Lo-Down Wrestling Awards 2018

A little later than usual but it's time for the Lo-Down Wrestling Awards. 2018 was a pretty decent year with some really good wrestling. So, let's look at the winners with a couple of honorable mentions.

Feud of the Year
Johnny Gargano vs Tommaso "Fuckface" Ciampa (January - August)
A feud that started in 2017 has blossomed into one of the most engaging feuds in years. They had some tremendous matches with the feud going in a direction that no one was expecting.

PPV of the Year
WWE Evolution
It's insane that WWE didn't promote their first all women's PPV more than their latest Saudi Arabia propaganda event. Despite that, Evolution was hands down the best event of the year with some really good matches.

Most Surprising Moment of the Year
Daniel Bryan Announcing His Return to Wrestling
In one of the most surprising events in wrestling history, Daniel Bryan, who retired in 2016, announced his return on the 20th March. Bryan went on to have amazing matches and ended the year as WWE Champion.
Honorable Mention
Tomasso "Fuckface" Ciampa Winning the NXT Championship, NXT 24th July
I don't think that many people saw Ciampa as NXT Champion. Despite that, the match between him and Aleister Black ended in shocking fashion with Johnny Gargano inadvertently helping Ciampa become NXT Champion.

Douchebag of the Year
WWE
Whilst WWE have done some good things, their decision to host the Crown Jewel event in Saudi Arabia in the midst of a major diplomatic incident is the reason they've won this. They chose money over the murder of a journalist and I find that deplorable.

Moment of the Year 
Smackdown Women Invading RAW, RAW 12th November
I'm not a big fan of tit-for-tat brand invasions but this one worked as it wasn't expected. From Becky Lynch having Ronda Rousey in the Dis Arm-Her in the locker room to the Becky standing tall with a bloodied face in the crowd. Unfortunately, Nia Jax breaking Becky's face meant that we didn't have the Becky vs Ronda match at Survivor Series but we're now getting it (kind of) at Wrestlemania.
Honorable Mention
Johnny Gargano's Heel Turn, NXT 24th October
Over the last year, we saw Gargano slowly go to the dark side. It culminated in possibly the best ending of NXT I've ever seen. We had Nikki Cross announcing Black's arrival, Black killing the useless security guards and Gargano superkicking Black out of nowhere.

Worst Match of the Year
Hollywood Miz  Shane McMahon vs Dolph Ziggler, WWE Crown Jewel
I thought the WWE World Cup was ok then the final just went off the rails. It turned out to be a complete joke, and it blew my mind that Shane McMahon thinks it's ok to replace an injured Miz and then go on to win.

Tag Team of the Year
The Usos
This has been a difficult one to pick as no team has really stood out. However, The Usos have been pretty consistent over the year. They started the year as Smackdown Tag Team Champions and have always been involved in the title picture.

Most Improved Wrestler
Buddy Murphy
Before February, the main thing Buddy Murphy was known for was being the boyfriend of Alexa Bliss and I was surprised that he turned up in the Cuiserweight Division. However, he has gone on to have some great matches culminating in winning the Cruiserweight Championship in his home town of Melbourne, Australia. Murphy is the best thing in 205 Live right now and long may that continue.

Match of the Year
"The Man" Becky Lynch vs Charlotte Flair, WWE Evolution
This was a tremendous match that should have been the main event. It was thoroughly entertaining with some amazing spots.

Female Wrestler of the Year
"The Man" Becky Lynch
Even though her heel turn didn't quite work out, Becky Lynch has gone on to one of the highlights of WWE and is going from strength to strength.

Male Wrestler of the Year
Seth Rollins
No one really stood out in the male division. However, Seth Rollins has been consistent in his matches and is one of the best performers in the company right now.

Lo-Down Wrestling Awards 2017

It's that time of the year again where I give out my awards for wrestling in 2017. I have only watched the WWE and most of it has been pretty good. Anyway, who was a Lo-Down Wrestling Award for 2017?

