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Sean Radican accepts no responsibility for the timeliness of his awards this year...
MVP of pro wrestling in 2009
(1) John Cena. Cena had another good year as WWE's headline act. Although he didn't have any outstanding feuds in 2009, his long-running feud against Orton featured a number of memorable matches and moments.
(2) Chris Jericho. Jericho was outstanding again in 2009. During the first half of the year, Jericho was great on the mic during his feud with Rey Mysterio. During the second half of the year, Jericho was also very good teaming with Big Show to feud with DX over the Unified Tag Team Championship.
(3) Randy Orton. Orton really stood out this year as he continued to enhance his heel character. Orton is one of the best heels of the modern era and his facial expressions and promos continue to get better and better each year.
Best Wrestler of 2009
(1) Davey Richards. Richards was the best in-ring performer in 2009. If you saw his name on the back of an independent wrestling DVD, chances were you were guaranteed a great performance in the ring. Richards's standout matches in ROH and DGUSA were in-ring highlights of 2009.
(2) Chris Jericho. Jericho gets my nod in this slot because he almost always delivers in the ring every time he has a headline match on PPV. His matches against Rey Mysterio this year were excellent and he was also very good in tag action with Big Show.
(3) C.M. Punk. Punk was really good in the ring in 2009, especially during the course of his long feud with Jeff Hardy. Punk improved vastly from his first run with the World Championship and it showed during his main event run in 2009.
Best Babyface of 2009
(1) Jeff Hardy: Despite his legal troubles, Hardy was the most popular wrestler in the world in 2009. Hardy has a great connection with wrestling fans. Hardy's charisma made for some great moments in 2009, especially during his feud with C.M. Punk
(2) John Cena: Cena had another solid year as a babyface. He isn't totally loved, but Cena seems to be heading in the right direction, as his character isn't as polarizing as it was in years past. His new "preaching" promo style has gone a long way towards making him more popular among the young male demographic.
(3) Shawn Michaels: Michaels's facial expressions and selling ability make him an annual contender for this category. 2009 was no exception, as HBK remains one of the most beloved figures in wrestling.
Best Heel of 2009
(1) Chris Jericho: I agree with the reader vote for this category. Chris Jericho gets the top spot. His mic work as a heel to build up to big matches was fantastic. His straightforward delivery and mannerisms make you want to see him get beat. His standout feuds against Mysterio and DX were his best work in 2009.
(2) C.M. Punk. Punk gets the second spot here, due to fading a bit after his feud with Jeff Hardy ended. Punk delivered some great mic work as a heel against Jeff Hardy using his straight edge gimmick against Hardy's checkered past.
(3) Randy Orton. Orton continues to improve as a heel, but he's getting to the point where WWE is going to have to turn him babyface at some point in the near future. Orton's work against Triple H and Cena was very good, although his feud with Cena lost steam towards the end.
WWE Match of the Year
(1) The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels - WrestleMania 25: This was hands-down WWE's best match of the year and the real main event of WM 25.
(2) Jeff Hardy vs. C.M. Punk - SummerSlam TLC match: Hardy and Punk put together a memorable TLC match, although some of the dangerous bumps they took were hard to watch. The double stretcher spot after Hardy hit a swanton off the ladder through the announce table was a standout moment that built draw heading into the finish.
Edge vs. Undertaker vs. Triple H vs. Vladimir Koslov vs. The Big Show No Way Out Elimination Chamber match: This was a really good match. Edge got taken out early and it came down to Triple H and Taker having a really great exchange down the stretch. Jim Ross's call of the match was awesome as he went ballistic during the final minutes.
TNA Match of the Year
(1) A.J. Styles vs. Samoa Joe vs. Daniels - Turning Point PPV: TNA put together a couple of really good PPVs before the Hogan regime took over in January. Styles, Joe, and Daniels delivered an awesome match, although it wasn't at the level of their Three Way from 2005.
(2) Kurt Angle vs. Desmond Wolfe - Turning Point PPV: Wolfe showed here he could be a main event player for a major wrestling promotion. I liked this match more than their Three Stages of Hell match at Final Resolution.
