletter into the Year Awards. Oh I know nothing about this, Okay, I'm ready. Well, this is gonna be fun. Then, but before we dive too deep into that, let's talk about something. Last time we recorded, which was a few weeks ago, Tony kNN made a big announcement. The greatest episode of Dynamite ever was going to take place on the thirteenth of March. Remember this announced I think we shared it on the show. Yeah, big news, right, huge news, Bill, huge, not big, It was huge. It's gonna be ah. It was going to change the professional wrestling industry as we know it. And last night that episode came and went, let's go ahead and kick things off by sharing a clip of what happened on a w last night. Om there you have it, Bill, what we've been talking about. It happened last night. Are you surprised? Were you surprised? No? No, I'm not surprised because I think, much like the rest of the wrestling media, I think it was just a matter of time when it was going to happen. I'm not Let me start by saying, I'm a big fan of Sasha. You've been around her a little bit. Yeah, I've heard of her. I remember seeing her do some stuff and been around it for a while, So let me get that out of the way. But I want to say last night, I don't know, man, Maybe it's just the old timer in me, right. We talked about this every time there's big news. It just doesn't seem to be I don't know. I felt like, and again, if I'm being really critical, I felt like I was going back in time to when they brought page back so ry and it was the same kind of thing. And it's the same telling everybody about your accolades and all the things that you accomplished and you're happened to be one. Is she the CEO of a W or is this the evolution of the boss now the CEO. Well, clearly it's the evolution of that. I mean, yeah, so you had to have something you couldn't use the boss well, I mean Springsty would be upset, but not talking about springste Maybe he wouldn't. I don't know. It's pre e Stine. The thing that the like, I felt like, okay, if that was the introduction of Mercedes money, great, yeah, I'll touch up on that. How this is weird for me? Let me articulate. Yeah, yeah, and then so that I'm gonna I'm gonna take it right back to you with that because it was weird. It was weird. Okay, So the the way it was presented in the beginning, my opinion, hell it you just keep announcing she's gonna be there that night, if you're gonna bring her out in the beginning. Obviously they didn't do that with ce M Punk before. I think that's a little bit different just because of the significance of it. You know, with her, you knew she was gonna be there eventually. Ceem Punk, that thing kind of came together pretty last second. And you still, just because it was seeing Punk, You're like, I don't is he really going to come back? To pro wrestling after eight years. You really just didn't believe it, you know, But with her, I think just promoting it ahead of time would have been great. Obviously, they got about nine thy five hundred people in the garden, which is more than they've been I mean, I don't know they've been getting what about shy of two thousand? Maybe? Yeah, so that was great, but I think you could have moved even more if you have announced it. But here, if you didn't want to announce it, that's fine. But maybe then she comes out at the end and does that save right, and then you don't have to announce it. Then that's the big pop, that's the big moment. Everybody goes home happy, even let her talk afterwards than the episode ends. That's how it felt weird to me. We talk about this and we'll always talk about it. The one thing that WWE does better than anybody else's feel Oh yeah, yeah, you really could have put a package together the last three weeks. The CEO is coming, you know, the CEO is coming. The CEO is coming, and then like and I think the commentators even now, like nobody knew who the music was or anything. They weren't sure even when the CEO thing came up, until you know the initials on the underneath came out, until you saw people really didn't know. But imagine if they would have made that biggest you kept saying for every time they said there was a huge announcement coming, they played a beignette, and they played a begnette. They played a beg Yet even three weeks worth, I think would have been so much more impactful to everyone else. And to your point, I would have switched the show around. I would have switched they were till the end go off hot. Yeah, I don't think they went off hot. I think they went off flat. And that's always the issue I have would bring it in. I talked about with Jay why they talk about it with all the guys and now they got Okada and okada' is just in the lost pranks will offspray. It's just they have so much talent, and I think the only thing they can claim is they have so much talent if you just followed suit, don't copy at it. But I did feel like we had a couple of weeks of beg yettes or something that I don't want to take away from. It's great to see her on the TV. It's okay, now she back. Now I go to what is what are we going to do now? Because right now they're telling me that the whole thing with Willow that no one knows about unless the commentators tell her that that's why she broke When she broke Rankle Willow beat her in Japan, will never know that story in listen, and actually nobody will really care about that here in the States. So come on, everybody watching AW loves that Japanese wrestling. Every single host Did you know that that? I know all the inside stuff. You don't need ex caliber to explain it. Every person watching all I don't know. I haven't seen the race yet. Actually they all know a they all know nutrient vampire wrestling, and then you know they're they're big on you know, I know we don't want to tell story each in professional wrestling, but why would she see the person that beat her more to come. It's a cliffhanger, Bill, It's a cliffhanger. All right, I'm with you. I'm not gonna argue that point. It's a cliffhanger that Bean said. I'm glad, I'm glad she's uh, I'm glad she's back in action. Chad apparently didn't like that. He thought that was a very lack cluster. Well, the way it was built up, you would have thought that maybe it was possibly more. You already brought in will Osprey and Okada. You brought them in, so you brought an Osprey, Ocada, Sting retiring, and Mercedes money in the same monk, what's the big nudes here? What's the big which? That is the big news? Mercedes is back. You know, I'm a huge I'm a huge Sasha Banks Mercedes fan. Huge, happy to see her. Yeah, I just here's the thing, though, We've talked about it, and I'm not gonna go down this rabbit hole because we have to cover the most important thing in the world, which is the rest I was ever News Awards. Yes, but I do think she brings some legitimacy obviously to the women's division there. She will be the biggest star there. But what are they going to do with the division there? That will determine everything? So yeah, yeah, because we could really go down a rabbit all year, but we won't rolled onto it because we got a bunch of weeks to catch up on this. But yeah, I think that division. I'm not sure what it's gonna look like. I think it's gonna be a little walkye. I think there's gonna be a lot of upset players in the game come going forward, So a lot of upset players in the game. If you're listening along live, let us know what you think. Comment along. There's a bunch of you all across all platforms, so feel free to chime in on your thoughts on Big Bi'snah, it was big all right? Uh yeah, Like I said, you got Okata back, I mean there, then you got with Ospray, a lot of good matches coming down the pipeline technically speaking. But I know Bill that that's not enough for you. It's not I need more. You need more, Cowbill, you need more stories, you need you need more. We went back I think they went backwards the week before or the show before. I get confused because they have a Friday show, Saturday show, whatever show. I haven't watched a Saturday show for a long time. Now, let me just be completely unfore. I read about it, but I don't so Daniel Bright and Osprey go head to head right then they have this talk and they said, I'm gonna get you. I'm gonna get you, bro, I'm gonna get you. And then Osprey comes out last night it says the exact same thing he said the week before. How do you get me either. It's almost like they're repeating themselves on a different station, treating it like no one watched. I don't know. It's a sticky wicket for me. There's a lot of big things going on, and there's a lot of things that I truly, truly don't huh. Come on, Bill, it's I'm confused. Up on regular TV, WoT I'm what what? What? What would be different on the pay per view? Pay per view is good, A lot of good matches in it. I actually did like to stay match. Uh. It's kind of weird, but you know, you always worry about how extreme Darby Allen will go. But Sting himself limited in that match Goohead who actually retired Stinger Darby ol This has been the Darby Allen Show for the past three months, testing everything about Sing Sting has been Darby Allen. He comes out the night after Sting retires and talks about I I I I I I I I I mount Everest I I it had nothing it's like Sting's not even there anymore. He's it's gone. One of the biggest moments aw could have had is gone, and rightfully so when you retire, rightfully so he should be. But it's me that was very centered on Darby Allen. Darby Allen cutting almost forceding, someone who's in the in the business thirty plus years and someone who's in the business for ten and Darby Allen was the mouthpiece, the storyteller, the and it just it took me out of it. And so the next night to come aut like nothing ever happened. And then last night's match, I'm just I'm not crapping on the talent. I'm