Feud of the Year
The Usos vs The New Day (June - October)

Since The Usos turned heel last year, they have been a joy to watch and their feud with The New Day was one of the highlights of the year. Their matches on PPV have been some of the best of the night, with their one at the Summerslam Kick Off Show a particular highlight.

Best Newcomer

Pete Dunne

Pete Dunne made his debut at the UK Championship Tournament in January. Since then, he has amazing to watch and his matches with Tyler Bate have been some of the best matches of the year. Dunne ended the year as the UK Champion and long may that continue.

PPV of the Year

WWE TLC

WWE TLC was the most enjoyable event of the year for me. We got to see AJ Styles take on Finn Balor plus the return of Kurt Angle as he helped Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose defeat Hollywood Miz, Bruan Strowman, Kane, Cesaro and Shaemus. Who would have thought that people being sick would lead to a good thing?

Most Surprising Moment of the Year

Sami Zayn's Heel Turn at Hell in a Cell

This occurred at the end of the Kevin Owens/Shane McMahon match. Shane is about to do an elbow drop from the top of the cell to the announce table. However, Sami pulls Owens out of the way, sending Shane crashing through the table. Then Sami helps Owens get the win. It was a shocking moment, especially as him and Owens have been feuding on and off for the last 2 years. The best bit was on the following Smackdown where Sami explained his reasoning. You have to admit, he has a point.

Douchebag of the Year

Shane McMahon

Shane McMahon has been such a jerk this year, culminating in his feud with Kevin Owens. Even though Owens and Zayn got their comeuppance numerous times, it wasn't enough with Shane resorting to blatant cheating to try to get them fired. Not exactly the behaviour you would expect from a face.

Moment of the Year
AJ Styles Winning the WWE Championship in Manchester

The main reason for this is this I was lucky to see this match live. I've been a big fan of his since his time in TNA and I thought he would never be in the WWE. Seeing him become the first person to win the WWE Championship in the UK was such a honour to watch.

Worst Match of the Year
House of Horrors Match, WWE Payback

Oh dear God, this was probably the worst WWE match of all time. The feud between Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt had the potential to be pretty good. However, it went through numerous lapses in logic; Orton burning down a house, which is a bizarre way to turn face; and two really terrible matches. This match was the moment that I started to give no fucks towards the both of them. Shane's behaviour towards the end of the year is the only reason why this two are the not the Douchebags of the Year.

Tag Team of the Year
The Usos

Over the last year, The Usos have been such a joy to watch and they had some of the best matches of the year with The New Day. They are currently involved in a feud with Shelton Benjamin and Chad Gable as faces. Whilst I wish they could have continued their heel run for a little longer, I'm looking forward to seeing where the feud will go.

Most Improved Wrestler of the Year
Braun Strowman

I admit it took me a long time to become a fan of Strowman. I didn't think much of him since he debuted as part of the Wyatt Family. However, over the last year, he got leaner; been involved in high profile matches; and is a genuine Championship contender. Here's hoping the Monster Among Man continues on that path in 2018.

Match of the Year
Pete Dunne vs Tyler Bate, NXT Takeover Chicago

There were some really good matches this year but I think this one was the best of them all. Bate and Dunne have had some great matches in 2017 with them being the highlight of the night. I still can't believe that Bate and Dunne are 20 and 24 respectively. 

Female Wrestler of the Year

Alexa Bliss

What a year for Alexa Bliss. After a 2nd reign as Smackdown Women's Champion, she was transferred over to RAW and blossomed even more. Bliss became RAW Women's Champion and, except for 8 days, stayed that way for the rest of the year/ Plus she is probably one of the best characters on RAW right now and is someone to look forward to on the show.

Male Wrestler of the Year

AJ Styles

It was another great year for AJ Styles. He and Cena had a tremendous match at the Royal Rumble and he just seems to get better and better. That and he gave Brock Lesnar and Jinder Mahal their best matches of the year as well. Styles is undoubtably the best wrestler in the WWE right now and I hope that continues for a long time.