(3) Kurt Angle vs. Desmond Wolfe – Final Resolution: This was another really good encounter between Wolfe and Angle. I thought the stipulations attached to the mach hurt it a bit, but they built up to a really satisfying climax.
(HM) A.J. Styles vs. Daniels - Final Resolution PPV
ROH/DGUSA Match of the Year
(1) Davey Richards vs. Bryan Danielson – Final Countdown Tour: Boston: This was the only five star match I saw in 2009. Danielson and Richards put together and epic match that had a rabid Boston crowd on their feet throughout.
(2) Young Bucks vs. CIMA & Yokosuka - DGUSA Open the Dragon Gate PPV: The Young Bucks put themselves on the map with an impressive tag team showcase match on DGUSA's debut PPV. Their double team maneuvers were top notch here. CIMA & Yokosuka were great here as well. This was tag team wrestling at its best.
(3) Davey Richards vs. Shingo – DGUSA Open the Untouchable Gate PPV: Richards and Shingo matched up really well in this hard-hitting affair. Richards and Shingo went at it like two major prize fighters. The match got better and better as it went on and the crowd head leading up to the finish was electric.
Best Feud of the Year
(1) Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker: Although this wasn't a lengthy feud, HBK and Taker built more excitement for their WM match than any other feud in wrestling in 2009.
(2) C.M. Punk vs. Jeff Hardy: Punk and Hardy have earned their accolades in other categories for their work during their feud in 2009. Both men played well off each other and delivered several compelling segments on television leading into their matches on PPV and Smackdown.
(3) The American Wolves vs. Kevin Steen & El Generico: ROH's tag division was overlooked by many in my estimation in 2009. The program between the American Wolves and Steen & Generico featured a number of really good matches that eventually lead to a really good blow off Ladder War at "Glory By Honor VII."
Best PPV/Event of the Year
(1) DGUSA Open The Historic Gate PPV: This was an excellent show from start to finish. The match quality on this show from top to bottom was fantastic. You couldn't ask for more value for your dollar upon purchasing this PPV.
(2) ROH Glory By Honor VII: ROH's finest effort on DVD in 2009 and an all-around great show. The Ladder War between the American Wolves and Steen & Generico, Cornette's return to ROH, and Danielson vs. McGuinness in the main event were fantastic. The bonus features on this release added a ton of value as well.
(3) DGUSA Untouchable PPV: The Richards-Shingo and Danielson-Doi matches were both excellent on this card. There was also another fantastic Dragon Kid-Masato Yoshino match as well. DGUSA set the standard for quality in-ring action on PPV in 2009.
Best TV show of the Year
(1) WWE Smackdown: Smackdown usually gives you a good dose of wrestling and straightforward storytelling. Those two things make it my favorite wrestling show to watch.
(2) WWE Raw: Raw gets the nod over Impact because it makes more sense usually. I get bored with the long talking segments and lack of in-ring action, but the star power on the show usually makes it more entertaining than not.
(3) TNA Impact: Impact usually features some good wrestling from time to time as well as some horrific storytelling. It gets my third place vote almost by default since the other shows to pick from have very little star power and it doesn't help that ECW fell off a cliff in 2009.
Career Tailspin of 2009
(1) Jeff Hardy: Jeff Hardy was the hottest babyface in WWE in 2009, but as the year closed his career outlook appeared to be in jeopardy due to his arrest on drug charges.
(2) Matt Hardy: Matt got another shot at feuding with his brother Jeff at WrestleMania, but once again their feud failed to deliver. After feuding with Jeff, Matt was returned to mid-card status never to be heard from again in 2009.
(3) Jack Swagger: Swagger appeared to be on the verge of big things, but WWE scaled down his push and Swagger began to get buried on the lower end of the mid-card by the end of 2009. His confidence appeared to dwindle as well late in the year, as he didn't carry himself in the ring with as much confidence as he did before his push got scaled back.
Rising Star of 2009
(1) Sheamus: Sheamus moved from ECW to Raw and quickly climbed the ladder to the top of the card during the late stages of 2009. His heel presence and mic work have been solid and Sheamus has shown he has a lot of potential. Management obviously sees big things in Sheamus, as they put the WWE Championship on him to freshen up the top of the card at the end of the year.