just what about Nicholas and Matthew. Oh, you didn't watch the match, You wouldn't know. I wouldn't know. Bill, Yeah, I didn't watch the match. Did a pretty good job. Bill, Let's go ahead and move on to the goods. We got people waiting, hiders, people are watched at this point in time. So Bill, in honor of this, I actually printed out Obviously he's not sending it to you anymore, right like he used to be. Yeah, yeah, I go so far back with this guy that I used to get him. I used to get the actual physical copies, so I thought for this episode, I will print it out, but then it's hard to read. So this ought to be interesting. They'll have my bifocals on like Bill try poals. So every year Dave Meltzer gives select readers or subscribers of The Wrestling Observer the opportunity to do this vote anyway, So they even give people the opportunity to share their comments along with the submissions. And I'm going to try to explain this to you as the story reads. Okay, Category A awards winner's determined by points on a five to three to two basis. First place voters in parentheses, I would have to go. I'd have to have give with Dave and have him explain the scientology, like the bracketology, but the scientology behind this scientology. We need to get Uncle Dave on the show to explains. I don't I don't think he's gonna go anywhereere I am. Anyway, let's start it off. The lew says slash Ric Flair Award Wrestler of the Year. I want you to guess the top three top three wrestlers of the year as determined by the readers the wrestler's every newsletter can I make Can I ask a few questions before I guess sure? Are they American wrestlers or are they worldwide wrestlers? They are American wrestlers. Now, so the three OP wrestlers of the year, two of them are America, are in America, have been in recent times. We're gonna sail out of one of them. We're gonna say will Ospray's the other one. And just because we're gonna say Daniel Bride's the other will Ospray. Now, what I got to I don't know if this is points or votes. Here it says three hundred and two and then it says one eight hundred and fourteen, So yeah, I got it votes in parentheses, So three hundred and two votes for will Ospray. Cody Rhodes comes in second at one hundred and nineteen MJF and third with eighty And this is where things get a little bit confusing. Roman Reigns comes in fourth with one hundred and six, but he has less points. So, like I said before, this is a based I think on other criteria, like a regionally speaking, but system as well. So just one country's not dominated it. But anyways, right now the top five is Brian Danielson. Other notable names that here seth Rawlins is okay, Mystico, we know him. He's a sixth seth Rawlins and seventh. Ocatta is at eighth and which is done here for Okata High and I think Moxley tied at tenth. So just names throwing out there that I know that you would know. Will all Spray clearly takes home the gold on this year. How weird is it that NJF didn't even wasn't even the thought help meet like he was third? He was third, But I'm saying, like I'm thinking of the top three, and because he's a bit out of sight, out of mind, he didn't even pop up with Mike twat Hey. To me, he's one of the top three performers. It's important to know this is twenty twenty three. Oh okay, that I'm end of the year. Yep, they camp. This actually came out the very last day of February. I think, so the listeners really wanted to get your reaction on this. How is he the clear runaway winner? Okay? Well, you the U asked that Here is a note from Dave will Aspray thirty years old ended up a pretty clear and cut winner, especially as pertained to first place votes in a race that was the hardest to call of Wrestler of the Year for many years. Unlike with most years when it's usually obvious it was going to win this year, I mean whin they were this year, it was an unclear strong arguments for all top four. Many expected Roman reigns, it's the top guy. Then he goes on to say he didn't really wrestle a whole lot. Rhodes was a workhorse, MJF was a world champion, but Osprey was the consistence best wrestler in the world and had a unique war. He had the best matches and multiple promotions across multiple companies, as well as being the MVP in both Japan and Europe. It was that match quality that gained him the award for the first time. So the people that voted for him came from Europe and well, no, because later on I don't know if we'll get that deep in these awards because it would take all day. There is a by country too. He has like an A bracket, B bracket, A C, Brock. Uncle Dave's got all science behind that. So the note debt okay, And so I can't argue any of them because I really don't understand the significance. But to so, I'll ask you, So you're a wrestling fan, mm hmm, what will Honestly, would will Offbrey be your number one? My number one? Probably not these ideal audience of this newsletters number one? For sure, I would probably go with Cody Rhodes. I think people that you've seen, but it's different, right, and it's the wrestling observers. So he writes about these guys every every month, every week whenever it is so yes, the audience, his audience knows them, so it's going to be swayed towards what he Yeah, I mean what he's putting out to them. For sure. Will Ospray hey Man had a great year. Yeah, will Ospray has great matches. He takes big risk And I think that thing with will Osprey as his moves look very devastating, maybe because they are. You know, it's extremely believable, one of the best I've seen do it in a really long time as far as how real the execution of each move looks. And I know for Dave being a you know what's the Japanese style called a strong style, being a strong style fan, that probably really helps. But man, he did have the opportunity to wrestle also for people, uh, probably questionable storylines. I don't know if a lot of them weren't tied to a storyline necessarily, but he was put in a position to have a lot of good, technically speaking wrestling matches. Yeah, and he's good. Oh, he's the talented cat. I think they're gonna I think they're gonna have to re re rethink the format of the whole company because you've got some truly strong style guys that are known for that. And if everybody in the company's working and wrestling the same way, then nobody stands out. So will will Osfrey's stuff is not going to be as impactful because everybody else is doing it. You know that. That's just my my, my, my opinion on it is it's it's tough to put Daniel Briant and those guys up on that edistol now because everybody's doing the same thing, the same moves, picking out nobody's you know, nobody's winning definitively with these unbelievably athletic and dangerous moves. So I don't know what they're gonna do with the will Ospreys and the Okadas and the you know, as they keep coming in like this, and even the CMLL dives. It's just everybody's having the same style match it, including the women Strong Style Bill. Everything is strong style, so no one is stronger than anybody else, and it's confusing. It's it's like, that's why I say I don't have to watch the pay per view, because I can watch the next show and know what happened. And there's like four hundred of you listen and are watching live at this exact point at toss aw well crusted many platforms, let us know what you think. I do see some comments asking who the honorable mentions were or okay, so it mentions three honorable mentions here Orange Cassidy, Kenne Omega and even cm punk. So I mean Kenny Wood was limited and action even in twenty twenty three. Well so seem punk. They haven't matched twenty twenty three, So yes, what a house show with dominic mysterious don't match? Yeah, so the Orange Johnson he's another guy. Hey, Jim Mallard buddy, a long time buddy, Jim Mallard's pope, and hey, he's been a podcaster forever to you man. What's up Jim the Mallard Report anyway, So let's go real quick before we move on from this big attag where some previous winners. Who do you think won it last year? Roman Rings? No, oh, come on, dude, John Moxley won in twenty twenty two, Kenney Omega twenty twenty one, John Moxley in twenty twenty, Chris Jericho twenty nineteen, Kenny Omega twenty eighteen, Okata twenty seventeen, AJ Styles in twenty sixteen and fifteen. Then we'll just stop at the ten year mark. Here knack A Moras all international. He's talking about all international stars. What I've tried to do real quick is go back and find the last WV one, like the Okay so Styles would have been WW right two, like it would have been Roald Rumbled regardless because he was there the whole year. So maybe it was AJ Styles, but he does have John Cena on here in two thousand and eight, two thousand and eleven, Chris Gian Eric goes on here as well, so that's kind of where it goes out. But yeah, we're like eight years removed at least from Dodo b. That's and I think that's Uncle Davee's company anyways. John Jones won the Mixed Martial Arts Most Valuable Award by Jones kind of random the date. They like to still throw in the UFC stuff, even though he's really not that big into it anymore, you know what I mean? He still throws it in there, though, I'll give him credit. Oh okay, what do we got here? Most Outstanding Wrestler. I won't make you guess this time. Will Ospray is number one. He had five hundred and forty eight votes, Daniel Bryant number two with one hundred and twenty two. Can you Omega number three? Zach Sabray Junior number four, And I'm just trying to throw out some names you'll see here Gunther's number six, Bill and everybody else, Orange Cassidy number nine. I don't think you would know the others on here. John John Moxley, MJF. Seth Rawlins, Eddie Keatson got honorable mentioned. What to go along here and figure this out? But most outstanding wrestler. Will ospray