Lo-Down Wrestling Awards 2016

It's now time for the 6th annual Lo-Down Wrestling Awards. I watched quite a bit of wrestling over 2016, mostly thanks to the WWE Network. Despite that, these awards are based on what I saw this year.

Feud of the Year
Dolph Ziggler vs Hollywood Miz August - December

There were some great feuds over the year but this was the one that I enjoyed the most. They had some good matches during this time and it helped Miz to go up the card.
Honorable Mention
Sasha Banks vs Charlotte Flair July - December
These two women made history in this feud. They had the first ever Women's Hell in a Cell match, a Falls Count Anywhere match; and a 30 minute Iron Man match. These matches were really good but I hated the way that the Championship was bounced around during this time, with Sasha winning on RAW and Charlotte winning on Pay Per View.

Best Newcomer
AJ Styles

AJ Styles started the year debuting at the Royal Rumble and ended it as the WWE Champion. Very few people have had a year like he did, especially as he made his name in other companies.

PPV of the Year
Extreme Rules

I found that Extreme Rules to be the most enjoyable event of the year. There were some good matches, especially the Intercontinental Championship match between Cesaro, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn and The Miz. While the NXT Takeovers have been amazing, I feel that this was the best PPV that the main roster had this year.

Most Surprising Moment of the Year
Zack Ryder Becoming the Intercontinental Champion at Wrestlemania 32

Wrestlemania started with a ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship. Not only was it a really good match but it had one of the most shocking endings in Zack Ryder winning. Nothing against Ryder, but he was the least likely person to win. Shame that he only held it for one day; but that it led to The Miz having a great year.

Entrance of the Year
Bobby Roode's at NXT Takeover Toronto

I've been a fan of Roode since he was in TNA and I'm so happy that he's in NXT. Not only has he been on a roll since debuting in the summer, but he has possibly the best theme tune ever plus his entrances are awesome. I mean, he entered having a fucking choir sing his song. That's amazing. I don't know if WWE can top that when Roode faces Nakamura at NXT Takeover San Antonio but I can't wait to see what they come up with.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVaJH8pWnWk

Moment of the Year
Triple H Helping Kevin Owens to win the Universal Championship

I was gutted that Finn Balor had to vacate the Universal Championship due to injury but it led to one of my favourite matches of the year the next week. It was capped off by Triple H, making his first appearance since Wrestlemania, helping to eliminate Roman Reigns then betraying Seth Rollins to help Kevin Owens win the match. Looking back on it, I'm still a but pissed off that Triple H hasn't come and explained his actions. However, it's still a great moment and Kevin Owens' reaction to the whole thing is still fucking glorious.


Most Improved Wrestler of the Year
Hollywood Miz

The Miz has been doing pretty well before Wrestlemania. However, the return of his wife Maryse and becoming Intercontinental Champion on the same day had led to the best work of his career since he was WWE Champion in 2011. His feuds with Dolph Ziggler and Daniel Bryan plus his appearances on Talking Smack has been a joy to watch. Hopefully it will continue in 2017.
Honorable Mention
Alexa Bliss
I was becoming a fan of Alexa Bliss when she was in NXT. However, I was surprised when they called her up as I didn't think that she was ready. However, I was proven wrong as she took the ball and ran with it; not only becoming a highlight on Smackdown and Talking Smack but ending the year as Smackdown Women's Champion. Throughly well deserved.

Tag Team of the Year
The Revival

I know that The New Day have been Champions for well over a year. However, The Revival have been such a joy to watch this year, becoming one of my favourite tag teams possibly ever. They had awesome matches against Enzo and Cass, American Alpha and #DIY, often being the highlight of the NXT Takeovers. They are spent over 250 days of 2016 as Champions plus they were the first two-time NXT Tag Team Champions. The main thing that I like about them as that they act like a proper tag team who will always find ways to save themselves and to win.

