Wrestler of the Year 2007

Vince135792003

Now that Armageddon is out of the way, I guess it's as good a time as any. Here's my idea:

Each poster gives their top 3 wrestlers for the year based purely on their work in the ring this year.

Each number one choice will get 5 points, number two will get 3 points and number 3 will get 1 point. At the very end I'll tot up the scores and see what the top 5 is. I think I'll make Thursday night the cut off point.


You can obviously discuss why you've chosen them or you can just give your top 3. If there's interest, we could do other awards as well but we'll see how this one goes first.

Anyway here's my top 3 to get the ball rolling:

1. Shawn Michaels
2. Bryan Danielson (I haven't seen a whole lot of him but from what I have seen, he's been fantastic)
3. Undertaker (I know he's been injured for a while but I think he's been pretty dam great this year).

Dean820

Jeff Hardy

Nobody else comes to mind. Its been a poor year for wrestling.

Santino would have got it if it was based on promo work.

RebelRockChick

1. Shawn Michaels
2. Edge
3. Undertaker

Kid Nothing

1. Jeff Hardy
2. Edge
3. MVP

It really has been a slow year, Jeff Hardy has been the only one worth watching for me. The other 2 have been entertaining when i've come across them but wouldn't make me change over to watch them.

Gerard.C

1. HBK
2. John Cena *gasp*
3. Briscoes - can't really pick one of them like...

Bubs101

1. Kurt Angle
2. HBK
3. Umaga (I think he does very well considering he's always jobbed out to bigger names)

The Miz would have been number 1 by a country mile had mic work be included

The Great One

1.HBK
2.MVP
3.Edge

flahavaj

1. Bryan Danielson
2. Shawn Michaels
3. Hiroshi Tanahashi

krudler

1.HBK
2.Randy Orton
3.MVP

Fozzy

flahavaj wrote: »

1. Bryan Danielson
2. Shawn Michaels
3. Hiroshi Tanahashi

Snap! I was debating between Tanahashi and Nagata for 3rd place, but Tanahashi's last title defence against Goto sealed it for me, he's come into his own so well this year. There's a lot of parallel's to be drawn between Tanahashi and Cena, but Tanahashi's recent heelish turn has given him an edge that makes him a guy I'm really looking forward to seeing next year. Some really great main event performances by him this year

Shawn has been really great this year, he stepped it up when WWE got stuck with a load of guys out for various reasons. Danielson tips it for me though, because as good as Shawn has been, he's still had some matches that haven't completely entertained me. I can't say that for Danielson, he's had many awesome matches and with a much more varied array of opponents than Shawn. McGuinness, Morishima, Shiosaki, Aries, CIMA, El Generico, KENTA, Sydal, all of them have had the best brought out in them by Danielson this year and it's been a pleasure to watch him every time

Mr.Nice Guy

1. Shawn Michaels

This shouldn't even be in dispute. It's a no-brainer. Shawn Michaels started the year by single-handedly saving a PPV match from disaster following his partner's quad injury. He followed that up with a top notch street fight on Raw with Edge, a great match at Wrestlemania against John Cena and a phenomenal near-sixty minute match on Raw in London with Cena again. He followed that up by appearing in arguably the best fatal four way match of all time (I can't recall a better one).

Having been desperately unlucky to pick up an injury in the middle of the year, he returned despite not being at 100% and took Randy Orton to a top drawer match at Cyber Sunday where he wrestled a less energetic, more methodical match. He then followed that up by facing Orton at Survivor Series in another fine match with a great ending. He capped his PPV year off by taking the green Ken Kennedy to a good match which told another good story.

Shawn Michaels wasn't trying to entertain a few hundred easily impressionable die-hards in a dimly-lit gym hall. He instead went out to entertain the world performing for the biggest company in the world on the biggest wrestling shows in the world and he did that better than anybody.

He is the showstopper. He is the man. He is the number one wrestler of 2007.

2. John Cena

What a year for a man who has probably endured more vitriol and hate as a babyface than any other man in WWE history. To bounce back from accusations that he "can't wrestle" and that he "sucks" and to rise above all that by putting on a great match with Umaga at the Rumble, a great match with HBK at WM23 and to wrestle in the match of the year at London's Raw in April shows the character of the man. He followed that up with more great matches at Backlash, the GAB against Lashley and at SS against Randy Orton. The guy even managed to pull out an entertaining encounter with the Great Khali. I'd call that sending out an FU to his detractors.

Shame he suffered a bad injury but he will be back and I've no doubt he has many more entertaining matches in his tank.