again, Osprey take every category you think? So well, if you're going going up Uncle Daved thinking and the way he kind of follows the product. How can you be the top guy in not that baby category? Well here's the thing. So he did win it last year too, Kenny Omega, you could see him throughout the years on here and aj styles as well. So Brian Danielson has it quite a bit going back, and really it's a lot of Crispin Waugh down here. But here's what Dave said about it. Osprey captured the award for a third time after winning it in twenty nineteen and twenty twenty two, and he placed top five in twenty twenty and twenty twenty one. It was not a race this year, and Osprey's win seemed to given Brian Danielson a record setting five time er winner placed a very strong second with three wins. Osprey joins a various select people on a list ric Flayer Justin Leiger kurd angle Is this so? Can I ask? Is this the Is this the Wrestling Observer's answer to the p w i OP five hundred. Yeah, that's a pretty fair comparison, because I think I try to remember the first year they did that, that p w I top five hundred. It goes back quite a damn more wrestler. I hope you can hear me shuffling through this paper. I feel like cool reading it, you know, throughout a paper. I enjoyed somebody actually reading from a paper. It's not easy. It's hard to freaking read Tag Team of the Year. Who are you gonna guess? Tag Team of the Year is the Bussos. That's not who I would have guessed. So let me let me tell you who I would have guessed, Young Bucks, Right, I would have guessed that they would have That would have been who won not I'm not saying my opinion, but it's FTR can't argue with that. If TR takes the way. The pretty pretty pretty good lead here, but I don't really know the standards, but it looked like a pretty easy win here. It's uh second place. Kevin Owens and Sammy zaying you're sinking. Oh, you know, they weren't the tag team that long, but they were two thousand, they were twenty twenty three. They were from what prior to wrestle Mania they started doing matches together. Yeah. I get a few more months though, so you got to think of that. Here it's twenty twenty three, Bill, Okay, I'm trying to figure out some other people. Young bucks coming into number five. USO's are number eight, the Acclaimed are number ten. I wouldn't waste Jay White and Jus Robinson got an honorable mention, Damian Priest and Finndalor got an arnable mention. Adam called MJF got an orble mention. I'm making sure I'm not going to overwhelm you with information. I loveless. Jim Cornett covered this right, and he goes who you know because I love but because you know, a lot of people don't really know a lot of these people that Dave Meltzer watches a lot of wrestling so FTR they're great, Bill, Yeah they are. Yeah, handstout no argument how the New Soldier are number eight and all that. Well, they lost the title in a couple of months into the year. Maybe that's why you know, I don't know, by April they are already they're splitting up after that loss. I know you're only getting I'm FDR so so I got no beef with that one, so they won it for the second straight year in a row. The whole of the tag team title for several months and largely being the anchor for the Collision shows certainly can argue with that. The highest profile tag team match of the year was obviously Kevin O with Samy Zander WrestleMania. Yeah, so let's talk about some previous winners of this just to kind of wrap your mind around this ward. How it's been historical. Okay, so FTR last year, then oh my, we got the Young Bucks are littered all over this thing. Dude. Wow, the Young Bucks a couple of years in a row before Pentagon Junior and Ray Phoenix before that, the Young Bucks before that. This has been like the Young Bucks Award going clear back to the Shield. What twenty thirteen? Not in Ray Phoenix. I thought that was kind of random too. That was in two thousand and oh gosh, nineteen. So besides twenty nineteen and last year, the Young Bucks have won this going clear back to the Shield and twenty thirteen, and I believe so who the hell knows what they did in twenty nineteen and it's not a case through Like no, I was surprised by this, I think this is an Uncle David's list of who he thinks. You can say whatever voters in the world, but who he thinks, because clearly he's an international guy and there's no bills is a This is the other readers, the rest of the Observer Night School. I beg the differ. I beg the differ. How many readers knew who Rape Phoenix depended on were? And I take it back, I don't know. I don't want to say how many readers knew who they were? How many of those readers do you think actually watched matches of theirs or just voted off of what they read from the wrestling of their Well, they took the home, they took the It was twenty nineteen when they won, so you can rub back to twenty nineteen. I don't know. Aw is new and fresh. Maybe were they there? I don't even remember. No, the five years old and it didn't start there. They weren't. They weren't there from the beginning. See I didn't I did not watch at that point in time. But it's the Young Bucks of Okay, Young Bucks Award basically, Yeah, let's take a guess of who won it. The first one in nineteen eighty. Who would you guess Midnight Express? Good guess, I mean, obviously they're gonna be it's free birds, tag teams kind of like a slipped man. I thought it was making a big comeback on some of the I'm just not a big comeback. Okay, let me restart. I thought it was making a comeback, right. We had some good tag teams for him and stuff. For the last couple of years, it's kind of died off pretty hard. What did vizfac Man hate tag team wrestling? Do you think? Well, it depends on who you speak to. A lot of it was because you had to apply at least two people and instead of flying one performer in right, Yet it was always you know, you had six tag teams sitting in the back. You had twelve people not doing anything as supposed to six people not doing anything. And he didn't think tag teams were a draw. M tragic to move on Best on Interviews? If you had a guess who would win Best on Interviews? John Moxley, Cody Rhodes, Becky Lynch, No, no, sir, didn't you. Bicky Lynch didn't make the list. Okay, so Best on interviews. Eddie Kingston takes to win on this one second place, m JF third place, and who I thought should have won, Christian Cage, John Moxley fourth which I actually like John Moxley, but I'm not a John Moxley interview fan. No, we'll say that Cody Roads at number five, Brian Danielson at number six. I don't mind Brian Danielson on the interviews. I just I don't think I wouldn't have him in the top ten. Probably will Ostpra at number seven, seeing Pocket number eight, La Knights Clear at number nine, and Don Callas at number ten. A couple honorable mentioned, Samoa Joe, Sammy Zain, Paul Hammon's in there. I think Ricky Starks in here. What we're getting from this is that Eddie Kingston was a better promo than g m JF. Yes, Sir Paul Hogwash, you don't like you don't like Eddie Kingston's promou No, I think Eddie He's delivered everything. Eddie adds his own flavor to it. He's very believable, cheats from the hip and when he speaks it's good. But MJM was the King of the microphone in twenty twenty three. Some people are saying, why is our truth on the list? Hope because he I think he was out for twenty I think he was looking for the twenty four seven belt all of twenty twenty three. We didn't get the Yar and Throe. Yeah. Yeah, he's chasing that well. And I think MJF ends down was the was the microphone? That's just me, but I get it. Dave has some comments. He's got to throw in on this, so let's read some of it. So you know what surprised me, and I'm not really surprised. Maybe there's not like a good award for him. That category would be l A Knight. Dave does kind of touch up on this a little bit though. He says that Eddie Kingson was an interesting pick and a very close race over MJF. While I believe as far as two or three months promo, Guy Kickson is the best in the business as far as full timers today, I actually thought he didn't get enough opportunity it needs to talk to win this award. Even see what else he goes on to say here, MJF got tons of time and finished second cage was outstanding in his role like, he couldn't be better as a role player. As a top heel, he has great lines in delivery. Of course, a lot of people questioned how much time he was giving, and he says it's also notable that Knight was the one guy who went from nothing to a major star based on entirely on promo delivery. His lines were hardly like what most of the guys in the top ten had, but he sold merch got huge reactions, and no matter where you went, people were doing his Yeah as a replacement for top promo guy, because you're showing merchandise, he says. Callous and Dominique Masterio got the most heat during their promos. I really wanted Christian Cage to win this one, Bill Well, I mean, hands down, what what's the I don't know what the what the what the things are? Is it believability? Is it uh delivery? Is it what? Because then then we got a case to argue every single person on the thing, and Christian Cage should be number one to be talking about believability and just delivering promo after promo, just his best on interviews. Bill, So, I can't help you there. I guess your opinion, of that, it could be a million different reasons. Let me ask you this, Eddie Kingston one with how many votes? Uh, you would ask one hundred and ninety nine? And when one thousan four and eighty three points? Though, okay, who was second? MJF with how many votes? One hundred and forty? But he was close on points? And where was Christian in the point with Eddie Kingston? Uh, he was quite a bit of way hobb ones but he had more votes than MJF, but