2006 Year End Awards

Yes, they're here, and a little early this time. However, I wanted to get them up before the New Year, and I'm going up the mountains with no Internet access, so I want to get 'em out of the way now :) You may notice Top 5s for all categories now. Yeah, I went there ;) Pre-emptive congratulations to everyone whom I'm giving these awards to. Trust me, if you're getting one, you deserve it for your contributions to eWrestling this year.

First up, some unofficial awards I'm giving out this year just to spread some more recognition around:

Poser Artist of the Year: Mat Waters (PRIME) - Not just for the quality of his Posers, but the speed with which he gets them out for new members. I've long said that you don't need Posers to have a good fed, but for feds that do have Posers, the quicker you get one, the better you feel. It may be a superficial reason, but it's still a reason why PRIME's backstage atmosphere rates so well.

Sleeping Giant of the Year: Dave Brunk (EPW, A1E, UCW, NFW, CSWA, EUWC) - It's been a quiet year for Brunk in terms of volume, so I can't really qualify him in the Handler Top 5, but it's not out of lack of quality. People seem to be sleeping on him now, but once he gets in the groove with this new baby and gets EPW streamlined, watch out.

Save of the Year: Pete Speer (PRIME) - For not letting PRIME close after Sebs took his hiatus. Seriously, the entire community is grateful for that.

King of Sports Entertainment: Sonny Silver (PRIME) - Seriously, the perfect caricature, the most ostentatious character and PRIME's next Universal Champion (YOU HEARD ME!)

Alright, now for the awards!

Handler of the Year

5th Place - Lindz (EPW, PRIME, NFW, PTC Events, TEAM Events, MCW Events; Lindsay Troy)

Lindz' contributions this year may be a little overlooked due to the relative inactivity of her two main leagues, EPW and NFW. Regardless of that, she more than made up for that in other areas. She made the jump into PRIME, winning the Tag Titles (almost by herself! :p) becoming an ambassador for the FW world in that fed. She gave time to judge in the Dupree Cup, GTT6 and the TEAM Invitational Tournament. She made it to a 3rd place finish in the Tournament of Champions. This definitely nets her a spot on the main list this year.

4th Place - Fergus Looney (AWC, PTC Events; Jack Murphy)

He basically spent the year juggling Murphy and being Hyde's second (and if Jeremy J. is to be believed, he really is Hyde... but Jeremy J. is a fucktard and should probably be burned at the stake) in AWC. His best OOC accomplishment was organizing, booking and writing the house shows that AWC ran in the lull between Twilight of the Gods and Zero 2 Hero. He became the face of the locker room, both in character and out, and his in-character accomplishments (3rd round of GTT6, AWC Relentless, Frontier and Transatlantic Championships) earn him a spot on the Handler of the Year list.

3rd Place - Josh Kalveledge (AWC, PTC Events; Garbage Bag Johnny)

Another one whose backstage contributions to AWC net him a spot on the list, Josh became the most prolific giver of feedback on the AWC boards. It didn't matter if you were one of the fed favorites that everyone else seemed to gravitate to or a relative unknown. Josh tried to make sure that everyone felt included. Add that in with his absolute tear in AWC starting with Z2H and following through his Transatlantic Title win as Garbage Bag Johnny, and you have a year that most handlers should aspire to have.

2nd Place - Seth Silveria (ACW, PRIME, NFW, SbW, MCW Events; Andy Sharp, Mr. Silver, Manpower)

In the beginning of the year, Seth earned this award through his hard work, passion and dedication to ACW. It could be argued that the fed might have closed much sooner than it did if not for Seth. Later in the year, his run in PRIME, one of the most entertaining runs I've seen in a long time, gives his case that much more credence. Family troubles, weather issues and other stuff have prevented him from doing more than he has, but this year has been a hell of a ride for Seth.

Handler of the Year - Dan West (A1E, MBE, CSWA, EPW, LVW, UCW, FUSE, TEAM Events, PTC Events, MCW Events; The Spoiler, Chip Friendly, Professor Tremendous, Shadric the Dogboy, Big Gay Bruce, Esteban, Steve Watson - CPA, Victor Molotov)

What can you say about Dan that already hasn't? Regardless, it's all worth repeating. He's in a million feds and he puts in an honest day's work in on each of them. He's the most gifted roleplayer that I know, and he put his neck on the line going into the GTT6 tournament, going to the bracket finals with a brand new character. He went to the TEAM Invitational Finals. He's active in participating in feedback. And above all else, he may be the most passionate person in this hobby that I know. Congrats Dan, you earned this award.