3. Randy Orton

Orton had a great year in 2007. He wrestled a terrific heel vs heel match with Edge on Raw, was involved in the great Backlash match and he followed that up by establishing himself as the top heel on Raw. He even managed to get a punt to the head over with the audience which deserves credit. He had a great match with Cena at SS and an even better match with Triple H at No Mercy. His matches with HBK were also highly entertaining and his most recent match with Jericho at Armageddon was good too.

Very good stuff from Orton and he seems to be establishing himself in the ring.

Those three guys had great matches for the top wrestling company on the planet and as such it's abundantly clear that they rank above everyone else in the wrestling business, including those who wrestle for the minnow organisations.

Fozzy

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

Those three guys had great matches for the top wrestling company on the planet and as such it's abundantly clear that they rank above everyone else in the wrestling business, including those who wrestle for the minnow organisations.

Not if those in the "minnow" organisations performed better in the ring though I'm not getting into an argument here, but New Japan isn't exactly a minnow organisation itself

gimmick

1. Bryan Danielson. He has more consistently good matches than anyone else I have seen this year.

2. HBK. No such thing as a poor HBK match is there, and this year has been no different.

3. Nigel McGuinness. I know th ROHbots on their forum have been saying he hasn't had a great year, but I could never understand that. From his great fued at the end of last/start of this year with Jimmy Rave, to his great series with Morishima I cant see the bad.

Mr.Nice Guy

Fozzy wrote: »

Not if those in the "minnow" organisations performed better in the ring though I'm not getting into an argument here, but New Japan isn't exactly a minnow organisation itself

I don't consider unrealistic matches with little to no psychology to be performing better in the ring.

Also I don't see anyone picking CM Punk as the best wrestler of 2007 despite the fact we were told years back that he was one of, if not the, greatest wrestler in the world.

Vince135792003

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

Also I don't see anyone picking CM Punk as the best wrestler of 2007 despite the fact we were told years back that he was one of, if not the, greatest wrestler in the world.

CM Punk is the Thierry Henry of wrestling. At Arsenal, Henry was the man. At Barcelona, he's just another guy having to play with an overweight Brazilian.

In ROH ,CM Punk was the man (so I'm told). In the WWE, he's just another guy who on a weekly basis has to work matches with the most obese wrestler I've ever seen.

So it's not a perfect analogy but I'm just trying to get the point across that sometimes when you are put in a different enviornment to one you were very comfortable, in which you are asked to adapt, it can result in a player/wrestler not being able to perform to their best.


To be fair to Punk he had some good, sometimes very good matches with Burke and Morrison this year.

Fozzy

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

I don't consider unrealistic matches with little to no psychology to be performing better in the ring.

I'll assume you're taking the piss if that's in regards to Bryan Danielson

Furious-Red

1. Jeff Hardy
2. Undertaker
3. HBK

Mr.Nice Guy

Fozzy wrote: »

I'll assume you're taking the piss if that's in regards to Bryan Danielson

It's in regards to everyone in that company.

chopperbyrne

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

It's in regards to everyone in that company.

I agree. I've watched quite a bit of ROH now and the psychology is almost always awful.

Big spots for the sake of it, instead of big spots meaning something.

No match should have more than two big spots, but ROH matches can often have five or six.

They become meaningless.

The Briscoes are a prime example.

Vince135792003

chopperbyrne wrote: »

I agree. I've watched quite a bit of ROH now and the psychology is almost always awful.

Big spots for the sake of it, instead of big spots meaning something.

That's what I have liked about the Bryan Danielson matches I've seen though. He makes little things mean so much more. The detail and psychology in his matches is just a pleasure to watch.

Don't want to hijack this thread thread though. Remember 5 points for your number one choice, three for your number 2 and one point for number 3.

Fozzy

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

It's in regards to everyone in that company.

You can argue about unrealistic matches with little to no psychology for some wrestlers, but it's just a bit absurd in relation to Danielson and Tanahashi, that's all

Anyway, on with the thread

Otis Driftwood

1-Samoa Joe
2-Kurt Angle
3-Jeff Hardy

nacho libre

Shawn Michaels
Randy Orton
Undertaker

Edge deserves an honourable mention as WWE'S best heel. His performance at Armageddon was very good.

MikeHoncho

HBK
Randy Orton
Bryan Danielson

nasty_crash

1. Chris Sabin (he just keeps impressing me more and more every time i see him wrestle - and now teamin with shelly)
2. HBK - "Wrestling Legend!"
3. Christian - possibly one of the best mic wrestlers ever!!

Also liking E Burke & Cm Punk but would rather see both on smackdown could be some very interesting fueds with edge, mysterio, and get rvd back - put on smackdown! sweet as a nut!