but not close on points. Though. Well, I'm trying to explain this here. I don't I can't explain it because I don't know. Well, that's why I'm kind of like having a little bit of that. Would you say, Bill, this best interview of the year, I said, Christian Cage, you said you agree with that. I would go MJF for me is the best interview of the year. Certainly can't argue with that. Yeah, man, I don't know. It's kind of cool and neat to go back through and see who's won this before MF. MJF won it years prior. Daniel Bryant's actually been on here, Chris Jericho, Eddie Kingston. Before seeing Punk's on here, Paul Hammond's on here, Connor McGregor's on here several times during the mid twenty ten's era, of course, Austin and all that. The guess who's on here quite a bit. Also in the eighties he was a manager, Jim Cornett. He may have won this award more than anybody. Yeah, can't argue with that. See, you can't argue with that. No, you can't like that when you go back to those years that you can't argue with that. The rest of these are subjective to what you watch. This is where it gets interesting. Promotion of the year. So Bill, before I get into this, let's talk about previous winners. Oh boy, so wow, try to really deep. Well, aw's had it ever since it existed. New Japan Bro, New Japan Pro had it from twenty ten through twenty eighteen. UFC's been in there twenty eleven, and okay, UFC basically from two thousand and six to twenty eleven. Ww's last victory here came in the year twenty I mean two thousand, excuse me, two thousand, So we're about twenty four years removed from W winning this. Well, this year they did they did bill. They did the impossible. They d thren aw for Promotion of the Year. They had four hundred and six votes clear winner here obviously a AAW was a second. New Japan pros you probably could have guessed was third. CMLLL was fourth, UFC fifth, All Japan Pro Wrestling six, Stardom, seventh, Impact eighth, dragon Gate. After a record setting year when it came to big show viewership and gates and being amongst the most consistent rating draws on television, the W captured this award over ADW, which had won it the past three yearsw success with multiple stadium shows, creating major matches throughout the year, and pulling away with away from aaw after at times was a very close competitive race. It was the first time W to B had won this award since the Attitude era. It's a combination of the turnaround and the struggles at the box office office from ADW, New Japan, Parro and Stardom. Do W takes home the award for Promotion of the Year. Where's n XT Does that count? No? It's the no, We're going to get to best weekly shows. It's under WW promotion. Oh oh okay, I so promotion like the company beststice company of the year. Do w you are going to go with stardom though, I think I am. I would never go with stardom and ware not getting any love ear there n w A getting nothing? Yeah, they don't. They don't in this newsletter, by the way, they will ring of honor never nothing. Huh, Well, I mean well he puts over the young bucks. Yeah, I mean calling that. Yeah, it's well, I don't know, can you call it now? AW owns it? So is it still a Oh that's so it's on another benner. Yeah, it's it's you can't argue that. I don't know how you could have argued it last year. I didn't know that it was that that closed Uh what did he say? At times? A very close race. I never got the feeling that we were having a close race for as far as being a business of the Year and wrestling, But apparently it's been a close race. But WW finally pulled a head. I think it's subjected like there's no way that a W B WWE the year before, Oh it did, and money and fans and gate and anything. So it's it's it's all subjective to what Uncle Dave's feeling a lot of Japan, A lot of Japan, mostly Japan. The very first one in nineteen eighty three goes to Jim Crockett Promotions. Then basically Japan. I ran it the rest of the time until the platitude are what after twenty four year hiatus? Yep, they finally won. That's a long time they were. Yeah, they were not the best for twenty four years. I thought it was interesting. It's always interested when he throws UFCN on here yeap, which I mean kind of weird, but yeah, apparently they recorded to the wrestlers of this have not won it. We're early clear back to brock lesnar almossed, but nevertheless, Yeah, Match of the year. What was your favorite match from twenty twenty three? Do you remember my favorite match of the year? I think anything at the top when the blood Line was smoking hot. I think anything you wouldn't so, would you say the Cody Roads may have inter WrestleMania was would you say that the Kevin Owens Sammy Zain tag team match that you says was? You know what I liked? I liked Seth Rollins Cody Roads in the UH when Cody had his thorn back was that last year or was it the year before that? Was? Was that the year before? Was the last year? I think he thought. I think he rivaled with Lesnar last year, right, Yeah, you're going back to before you went too far back. Yeah. Match of the year though, Kenny Omega Versu will Osprey January fourth, the Tokyo Dough Second Match of the Year Kenny Omega Versu will Osprey. It was six twenty five, So what's that? June twenty fifth in Toronto, MJF versus Brian Danielson on the third of March. Excuse me, the fifth of March is the third place one San Francisco. See, it's hard for me without you just telling me a name. When it was, I don't know by the day. Yeah, I sure wish I was that good though, because I'm not swear to Strickling and Adam Page get on here, FTR Verse White and Robinson get on here. Now. I think if this is the match that I remember from Collision, excellent tag team match. Is one of the best tag team matches I've seen. Honestly, it was really great match. Do you remember that FTR with guns and uh Ja? Yeah? Really good match, really good. Yeah, amazing match, Zach Savory Junior, Daniel Brice and get on here We'll lost Bray gets on here again, gun there but a tenth place notable here Gunter, Seamus Drew McIntyre, The Five Star Match A Rescue Kenny Omega, Will Osprey. Do you have some good matches? Bill? Uh? I, to be honest, i'd be at to see one about I've seen clips, but I've never seen a full like I don't know, and again I don't know if we'll see one in a w you know, like, so I would go by what I what I read, or what's being said by other insiders, and and you know, I what Omega's health is still up and you know, questionable right of what he's capable to doing. You are just a You're a very special man, Bill DeMont. Don't take the don't take the spotlight away from Kenny Omega and Will lost Spray. Do you hope Kenny Omega is getting well and we'll see Yeah, I hope he's feeling great, Sir swears trickleing Verse Adam Page November. I did enjoy that too. So they got on the what number were they on the list? Fourth? They're right above the FTR tag, so they got four on a max. That happened almost at the end of the voting. Yes, Sir, I did like that shamous match with gun through Andrew mckottiglight. I'm not a big triple threat guys. You know it's rog get of our time get into that, but that was really good. I thought honorable mentions here, John Moxley and Adam Page will hisper He'd be an honorable mention in the in the category he's already mentioned three times because it's matches man he had. He was part of so many great matches. You know what's crazy though, I don't see uh, I don't see Okada on here. That's probably pretty rare for Dave. I'd imagine, all right, best weekly television show. What do you think it is? XT? You wish Bill in your dreams aw Dynamite with four hundred and thirty votes, aw Collision with seventy four. If it would be SmackDown, I was one hundred and twenty eight. Although it was really close the overall points, it didn't get there. C mll super gets the fourth, NXT's fifth rall is sixth poor rawl Assist. SmackDown was third didn't I yeah mentioned that. Okay, AW Rampage seventh, New Japan on on axis, Scout eight, Impact got ninth, We Are Stardom got tenth. The NWA is not on here, Buddy, AW, Dynamite and Collision over SmackDown your thoughts. My thought is that it is Malark. Collision had some good stuff with Sampunk for a while. Right, well, okay, but you're yes, but you're only along to one and Samola Joe wasn't there. Twenty twenty three, they won Promotion of the yearw but they couldn't get the Best Weekly Show. So how does that happen? Well, this is how it happens. AW captured the award for the fifth straight year every year of its existence, and by a size of a margin. Well, Dynamite didn't grow an audience reached this year, while NXT and Smackdowns great growth. Dynamite usually has more great matches than any other show, and that takes that obviously has an impact on the vote balloting here. It was notable because SmackDown had the most major league feel, NXT had the best character development, and Rawl was the platform where Cody Roads and Steth Rawlins got much stronger but when it comes to wrestling matches, traditionally, that's what's going to come out on top here, and clearly AW is the top. So what I just heard you tell me is that AEW is the best wrestling traditional wrestling show. Yeah, ever since his existence. Before that, it was a lot of New Japan Pro NXT. And it's back in your bill, Dee Monde's captured it. You're gonna have to explain to me sometime and it can be anytime this year when you feel like there's a good enough answer and explain to me what a traditional wrestling show is, and you know traditional wrestling. Does AEW fall into that category, it's it's a traditional wrestling of course. The MMA Fight of the Year, well, we won't go over that John Jones, Nope, I don't even know what John Jones had a match last year. That might be a Chad Michael question. I don't want to. I