Worst Match of the Year
Natalya vs Charlotte, WWE Payback

The match was actually pretty decent but the ending just completely ruined it for me. They do a rehash of the Montreal Screwjob in front of Bret Hart then the referee just admits to it the next night with no fucking consequences. I assume that WWE are okay with blatantly corrupt officiating.

Match of the Year
#DIY vs The Revival, NXT Takeover Toronto

For the second year in a row, NXT has the honour of being my match of the year and, I know it's a bold thing to say, but it's probably the best tag team match that I ever seen. Each fall felt like it was 3 seperate matches and they were so many great moments, with the crowd thoroughly engrossed in it. #DIY hitting Wilder with Shatter Machine, Revival's own finisher led to the most dramatic near fall of the year plus the ending with the double submission was amazing. You had The Revival holding hands to stop them from tapping out then Dawson shouting to Wilder "Don't tap! Don't tap!". When they both tapped out, it led to the biggest pop of the night and left me with a huge smile of my face. This match had me so into it and always remember. There will be times we will get frustrated with some of the creative decisions that WWE make; but they also create great moments as well and moments like this are why I love watching wrestling.

Female Wrestler of the Year
Charlotte Flair
 
What a year for Charlotte Flair. She was the last ever Divas Champion and has gone to hold the RAW Women's Championship a further 4 times. She had great matches with Sasha Banks and has been undefeated in PPV matches since she debuted on the main roster.

Male Wrestler of the Year
AJ Styles

 

What a year for AJ Styles. After making his debut at the Royal Rumble, he went on to have feuds with Chris Jericho, Roman Reigns, John Cena and Dean Ambrose and had good matches with all of them. Styles is probably not only the best wrestler in the company, but the most consistent as well. He ended the year as WWE Champion which was surprising as very few people probably thought he would get that honour. Luckily, WWE saw it in him and gave him the belt and he's been great so far.

Lo-Down Wrestling Awards 2015

It's that time of year where I get to give out my wrestling awards. I didn't anywhere near as much wrestling as I would like. Despite that, I've enjoyed what I've seen. So, let's look at the winners.

Moment of the Year
Seth Rollins Cashing In His Money in the Bank Briefcase at Wrestlemania

What a moment for Seth Rollins. To cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase during the main event of Wrestlemania was a very ballsy call. It made for great drama and a wonderful ending as Rollins pinned Roman Reigns to become World Heavyweight Champion.

PPV of the Year
Wrestlemania 31

 Out of all the PPVs that I watched, I found this to be the most enjoyable. It had some really good matches and possibly the most dramatic ending to a Wrestlemania ever.
  
Most Surprising Moment of the Year
Kevin Owens Beating John Cena at WWE Elimination Chamber

What a moment for Kevin Owens. To beat John Cena, the face of the company, clean in your first match on the main roster is a tremendous achievement. Shame that they announced a rematch that same night.

Douchebag of the Year
TNA
Over the last year, TNA lost another TV contract and let people go like Samoa Joe and  AJ Styles. Then they did a World Title Series that was recorded over 4 days then showed over 6 months. They have some great talent there (like EC3) but I don't think that that will be enough to save them.

Newcomer of the Year
Kevin Owens

What a year for Kevin Owens. He joins NXT, becomes NXT Champion; beats John Cena in his first match on the main roster; then becomes Intercontinental Champion. Here's hoping 2017 will continue the rise of Owens.

Most Improved Wrestler of the Year
The New Day









In a first, I'm giving this to a group and The New Day have been brilliant over the last year. They took something that was a stereotype that could have buried them into the best thing to see on WWE Television this year. Well done to them. 

Match of the Year
Bayley vs Sasha Banks, NXT Takeover Brooklyn

For the second time, a match from NXT wins this award. This match stole the show and their rematch, a 30 minute Iron Woman match at NXT Takeover Respect, was almost as good.


