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SLAM! Wrestling 2015 Awards

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2015 was a surprising year. There were unexpected highs and unexpected lows. Looking back, we at SLAM! Wrestling have each chosen our best and worst of 2015. Check out our picks below. Agree? Disagree. As always, we welcome your feedback.

2015 Honours: Overall Awards

Best Male Wrestler of the Year

Rollins stood out in 2015. Photo Courtesy: WWE.
    • Pat Laprade; Shinsuke Nakamura: He’s the total package and he had another fantastic year in New Japan.

 

    • John Powell; Kevin Owens, Kazuchika ‘Rainmaker’ Okada (Tie): 2015 was nothing short of phenomenal for Owens. No matter who he was paired against, he stepped up to the challenge in every way. What can be said of The Rainmaker that hasn’t already been said. He is nothing short of phenomenal for his age. A legend in the making.

 

    • Matthew Byer; Brock Lesnar: Yes, he’s only part-time, but every match he was in felt significant and his feuds with Seth Rollins and The Undertaker were must see television.

 

    • Greg Oliver; Seth Rollins: He was the unexpected star of the year too, injury or no injury.

 

    • Jon Waldman; John Cena gets the award in my books. His run with the United States Championship was refreshingly different and he had some stellar work in the ring.

 

    • Matthew Asher; Kevin, by God, Owens. This guy shows up, dominates NXT. One-ups John Cena on his inaugural WWE match and is- probably the only non “powered-up” wrestler (Finn Balor’s Demon, I’m looking in your direction) who could currently stand toe-to-toe with Brock Lesnar. I have been so impressed by this man.

 

    • Nolan Howell; John Cena put the WWE on his back this year as always and added so much more with his WWE United States Championship Open Challenge. For match quality, you may not get more consistent than that series of matches and his PPV battles against Kevin Owens.

 

Best Female Wrestler of the Year

Sasha Banks proved she was The Boss in the ring. Photo Courtesy: WWE.
    • Pat Laprade; Bayley: Some of her matches were the best women’s matches in WWE’s history. She should be on the main roster.

 

    • John Powell; Sasha Banks: She elevated the status of women’s wrestling by being consistent and solid throughout the entire year.

 

    • Matthew Byer; Nicole Matthews: My choice for 2015, as it was in 2014, is Nicole Matthews. She continues to excel and elevate anyone she steps in the ring with. If you haven’t yet had the chance to see Matthews live in the squared circle, but have the opportunity to do so I highly recommend it.

 

    • Greg Oliver; Bayley: Will her magic translate to WWE’s main roster? Alas, looking at how Charlotte, Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks are used, no.

 

    • Jon Waldman; Sasha Banks – Two MOTY candidates in one year. Why the edge over her opponent, Bayley then? The work on the big stage with the likes of Paige.

 

    • Matthew Asher; Sasha Banks and her meteoric rise. It’s a shame WWE didn’t use her and now she’s on the shelf. However, her matches in NXT were great.

 

    • Nolan Howell; Sasha Banks put on some of the best women’s wrestling matches of all-time this year. Unfortunately, she got lost in the disaster that is the Divas Revolution on the main roster, but those who saw her magical year know what the company is missing.

 

Best Canadian Wrestler of the Year (Male)

Kevin Owens shone brightly in 2015. Photo Courtesy: WWE.
    • Pat Laprade; Kevin Owens: What a year he had. NXT and IC champion, defeating Cena, which Canadian can top that?

 

    • John Powell; Kevin Owens: Bringing back so many old school traits with so much intensity, Kevin has been on the rise since winning the NXT title and has never looked back.

 

    • Matthew Byer; Adam Ryder: All Star Wrestling’s Adam Ryder in 2015 has truly come into his own as a performer and has had a tremendous year capturing his first ASW Trans Canada Title.

 

    • Greg Oliver; Kevin Owens: We always knew he was great, but debuting and pinning John Cena makes this a no-brainer.

 

    • Jon Waldman; Kevin Owens – Any other year he would’ve been best male overall as well. Fantastic in-ring work in both WWE and NXT and got over huge by being a badass.

 

    • Matthew Asher; Kevin Owens for the reasons above.