2005's Winner - Gregg Gethard

Honorable Mention - Joshua Ray (A1E, EPW, MCW, UCW, TEAM Events; The Sergeant, Drunken Tiger), Jeff Paternostro (A1E, MBE, NFW, TEAM Events, PTC Events, MCW Events; Yori Yakamo, Jr., Hida Yakamo, The Sheffield Wednesday Lot), Pete Speer (PRIME, PTC Events; Chet Worth), Bill Dempsey (A1E, MBE, EPW, TEAM Events, MCW Events; Freakfish, Mr. Amazing!, Slambo the Clown, The Sheffield Wednesday Lot), Diego Ibarra (NAPW, TEAM Events; D!, The Delivery Men), Barry Thompson (NEW, NFW, LVW, TEAM Events; Felix Red, MWG, Mitch Gray), Michael McNichols (NFW, LVW; Michael Manson, El-Magick-O [Editor's note: The "O" is for Orgasm]), Dave Brunk (A1E, CSWA, EPW, NFW, UCW, TEAM Events; Dan Ryan), Phil Banet (A1E, EPW, TEAM Events; Big Dog, Richard Farnswirth), Ryan Murray (FUSE, PTC Events; Clinton Sage, Archibald MacGregor), David Cook (PRIME, PTC Events; Jason Snow), Shane Gerlach (A1E, MBE, EPW, LVW, UCW, TEAM Events, MCW Events; IrishRed, Colt James)

Wrestler of the Year

5th Place - D! (NAPW, TEAM Events)

Admittedly, he would have been higher had he not retired right after his SUPERHOT heel turn. Still, he earns a spot on this list for bitchslapping NAPW this year and coming out of absolutely nowhere to win the Tournament of Champions. He showed that the "eW indies" can indeed hang with the big boys, and I, for one, hope that he has a change of heart and comes back strong in '07.

4th Place - Richard Farnswirth (A1E, EPW)

When you dominate the A1E World Championship like he did most of the year, you deserve a spot on this list. Playing the old-school heel role almost perfectly, Farnsy was the man you loved to hate. It could be argued that James Irish's title win was made that much more special because it came off of Farnswirth. Add in his quick capturing of the EPW Tag Titles with the HPSC triad in EPW, and Farnsy proves why he's money this year.

3rd Place - Garbage Bag Johnny (AWC, PTC Events)

Four months into this year, GBJ wasn't anything to the eW world. Eight months later, he could very well be the hottest commodity in all the land. What he did in AWC and the I-fed was tremendous. Zero 2 Hero, the Transatlantic Championship, Bracket Semifinals (losing against eventual finalist and very, very, VERY early favorite for 2007 WotY Jason Snow)... plus week in and week out he was writing the most entertaining segments on Fresh! for the most part. GBJ makes PRIME that much better going forward into 2007, and he's earned the 3rd spot on this list.

2nd Place - The Spoiler (A1E, MBE, TEAM Events)

Don't call it a comeback. The Spoiler, who dominated MBE back in its early days, came back with a vengeance in 2006. Beginning with his showing in the Pier Six Brawl and culminating with his Co-MVW honors in the Dupree Cup for runner-up Team MBE, he's crafted a resume of dominance all without even capturing a World Championship. To be talked about without even getting a shot to win a World Title is amazing, and it nabs the Force of Nature the first runner-up for WotY.

Wrestler of the Year - The Illustrious Face-Eater/Adam Dick (AWC, PRIME, PTC Events)

He's been flying strong all year. It started with an upset of AWC über-wrestler Pierce Lavelle for the AWC Transatlantic Championship and moved on to his epic feud with Jack Murphy. Then the Stanislav swerve. The A-List in PRIME and all those titles. Blowing up in the ring (and for however good or bad that was... you talked about it, I talked about it... it got attention). IG Round 22. All those entertaining segments he wrote for AWC and PRIME. It's a resume that I certainly can't deny. Facey was the most entertaining wrestler this year, and he picked up some huge honors along the way. Therefore, he earns the big trophy.

2005's Winner - Troy Windham

Honorable Mention - Mr. Amazing! (A1E, TEAM Events), Tchu (PRIME, PTC Events), Doc Silver (NFW, MBE), Felix Red (NFW), IrishRed (A1E, MBE, UCW, EPW, TEAM Events, MCW Events), James Irish (A1E, EPW, TEAM Events, MCW Events), Shawn Hart (LoC, EPW, NEW), Pierce Lavelle (AWC), Tigera (FUSE, PTC Events), Karl "The Dragon" Brown (EPW, MCW, TEAM Events), Danny Ferguson (PRIME), Jack Murphy (AWC, PTC Events), Lloyd Rees (NAPW, TEAM Events), Yori Yakamo, Jr. (NFW, MBE, TEAM Events, PTC Events), Lindsay Troy (EPW, CSWA, TEAM Events, MCW Events, PRIME), Darcy Crisis (AWC), "The Renegade" Rich Rollins (GCW, PRIME, PTC Events), Ravager (NAPW, TEAM Events, MCW Events), Kin Hiroshi (CSWA, EPW, NFW, TEAM Events, PRIME), Killean Sirrajin (PRIME, PTC Events)

Match of the Year (as written)

5th Place - Seymour Almasy (c) vs. Max Danger vs. God's Forgotten Son vs. Coral Avalon vs. UB Reynolds vs. The Phantom Republican - ACW World Championship Survival of the Fittest Match (Honor and Glory - ACW)

This match wowed me with how well the writers (Renner, Dupin and Sean W.) worked in each guy's story along with the overarching plot for the match. The action was damn good, the suspense was definitely there, and even though the "Almasy escapes!!1" finish could come off as cheesy in the hands of other writers, it was brilliantly executed here.