don't than the Monk, but he's good enough to get The Fighter of the Year wasn't a category B awards bill. This is winner determined by first place votes. United States slash Canada MVP Cody Rhodes at number one, Brian Daniels number two, MJF number three, Room Rains number four, Moxley's at five, Orange Cassidy he's a six, Omega at seven, c m Punk at eight, seth Rawl's at nine, Sammy's ain at ten honorable mention. What's like a less one less vote? The Sam's ain is Christian Cage. And what is this for the United States? In Canada? MVP guy a a a boat? What's this the boat? Yeah, this is actually a newer award, the last like five six years or something. But yeah, he should throw this. It's it's very weird because that's and it goes back to what I said earlier. Just I think it's my regional impact on those other Category A awards because here it's showing, you know, different results. So let's go into the Japanese though, little Osprey and I won't even tell you anybody else because you will know them. Uh Okata's number two, Okada is number two. Okay, I'll spray Nkata. Where's Nakamura? Well that he's not a Japanese. Uh, I don't know. He reppled Japan last year. I don't know where's Tajerry, Where's Funaki? Uh? Yeah, they're not on here, Bill, Where's Pataka not on here? Where's Haul Coogan? Not on here? Hey, Hogan had some of the best matches in Japan. That's why I was saying it. I know he did okay, Mexico MVP, Mystico Vikino is number two. What do you? How do you feel about him? I I don't, I don't. I know. There was a lot of yeah by King Doo and and then he kind of I don't know if it's injury or what. The The thing that ae W does better than anybody else is they acknowledge nothing except big news. You know, the fans tell you when someone so long run the roster. The fans will tell you when someone's injured. The fans will tell you that. The AW acknowledges nothing but big news. You said, the acknowledge that, oh my gosh, so Mystic kill Car exactly. That's just testing you there and Car, We've talked about him on the show. We got Yeah Big, talked about how he lost his name. Just I don't know how that. So, now that we're talking about the medicine russells, this whole CML angle they tried for a couple of weeks. What a fart the church. That was Yeah, it was an absolute fart. It wasn't the best thing ever. What did you think? It was so horrendous? It didn't go anywhere? The same thing every week? What was the payoff? And now it's me from what i've what I've watched is there's no more mention of it or anything. So I don't know that just a big blowout show in Mexico or what. But thank you for we gotta still have a bunch of people watching this, Lody. This is the build him on experience right now. What we're doing live on the air here is going I say, on the air like the radio. You know what I mean. We're going over to the Wrestling Observer newsletter twenty twenty three awards. Bill has not agreed with a single one yet. That's how I would summarize out there. Yeah, you've got it exactly right. You do agree with the Cody Rhodes Canada USA winner. You just don't, Yeah, just don't agreeate the award. Yeah. I think if he was gonna do it and make it make sense to everyone, he should have. Japan's version of these categories mechs Still's versions of these categories. US versions in the Indian versions, then at least she could go okay. But well, Ospray won the European one too. It's unport So yeah, that's a good point about Knackamar right. I guess he could have been. He could have qualified all along. Dang it. The drama behind these awards is just insane. Now it's getting deep. Let's get deep. The Hodge Award for Non Heavyweight MVP. First of all, tell us what that means to you? Having like the Hodge Award. I'm gonna go out on the limits, say, naturally named after the great Danny os Yeah, of course, so I would think it's gotta be somebody who's rough and tumble tough. The fact that you say non heavyweight award, that's what it's called slash, So it's Hodge Awards slash non heavyweight. Which one of these awards were heavyweight awards so far, so the the ultimate non heavyweight MVP after a great Danny Hodge vik No Number one dark. I'm just going names you would note Darby Allen, Orange, Cassidy Misstic, oh h, Brian Danielson's on here honorable mentioned. Carmala Hayes gets the nod Ray Phoenix gets the nod. Ray Masteria gets one of the nods here. Yeah, Vike, you know that is the non heavyweight MVP Women's This was gonna be easy. This will be one you get right, the first one you get right tonight. It's not Nia Jacks either, Bill, don't try to say that even though she's had a good comeback. Uh Pop Woman of the Year, yep. Absolutely, Becky Lynch at fifth, Tony Storm at six. A lot of Japanese representation here, which I'll be honest, I do watch Japanese wrestling. I do not watch really any Japanese woman dressing no particular reason. I just how much wrestling can a guy watch? Right? Not as much? I mean, obviously Dave watches way more. But Ria Ripley easily win her here. Talk. Let's talk about that year real quick, from the Royal Rumball onward to being the leader of the Judgment day. How great of a year she had last year? For anyone who said when read made her debut on the Meeting roster, like, if you didn't know from that match she had with Charlotte Flair from that point on that if you did not think that rear Ripley was not going to be a player. Wow, did you miss the boat? I mean, she is amazing and she has been uh uh, such a student of the game. She speaks well, she looks phenomenal, she acts the part, she is the part. She took the she became the leader of the judgment thing with all these other veteran guys that have been around. Yeah, they handed her the ball. Literally, this is literally giving me the ball and let me see what I can do with it. She's the killer, dude. She's the top female in the in the in the game right now. She's amazing, I agree with you. But an amazing year, I think, and I think this year, this year is going to be another great year for Yeah. And we'll talk more about WrestleMania and stuff like that as we get back into the show here after taking a couple weeks off. But the year that she had was incredible. I think she's really she was really great obviously before, but it was just like she needed to get to that next level, and oh boy, was she able to do that. And it's just obviously some help working with good people, but man, just her creativity also is through the roof, not just her work, but you know, what that next level is for me if you go if we were to go back and watch a match from twenty twenty two and compare it to the same time in twenty twenty three, which see a totally different young lady. Because her confidence now, I think, I feel is what propels her above everybody else because now she's not phoning it in. She's not a lot of a lot of people, even veteran men and women, But I didn't see that to play wrestler or to play their character. Rius Rieu's in the pocket and she's in such a group. Chad Michael is a big Rhea fan. He has her poster up in his room. I oh, Chad, I know he could get in trouble with that, but I think she's a great Becky Lynch. Obviously he's on here. Tony Storm is for the weird year that the women's divisions had had there, very weird, you know, is also on the list. So to get in trouble, just where do you get mad at me? For minute? They're just gonna throw it out there. We don't have to talk about it. But what did that whole thing at the end of last night show say about Tony Storm? Shouldn't even matter. Moving on, we'll get back to it. We got it. You gotta tear them down to build them up. Chat, I'm giving Chad something to think about until we talk about it again. Try it to just make something up here. You gotta tear them down to build him up. Bill, I don't know the questions you ask are just too hard. Ria Ripley clear winner here. It had to be a runaway, yeah for anything else, I don't know how it could be most improved. Take a guess. I think you could guess it. Is it men and women or just just men and women on the list? Yeah, just like Okay, tell me women want it. But just tell me a man that you think of who also improved significantly. I think it in my eyes, not that he wasn't good before. I think he got significantly better. And I guess more notoriety in my Openi's orange cast. Okay, sowards testing is not on here. I was trying to give you an easy win here, getting dominic mysterio. Who's number two? Julia Heart's number one can't argue with that great improvements. Marian May's number three, Swerve Strickland number five can't argue with that. I think I think he's actually came in really hot into the first couple of months of this year. So if you back that up a little bit, he might take that one home. But on the same point as saying that, you know who else could be in that same discussion, like I just said, would be Trick Williams, who's number seven here. Yes, so those guys stepped out to me, Trick Williams, Swerve, Strickland. I'm not going to argue with dominating Julia Art because they continue to get better. But I think if we had an award from the getting to twenty twenty three to now twenty twenty four, of those two guys would be going at it for top Yeah. I agree, I and again see you see what the subject matter is. I think Julia Art has definitely gotten better because we've seen more of her. I would I would Pould Swerve at the top of that list is definitely, I think, changing not changing people's minds, getting people more to pay attention to him and Ed Trick Williams. Trick Williams to me is just uh, He's He's going to be a special cat. From a bunch of years ago, Tiffany Stratton's on the honorable mention. So is Daniel Garcia your guy? Daniel Garzna that poor guy? He got that big match man and somebody's dealing the rankings. Yeah, a lot