Sabin's Tag matches with Shelley have been some of the most impressive matches ive watched this year. Sheer class - so much potential id just love to see WWE Sign some wrestlers like these guys and forget McMahon version of a wrestler(6ft 6 - 280lbs Ahhh!!!)

Biggest pop of the year for me was the return of Jericho - like a f*ckin spoilt kid!! close second was RVD last week(please come back or go to TNA)

Fozzy

nasty_crash wrote: »

Sabin's Tag matches with Shelley have been some of the most impressive matches ive watched this year. Sheer class - so much potential id just love to see WWE Sign some wrestlers like these guys and forget McMahon version of a wrestler(6ft 6 - 280lbs Ahhh!!!)

If you've only seen Sabin in TNA this year then you should check out some of the matches he had in Japan recently, excellent stuff. I'll post a few in the video thread. Himself and Shelley had a great match with the Briscoes in ROH this year too, they looked so good in that match

Double C

Michaels Danielson and Orton. These three have been way better than everybody else this year. Cena is unlucky he got injured because if he had continued with the standard of matches he was having he would be in here too.

Dean820

HBK, Undertaker and Edge were mentioned a few times yet they were out for half the year?

Fozzy

Dean820 wrote: »

HBK, Undertaker and Edge were mentioned a few times yet they were out for half the year?

Shawn was just as good when he came back from injury though, he made up for the five months he missed by having some great matches. Bryan Danielson missed the first four or five months of the year too, but he's earned it with his performances for the rest of the year I think. Edge and Taker weren't my picks so I won't defend them, but I don't think either of them have been as good since their returns

Vince135792003

Just on 'Taker, I had him as my number 3 and maybe it would have been fairer to Cena to give him that spot. I actually think Cena is probably not getting the vote he deserves considering he was in so many great matches for 3/4 of the year.

I guess I just went with 'Taker because he was so good at the beginning of the year. I loved the last 10 minutes of the Rumble with him and HBK and his matches with Batista were pretty dam great too.

The Sparrow

1. Shawn Michaels
2. Jeff Hardy
3. Edge

Machismo Fan

1. Kurt Angle, consistantly brilliant throughout the year.

2. AJ Styles, every match hes been in hes been the star, maybe not his best year but hes done good stuff.

3. Christian Cage, the instant classic, 'nuff said.

I would put Cena but he phoned it in for every Raw match this year. PPV wise he was excellent.

Fozzy

Machismo Fan wrote: »

I would put Cena but he phoned it in for every Raw match this year. PPV wise he was excellent.

One of his best matches this year was on Raw! Vs HBK. He also did an incredible job in making a triple threat with Umaga and Khali really good, I think he did alright on Raw

Machismo Fan

2 examples and he main evented Raw for most of the year. As I said PPV wise, he was the definition of the backbone of the WWE, but he just HAS NOT been good enough on Raw.

Vince135792003

Final Totals

1. Shawn Michaels 70 points

2. Bryan Danielson 22 points

3. Jeff Hardy 19 points

4. Edge 9 points

5. Kurt Angle 8 points

6. Randy Orton 7 points

Shawn Michaels won by a landslide and there was a pretty clear top 3 too.

Fozzy

Can't argue with that. Think we should have another thread for best tag team? Or some other topic, there haven't been that many great tag teams on tv this year

Vince135792003

Fozzy wrote: »

Can't argue with that. Think we should have another thread for best tag team? Or some other topic, there haven't been that many great tag teams on tv this year

Best match maybe? I'll give you the honor of adding them up this time!

Lita Forever

Awards are always a good fun idea. I like the point system too. Vince, do you mind if I steal your points system and do a best woman of the year thread? That is of course if you don't wish to do one..:)

Fozzy

Yeah, sure fire ahead with a couple, probably best not to stick up every "Best _____ of 2007" thread at the same time though

Lita Forever

Yeah that is true. You guys just do your thing and whenever you're done, I'll do the women's one.

Fozzy

Sure stick up the women's thread now, if Vince doesn't do a best match one then I'll start it later

Wompa1

Would it be bias to pick Finlay?, I love his matches..its what wrestling should be

1.Finlay
2.Danielson
3.MVP/Hardy

ShaneU

1: Christian Cage
2: HBK
3: Jay Lethal

Podge2k7

1.Randy Orton
2.Jeff Hardy
3.Shawn Michaels

Bubs101

This should be done again but with more categories, maybe even ones for posters. Better system than the current thread

rovert

What happened to Wompa1?

Bubs101

Considering he only has .16 posts a day he's probably just a lurker

orestes

Hmmm, gimme a minute and I'll have a bash at throwing some threads together......