 

    • Nolan Howell; Kevin Owens put it all together this year with a badass style in the ring and on the microphone. Let’s hope this throwback to big guys just beating on people rises to the top of the heap in WWE in 2016.

 

Best Canadian Wrestler of the Year (female)

Nicole Matthews leads the pack. Photo Courtesy: SHIMMER.
    • Pat Laprade; Nicole Matthews: SHIMMER champion for most of the year and ECCW champion for half of it.

 

    • John Powell; Gail Kim: She had a great year and has had to meander through all that has happened to TNA Heck, she even fought Tigre Uno.
    • Matthew Byer; Nicole Matthews

 

    • Greg Oliver; Gail Kim: A win by default. Nicole Matthews as SHIMMER champ was great, but she just doesn’t get out and travel enough outside of B.C. and the SHIMMER tapings.

 

    • Jon Waldman; Emma – Okay she was trained in Canada so that is close enough for me. She was floudering as a babyface on the main roster but reinvented herself beautifully in NXT.

 

    • Nolan Howell; Gail Kim has been one of the cornerstones of consistency in one of the most chaotic wrestling promotions in history. This year was no different.

 

Best Tag Team of the Year

The New Day proved they didn’t suck. Photo Courtesy: WWE.
    • Pat Laprade; The Young Bucks: They are simply incredible. Superkick party everyone!

 

    • John Powell; The New Day, The Young Bucks (Tie): Yeah, they take their comedy act over the top far too much and oftentimes are not that funny anymore. Yeah, they cheat to win all the freaking time. The thing is they were the most talked about and the most harmonious team. The Young Bucks are well on their way to being the next Hardy Boys or British Bulldogs. They are one of the most innovative tag teams I have seen in many, many years.

 

    • Matthew Byer; The New Day: The New Day are really the only sensible choice. They had great matches, were entertaining, and continue to get better every time they get in the ring.

 

    • Greg Oliver; The New Day: No one saw this coming, since they started out initially thrown together as a pseudo-religious trio.

 

    • Jon Waldman; Jordan and Gable – Hands down, these guys are the best team in WWE today. Their chemistry is awesome, their moveset is unparalleled, and that finisher is downright sick.

 

    • Matthew Asher; The New Day. While I was originally hoping for a modern “Nation” team, the use of a trombone and unicorn references makes this the easiest pick of them all.

 

    • Nolan Howell; The New Day turned a dead in the water gimmick into one of the greatest comedy acts and greatest stables in recent memory. While Gable and Jordan will soon challenge for this throne, New Day made the tag team division in WWE their yard and everyone else is just playing in it.

 

Best Announcer of the Year

Corey Graves was another breakout talent in 2015. Photo Courtesy: WWE.
    • Pat Laprade; Rich Brennan: I like him a lot, both with NXT and Smackdown. He is not trying to steal the show and is effective at what he does.

 

    • John Powell; Corey Graves: Although it was just awful how his in-ring career ended, it certainly did open another opportunity for Graves who has excelled at commentary in NXT. Sure, he still has much to learn and some polish to apply but he is far better than anyone the WWE has at present.

 

    • Matthew Byer; If we’re talking about the best ring announcer my choice would be Scotty Sweatervest. However, if this is for the play-by-play or colour commentator announcer there wasn’t anyone you could point to who was really outstanding.

 

    • Greg Oliver; No vote – I just tune them out in general.

 

    • Jon Waldman; Corey Graves – Graves easily outdistances his associates in the booth by being straight up in his commentary. Honourable mention to Kevin Kelly who did a great job in RoH, especially with changing color commentators.

 

    • Matthew Asher; Matt Striker. This mostly has to do with the final few weeks of Lucha Underground. I totally get that most people don’t like him but I think it’s more of him calling the Cero Miedo match at Ultima Lucha that I really enjoyed.

 

    • Nolan Howell; Rich Brennan is one of the bright spots in the dark cave of WWE announcing (or perhaps wrestling announcing in general). Brennan knows the moves and captures emotion unlike anyone else in the company can.