4th Place - Killean Sirrajin (c) vs. Tchu - PRIME Universal Championship (Colossus III - PRIME)

For someone who just started following the feud this year, I could definitely sense there were four years of pent up rage, anger and animosity exploding in this match. Great signoff for a great event, dare I say the quintessential blowoff match of this year.

3rd Place - Felix Red, Doc Silver, Monsieur Fantastic, Michael Manson and Beau Michaels-Cruise vs. Rook Black, Eli Flair, Joey Melton, Troy Windham and Guy Boudreaux - Survivor Series Match (Crash TV Week 8 - NFW)

Another big clustery match that could have had disaster written all over it in the hands of a lesser matchwriter. McNic shows his ability to get everyone's individual story over within the context of a larger team match.

2nd Place - Yori Yakamo Jr. vs. the TEAM T Gauntlet, Adam Benjamin vs. the TEAM T Gauntlet, Yori Yakamo Jr. vs. Adam Benjamin, Yori Yakamo Jr. vs. Professor Tremendous ("c") - "CSWA UNIFIED" Championship Contendership and Title Matches (SuperShow I - TEAM)

This might have been the funniest e-fed related thing I've ever read. That alone warrants a read for this match. You may have to go to the funny farm after, but it'll be well worth it.

Match of the Year (as written) - Red Rock (c), Ellis Nash, Johnny Lexicon and Mikey O'Reilly vs. Gabriel Afeaki, Josh Marquez, Paddy O'Shea and Colby Korver - AWC Relentless Championship Team Match (Coast to Coast - AWC)

Well-written clusterfucks seem to be the rule of the day for this category, don't they? :) Seriously, this match had the greatest potential for disaster, and Hyde turned into the most compelling match of the year. Despite the fact that a character of Jeremy J's is in this match, it's still as easy to read as Lindsay Lohan is easy to get drunk. I was pleasantly surprised and impressed by this affair, and it was the highlight of one of the cards of the year.

2005's Winner - Eddie Mayfield vs. Craig Miles (Midnight Madness Week 2 - NFW)

Honorable Mention - Pier Six Brawl (Bloody New Year - A1E), Spoiler vs. Housefly (Golden Dreams VI - A1E), Seymour Almasy vs. Khristain Keller vs. Max Danger (c) - ACW World Championship Match (Legends II - ACW), Nova (c) vs. The Illustrious Face-Eater - PRIME Intense Championship Match (Colossus III - PRIME), Mike Wade (c) vs. Paddy O'Shea - AWC Frontier-Relentless Championship Loser Leaves Town Match (Bloodlust - AWC), IrishRed vs. Mr. Amazing - A1E Triple Star Championship Scaffold Match (Golden Dreams VI - A1E), Dan Ryan vs. Jonathan Marx vs. Yori Yakamo Jr. vs. Lindsay Troy vs. Kin Hiroshi f/THE POWERMASTER! - Hulk-a-Thon Tournament Finals (Midnight Madness Week 8 - NFW), Doc Silver vs. Justin Evitable - MBE World Championship Round Robin Finals (Total Elimination - MBE), Beast (c) vs. Cross - A1E Cyber Championship Crucifixion Match (Cyber Brutality - A1E), Mark Windham vs. Dan Ryan vs. Troy Windham (c) - CSWA UNIFIED Championship Ladder Match (PRIMETIME in Montego Bay - CSWA), Ravager vs. D! vs. "The Moose" Mark Millar vs. Stylin' Kyle Roberts vs. "The Beast" Bruce Richards - House of Horrors Match (Anniversary Assault - NAPW), Cowboy Jimmy Donovan vs. Hans Nowak vs. Olvir Arsvinnar vs. The Web Browser - 60 Minute Ironman LVW World Championship Match (Supershow on the Strip I - LVW)

Match of the Year (as RPed)

5th Place - Adam Dick vs. Jack Murphy and Aimz - AWC Transatlantic Championship Handicap Tag Match (Bloodlust - AWC)

Aimz no-showed, but the offerings from Dick and Murphy were both outstanding here. What started as Murphy cashing in on his Transatlantic Title shot from the Grand Slam package turned out to be the beginning of one of the best feuds of the year.

4th Place - Clinton Sage vs. "The Renegade" Rich Rollins (GTT6 Round 1 - PTC Interfed)

Two of the most gifted RPers bringing their all... and in the first round nonetheless. This should have happened in later rounds, but that's how the cards fell.

3rd Place - Nova vs. Joey Melton (Western Wild Card Round - NFW)

I think if there's any match on the slate that proves there are PTC folks out there who not only are willing to come and do things old school, but are also GOOD at our style in FW, it's this match. Extremely entertaining stuff from two of the most creative minds in eW today.