of people up and coming here. Excuse me, I'm surprised you don't even see more with nxt on here. Nevertheless, most charismatic Wooge's guests m JAM one hundred and sixty two votes, MJF second place, Roman reigns with eighty eight votes, third place Kento is the third eighty one. Trying to pick out some other names, you'll Cody Resume five, Eddie Keeks number six, Orange Cassidy and Sampunk are tight as seven. We're strickling at eight, La Night at nine, Dominique Mysterio at ten. Honorable mentions, John Moxley and Christian Cage Sammy's ain. I don't disgute with the beginning of that list. I'm kind of look who the previous winners was here. I'm curious now because MJF twenty twenty two, c M Punk twenty twenty one, m JF twenty twenty, christ Jericho twenty nineteen, Sammy's a should have won it for twenty twenty two. That's what I was gonna say for twenty twenty For twenty twenty two, and like I said, if that would have went into the early part of twenty twenty three, dude, he was huge. Yeah. I still can't hope, but wonder what would happen if he would have actually won at that title at fast line. They'll never be able to get that back. No, at that level we create that. You ever seen anybody so organically hot? No, And Brian's the only person I could think of really Goldberg. Goldberg would be another one, but when you have to start, I feel like there's a lot of but they pushed Goldberg. Sorry to cut you off. No, No, that's okay, but they pushed Goldberg. But yep, but I'm thinking of before that Daniel Brian would be the one to define the odds four years ago whatever. But I think Sammy had it and and I feel like the time maybe people in the back thought, oh, because he asked it, we can get it back at any time, and you can't. I think that's why sometimes I feel like we're being forespent. Certain characters both w W A, W NXT across the board I think sometimes they're forced feeding into us, trying to get we get, you know, reclaim some of that that specialist that day at at the time. So I don't think Samuel'll ever get that back. They're trying them. Yeah, well not trying to that level, but you think he'll beat Gunter, Sammy's not the guy to beat Gunter. With Sammy's opinion, if you could go back in time now, do you think that sam'son should have beat rem andrus a fast Lane? Yes, I do too, yes, which is really hard to say because of the storyline, everything going on. It's stuffed brilliant. But that was if you were ever gonna do it, that was it. He was such dude. There was nothing bigger after that will rumble when he that was one of the loudest pops I've ever heard when he hit him in the back with that chair, Absolutely insane. I know, we're well deserved. Sammy worked on for back. I remember showing to Austin Areas that he does not watch anything anymore and he was impressed with that pop and with that we showed it on the show, I think if I remember frankly, but okay, so there is actually an Award here the Best Technical Wrestler Award. It's also called the Brian Danielson Award, notably so he has won it throughout his career. Most of the time, it's a bitten Brian Danielson, Zack Sabery Junior. I see in here quite a bit. Who else to be seen here? Bill, It's just it's been Brian Daniels since since Chrispin Waugh, Brian Danilson, Crispin Waer, who's won this award more than anybody, Bob Bucklin. Bob Becklin won the first one in nineteen eighty, so this year Brian Danielson won it five one hundred and forty nine votes, Zach Savory Junior four hundred and twenty seven, Josh Alexander was seventeen. Sabery Junior n Daniel bryan that's actually their story, right, I gotta be honest. I'm not I'm not that much in tune with Zach Ce. I'm not. Uh, he's had good matches with Daniel Bryant. Yeah, And then i'd heard that, and I've seen, Like I said, you can go anywhere and see a clip a bit, but I haven't sat through an all match or a series of matches or anything like that. I think it's interesting that that TNA finally gets a novel. Josh Alexander, he's very good. Uh. They kind of had the story going with Brian Danielson AzaC sa Vir Jr. I think they're gonna be like one more match to see who the best is, you know, but that's that's what he do. What off break right? Yeah? Yeah, I guess that's kind of his thing in a W I yeah, w He kind of had this like Man against the World theme and aw, it's been I'm just the best damn wrestler theme, which and in its own is probably not enough for a compelling storyline, but obviously is for the people that consume the products. So yeah, Breus or Brody Memorial were Best Brawler, also previously known as that who would you guess? Sir? Let me give you three gets okay, Gunther, Drew McIntyre, John Moxley. John Moxley's a Claire winner on this one with three hundred and eighty three. Adam Page is number three and just going off, people will know Eddie Kingston four, Gun through five, Samoe, Joe and Seamus excuse me tight at ninth John Moxley, by definition, that's what he does, right, I guess comes out to wild thing he and he gets in a fight, right, Yeah, he gets at a brawl and there will be blood. Yeah. Hey Britney on TikTok h Hi. Oh yeah, it's out for shoutouts for a minute. We've got we have Steve on Twitter. Jim said, hey on Twitter. Of course, Chad Michael's out there, and we got Deaf a bunch of other people. It's crazy we're at We're at three hundred and fifty people watching across all the platforms. They haven't left. Surprisingly, I don't know why because as they're waiting to hear the wait to see your reaction to these awards, what is what's happening? They're they're loving it. By the way, Yeah, uh, where were we at? Oh Bruiz of Brody Award, you're you're we've never talked about Bruiz of Brody. So this award is named after him, notably so brawling guy, the top guy on that. So your thoughts on briz Er Brody when I hear Brody, Well, you was down in Puerto Rico and his stomping grounds, right, Well, I was there after. Yeah, but yeah, still though, and I'd say various. Unfortunately I got the full story and all that stuff that really really changed my thought process and in Puerto Rico. But when I hear the bruise of Brody Award, I'm thinking about big men. Bang. That's what That's what I personally am thinking about. I watched. I made sure to watch Brody stuff. I was, you know, as as a former big man. I tried to watch all big guy stuff. That's what I was drawn to, and that's why I tried to copycat and steal from and get better at. So it's not a knock at all. But I don't see mopsis a Brusiah Brodie guy. I understand the premise of what he does, that rough and tumble thing. But you know, that's why I went right away to like a Gunther or or a Seamus or or I go to the big ice. Excuse me, even like Samoa Joe or or or someone like that. Little billy's watching on TikTok. He better not be on TikTok he is. He better get to bed school out a gun No, they're on't spring break starting to day. That's why. Oh see that's coming, that's upcoming. Well, it's always springing to Florida. Damn it. It doesn't matter now. Best flying, high flying, best flying wrestler is what it's called. I'd call high flying. But Mike, you know, wow, man, he's a clear winner here. You gotta help me, Yeah, you gotta help me explain it. I don't even care who due threeport and honorable mention are. How do his Viking though? Well, l he o del Vikino. I know who he is. Oh okay, so let me ask you. Why don't I like his matches? That's just what he does. He just kind of does these spots and he does this Luca style mix off. It's just I mean, I look at it and it's entertaining, but I'm not gonna like, you know, want to watch that over some other historical wrestlers from Mexico that have been in major wrestling promotions. Yeah, yeah, you know, yeah, I don't. I don't know why he gets quite the rub on this. I do think that this award has been I don't think we think about it as much as we used to. The high flying stuff. Yeah, now you know what it is that because we don't see as much. Or is that because everybody's doing it. I'll let you that though. The second part, the latter is you see it all the time. There's no such thing as like flying anymore. Women do it, men do it. Everybody's doing these things. Everybody's coming out the top with these ridiculous maneuvers and amazing things. But you see it so much now, there's no such thing like Ray. Mysterio is not special anymore. This LWO thing, all these dragonly you love the LWO as good as they are. You see it, ef we match. You see these things all the time, so I think we've become numb to it now. It's just, oh, it's another it's another thing, you know. I'm not gonna argue with that. Let's I will say. Will Osprey comes in second Ray in High Flyers. Yes, sir, Phil will Osprey is the total package. Are you not getting that yet? We have gone through these damn awards for an hour now, Okay, you still have not picked up on the fact that will Osprey is the total package. Dude, slowly can't even cover It's thirty pages. I can't get to it all. We're gonna power through a little bit more before we call it a night. But nevertheless, how are you still questioning? Will Ospray's really good? He does do some high flying stuff but here, then again, though, he doesn't just do a lot of flying stuff. So this awards a little bit tricky on what you're gonna do. But Ray Phoenix is third commander, your favorite is fifth, and Mystico is eighth, and you won't know anybody else on here are like Kid Starlight Kid. Oh okay, never mind, my son would want Elterito to win. Well, your son, your son would be disappointed. Yeah, I think he Viking has probably had the biggest platform. Well, I'm a band now I'm gonna fall he me and I'm gonna fall will Osbury on TikTok or Twitter or whatever most overrated like King Go No, no, he's not. Let's see here trying to Santa Da, I'm trying to get who that