 

Best Faction – Stable of the Year

The Bullet Club are just…Too Sweet. Photo Courtesy: New Japan Pro Wrestling.
    • Pat Laprade; With the recent return of Adam Cole, PWG’s Mount Rushmore 2.0 of the Young Bucks, Roderick Strong, Super Dragon and Cole.

 

    • John Powell; The New Day, The Bullet Club (Tie): With the Wyatt Family spinning around in limbo and not making a lot of impact this year, the title falls to The New Day who have been the team to beat in 2015. The Bullet Club has retained their momentum and popularity throughout 2015.

 

    • Matthew Byer; The Wyatt Family: The only faction that seemed to get any real traction this year was The Wyatt Family. Their impact was muted somewhat, though, due to WWE Creative never letting them get many wins throughout 2015.

 

    • Greg Oliver; The New Day – Bringing back the Freebird rule…Well…ruled!

 

    • Jon Waldman; The New Day – Is there anyone more entertaining on the stick (and trombone) than these guys? The cool thing is they are all on point, not just one guy leading the troubadores.

 

    • Matthew Asher; One again, the New Day in a walk.

 

    • Nolan Howell; The New Day takes this again. The trio have not only perfected a sports entertainment act akin to the Harlem Globetrotters, but also make a similar social impact for breaking racial molds in wrestling and the WWE specifically.

 

Best Non-Wrestler of the Year

Paul Heyman, doing what he does best. Photo Courtesy: WWE.
    • Pat Laprade; Paul Heyman. The last of the Mohicans, Heyman is the best manager in the business by far.

 

    • John Powell; Paul Heyman and Lana (Tie): Both have been in the spotlight just as much as their charges.

 

    • Matthew Byer; Rhonda Rousey: In my mind there really isn’t any other choice other than Rhonda Rousey. The impact she made at WrestleMania in only a couple of minutes was incredible.

 

    • Greg Oliver; Lana – For the early part of the year, she was the IT girl, destined for superstardom. Looking back now, that’s pretty quaint, since they screwed up her push so badly.

 

    • Jon Waldman; Paul Heyman – Paul could read the menu at McDonald’s and make it sound interesting. I can hear it now: “The Conquerer of Colons – Biiiiiiig MAC!”

 

    • Matthew Asher; Dario Cueto. El Jefe from Lucha Underground has been great. Actaully wanting to promote title matches without the cheap cash in? Love it. Having no problem admitting he loves seeing people get hurt, regardless of their alliances. Awesome. Can’t wait for Season 2 in a few weeks.

 

    • Nolan Howell; Dario Cueto of Lucha Underground wins this hands down. There are few who can be as deliciously evil and slimy as the leader of “The Temple.”

 

Best Major Promotion of the Year

If you aren’t watching NXT, you are missing out on the best wrestling on TV. Photo Courtesy: WWE.
    • Pat Laprade; New Japan Pro Wrestling.

 

    • John Powell; NXT, New Japan Pro Wrestling (Tie): Although they are not perfect, that is part of their charm, NXT outshines Raw with its incredibly hard-working, dedicated and creative staff. If you are not watching New Japan, you are missing some of the greatest wrestling talent and matches on the face of the planet.

 

    • Matthew Byer; WWE: This was not a great year creatively for WWE, but the end of 2015 shows some signs that they might be turning the corner so they’re my pick this year.

 

    • Greg Oliver; WWE – Again by default.

 

    • Jon Waldman; NXT – The performances by WWE’s developmental crew have been on point consistently, and the attendance success at TakeOver specials speaks to how good these guys and gals are.

 

    • Matthew Asher; NXT. Both LU and NXT share a similar theme of having wrestling matter and not just rehashing the same old matches together. Plus the importing of all the Indie stars has been great.

 

    • Nolan Howell; NXT can’t lose. Their recruiting and booking show that the future of the WWE looks very bright despite the doldrums the company is in these days. Their accessibility gives them the nod over a red-hot New Japan as well.

 

Best Indie Promotion of the Year

If you aren’t watching ROH, you are missing out on some of the best of the best. Photo Courtesy: ROH.
    • Pat Laprade; Tie between PWG and ROH.

 

    • John Powell; Ring of Honor: A fantastic breeding ground for future stars.

