2009 Turnbuckle STUFFing Awards

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: SHEAMUS

Sheamus debuted on the June 30 episode of ECW. In less than six months, Shamus did something that Legends such as “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka, and the “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase could not do in their entire career: win the WWE Championship. Whether or not winning the WWE Championship was a fluke remains to be seen. But capturing the WWE’s biggest prize in his first year in the company clearly makes Sheamus the newcomer of the year.

2008 Winner: PRIMO COLON





MOST IMPROVED WRESTLER OF THE YEAR: KOFI KINGSTON

Kofi Kingston had an impressive run in 2009 as the United States Championship. He successfully defended the title in matches that put the Champion in a disadvantage, such as a Fatal Four-way match at Extreme Rules, a Six-pack Challenge at Night of Champions, and a Triple Threat match at Hell in a Cell. Retaining the title in any one of these types of matches is impressive for any Champion. And Kofi Kingston did it all three times. But the moment that really stood out as a defining moment for Kingston was on the October 26 edition of Monday Night Raw. Kofi Kingston stood on top of a NASCAR race car with a Randy Orton paint scheme. He called out Orton and defaced the car with a key, tire iron, and paint. In that moment, Kingston’s personality really came out. His character came alive. He propelled himself into a high profile feud with Randy Orton, and in the process proved that he can me a main event caliber wrestler. That night, standing on the hood of the car, was the night that Kofi Kingston dramatically improved his character.

2008 Winner: CODY RHODES





WOMAN OF THE YEAR: SANTINA MARELLA

Santino Marella’s twin sister was a surprise entrant in the Wrestlemania 25 “Miss Wrestlemania” diva battle royal. She eliminated former Champions Beth Phoenix and Melina to win the title of Miss Wrestlemania. Santina took great pride in being Miss Wrestlemania. She entered into a feud with Vickie Guerrero over the title, culminating in a Hog Pen match at Extreme Rules. On the June 22 edition of Raw, Donald Trump fired Santina. Her WWE career was short but very memorable, making her the Woman of the Year.

2008 Winner: Beth Phoenix





FEUD OF THE YEAR: John Cena vs. Randy Orton

This was an epic feud. It featured two of the best wrestlers in the business fighting over the biggest prize in the sport: the WWE Championship. Their feud began in July at Night of Champions, when Orton retained the title in a triple threat match against Cena and Triple HHH. Orton pinned Cena in that match. The two would continue to feud over the title for the rest of the year. They faced each other in some of the WWE’s toughest matches, including an “I Quit Match”, a “Hell in a Cell” match, and the first ever “anything goes” Iron Man Match. John Cena won the Iron Man match, ending the feud. Watching these two wrestlers compete in such high profile, exciting matches was a thrill. Their feud was a throwback to the days when Ric Flair and Dusty Rhodes would battle for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. This feud will be remembered in the same light as Rhodes and Flair.

2008 Winner: RANDY ORTON vs. almost the entire RAW roster.





“LOVE TO HATE” WRESTLER OF THE YEAR

Randy Orton

Randy Orton went out of his way to make sure he won this award for the second year in a row. In a February episode of Raw, he gave Stephanie McMahon Helmsley a RKO. Then about a month later he gave her a DDT and kissed her while her husband, Triple H, was handcuffed to the ring ropes and forced to watch. That alone would have been enough to win Orton this award. But his dastardly deeds continued all year long. Orton and The Legacy attacked Batista one day after Batista had won the WWE Championship at Extreme Rules. The injuries Batista sustained in the attack were so severe that he had to vacate the Championship. Orton won that title one week later. He then engaged in an epic feud with John Cena. Orton pulled out every underhanded tactic he could think of to win this feud, including getting disqualified, getting counted out of the ring, and having a “fan” attack the referee all in the same match at Summerslam. Thankfully, John Cena won the feud. But in the process, Randy Orton won the title of “Most Hated Wrestler of the Year”.