(2) The Miz: The Miz got an opportunity to mix it up with some big names at the top of the card. His heel promos drastically improved and Miz proved he deserved a spot just below the upper tier on Raw. His run with the US Title was also impressive.
(3) John Morrison: Morrison also had a big year for the WWE in 2009. His in-ring work is very good and his run with the IC Title provided some very good matches on television and PPV. Morrison's promos have improved and he's seemed to finally fit into his new character in 2009.
Best Tag Team of 2009
(1) Chris Jericho & Big Show: JeriShow proved to be a great pairing after Edge went down with an injury. They had a good feud with DX and a lengthy run with the Unified Tag Titles that provided a spark to the near-dead tag division in WWE.
(2) American Wolves: Nobody put on better tag matches in 2009 than Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards. They had a fantastic run with the ROH World Tag Team Titles feuding against the likes of the Briscoes and Steen & Generico. Edwards and Richards also improved their mic work and presence in the ring during the course of the year and were easily the MVPs of ROH in 2009.
(3) The Young Bucks: The Young Bucks exploded onto the independent scene in 2009. Their matches in DGUSA were fantastic, but they generated buzz for their act with their work in PWG. ROH eventually caught wind of their act and brought them into the company during the summer where they flourished as well.
Best Promos of 2009
(1) Chris Jericho: 2009 was another banner year on the mic for Chris Jericho. His promos against DX and Rey Mysterio in 2009 were excellent. Jericho was so good on the mic that he was featured on both Smackdown and Raw for most of the year to carry interview segments.
(2) C.M. Punk: WWE let Punk come out of his shell and he delivered some great promos. His mic work against Jeff Hardy was really good, despite some of his promos on Hardy after he had left WWE hit a little too close to home. Punk could be on the verge of becoming something special for WWE in 2010 because of the evolution of his promos.
(3) Shawn Michaels: Although HBK spent a great deal of 2009 being goofy as part of DX, he gets big credit for his work on the mic leading up to his WrestleMania program with Undertaker. There a few better on the mic than HBK when it comes to hitting the right note to get people to want to see him in a big time match.
Worst Promos of 2009
(1) Bobby Lashley: There are few worse than Lashley on the mic. He totally lacks the charisma to match up with his impressive look.
(2) Hornswoggle: Hornswoggle can be funny at times, but his grunting and mumbling gets old fast. The key with his promos is that less is more.
(3) Great Khali: Khali should be in the top three in this category every year that he cuts a single promo by default. I have absolutely no idea what he is saying when he talks, but guessing always makes for some fun interpretations.
Most Under-utilized of 2009
(1) Christian: Christian gets the nod over Samoa Joe here simply because he's capable of being so much more than the WWE machine allows him to be. Christian often had some very good main events on ECW, but most WWE fans weren't watching them.
(2) Samoa Joe: Samoa Joe seemed to get lost in the shuffle in 2009. Sure he had a great match against Style and Daniels, but for most of the year he was underutilized. It didn't help that he was supposed to be booked as Taz's protégé, but the angle was dropped quickly. The whole nation of violence gimmick never took off.
(3) Jack Swagger: Swagger seems to have all of the potential in the world, but he went into a tailspin during the second half of the year from which he never recovered, as Kingston, Miz, and others received a push over him. Swagger has big potential, but WWE management seemed to sour on him.
Most Over-pushed of 2009
(1) Hornswoggle: Hornswoggle gets too much airtime. He's funny in small doses, but his role with DX became groan inducing at times.
(2) Triple H: Triple H seems to always be in the spotlight on Raw and it gets old from time to time. He wasn't as overexposed as he was in other years when he became unbearable, but once DX was put back together it seemed like Triple H was in every other segment on the show.
(3) Mike Foley: Foley would be good in small doses at this point in his career, but his frequent backstage skits on Impact with Borash became unbearable at times. TNA doesn't know how to use Foley and he seemed happy to coast by with the lame material given to him by creative in 2009.
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