2nd Place - Payne vs. Derecho (NFW vs. LoC, Dupree Cup Round 1 Week 1 - TEAM)

This match's heat was off the charts, and it was built just out of the promos each guy cut in the thread off of nothing else but their drive to win (imagine that!). A whole feud built out of a match between guys with no history... it reminds me of my old-school A1E days. Plus, this is where the Legend of Jason Payne begins, a legend that can only grow in 2007...

Match of the Year (as RPed) - Lindsay Troy (c) vs. Kin Hiroshi vs. Karl "The Dragon" Brown vs. Beast vs. Joey Melton vs. "Triple X" Sean Stevens - EPW World Championship Six Pack Elimination Match (Unleashed - EPW)

Wow... even with Beast no-showing, you have five of the best going at it and bringing their A-games. Kin Hiroshi proved he was a main eventer, Stevens reinforced the Battle Royale win that got him there, Melton talked the talk and Karl Brown showed solid form. Folks, it doesn't get much better than this.

2005's Winner - Troy Windham vs. Dan Ryan vs. Superstar Vince Jacobs vs. Vacant - CSWA UNIFIED Championship Semifinals and Finals (Anniversary 17 - CSWA)

Honorable Mention - Hida Yakamo vs. HAL (MBE vs. NEW, Dupree Cup Finals - TEAM), Karl Brown vs. Victor Molotov (TEAM Invitational Tournament Finals - TEAM), Steve Watson vs. Tigera (GTT6 Bracket Semifinals - PTC Interfed), Jason Snow vs. The Sentinel (GTT6 Round 1 - PTC Interfed), Doc Silver vs. Justin Evitable, MBE World Championship Round Robin Finals (Total Elimination - MBE), Hulk-a-Thon Finals (Midnight Madness Week 8 - NFW), Tournament of Champions Round 1 (Tournament of Champions - TEAM), IrishRed vs. Mr. Amazing (c) - A1E Triple Star Championship Scaffold Match (Golden Dreams VI - A1E), Richard Farnswirth (c) vs. James Irish - A1E World Championship Corporate Ladder Match (Cyber Brutality - A1E), Mr. Amazing! vs. Richard Farnswirth (Warfare - A1E), AWC Triangles Match (Triangles - AWC), D! (c) vs. Karl Brown - TEAM Championship of Champions Match (SuperShow I - TEAM)

Card of the Year

5th Place - Unleashed (EPW)

This card featured one hell of a write-up for the hotly contested Match of the Year (as RPed), plus one shocking Troy Windham special swerve at the end that only folks like Brunk, Lindz and Gethard could pull off. Some great undercard action too, including the Tag Team Championship match and the culmination of the Mike Evers/Adam Benjamin feud.

4th Place - Bloody New Year (A1E)

I know I ragged on this show for the finishes, but there were some pretty solid matches on this card, including the World Championship and Pier Six Brawl matches. BNY is turning into one of A1E's go-to events. Always a great read.

3rd Place - Coast to Coast (AWC)

I thought the show dragged with too many segments, but the matchwriting was excellent. The end swerve was powerful if a bit syrupy, but this still rates very highly. One of the best cards in any year.

2nd Place - Legends II (ACW)

If ACW ended with this show, it would have been a great exclamation point on their run. They didn't, but this still was one of the finest shows I've ever read. A lot of big moments (Alias losing an eye, ALMASY WINS! ALMASY WINS!), but the thing that makes the show is Max Danger going in with a chance to walk out with two belts and ends up having none. A lot of people thought that hotshotting the belt to Max the week before was a bad idea... in hindsight, it added a few more layers to a show already built up like a tank of awesomeness.

Card of the Year - Colossus III (PRIME)

I said it before, and I'll say it again, this is how you should do your biggest show of the year. Such a feeling of gravity, of specialness. Feuds were blown off, they said farewell to Liseaux, Facey blew up, Lamen had one last hurrah before he died (yes I disapproved of the angle, but they ran with it and I can't blame them for it... they at least did it right even if the idea was wrong). This was the paragon.

2005's Winner - Russian Roulette (EPW)

Honorable Mentions - Bloodlust (AWC), BattleBRAWL II (NEW), Total Elimination (MBE), Honor and Glory (ACW), Golden Dreams VI (A1E), Midnight Madness Week 8 (NFW), Crash TV Week 8 (NFW), SuperShow on the Strip (LVW), Triangles (AWC), ReVolution 100 (PRIME), Get the Hell Off Our Lawn! (NAPW), Anniversary Assault (NAPW)

Tag Team of the Year

5th Place - Business and Pleasure (Joey Melton and Lindsay Troy - PRIME)

So most of the work here was done by Lindz? Bah, the team still had a good enough run in PRIME to capture the Tag Titles fairly quickly. In a down year for tag teams, this is good enough for the top 5.

4th Place - Big Dog and Dan Ryan (A1E)

Much like last year's winners, Dog and Ryan dominated the A1E tag scene, beating Slambo and Chip for the belts and not looking back since. However, they don't get higher than 4th this year because there are better competitors to the title this year than last. Still, an impressive year for Dog and Ryan with the Tag Titles.