 

    • Matthew Byer; I feel very privileged having two great promotions in All Star Wrestling and Elite Canadian Championship Wrestling putting on great shows throughout the British Columbia lower mainland. Both continued to provide high quality wrestling in 2015, but I know it would be a copout to choose both. So this year I choose All Star Wrestling who had some truly moving moments including WrestleReunion and Michelle Starr’s retirement match, expanded their brand with Girls Gone Wrestling, and, also, have had a lot of their talent continue to grow and excel such as Matt XStatic, Azeem The Dream, The Great Kasaki, Adam Ryder, Bambi Hall, and many more.

 

    • Greg Oliver; No vote – I have to work with so many of them, I shouldn’t pick a favourite. But a local indy with TV isn’t all that different than any other promotion, except WWE, which is a whole different level.

 

    • Jon Waldman; RoH – The little company that could. RoH survived Destination America, a feat in and of itself, and despite contract issues still looks to be going strong.

 

    • Matthew Asher; Lucha Underground. I never thought I’d be excited to see 30-year old veteran Vampiro face a ninja skeleton in a hardcore match in 2015. But wow. And I love the B-movie feel of the background segments.

 

    • Nolan Howell; Ring of Honor continues to be the standard for independent wrestling with electric crowds and a very diverse roster that has a little bit of everything to offer.

 

Best Wrestling Event – PPV of the year

HHH and Sting at WrestleMania 31. Photo Courtesy: WWE.
    • Pat Laprade; New Japan’s Wrestle Kingdom 9.

 

    • John Powell; WrestleMania 31, New Japan’s Wrestle Kingdom 9: Not only the two best PPVs of 2015 but one of the very best WrestleManias and Wrestle Kingdoms ever produced.

 

    • Matthew Byer; Wrestlemania

 

    • Greg Oliver; WrestleMania – Nothing compares, and nothing gets people talking more.

 

    • Jon Waldman; NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn – the best Women’s match this decade and a fantastic environment easily puts this at the top of the class.

 

    • Matthew Asher; NXT Takeover Brooklyn. Jushin Thunder Liger. Apollo Crews debut. Bailey/Sasha Banks. Wow.

 

    • Nolan Howell; NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn was meant to be a prequel to SummerSlam, but it stole the spotlight with Sasha Banks and Bayley putting on the match of the year.

 

Best Weekly TV Show of the Year
    • Pat Laprade; NXT.

 

    • John Powell; NXT: In our household, we watch only the best parts (if there are any) of Raw on YouTube, pass on Smackdown! almost every week, however, we never miss NXT. It is a shame that many wrestling fans are still in dark when it comes to NXT.

 

    • Matthew Byer; NXT: WWE NXT was the strongest and easily better than RAW or Smackdown.

 

    • Greg Oliver; NXT – This is the episodic, wrestling-based shows that we grew up on and loved. And it’s one hour.

 

    • Jon Waldman; Breaking Ground – WWE outdid itself with this docuseries. I hope it returns for a second season.

 

    • Matthew Asher; Honestly this is a toss-up between both Lucha Underground and NXT. Maybe it has to do with the fact that both shows are just an hour so there’s no filler. Hint, hint RAW and your 3-hour shows.

 

    • Nolan Howell; Lucha Underground perhaps offered the most consistent show this year in terms of wrestling quality and storylines. Where NXT got a little squash match heavy, LU brought stories that could seamlessly blend in with “regular TV” along with breakneck-paced wrestling.

 

Most Improved Wrestler of the Year

John Cena brought the U.S. Title back to glory in 2015. Photo Courtesy: WWE.
    • Pat Laprade; John Cena. Okay, let me explain myself. Between the U.S. challenge and the matches with Owens, we saw a totally different Cena in the ring, doing new moves and taking new ones as well and especially his matches with Owens, Cesaro and Zayn were awesome. That’s improvement to me.

 

    • John Powell; Tyler Breeze: Whether NXT or the main WWE roster, Tyler Breeze really stepped it up in 2015.

 

    • Matthew Byer; Dean Ambrose: There are a lot of candidates for this one, but I have to give it Dean Ambrose who definitely showed improvement throughout the year.

