2005 Wrestling Observer Newsletter Awards

[Deathstroke]

Wrestler Of The Year
1. Kenta Kobashi
2. Samoa Joe
3. Perro Aguayo Jr.
4. Mistico
5. Eddie Guerrero
6. Kid Yamamoto
7. Satoshi Kojima
8. Shawn Michaels
9. Chuck Lidell
10. A.J. Styles

Most Outstanding Wrestler
1. Samoa Joe
2. Kenta Kobashi
3. A.J. Styles
4. KENTA
5. Chris Benoit
6. Shawn Michaels
7. Perro Aguayo Jr.
8. Kurt Angle
9. Bryan Danielson
10. Eddie Guerrero

Best Box Office Draw
1. Kenta Kobashi
2. Mistico
3. Masato
4. Kid Yamamoto
5. Perro Aguayo Jr.
6. John Cena
7. Chuck Liddell
8. Batista
9. Dr. Wagner Jr.
10. HHH

Feud of the Year
1. Batista vs HHH
2. Eddie Guerrero vs Rey Misterio
3. Shawn Michaels vs Kurt Angle
4. A.J. Styles vs Christopher Daniels
5. Edge vs Matt Hardy
6. Hulk Hogan vs Shawn Michaels
7. Styles vs Daniels vs Samoa Joe
8. Kenta Kobashi vs Kensuke Sasaki
9. Chris Leben vs Josh Koscheck
10. Perros Del Mal vs Los Capos

Tag Team of the Year
1. Chris Harris & James Storm
2. KENTA & Naomichi Marufuji
3. Ultimo Guerrero & Rey Bucanero
4. Johnny Nitro & Joey Mercury
5. Maomichi Marufuji & Minoru Suzuki
6. Ikuto Hidaka & Minoru Fujita
7. Team 3-D
8. Kensuke Sasaki & Katsunhiko Nakajima
9. Jack Evans & Roderick Strong
10. Hiroshi Tanahashi & Shinsuke Nakamura

Most Improved
1. Roderick Strong
2. Batista
3. Katsuhiko Nakajima
4. Go Shiozaki
5. Jimmy Rave
6. Colt Cabana
7. James Gibson
8. Alex Shelley
9. Austin Aries
10. Carlito

Best on Interviews
1. Eddie Guerrero
2. C.M. Punk
3. Christian Cage
4. JBL
5. Chris Jericho
6. Shawn Michaels
7. Ric Flair
8. Kurt Angle
9. John Cena
10. Perro Aguayo Jr.

Most Charismatic
1. Eddie Guerrero
2. John Cena
3. Kenta Kobashi
4. Perro Aguayo Jr.
5. Shawn Michaels
6. Christian Cage
7. Kid Yamamoto
8. Hulk Hogan
9. Dr. Wagner
10. Ric Flair

Best Technical Wrestler
1. Bryan Danielson
2. Chris Benoit
3. Kurt Angle
4. James Gibson
5. Kenta Kobashi
6. Samoa Joe
7. Christopher Daniels
8. KENTA
9. Eddie Guerrero
10. Doug Williams

Bruiser Brody Memorial Award (Best Brawler)
1. Samoa Joe
2. Chris Benoit
3. Abyss
4. Homicide
5. Necro Butcher
6. HHH
7. Kensuke Sasaki
8. JBL
9. Perro Aguayo Jr.
10. Kenta Kobashi

Best Flying Wrestler
1. A.J. Styles
2. Mistico
3. Jack Evans
4. Rey Misterio
5. Ricky Marvin
6. KENTA
7. Sonjay Dutt
8. Christopher Daniels
9. Chris Sabin
10. Naomichi Marufuji

Most Overrated
1. Jeff Jarrett
2. HHH
3. Chris Masters
4. John Cena
5. JBL
6. Undertaker
7. Randy Orton
8. Takeshi Rikio
9. John Heidenreich
10. Carlito