Tag Team of the Year
The New Day
 
The first ever LDW Tag Team of the Year Award goes to The New Day, the best thing to see on the WWE right now.

Female Wrestler of the Year
Sasha Banks

What a year for Sasha Banks. She became NXT Women's Champion then got involved in a tremendous feud with Bayley; then got promoted to the main roster. It's a shame she's with Tamina and Naomi, who aren't great, but I expect a big year for her in 2016.


Male Wrestler of the Year
Seth Rollins

For most of the year, Seth Rollins was one of the best things to watch on WWE, along with The New Day. Rollins was involved in great matches over the year, including cashing in his Money in the Bank to become World Heavyweight Champion at Wrestlemania. It's a shame he is out for a year as he could have done so much more. However, I look forward to his return and become World Heavyweight Champion once again.

CM Punk: 2011 LDW Wrestler of the Year

2011 was a year in which so many wrestlers seem to stand up and be counted. However, CM Punk stood up head and shoulders above the rest with an undoubtedly tremendous year.

While Punk is more famous for what he did in the summer and beyond, let’s not forget what he did before that. Punk took over the Nexus from Wade Barrett and started a feud with first John Cena and then Randy Orton, leading to a match at Wrestlemania XXVII followed by a last man standing match at Extreme Rules.

Punk’s feud against John Cena really made Punk a massive hit with the fans. Punk was supposed to be the villain in this feud as he was threatening to leave the company with the WWE Championship. However, he was being cheered because he seemed to be the personification of people want from the WWE: change. This led to an excellent match at Money in the Bank after which Punk left running off into the sunset. He returned to face Cena at Summerslam and, even though he won, lost the WWE Championship thanks to Alberto Del Rio cashing in his MITB contract (with some inadvertent help from Kevin Nash).

This was when the WWE seem to drop the ball with Punk. While it was understandable to bring Punk back after 8 days, I feel that it would have been better if they waited at least a month before returning. After Summerslam, Punk seemed to drop out of the title picture in favour of John Cena (for a change). He was involved with Triple H in a feud then decided to ally himself with HHH against The Miz and R-Truth. During this time, Punk overtook Cena as the No. 1 seller of merchandise. WWE seemed to realise what they were doing and made Punk Champion once again when he defeated Alberto Del Rio at Survivor Series. Punk has ended the year involved in a feud with John Laurinaitis (did you know that he’s the Executive Vice President of Talent Relations and the interim GM of RAW?)

Punk has had a tremendous year becoming one of the most loved wrestlers in the WWE, as evidenced by the cheers that he receives when he comes out and the amount of “Best in the World” T-Shirts that are seen worn in every arena. It is hoped that 2012 will continue to be the era of Punk as it would be a nice change from Cena being in the title picture.

CM Punk vs John Cena: 2011 LDW Match of the Year

  

The match between John Cena and CM Punk for the WWE Championship was one of the most emotionally charged matches in recent memory. Punk was in his home town of Chicago and was planning to leave the company with the WWE Championship. John Cena, as the face of the company, was determined to stop him but he had the threat of losing his job over him, thanks to Vince McMahon. I can’t remember the last time that such a match outside Wrestlemania had so much anticipation. I found this to be an interesting feud between the two because in this match the roles were reversed. Cena was supposed to be the hero who is saving the WWE by defeating Punk, keeping the WWE Championship in the company. However, even though he was in Chicago, Punk was being cheered because he represented what fans wanted in the WWE: change.

There are many reasons why this match was the Match of the Year. First of all, the entrances. Punk name was being chanted all through the night and the reaction when his music (which at the time was “This Fire Burns” by Killswitch Engage) was unbelievable. Punk’s mane was being chanted loudly with signs about him all over the place. Jerry Lawler summed it perfectly when he said it was like the NFL team Chicago Bears were in the Superbowl, and it was taking place at their own stadium, Soldier Field. It was the complete opposite when Cena’s music hit as the boos were deafening. I liked the way that Cena didn’t do his salute as he was effectively in enemy territory and it showed how serious he was taking this match.