is? Who is that san? That's a guy for December twenty fifth. He comes every year, Santa Cla, No, I gotta look. I'm sorry to question who it is. Roman Rates is number second, Seeing Punk is number third. Uh, I guess he didn't even really have a match. Tire is number four, did he is it last year we had his last match? This this just is past year? Yeah yeah, oh boy, Austin Theory number six, Nijack seven, Christ Jericho eight, l A Night Night, and Jake Lee tenth most overrated. This has to be a person the most overrated from New Japan Pro s in Manna. Wasn't he the colonel in? Uh? No, no Alamo, No, no, no. I knew immediately what you were gonna say when he said that, just from my dad, No, Bill, No, it's it's from New Japan Pro. Yeah, he's a member of a stable I think, yeah, the five guys stable thing. Oh yeah, he's the guy that held the title forever, the world, not title forever. I got up. I'm trying see he was overrated, overrated? Somebody said, yeah, I mean he didn't even do anything last year. Yeah. I didn't even know he could be rated. He's so good, I guess he can be. The Mizz is on here, Bianco bel Air and Soriah's on here. Where's sheep? Where's the whole women's vision? Men? We could go down their habit hold though we're not gonna do that tonight. We're not doing that. The men question for Chad for later. Ronda Rowsey has been on here before. Bray Wyatt's been on here. He's overrated. Yes, Kin has been on here a lot, I mean a lot. Paul Covin a lot. What the what have they ever done? Ultimate Warrior dude, Dusty Rhodes over I mean it's crazy how many times some of these people. Haul Coked has been on here and great Collea even madea all he should still be Triple H. Triple H got the award over rated, Triple H. King Corbin got the award. Harley race Rick overrated, Ricky Stembo overrated, Oh gosh, Bob Beckland got it before. Way overrated. Eric Watts nineteen ninety one, remember that? Yeah, I do overrated? Yeah, but that that one's it's more true. Sure is a nice guy, great guy. Also warriors on here a lot too. And I'll tell you most underrated? Who do you want to guess? You could guess this? You like him a lot. It's a do W guy all day every day. Who do you would take a W? Right now? Who's the most uh underrated person? Not young Bucks, Chad Michael, No, they're rated, brother there, they're rated seven stars underrated. Yeah, yep, yep. Chad Gable is that it? Yep? Yeah, most underrated yep. You can't argue with that. Who else we get on here, Keshta, I think Chad Gables should be the one to beat comfort. Yeah, I mean they could have pulled that trigger, Bill. Do you think I get that back again? No, they won't. Daniel Garcia's on here, Ricochet's on here, Commander's on here, Britt Baker and Adam Page, a bunch of honorable mentions, a crap ton ord Low on there. No. I don't even see where though, on anything that we've exactly. Now they come to think about it, I have not seen him anywhere exactly. Ricky Starks is on honorable mention. Tyler Bate, Thank goodness, he's Tyler Bait again. I like that way better. First ever, this is nineteen eighty. Who do you think won this award in nineteen eighty most underrated? Underrated? Rickney Steamboat iron Chic. What's underrated? So it says, yep, nineteen eighty one, buzz Sawyer. I s yeah, I'll be damned Rookie of the Year. You don't know any of the people. Moving on. I gotta know someone on that list. Okay, yeah you do. Billy Starks is on here. No, I don't know who that is. Okay, well that might be the end of hill. You'd know then Action ANDRETTI is it Rookie of the Year second place? Okay? That to try to think of who else you would? No, I don't even know half of them. So boo we boo that category if he book that category best non wrestler, who is it? H Paul M Paul was number two this year? Don Callas he's number one, yep yep. So we also have Prince Nana on here, your boy yep. Renee Maxleigh is on here yeap. Nick Eldis, Nigel McGinnis, Samantha Irvin, Vince McMahon, and Paul Hammond and Jim Cornett have won this award a lot. No Adam Pierce, no sir son of the No Adam Pierce. This actually used to be called Manager of the Year until nineteen ninety six, and it was Jim Cornett's it was from nineteen eighty three to nineteen ninety six. The only other person that want it was Jimmy Hart in eighty three and share Sensational Sherry and ninety one the rest of Jim Cornett run away and argue that absolutely best television announcer Edvan Kelly ex caliber come back next week. Be sure to join us. Ah, that's my ex caliber impression. Wow, did you hear Jim Cornett's rant on ex caliber winning this NORE? Yeah, you're gonna have to listen to it. Kevin Kelly's third. Actually, I'm trying to figure out who else here? Uh? Nigel mcguinnis for Michael Cole six, twenty seventh, has eight, Jim Ross ninth, Jay Church tenth audible mentioned Wade Barrett, William Riegal got it and he is back in nx XT twenty fourteen, twenty fifteen. Let's turn the page here worst television announcer? Who's got it? Uh? Byron Saxton, Corey Greaves. Barron Saxton is not on here, maybe just because he didn't do it enough? Can you dig it? Sucker number one? Booker t Kevin Patrick number two, Jim Ross number three? I mean, how could Jim Ross just does some man advance every Now? Who the hell puts Jim Ross on worst common Thing? Eight ninety voters did? And how many voters put him on the other list? Was he on the other list the favorite. Yes he was, Yes he was with how many votes? Eleven? Eleven? Oh, this is pretty common though where they do overlap, So okay. Michael Cole's number four, Corey Grave number five, Kevin Kelly six, Chris Jericho seven, Mass Striker eight, Vic Joseph nine, Tony Chevanty ten arble mentions, Pat McAfee, tazz An ex Caliber also an arble mention. Pat McAfee is great. Yeah, I just feel like you can't even he's a different category. Yeah, he's he's supposed to be that goofy, silly guy that doesn't exactly Yeah, best wrestling show. Okay, hold on, let's look at worst announcer historically here, Corey Graves, Michael Cole, Jonathan Coachman, Booker, t David O'tanga. Well he did do some stuff, didn't he. Jbl is on here a lot, Michael Cole is on here a lot. Yeah, Jerry Lawler is on here. Clailack in the day, David Crockett was a was a frequent winner of this in the eighties, which understandably so. Gorilla mon Soon used to get it all. You win us all the time, or is it winners. It losing. You tell me, Bill, I'm not sure. Didn't Mike Grillaman scene Gorilla mon Soon can't be the losers, that's what he is. I'm telling you. They say winners. It's like worst television announcer. You can't see it. I guess worst television announcer, and it's aware. They call them winner and the winners are yes. Yeah, I mean, I don't make this stuff up. You're I don't think best wrestling show the year, Dynamite. You're probably thinking Night one of WrestleMania it was really good. Well, I'm going by the roses. Yeah, it was aw Revolution in March. It was Forbidden Door. I know you're a big fan of that. Nope, uh that was second. Third was aw All Land London. Fourth was w W WrestleMania Night one. That was actually really freaking good, dude, it was really good. Aw and Ring of Honor on here. Also, WrestleMania Night one was really good. I thought, really good. Previous winners of this a wa wa wa w New Japan, New Japan. Okay, Well, let's find the last time WWE won this. Okay, nineteen ninety thousand, Okay, I can't argue with this. This night was amazing. Twenty eleven Money in the Bank Chicago, remember that Nope, Punk Sina that was then yes, yes, yeah, we gotta leave Polke's gotta leave the company legitimately almost did. But that was probably one of John Cena's best matches that you thought about. Yeah yeah, five star match there though. It was what a maneuver, what a maneuver, best wrestling maneuver. This is gonna win this, So I go by the rest of this list. I think the best wrestling maneuver comes from Orange. You would you would you would guess that, but in fact number one and number two both go to will Osprey, The Hidden Blade and the storm Breaker. Kenny Omega's winning angel is number three. Vikey Knows got his second that second rope step up that he does. That is number four, Commander Rope walk Through Shooting Star. Number five. Adam Page Buck shot Larry at number six. People love that freaking book. That's so ware. Now where is tippingy Ritten's Prettiest moon Salt in the astry of the world And it's not on air. Geez Ron Raker gets honorable mentioned for his spear though, Yeah, because no one's spears. Darby Ali gets honorable mentioned for his Tobey most disgusting promotional tactic. We are almost there at the end of this that we're going to cover ae W talking about the death of that gets following no WWE enabling vitz vic Mann and him being back in power and TKO keeping him in position of power. Oh, we're talking about real lights. Yes. Number two, ww's continued relationship with Saudi Arabia Number three W a cocaine spot, Powers of Power, slaps number four and continuing on television after Dana White slapped his wife most number five. Ae W signing Rick Flair. Apparently that's a disgusting promotional tactic. Juce Robinson gets the nod on this one for his role of quarters. T KO gets on another one ignored Vestmcmanadana White's transgressions, WW hiring c and Punk is a Nasty is number nine and Sean Strickland's homophobic remarks are number ten, So yeah, an honorable mention. Adam Page drinking swears Strickland's blood. You knew WW was gonna win this, and you can't really argue with it, but they what you told me was based on reality. Yes, but I'm pretty sure they always win it, or they do most of the time. Let's see here promoting Jimmy Snooka as a hero Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia, WW firing people during the pandemic WB exploiting the death of Bill