3rd Place - The A-List (Chandler Tsonda, Danny Ferguson, The Illustrious Face Eater - PRIME)

They operated under makeshift triad rules, so I'll count all of them. They still dominated the tag ranks in PRIME until B&P came along to challenge them.

2nd Place - The Furious Fists of God (Liam Martin and Tim Martin - AWC)

They beat the Unfuckables for the Alliance Titles and despite a burp to Celestial Fury, they were THE team in AWC's Alliance division. Fantastic team that entertained as much as they dominated.

Tag Team of the Year - The New and Improved D-X (Kyle Roberts and Bruce Richards - NAPW, TEAM Events, MCW Events)

Name aside, these guys were dominant this year. The best tag team in the best tag division in the circle of e-feds I follow, they mopped the floor in their own league and came out to play in the interfed activities.\

2005's Winners - Torment and Haven (A1E)

Honorable Mention - The Highland Park Social Club (Chip Friendly, Richard Farnswirth, Slambo the Clown - A1E, EPW), Celtic Assassins (Al Thoes and Bobby O'Brady - NAPW, MCW Events), The Delivery Men (#1 and #2 - NAPW), Torment and Haven (A1E), The Sheffield Wednesday Lot (Mac Forest and Nate MacNally - MBE, MCW Events), The Coalition (Wesley Reno and Phil Allen - AWC), UNITE (Gray and Fire Brand - GCW, PTC Events), Celestial Fury (Butterfly Hamada and The Green Grappler - AWC), The French Commandos (Jean Claude and Pierre - UCW), Blitz (Max and Jecht - EPW, MCW Events)

Stable of the Year

5th Place - DREDD (John Doe, Carlee Marx, Jonathan Marx and company - NEW)

Kinda a down year for stables, and DREDD did just enough as a team to get in here.

4th Place - The Empire (David Harber, Pierce Lavelle, Kasidy Drake, Juggernaut Kintu, Gabriel Afeaki - AWC)

I thought the angle wasn't done right, and neither was the stable. I thought it kinda brought AWC down towards the end, but there's no denying the talent in said stable.

3rd Place - The Highland Park Social Club (Chip Friendly, Slambo the Clown, Richard Farnswirth, Steven Shane, Duchess - A1E, EPW)

This is really a three stable race. The HPSC had a very strong year, including two big turns (Duchess, Shane) and some nice Championship hardware. A fine year for the best stable in A1E history.

2nd Place - FUCK YOU! (Angelo Deville, Jason Snow, Rich Rollins, Nova, Eva Van Lorne - PRIME)

This stable was built on a foundation of huge swerves and has built the top up nicely with compelling segments and a Universal Championship. It'll be interesting to see where they'll be going in 2007, as it looks like it's going to be the year of the [stable name redacted] in PRIME.

Stable of the Year - The A-List (The Illustrious Face-Eater, Danny Ferguson, Chandler Tsonda and company - PRIME)

For the first half of the year, they were it in PRIME. They held all the belts sans the Universal, and they were always the go-to segment guys. A fine year for the A-Listers, even if they went their separate ways by September.

2005's Winner - The Highland Park Social Club (Slambo the Clown, Chip Friendly, Richard Farnswirth - A1E)

Honorable Mention - Team MCW (UCW), The Blue Rogues (ACW), The King's Court (AWC), the Dynasty (FUSE), the Charitable Trust (NAPW)

Rookie Character of the Year

5th Place - Sun Tzu (PRIME)

Mao's Little Red Bitch may tread a fine line with her semiautomatic gun, but there's no doubt she's been entertaining to read in segments (like the much-acclaimed first one in KoK) and pretty damn on-fire in results, as referenced by her Intense Championship.

4th Place - HAL (NEW, TEAM Events)

You want to talk about a baptism by fire? HAL, a rookie character (by a decidedly non-rookie handler :p), arguably carried NEW to the Dupree Cup. Sure he hasn't gotten off to much of a start in his home fed (which is why he isn't higher) but to his credit, NEW's only had like two shows since he joined.

3rd Place - Sammy Brown (PTC Events)

The most impressive thing about Brown's run through GTT6 is that the character isn't the handler's own. John the Cantelope won a pre-tourney competition to think of a backstory for the character. His prize was to be able to enter as any character he wanted and he chose the one he didn't create. That, in my mind, is worth a spot on the list.

2nd Place - Tigera (FUSE, PTC Events)

She may have stirred controversy by baring her "assets," and providing outlandish storylines, but the year she's had warrants her the runner-up spot. A Custom CHAOS reign and the current run as FUSE's Universal Champion gets her on this list at this spot.

Rookie Character of the Year - Garbage Bag Johnny (AWC, PTC Events)

You expect the Rookie of the Year to have an impact, but this much impact? It can be argued that he carried AWC from Z2H until the end, even though he was never really presented as the focus of the show. In my mind, there's no other choice for this award.