2008 Winner: Randy Orton





FAVORITE WRESTLER OF THE YEAR

John Cena

John Cena is an old school “good guy”. No matter what happens to him, he never gives up and always fights for what is right. That has always made him one of my favorite wrestlers in recent years, and 2010 really showcased his “Never Give Up” attitude. He lost the World Heavyweight Championship to Edge in a Last Man Standing match at Backlash after the Big Show choke slammed John Cena through a giant spotlight. His subsequent feud with Big Show was concluded in a match that seemed impossible for Cena to win-a submission match at Extreme Rules. But John Cena did not give up and found a way to apply the STF to the massive Big Show for the win. Cena’s “Never Give Up” attitude really showed in his feud with Randy Orton. He won both an “I Quit Match” and an “Iron Man” match against Orton. John Cena’s “Never Give Up” attitude in the face of adversity made him my favorite wrestler of 2009.

2008 Winner: C.M. PUNK





PAY-PER-VIEW OF THE YEAR

Wrestlemania 25

Wrestlemania 25 was filled with so many memorable moments. C.M. Punk won the Money in the Bank Ladder Match for the second year in a row. Santina Marella was the surprisingly hilarious winner of the Miss Wrestlemania battle royal. Ricky Steamboat reminded everyone why he is one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. John Cena lifted up BOTH Edge and the Big Show at the same time for the Attitude Adjustment. And the highlight of the show was the Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels match. This epic encounter could arguable be considered the greatest match in the history of Wrestlemania. It was a card full of great and memorable moments!

2008 Winner: UNFORGIVEN





MATCH OF THE YEAR

The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels (Wrestlemania 25)

Not only was this match one of the greatest matches in the history of Wrestlemania, it could very easily be considered one of the greatest matches EVER! Shawn Michaels and the Undertaker pulled out all the stops in this match. They wrestled with more intensity than I had seen in any Championship match. But that is what made this match so remarkable. There were no titles on the line. This was all about the Undertaker’s Wrestlemania winning streak. Michaels wanted desperately to be known as the man who ended the streak, cementing his legacy as Mr. Wrestlemania. And the Undertaker did not want that to happen. The Undertaker used a choke slam, a Last Ride, and a Tombstone, but could not get a pin. Michaels hit Sweet Chin Music, an elbow drop, and a super kick but could also not get the win. Finally, after 29 minutes of intense action, the Undertaker caught Michaels in the middle of a moon Sault, turned it into a Tombstone piledriver, and got the win to remain undefeated at Wrestlemania. This matched showed just how important the Undertaker’s Wretlemania undefeated streak has become. And it showed why the Undertaker and Michaels are two of the best wrestlers to EVER step into the ring. And it showed why Professional Wrestling is such great entertainment!

2008 Winner: Triple Threat Match for the WWE Championship: Edge (CHAMPION) vs. Triple H vs. Jeff Hardy (Armageddon 2008 Pay-Per-View)





TAG TEAM OF THE YEAR
D-X (Triple H and Shawn Michaels)

There is no question which tag team was in the spotlight the most in 2009, and that is DX. They reunited to feud with The Legacy. That feud saw DX win matches at Summerslam and Hell in a Cell. They also defeated the impressive pairing of Chris Jericho and the Big Show at Tables, Ladders, and Chairs to win their first ever Tag Tam Championship. And each episode of Raw since the reunion of DX centered on this legendary tag team, easily making them the winners of this award.

2008 Winner: JOHN MORRISON & THE MIZ





WRESTLER OF THE YEAR

John Cena

2009 was not a dominate year for John Cena. In fact, it may have been one of the toughest years of his career. Cena faced relentless challenges from Edge, Randy Orton, and Sheamus. But every time Cena needed to come through with a big win, he pulled it off! From beating Edge and Big Show at Wrestlemania 25 to win the World Heavyweight Championship, to defeating Big Show in a submission match at Extreme Rules, to a big win over Randy Orton in a “anything goes” 60-minute iron man match. When his back was against the wall and he needed a big win, John Cena emerged victorious, making him the wrestler of the year.

2008 Winner: C.M. PUNK





“NOW THAT…THAT’S COOL” AWARD

This award is for my favorite moment of the year.

The Undertaker’s Suicide Dive at Wrestlemania 25

My favorite moment of the year was also one of the scariest. During his match against Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania, the Undertaker launched himself in a suicide dive onto Shawn Michaels, who was on the arena floor. The Undertaker missed Michaels and landed on his head. He could have easily broken his neck. What made this moment so memorable for me is that is showed the dedication and passion that the Undertaker and so many other professional wrestlers have for the sport. The Undertaker is already one of the greatest wrestlers to ever step in the ring. He is a Legend. He has nothing to prove to anyone. But he gave it his all on that night in Houston. He put his body and his health on the line to entertain us fans. That is what makes professional wrestlers the greatest athletes in the world as well as the greatest entertainers in the world. We the fans must never take for granted what wrestlers like the Undertaker put their bodies through to entertain us night in and night out.