All during the match, you can see that no matter what Cena did, Punk would find some way to get out of it. He kicked out of 2 Attitude Adjustments, and managed to get out of the STF 3 times, including one time when Punk reversed it into his submission move, the Anaconda Vice. This match had you completely hooked in and it went on for a good 25-30 minutes.

The end was when the WWE made you feel that they would play it safe and screw Punk (and the crowd) over. Vince McMahon came out with John Laurinaitis (did you know that he’s the Executive Vice President of Talent Relations?) and when Cena hit the STF yet again, McMahon send Laurinaitis to go and ring the bell, but he is stopped by Cena who doesn’t want the match to end that way. Cena’s decision comes back to haunt him when Punk hits Cena with the GTS to get the win, sending the crowd wild.

McMahon, obviously, wasn’t happy with that and goes to plan B, getting Alberto Del Rio (who had won the RAW MITB match earlier on) to come out. However, Punk, who had been expecting that, kicks Del Rio in the head, gives McMahon a goodbye kiss and runs off into the sunset, never to be seen in the WWE again (well, 8 days).

World renowned reporter Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter gave this match 5 stars. It was the first time that he had done that for a WWE match since the Hell in a Cell match between the Undertaker and Shawn Michaels in 1997. That fact, to me, speaks for itself. From the promo video and the entrances, to the match and the ending, everything worked so well. I don’t think that I have seen such an emotionally charged match since Ric Flair vs Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania 24 and I don’t know the next time that I will see something like that again. 

The Promo by CM Punk: 2011 LDW Moment of the Year

"This is me winning my LDW Award"

I feel slightly sorry for The Rock. When he was announced as the host of Wrestlemania in February, the reaction in the arena was amazing; and even now when I watched it on You Tube this week, it still gives me goosebumps when his music hit.

If that happened in any other year, it would have won Moment of the Year. That all changed on RAW on June 27^th when CM Punk delivered one of the best (and probably honest) promos I have ever seen. It all started just over a week beforehand at Capitol Punishment when Punk was interviewed by Josh Mathews before his match with Rey Mysterio. At the end, Punk states that he defeats Mysterio, he will do the most honest thing the WWE Universe has ever seen, which made me curious. Punk defeats Mysterio, which was his first PPV win in over a year, then he becomes No. 1 contender to the WWE Championship by defeating Mysterio and Alberto Del Rio in a triple threat match. Afterwards, Punk announces that Money in the Bank is the last day of his contract and that he will be leaving with the WWE Championship. I (surprisingly) had never seen a story like this but, while WWE can be accused with not treating their titles with the respect they deserve, and I partly agree with that; I didn’t think that they would actually do that.

Punk’s promo was only just over 6 minutes long but its reaction lasted so much longer. It appealed to the crowd, who were cheering it and there was a great moment when Punk actually criticised them for it. Punk had a point because a lot of fans might be critical of the product (like Cena always being in the title picture), they still watch the show. However, for me, Punk’s promo not only made me realised what a tremendous talent that he is, but most importantly, it made me believe that he could actually walk away with the title.

While Punk can receive a lot of the credit for this, you have to give some credit to WWE for first of all, having the balls to do something like this. The WWE have done shoot promos before with Joey Styles and Paul Heyman being the most memorable ones. However, the way they done this was really good, especially when they cut Punk off and suddenly fade to black, ending the show. That helped to really blur the line between reality and fiction. It made so many people wonder if what they had seen was real or not.

The promo made mainstream media attention with ESPN radio host Jim Rome offering Punk 45 minutes in which he can continue his promo. If the WWE can do something that can have that kind of reaction, especially in the media, you know that it is a success and that is why it is the LDW Moment of the Year.