2005's Winner - Andy Sharp (ACW)

Honorable Mention - Jock McCrunk (MBE), Cool Frank Cutta (MBE), The Coalition (AWC), Iblis (PTC Events), Drunken Tiger (A1E, MCW), Manpower (NFW), Patrick Bickle (NAPW, TEAM Events), The Sentinel (PTC Events), The Sergeant (EPW, A1E, UCW), Steve Watson, CPA (FUSE, PTC Events)

Breakout Wrestler of the Year

5th Place - Justin Evitable (MBE)

If you looked up the term "also-ran" in the dictionary before the MBE restart, you'd see a picture of Justin Evitable. Not anymore. Cheesy name aside, he's broken through and made statement after statement in the new MBE. He's finally showing the main event talent and, more importantly, main event enthusiasm needed to be an anchor, and he's doing just that.

4th Place - Jason Payne (NFW, NEW, TEAM Events, PTC Events)

Payne ruffled a lot of feathers this year, both IC and OOC. However, he busted out from the NFW background to take people's attentions and put them on him. His run in the Dupree Cup was the stuff of legends. Even in defeat, people will still be talking about his run for years.

3rd Place - Kin Hiroshi (CSWA, EPW, NFW, TEAM Events)

He's been poised to break through for years, but he hasn't until now. He's done so in a big way too. It's a shame he's retiring though...

2nd Place - Tony "The Grin" Gamble (PRIME)

Nothing like beating Angelo Deville in a tournament final to tell the world you've arrived, eh? Even if that was the only thing he did all year, it would net him a spot on the list, but he's been consistently one of PRIME's most entertaining characters. If the Cantelope can get his computer affairs in order, Gamble will bust out big in 2007.

Breakout Star of the Year - D! (NAPW, TEAM Events)

Most people in NAPW will tell me that they already knew who D! was before the ToC. Well, most of the readership is from out of NAPW, and we didn't know how good this guy was until then. He put out an unreal performance, beating out a God-like effort from Mr. Amazing and solid ones from guys like Professor Tremendous, Jake Hix and Lindsay Troy. He's no longer Alberta's little secret.

2005's Winner - Lowell Dot Com (ACW)

Honorable Mention - Ellis Nash (AWC), Agent Dash (AWC, PTC Events), Danny Ferguson (PRIME), Chandler Tsonda (PRIME, PTC Events), Lloyd Rees (NAPW, TEAM Events), Tha Eliminat0r (A1E), Jogi Fresh (MBE, UCW), Damien Cruz (FUSE, PRIME, PTC Events, TEAM Events), Bobino (FUSE, PTC Events), Mike Evers (EPW)

Comeback Wrestler of the Year

5th Place - Cross (A1E)

With the help of Beast, Cross captured our minds in A1E and provided one of the best feuds/storylines of the year. After a long layoff, it's great to have him back in the game.

4th Place - "Triple X" Sean Stevens (EPW, CSWA)

After a long layoff, XXX came back and stormed his way into the main events after three matches. Talk about impressive.

3rd Place - The Spoiler (A1E, MBE, TEAM Events)

Dan showed little ring rust on his major character after some years of inactivity from regular competition. A fine comeback that could culminate in a World Championship in 2007.

2nd Place - Jason Snow (PRIME, PTC Events)

He came back to the eW ring after years of inactivity, disoriented with how things were running and the current scene. Right now, he's the prohibitive favorite to win GTT6 and is one of hte hottest things going in PRIME. The comeback's been short so far, but it's been intense. Like I said before... Snow might just end up taking WotY this time next year.

Comeback Wrestler of the Year - Darcy Crisis (AWC)

What a year the Darcinator had in AWC. He came back after a huge layoff and proceeded to put the W into AWC. His feuds were always entertaining. His promos were always off the charts. He won the Frontier Championship in a classic feud with Anton Assault, and he was the last Transatlantic Championship in AWC's short history. I'd have to say he had a fairly successful comeback ;)

2005's Winner - IrishRed (UCW, A1E, MBE Cup, EPW)

Honorable Mention - Jogi Fresh (MBE, UCW), Justin Evitable (MBE), Angelo Deville (PRIME), "The Renegade" Rich Rollins (PRIME, PTC Events), Troy Windham (CSWA, EPW), Bryan Storms (MCW, UCW), Professor Tremendous (TEAM Events, wherever he feels like showing up :p), Hida Yakamo (A1E, MBE, TEAM Events), Gabriel Afeaki (AWC), Pierce Lavelle (AWC)

Angle of the Year

5th Place - Anti-Cross stalks Cross (A1E)

It had me guessing, and my guess was wrong. Still, a great storyline for both Cross and Beast's entry back into A1E.

4th Place - "Slambo the Clown" and the HPSC (A1E)

I wasn't guessing on who the fake Slambo was, but I was surprised. A well-done vehicle for the real Slambo's face turn.

3rd Place - Bloodbath stalks Spinebuster (SbW)

If only for kicking the crap out of jobbers, this angle was entertaining. I thought the reactions of Voss (trying to send the scum of the earth rather than the best you have) outweighed the actual actions of Bloodbath.

2nd Place - Professor Tremendous, stand-in for Troy Windham (All over the damn place!)