2008 Winner: JEFF HARDY WINS THE WWE CHAMPIONSHIP





And introducing a new award this year:

The “What a Sheamus” Award

This award is for an event that should never have happened.

The inaugural winner is: Sheamus Defeating John Cena for the WWE Championship at the Tables, Ladders, and Chairs Pay-Per-View

After only 6 months in the WWE, Shamus won the WWE Championship. This easily made him the newcomer of the year. But it also won him this award for the event that should never have happened in 2009. Sheamus did NOTHING to earn a title shot. Up until the TLC Pay-Per-View, his biggest claim to fame was feuding with an old, out of shape Goldust. He won a battle royal to earn the title shot. But he spent most of the battle royal just standing there looking confused. But the real reason that he should never have won the WWE Championship is that after only six months in the WWE, Shamus has done something that “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, Paul Orndorff, Big John Studd, Dusty Rhodes, Rick Rude, “Mr. Perfect” Curt Hennig, “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase, Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka, and Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat could not do in their entire career. There is no way that Shamus is a better wrestler than any of the Legends listed here. But he is a WWE Champion and they are not. “What a Sheamus”.

Remembering "Dr. Death" Steve Williams

I first heard about Steve Williams in the February 1987 issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated. Back before Youtube and internet news sites, the only way to learn about a wrester who did not work for the WWF or the NWA was in wrestling magazines. Pro Wrestling Illustrated was THE source for wrestling news in the 80’s and 90’s. The February 1987 issue of PWI featured seven wrestlers from the UFW on the cover. PWI and the UWF were sponsoring a tournament called the “$50,000 Challenge Tournament” to determine the best wrestler in the UWF. I thought it was really impressive that PWI was sponsoring this tournament. The fact that the leading source of wrestling news at the time was putting together this tournament meant to me that these wrestlers must be really special. Steve Williams went on to win this PWI sponsored tournament, giving him instant credibility in my mind.

Steve Williams left the UWF a year later and joined the NWA. He had a brief run as a member of Kevin Sullivan’s “Varsity Club”. But he did not catch my interest until he started teaming with Terry Gordy in 1989. Williams and Gordy defeated the Steiner Brothers for the WCW Tag Team Championship. This made me take notice of how great a wrestler Steve Williams was. The Steiner Brothers were two of my favorite wresters at the time and one of the best tag teams I had seen. For Steve Williams to be able to defeat the Steiner Brothers meant to me that was truly a great wrestler.

Williams spent some time in All Japan Pro Wrestling before stepping into the spotlight by signing with the WWF in 1998. Steve Williams competed in the “Brawl for All” competition. This was a bad idea by the WWF in which wrestlers would compete in legitimate fights. Williams was knocked out by Bart Gunn in the second round of the tournament. This destroyed Williams’s reputation as a tough guy and ended a promising career in the WWF.

Despite the disappointing way his WWF career ended, I will always remember Dr. Death Steve Williams as a great wrestler. His victory over the Steiner Brothers for the WCW Tag Team Championship is still one of the most impressive accomplishments I have ever seen in professional wresting.

But when Steve Williams’ in ring career was winding down, his biggest battle was only beginning. In 2004, he underwent surgery for throat cancer. In 2005, he was declared cancer free. In this battle with cancer, Steve Williams found a new tag team partner-a deeply personal Christian faith. In one of the blogs on his Myspace page, Steve Williams said “The greatest part is that you’ve got the toughest, baddest guy in pro wresting who is now preaching. Instead of taking my big hands to slap somebody, I’m telling people to put their hands together and pray.”

Sadly, the cancer returned and Steve Williams passed away on December 29, 2009 at 49 years of age. There are many ways to remember the life of this great wrester. We can watch his matches. We can use his card when playing Legends of Wrestling by Filsinger Games. But the best way to remember Dr. Death Steve Williams is by doing something that was very important to him. Take some time today, put your hands together, and pray for somebody. Pray for your family members. Pray for your friends. And pray for your enemies. If you do this, then Steve William’s legacy will live on and you will touch lives!