 

    • Jon Waldman; John Cena – Cena took what was stale and made a major step in re-invention with the U.S. strap, showing that he can indeed wrestle.

 

    • Matthew Asher; Roman Reigns. After being booed out of his ‘Mania win, Roman has steadily improved. Mike work still needs improvement but I’m happy with what he’s done so far.

 

    • Nolan Howell; John Cena takes best of the year and most improved. While Cena was not bad by any means before this year, he proved that he can work with anyone and any style brought to him to make a must-see match.

 

Match of the Year

Undertaker and Lesnar battled on last year. Photo Courtesy: WWE.
    • Pat Laprade; Shinsuke Nakamura vs Kota Ibushi – New Japan’s Wrestle Kingdom 9.

 

    • John Powell; John Cena versus Kevin Owens (Elimination Chamber), Sami Zayn versus Kevin Owens (NXT TakeOver: Rival), Hiroshi Tanahashi versus Kazuchika Okada (Wrestle Kingdom 9) (Tie): Sue me. I couldn’t just pick one in this spectacular year of wrestling. Kevin Owens has rocketed through the stratosphere this year, not just because of the little, novel touches he brings to his heel persona but because he has been a major participant in some of the best matches of 2015. Tanahashi versus Okada told a thrilling story.

 

    • Matthew Byer; The Undertaker versus Brock Lesnar in Hell in a Cell was the most epic match of the year and the one that stands out the most .

 

    • Jon Waldman; Tie – Cena/Cesaro II / Bayley/Sasha I – WWE really stepped up their in-ring game this year, and trying to pick a single match out of the crop was impossible.

 

    • Matthew Asher; Toss up between Grave Consequences on Lucha Underground and the Banks/Bailey match at Takeover Brooklyn. Both were masterpieces in their own way.

 

    • Nolan Howell; Tie between Sasha Banks vs. Bayley at TakeOver: Brooklyn and Mil Muertes vs. Fenix in a “Grave Consequences” casket match on Lucha Underground. The former is one of the best straight wrestling displays of the year, while the latter has some of the more brutal spots in what could be considered the “gimmick match” of the year.

 

Feud of the Year

Owens and Cena brought out the best in each other during their feud. Photo Courtesy: WWE.
    • Pat Laprade; Roman Reigns vs The Authority (Triple H, Stephanie and Vince McMahon) Hey! They were able to make Reigns a good babyface with the crowd. It worked at some point.

 

    • John Powell; Bullet Club versus Everyone, John Cena Vs Kevin Owens: Not only was their series of matches knockdown, drag out affairs but they were some of the best matches of 2015. As a faction, the Bullet Club continues to roll with the punches and cause chaos in New Japan.

 

    • Matthew Byer; Again, The Undertaker versus Brock Lesnar is the one feud from 2015 that was memorable.
    • Greg Oliver; John Cena vs Kevin Owens – I loved seeing Owens win, Cena fight back but give a lot of rub in return. Owens is in the mix of WWE headliners because of this feud.

 

    • Jon Waldman; None – Not that there weren’t great rivalries that were burgeoning, but it seemed like whenever something was getting going, there was an injury or another circumstance that derailed.

 

    • Matthew Asher; NXT’s Four Horsewomen. While they only had 1 match together for the title, the constant level of matches that Sasha, Charlotte, Becky and Bailey put on was amazing.

 

    • Nolan Howell; Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker had one of the most exciting moments of the year as they brawled all around the arena and even sent the commentators running on an episode of Raw. The two even managed to put on some quality matches as Undertaker nears the end of his run.

 

Rookie of the Year

Chad Gable, the next Kurt Angle? Photo Courtesy: WWE.
    • Pat Laprade; Chad Gable. Can’t wait to see how far he can actually go. Superstar material if he’s being used well.

 

    • John Powell; Chad Gable: His star is on the rise and he has worked hard in 2015. Let’s hope he gets the push he deserves in 2016.

 

    • Matthew Byer; For Indie Rookie of the Year my choice is Violet Affect who has an amazing ability to rile up any crowd she performs in front of; and for the Major Promotion Rookie of the Year it’s got to be Kevin Owens who has had excellent matches in 2015 against a myriad of WWE opponents.