It all began innocuously enough with ProfT accepting Troy Windham's Heel of the Year award at the ENNies last year. Then he started to claim ownership over Windham's UNIFIED Championship and has been defending it on various shows as a traveling title. One of the more entertaining angles I've seen in a long time.

Angle of the Year - IrishRed the Saboteur (EPW)

This is an angle only possible in eW. No one else in real life would allow free advertising for a competitor on their TV, but that's what makes this so great. Things that are impossible in real life are possible here, and Shane and Dave have taken full advantage of it. I really feel that if he wanted to, Dave could run the best angle fed known to man. He just chooses not to.

2005's Winner - The Dis angle (EPW)

Honorable Mention - James Irish, Guerilla Prankster (EPW), Paddy O'Shea the Gullible But Inept Servant of Josh Marquez (AWC), Sc00t Johnson and the English Championship (SbW), Spoiler's March Through A1E (A1E), Randalls Teaches Melton, Featuring Scott Riktor in a Bear Suit (NFW)

Moment of the Year

5th Place - Jason Snow turns on Xavier Kannon (PRIME)

Despite his nickname ("the Original Villain"), no one really thought Snow could turn on Kannon and join the unholy alliance known as Angelo Deville and Rich Rollins, right? Wrong. The groundwork was laid for FUCK YOU! to take over here.

4th Place - Troy Windham marries Lindsay Troy (EPW)

The last thing Lindsay Troy wanted after defending her title at Unleashed was a slug for a husband, but thanks to licensed minister (!) August de la Rossi, she got that in the form of Troy Windham. It sets up one of the great matches of all-time.

3rd Place - Freakfish shows up at Total Elimination, wrecks the HoF ceremony (MBE)

Bill Dempsey is yo' daddy.

2nd Place - The Stanislav Swerve (AWC)

I would expect nothing less from Mike Wade. There was so much hysteria as to where Stanislav was going to end up, and I could almost hear the roster groan when Wadey revealed he wasn't going to be there. That, my friends, is heel heat.

Moment of the Year - D! turns at Anniversary Assault (NAPW)

This was the shock of shocks. D!, the quintessential face, went berserk and turned on the fans, the locker room. I was inclined to drop this because he retired shortly thereafter, but you know what? The retirement oddly enough adds punch to this in character. D! abandoned the fans figuratively through walloping everyone with chairs, and then literally by leaving NAPW.

2005's Winner - None proper, since this was packaged in with Angle, but last year's Moment was Dis unmasking as Lindsay Troy (EPW)

Honorable Mention - Nova joins FUCK YOU (PRIME), Almasy wins the ACW title (ACW), Darcy Crisis wins the TA Title (AWC), "Slambo" reveals as Shane (A1E), Deville fakes everyone out and makes them think he's Snow (PRIME), "Masked Man" reveals as Tact (NEW), Slambo turns face (A1E), Facey combusts after winning the Intense title (PRIME), Dick beats Lavelle (AWC), Anti-Cross reveals as Beast (A1E), Tchu beats Sirrajin (PRIME), MBE reopens (MBE), NEW wins the Dupree Cup (TEAM)

Feud of the Year

5th Place - Nova vs. The Illustrious Face-Eater (PRIME)

You know it's a good year for feuds when this is only 5th place. Perhaps one of the funniest builds to a match I've ever seen in my life, and I'm willing to forgive the misuse of the cheesesteak :p

4th Place - Darcy Crisis vs. Anton Assault (AWC)

What do you get when you combine a loud-mouthed Latino manager, Billy Mays, Tony Little and one of the best promo men in the business? An entertaining, old-school feud, that's what. The build was fantastic and the blowoff even better.

3rd Place - D! vs. Ravager (NAPW)

These two have been at each other's throats, be it directly or indirectly, from the first day of 2006 until the day D! retired. A truly intense feud featuring the quintessential face and the true heel.

2nd Place - Tchu vs. Killean Sirrajin (PRIME)

Four years of build simmering until one huge boil into the build to Colossus III. AND IT'S NOT THE FEUD OF THE YEAR! Insanity, right folks? Nope. This was a classic feud, a great feud and it's not Feud of the Year because this has been a bumper year for feuds. Seriously folks.

Feud of the Year - IrishRed vs. Mr. Amazing! (A1E, TEAM Events)

I could go on about this feud for hours, but I choose to summarize it in one sentence.

The fact that the points in the ToC indicated that they would meet in a one-on-one match was a clear sign from God that this was the Feud of the Year.

2005's Winner - Eddie Mayfield vs. Craig Miles (NFW)

Honorable Mentions - Spoiler vs. Housefly (A1E), Richard Farnswirth vs. Andrew Gilkison (A1E), Troy Windham vs. Lindsay Troy (EPW, CSWA), Promo vs. Andrew Gilkison (MBE), Adam Dick vs. Jack Murphy (AWC, PTC Events), Slambo the Clown vs. Chip Friendly (A1E), Adam Benjamin vs. Mike Evers (EPW), Felix Red vs. Kin Hiroshi (NFW), Andy Sharp vs. Seymour Almasy (ACW), Danny Ferguson vs. Kyle Lamen (PRIME), Adam Benjamin vs. Mr. Incredible (UCW)

Face of the Year

5th Place - Cross (A1E)

Cross' darker edge makes it a little tougher to buy him as a true face, but he certainly embodies honor and morality like a traditional good guy does. Plus, you have to be a good face in order to go up against Beast in dickheel mode :p

4th Place - D! (NAPW, TEAM Events)

He would have been higher had it not been for the heel turn at the end of the year. Before that though, he was the quintessential face.