Most Underrated
1. Shelton Benjamin
2. Christian Cage
3. Paul London
4. Matt Hardy
5. Chris Sabin
6. William Regal
7. C.M. Punk
8. Chris Jericho
9. Eric Young
10. Brian Kendrick

Match of the Year
1. Kenta Kobashi vs Samoa Joe
2. Kurt Angle vs Shawn Michaels
3. Kenta Kobashi vs Kensuke Sasaki
4. Samoa Joe vs Christopher Daniels vs A.J. Styles
5. Kenta Kobashi & Go Shiozaki vs Kensuke Sasaki & Katsuhiko Nakajima
6. Chris Harris & James Storm vs Christopher Daniels & Elix Skipper
7. Satoshi Kojima vs Toshiaki Kawada
8. Misticho vs Ultimo Guerrero
9. A.J. Styles vs Christopher Daniels
10. KENTA vs SUWA

Best Non-Wrestler
1. Eric Bischoff
2. Jim Mitchell
3. Prince Nana
4. Jim Cornette
5. Paul Heyman
6. Scott D'Amore
7. Teddy Long
8. Melina
9. Julius SMokes
10. Vince McMahon

Best Television Announcer
1. Mike Tenay
2. Jim Ross
3. Joey Styles
4. Bas Ruttan
5. Tazz
6. Mike Goldberg
7. Joe Rogan
8. Mauro Ranallo
9. Dave Prazak
10. Don West

Worst Television Announcer
1. Jonathan Coachman
2. Todd Grisham
3. Michael Cole
4. Jerry Lawler
5. Jimmy Bower
6. Al Snow
7. Don West
8. Mike Tenay
9. Tommy Dreamer
10. Joe Rogan

Best Major Wrestling Show
1. Pro Wrestling NOAH Destiny 7/18
2. ECW One Night Stand
3. WWE Wrestlemania XXI
4. Pride Bushido: The Tournament
5. Ultimate Fighter 2 Finals
6. WWE Vengeance
7. Ring of Honor 5/7
8. TNA Unbreakable
9. TNA Turning Point
10. Pride Final Elmination

Worst Major Wrestling Show
1. WWE Great American Bash
2. New Japan 1/4
3. WWE No Mercy
4. WWE Taboo Tuesday
5. WWE No Way Out
6. New Japan 10/8
7. WWE Armageddon
8. AAA TripleMania
9. UFC 55
10. WWE New Year's Revolution

Best Wrestling Maneuver
1. Petey Williams: Canadian Destroyer
2. Samoa Joe: Musclebuster
3. KENTA: Go To Sleep
4. Kenta Kobashi: Burning Hammer
5. Elix Skipper: Cage Walk Huracanrana
6. Mistico: Tope Armdrag
7. Mistico: Tornillo Armbar
8. Bryan Danielson: Cattle Mutilation
9. Samoa Joe: Ole Kick
10. Dough Williams: Chaos Theory Suplex

Most Disgusting Promotional Tactic
1. WWE: Terrorists Angle
2. WWE: Using Guerrero's Death in Angles
3. WWE: Humilating Jim Ross
4. WWE: Firing Matt Hardy
5. WWE: Firing Dawn Marie while Pregnant

Worst Match of the Year
1. Eric Bischoff vs Teddy Long
2. Torrie Wilson vs Ashley
3. Batista vs Jonathan Coachman
4. JBL vs Batista
5. Ultimate Royal
6. HHH vs Jim Ross
7. Kevin Jordan vs Gabriel Gonzaga
8. Undertaker vs Muhammad Hassan
9. Monty Brown vs Tryton
10. Big Show vs Akebono

Worst Feud of the Year
1. McMahon Family vs Jim Ross
2. Undertaker vs Muhammad Hassan
3. Booker T vs Kurt Angle
4. Edge vs Matt Hardy
5. LOD vs MNM
6. Raw vs Smackdown
7. Batista vs JBL
8. Kane vs Gene Snitsky
9. Undertaker vs Randy Orton
10. Chris Benoit vs Orlando Jordan