Moody. Dude, it's all this is a ww's anti bullying campaign. WW making fun of Mickey James, called her Piggy James b teasing Jeff Hardy's drug overduse. Okay, I gotta go clar back to like two thousand and seven TNA signing pac Man Jones. I remember that. That's yeah, huh, where's television show? I'm just trying to hang in here and put this one to a bed. NWA Power, ww E were All, w NXT Power, Slap aw rampaidw SmackDown aw Datamite Ring of Honor. W w RALL has won this award previously until nw AH, they've been a won this award eleven street years. Ww RALL has so the number one show on Feeble Television. Has won the Worst Show Weekly Episodic Cable Television. Yes, Worst non wrestling Personality. Apparently this is all previous awards. They don't do it anymore. It's always McMahon's and Russo worst worst manager. They quit doing it when Sonny, Oh no, it was on there. The worst match of the year Bray White versus l A. Knight at the Royal Rumble. Was that that glow in the dark? What was that called the Mountain Dew? Mountain Dew? That was a clear winner. Tyris versus E C three, Shane versus and Snoop dot A's Shane Slashop Dog versus The Miss They actually put that on here. Yeah, Oh gosh, Baron Corbyn versus Gable Stevenson, Ronda Rowsey versus Shannon Basler? That was is that her going Was that her going away match? Well they did SummerSlam? Did they did this? Yeah? That was her last match? Yep, that's ridiculous. M M A match Roman Reigns versus Jay us So, Adam Cole versus Chris Jericho, Jeff Jerry, Jeff Hardy, Juilliard versus Amadon. Who else do we got here? Yeah? I don't know how much where I could go through. Bill. I'm getting I'm getting mentally exhausted, I'm I'm physically paying from some of these there's some Okay, it gets better worst few of the year m JF versus the Devil. Would you argue with that of as worse few of the year and one clearly one? I would. I would argue against that. I thought that, Yeah, I argue. I wouldn't argue with the finish of it, but I'd argue with as it went a law. I thought it was pretty one of the best storyteller things they had. Worst Promotion of the Year n WA wins it by a mile. Triple A gets second, WW third, Control your Narrative, fourth, MLW fifth. Sometimes I forget about MLW and the fact that you control your narrative got on manage the worst promotion yep, but it's usually anything else historically speaking, Let's look at who's won that one. WW enough said best booker. This is a big one that everybody's talking about. Tony Kahan has won this award the last three years. Before that, it was a new Japan long standing one. Really, WWE has been out of the picture on this for a while. Okay, no oh, Triple H won it with NXT in twenty sixteen. Yeah, I argue that one, but yeah, WW got it. Attitude Air a few times, and Jim Cornett would get it with OVID. But who do you think got it Booker of the Year this year? I'm gonna go with Triple H. He did clear winner. Yeah, Tony Kahn's second, Tony Cohn's to lose promoter Promoter of the year. So Nick Kahn wins this, Tony Khan gets second, Dana White gets third. Yeah, I didn't really know that worked out with the old Nick con thing. Is Nick Khan promoter? Okay? What's some promoter to you? Someone who's promoting. He's promoting, getting the shows out there, and is that what he does? He's on TV all the time. Haven't you seen him? I probably missed him a little bit. It's kind of like a waldop and it's just sitting in the audience and you gotta find him. He's not promoting during the show, it's all the other times. Oh, best gimmick until you think got it. Best gimmick is the uh the two outlandish caps with the long hair and the training brows to come out as a tack team. Tony Storm, Christian Orange YEP, Tony Storm, Christian Cage, Orange Cassidy get the top three. The worst gimmick, the two cats that belong here to keep from NHD with the sports Frost, the Devil, QTV and Tony Storm. Wait a minute, you can't win them all. You can't win them all. MJF also is number ten here best pro wrestling documentary, dark Side of the Ring. Chris and Tammy. You watch Dark Side of the Ring? Yeah, I don't think I have any I think that's that's enough for one day. What an exhausting hour. My gosh, the hour and thirty minutes. Fairly. I'm actually considering canceling my subscription to the Wrestling Emserve. You'd have to have one to cancel it. Oh then, yeah, then I'm out. Are you surprised by anything we went over in this EP? I am absolutely not surprised by any of it. I'm be fuddled with a little bit of it, but I'm not. We still have this. These listeners have held on tonight. Dude. They wanted to hear your thoughts on this. I love our people, man, and like I like when we do this because it's a little bit of an education of Yeah, I don't know if it's an education. I think this is no. I take it back. I was gonna say maybe I'm learning something, but I'm not. I'm learning that the way I think about this business is still better than what you just read. So I did, okay, So obviously I read this PWI every year. Uh it's you know, I think WWE winning that promotion of the year is crazy. I don't think you understand how crazy it is for that to happen on that in that newsletter. So and Paul, a triple h winning booker, that stuff don't doesn't happen. So obviously, even the readers of the Wrestlerserver newsletter, who who for the most part aren't big W to B fans, gave them a nod on several things this year. Well that's one takeaway, and the second takeaway and the most abortant takeaway is Will Ospray is the todd wrestler in the world right now. And and so why why is it that how did WW not wind up with will Osprey was not even in contention here. I think they had discussions with him and Okata. Just really quick, you're paying Okada fourteen million dollars, fourteen million reasons and they say something like that, you're paying out of fourteen million dollars. I don't know when more than half of your TV audience has no idea who this guy is. The chat is flooded with Tony Kahan comments, so I have to assume that goes back to the booker seven star comments are made. I'm going to train starting tomorrow for three months and I'm going to make it come back and I guarantee why, I could make some big money there. Maybe there'll be a best Comeback award. We'll get that. That was fun, Bill, not what. The listeners really enjoy that stuff for whatever reason. I don't know. I guess it's I guess it's fun. We're entertaining. That's why, say what, I've got an eddache after reading all that. Okay, you're you ain't whistling, Dixie, I got a ed ache. I'm who Phil and Doozy. That was a fun one though. Of course, next week we can jet back into more of the current, you know, content, but doing some stuff that people can go back and listen to forever is always fun too. And I think even though this was about the awards that happened last year, this will still be a fun listen for the listeners of the show watchers viewers, listeners of the show for years to come. Bill. Yeah, And I think what we do differently than a lot of our fellow wrestling enthusiasts is we we kind of take it down that we you know, we branch off the different roads once in a while, because, uh, sometimes we're all talking about the same thing all at once, right, so we we bring up fresh, fresh topic in and kind of give everybody a little levity to the whole thing. And so I really enjoyed it. I'm grateful to everybody that hung out there the whole time and everybody who's back with us. And like you said, we we were away for a few weeks, but it's always family first and and and you know we take care of that. But it's good to be back. And this is no this is a good one. But you got me, I got a headache. Yep, you're gonna be dreaming about will Ospray's finishing moves tonight. I've got you watched tomorrow. I guarantee you are your way to work. You're gonna picked up your Twitter machine. You're gonna go set a good I'm gonna I'm gonna tweet. We'll offer me first thing in the Morning about Morning, Will congratulations on all your appleetes. He won them all. He is really good. Uh, he's good. And he is the definition of what Dave Meltzer likes. Though, I mean, he really is the living definition of what Dave Meltzer likes. Right or wrong. I'm not saying I like Will Ospray. You know. If I had to pick himer Ocatta, that's tough. I think they could both do good stuff. I mean, I'd probably pick him, but Ocata's would have been great doing NXT stuff. I feel like too. Yeah, I think it's not a bad thing when I say XT either, you know, like I've said the other night with l w w O on the nxt UH program, that's where they do the same thing on the on the quote unquote main roster and ron SmackDown that they do at NXT. But there's this vibe in n x T and there's this energy that's different NXT, and some people are just built stronger for NXD and I think Okada would have been one of those guys, and I'd say will Osprey would have been is definitely more suited for a raw SmackDown virgin So being here for NIX it's not a bad thicke at all, and more people watch it than Dynamite, So yeah, so it's it's gonna be this year. It started off good. I'm excited to see what we talk about and what we do. Going into the media. It's just you know, right around the corner now, so good way to get back into it. Well, Bill, this I'm gonna title this episode strong style, strong stock hashtag strong stock. Yeah, it's a lot of strong style. Tonight, Bill, your closing words and then I'll hit my catchphrase and we'll call it tonight. Once again, everybody, thanks for tuning in and staying with us. Do what you say, say what you mean, mean what you and keep being you and keep being great. Jeff Townsend, media sees you. Good night. And the question is do I stay here? Will you be back? Are you gonna come back? Will you be back? Are you coming back?