3rd Place - Lindsay Troy (EPW, PRIME, TEAM Events, MCW Events, NFW)

The usually snarky Queen of the Ring is a tweener by trade, but she's played the face side of her ambiguity well in both EPW and PRIME.

2nd Place - Darcy Crisis (AWC)

He's got the kind of mic skills that make him a Rock-esque face... but a damn good one.

Face of the Year - James Irish (A1E, EPW, TEAM Events, MCW Events)

You know, I should just name the award after Mr. Irish and bar him from winning again. That's how good of a face he is, and that's how well he plays it year in and year out.

2005's Winner - Beast (A1E, EPW)

Honorable Mention - Slambo the Clown (A1E), IrishRed (A1E), Big Dog (A1E, TEAM Events), Justin Evitable (MBE), Tchu (PRIME), Eli Flair (NFW, CSWA), Yori Yakamo Jr. (!) (MBE, NFW, PTC Events), New and Improved DX (NAPW, MCW Events, TEAM Events), Seymour Almasy (GCW, ACW, PTC Events), Michael Manson (NFW)

Heel of the Year

5th Place - Jason Snow (PRIME)

By G-rrreatness! Snow broke the hearts of PRIMEates everywhere by turning on Kannon and selling his soul to FUCK YOU.

4th Place - Richard Farnswirth (A1E, EPW)

He's the very definition of the classic heel. His feud with Andy Gilkison this year is more than enough to get him on this list.

3rd Place - "The Renegade" Rich Rollins (GCW, PRIME, PTC Events)

Any guy who does things (like telling a widower he banged his dead wife) that make a facey-face threaten murder deserves a spot on this list. Oh yeah, the FUCK YOU stuff was pretty bad too. :p

2nd Place - Troy Windham (CSWA, EPW)

You know, for not being terribly active, Troy-diddy still has enough heel cred to get the runner-up spot for this award. I have to wonder if Gregg had the time he had in 1998 to devote to eW now if THIS award would have to be renamed in Windham's honor.

Heel of the Year - Mr. Amazing! (A1E, TEAM Events)

He's harassed IrishRed to the point where he made Red a sympathetic character. He's one of the best shit-talkers in the game. His March to Glory in A1E (cut dreadfully short, by the way) riled everyone, heel or face, along the way. In a hobby where everyone wants to be the heel, Mr. A! gave everyone someone to look up to this year.

2005's Winner - Troy Windham/August de la Rossi

Fed of the Year

5th Place - AWC

Say what you will about how the place ended. Say what you will about Hyde leaving his handlers in a huge lurch. Say what you will about any of the flaws and it won't matter. While it was around, the fed was a contender to PRIME's unofficial "best on PTC" crown, and it went out on its own terms. It had a dedicated core of handlers and a good mix of story guys and wrestling minds. It was unique and had some feeling of old-school to it. AWC will be missed, and it undoubtedly deserves a spot on this top 5.

4th Place - MBE

If this restart had begun in, say, February, this ranking might be a lot higher. As it stands right now though, the reborn Elder A1 Fed still has some growing pains in its way. Regardless, they've gotten a lot out of some unexpected faces, and the booking and administration have been top notch.

3rd Place - A1E

A1E is never going to dazzle you with graphics or wow you with a backstage script that will make life easy for you. Sometimes, the cardwriting can seem a bit crude. But there are two things that A1E have going for it; solid wrestling minds and talented handlers. A1E has flown under the radar this year to an extent, but they've been solid enough to earn a top 3 nod.

2nd Place - NAPW

The little fed that could, eh? It just goes to show that these "eW indies" aren't all Geocities and ripoffs. I can bet that most NAPW handlers could go into a so-called "big fed" and house them all night long. My point? The hobby's much bigger than FW, PTC and the angle fed communities behind. There could be millions of feds out there like NAPW that we don't know about. Could they place second in this list? Maybe, maybe not. Still, let's not take away from their moment in the sun here. NAPW's had a hell of a year on their own merits, and I only see bigger things for them in 2007.

And the point still stands... they beat out every fed in my circle of coverage except for...

Fed of the Year - PRIME

Their slogan is "Number One by Definition." I usually take slogans like that with a grain of salt, but they are number one, at least this year. They pretty much show PTC how it's done in regards to wrestling, show management and even OOC atmosphere. They show the FW world how it's done in regards to timeliness. They're pretty much the closest thing to a real wrestling promotion we have in eW right now. In fact, I heard Big Show's just signed :p

2005's Winner - NFW

Honorable Mention - EPW, NFW, NEW, FUSE, SbW