 

    • Greg Oliver; Stephen Amell – Why not? He acquitted himself very well in his tag team bout at SummerSlam. The idea of an NXT “rookie” is laughable, given the experience of some of the people there.

 

    • Jon Waldman; None – Chad Gable – Gable did it all in the ring and outside. Kurt Angle’s got some competition coming for best Olympian!

 

    • Nolan Howell; Moose of Ring of Honor is going to be a megastar. In his first year or so, few in Ring of Honor can rival the raw athleticism in the ring and audience reaction the big man gets just from pumping his arm down.

 

2015 Dishonours

Worst Match of the Year

Sheamus and Roman, worst match of 2015? Photo Courtesy: WWE.
    • Pat Laprade; The Villanos vs Los Psycho Circus AAA’s Triplemania.

 

    • John Powell; Big Show Versus Ryback – Money in the Bank. From start to finish, one big sloppy mess.

 

    • Matthew Byer: Sheamus versus Roman Reigns at TLC was the worst not because of the performance in the ring, but because the outcome was so terribly predictable. The only saving grace was Roman Reigns taking out Triple H after the match was over.

 

Worst Feud of the Year

The Divas Revolution just didn’t deliver. Photo Courtesy: WWE.
    • John Powell; The Divas Revolution: With all the pomp and circumstance, it has fizzled into nothing more than three teams beating on each other. While there has been some truly amazing single matches (mostly in NXT), the WWE still felt the need to reward Bayley and Sasha Banks with…flowers and a staff ovation. When has that ever happened with John Cena or Seth Rollins or…

 

    • Matthew Byer; The entire WWE Divas Revolution, which should have been excellent considering the in-ring talent involved, but was completely botched by the WWE Creative team. Too many three team factions and not enough focus on the matchup that everyone wanted to see which was Charlotte versus Sasha Banks.

 

    • Matthew Asher; Wyatts vs. Dudleyz.

 

    • Nolan Howell; The Divas Revolution has been mishandled from top to bottom. Poor writing, pushing Charlotte (who somehow regressed from NXT to the main roster) and Stephanie McMahon to the forefront, adding Ric Flair, reinforcing the “all women hate each other” trope…time to hit the reset button and try again down the road.

 

Worst Announcer of the Year

Silence is definitely golden for JBL. Photo Courtesy: WWE.
    • John Powell; JBL, : Just terrible in every way, yet the WWE still puts him in front of the microphone despite all of his mistakes and blunders.

 

    • Matthew Byer; I hate doing this, but the poor quality of the WWE Announce Teams for both RAW and Smackdown is truly stunning. I don’t know if it’s a case of what they’re being instructed to say over their headsets is poor, or the on camera talent involved, but there needs to be changes made to what is being done.

 

    • Matthew Asher; Take your pick of Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler or JBL.

 

    • Nolan Howell; D’Angelo Dinero has played to the lowest common denominator so well. While a perfect fit in that sense for TNA, he is an unwelcome assault on the ears on a wrestling show that attacks your eyes.

 

Worst Wrestling Event – PPV of the year

After Survivor Series, there was nothing to celebrate. Photo Courtesy: WWE.
    • John Powell; Survivor Series: One disappointment after another. In one par-per-view, it symbolizes everything that is wrong with the WWE.

 

    • Matthew Byer; WWE’s TLC was the least anticipated show of the year and while there were some interesting matches the fact so few people were interested in the PPV was a real indictment of the WWE Creative team.

 

    • Matthew Asher; Survivor Series. Unless you were living under a rock last year, everyone knew the final match would be Roman and Dean with Roman winning, and then Sheamus cashing in. Total lack of creativity.

 

    • Nolan Howell; TNA Slammiversary went from the company’s hallmark show to a hodgepodge collection of former talent on a pay-per-view that was acting a go-home show for a special episode of Impact.