Best Gimmick
1. Mr. Kennedy
2. Boogeyman
3. Razor Ramon HG
4. MNM
5. Samoa Joe
6. Heartbreakers
7. Carlito
8. JBL
9. LA Park
10. Captain Charisma

Worst Gimmick
1. Jillian Hall
2. Boogeyman
3. Kerwin White
4. Muhammad Hassan
5. New Legion of Doom
6. Eugene
7. John Cena

Best DVD
1. Rise and Fall of ECW
2. Forever Hardcore
3. Life and Death of the Road Warriors
4. Greatest Stars of the 80's
5. TNA Best of the X Division
6. Jake Roberts: Pick Your Poison
7. Tombstone: History of the Undertaker
8. Best of St. Louis: Sam Muchnick Retirement

[Deathstroke]

Other Awards:

Promotion of the Year: Pro Wrestling NOAH

Shoot Match of the Year: Forrest Griffin vs Stephan Bonnar

Rookie of the Year: Shingo Takagi

Worst TV Show: WWE Smackdown!

Worst Promotion: New Japan (How the mighty have fallen)

Best Wrestling Book: Death of WCW

Shooterfighter of the Year: FEDOR EMELIANENKO

Best Weekly TV Show: UFC Ultimate Fighter

[sugarface]

Thanx for posting that.

I'm glad that someone else sees as much talent in Matt Hardy as I do. Just yesterday I said that there's a little bit of Jake Roberts in him. He needs to lose that silly V1 gimmick tho.

[BigAssBulker]

Wow.....I agree on some things (Matt Hardy being underrated stands out) but to say HHH and Carlito are OVERrated? Nah, dont agree there at all.

Interesting awards lists tho, seems Japan has about 50% of the makeup

[Alex Cooper]

Some won for best and worst (Edge vs. Matt Hardy feud)

[Deathstroke]

Originally Posted by wordlife89

Some won for best and worst (Edge vs. Matt Hardy feud)

I saw that, The Boogeyman. That's because some people think he's awesome, others just find him stupid and silly.

[Alex Cooper]

Originally Posted by Snitsky

I saw that, The Boogeyman. That's because some people think he's awesome, others just find him stupid and silly.

funny boogeyman was in 2nd both times

[Deathstroke]

Originally Posted by wordlife89

funny boogeyman was in 2nd both times

He should just be in "Best" category IMO. But these are the mighty WON awards, who am I to question them?

[Bartholomew X]

Samoa Joe is a gimmick? as what a samoan guy? Sort of sounds like a filler list.

[Lion Heart]

I agree with the list. It's funny, Kobashi is no where near what he was in his prime......yet even at less than 100% he remains one of the best.

[Lion Heart]

Originally Posted by BigAssBulker

Wow.....I agree on some things (Matt Hardy being underrated stands out) but to say HHH and Carlito are OVERrated? Nah, dont agree there at all.

Interesting awards lists tho, seems Japan has about 50% of the makeup

Dave's a puro mark, as are the majority of the readers, etc. Not to mention that the workrate in japan will always outshine that of the workers here in the states.

[BigAssBulker]

Originally Posted by Lion Heart

Dave's a puro mark, as are the majority of the readers, etc. Not to mention that the workrate in japan will always outshine that of the workers here in the states.

I dont watch much puro, but what I HAVE seen, I certainly agree about the workrate in the majority of cases

[Marv]

I'm enjoying that underrated list

[*ShaGGs*]

How can HHH be winning awards for being the best in areas, but then be in the 'most over rated' section, that doesnt make any sense.

[Jows073]

This list/awards is great. Mostly accurate IMO. The underrated and overrated colums make interesting reading although I don't think HHH or Carlito are over-rated.
LMAO at most disgusting promotional tatic, WWE get all the awards.
Good post Snitsky

[HardGainer82]

Chuck Lidell? WTF? Are they including legit MMA now?

[Abyss]

I can't beleive Batista VS Trips was the feud of the year, that sucked ass IMHO. How many times did they fight like 4-5 times in boring same styled out matches.