 

Worst Male Wrestler of the Year

He tried to Bolieve, he really did. Photo Courtesy: WWE.
    • John Powell; Bo Dallas, Adam Rose, Curtis Axel, Damien Sandow, Heath Slater, Jack Swagger, The Miz: Seems like half the roster, doesn’t it? That’s because it pretty much is. All of these guys have proven to be talented individuals yet the WWE has totally forgotten about them, mismanaging their careers and wasting their skills. They all could improve the product but WWE creative is too busy pumping out the same old, musty superstars and angles. What happened to repacking people? What happened to investing in your talent?

 

    • Matthew Byer; Bo Dallas would certainly seem to be the WWE wrestler in the worst situation with an incredibly tired gimmick and no sign of things getting better. Dallas is at the point where he would certainly benefit from being repackaged under a different name and character.

 

Worst Female Wrestler of the Year

2015 just wasn’t Eva Marie’s year in the ring. Photo Courtesy: WWE.
    • John Powell; Eva Marie; No matter how much they push her, it is clear she is not ready for prime time. She could be some day but not now.

 

    • Matthew Byer; The entire WWE Creative Team for messing up the WWE Divas Revolution.

 

    • Matthew Asher; Eva Marie.

 

Worst Tag Team of the Year

The Ascension, just another in a long line of great talent the WWE has bungled. Photo Courtesy: WWE.
    • John Powell; The Ascension, Los Matadores (Tie): The Ascension were amazing in NXT then the WWE dropped the ball when they moved them up to the main roster. I have sympathy for Konnor, Viktor. They toiled so hard over the years in NXT and then the main roster management just ruins everything they have worked so hard for. A crying shame to be sure. Los Matadores? Another able team the WWE just doesn’t have a clue what to do with.

 

    • Matthew Byer; When The Ascension first started in WWE there were high hopes for the tag-team, but now it seems like they’ve really lost their way.

 

2015 Honours: Federation Awards

Finn Balor also had a banner year in NXT. Photo Courtesy: WWE.

Pat Laprade

  • Best WWE Wrestler (Male): Seth Rollins
  • Best WWE Wrestler (Female): Paige
  • Best TNA Wrestler (Male): Austin Aries
  • Best TNA Wrestler (Female): Gail Kim
  • Best NXT Wrestler (Male): Finn Balor
  • Best NXT Wrestler (Female): Bayley
  • Best RoH Wrestler: Roderick Strong

Matthew Byer

  • Best WWE Wrestler (Male): Brock Lesnar.
  • Best WWE Wrestler (Female): Charlotte.
  • Worst WWE Wrestler (Male): Bo Dallas.
  • Worst WWE Wrestler (Female): WWE Creative team.
  • Best TNA Wrestler (Male): Bobby Roode.
  • Best TNA Wrestler (Female): Gail Kim.
  • Best NXT Wrestler (Male): Finn Balor
  • Best NXT Wrestler (Female): Bayley
  • Best ROH Wrestler (Male): Michael Elgin

Jon Waldman

  • Best WWE Wrestler (Male): John Cena.
  • Best WWE Wrestler (Female): Paige.
  • Best TNA Wrestler (Male): EC3.
  • Best NXT Wrestler (Male): Finn Balor
  • Best NXT Wrestler (Female): Sasha Banks
  • Best ROH Wrestler (Male): Michael Elgin
  • Best ROH Wrestler (Female): Veda Scott

John Powell

  • Best WWE Wrestler: Seth Rollins.
  • Worst WWE wrestler: As mentioned above: Bo Dallas, Adam Rose, Curtis Axel, Damien Sandow, Heath Slater, Jack Swagger, The Miz – although it ain’t their fault, mismanagement by the bookers and others.
  • Best NXT wrestler: Finn Bálor.
  • Worst NXT wrestler: Eva Marie.

Matthew Asher

  • Best WWE Wrestler (Male): Kevin Owens
  • Best WWE Wrestler (Female): Sasha Banks
  • Best TNA Wrestler (Male): EC3
  • Best NXT Wrestler (Male): Finn Balor
  • Best NXT Wrestler (Female): If we’re talking current roster then Asuka. But for the entire body of 2015, it’s a tie between Sasha Banks and Bailey.
  • Worst NXT Wrestler (Female): Eva Marie

Nolan Howell

  • Best WWE Wrestler (Male): John Cena
  • Best WWE Wrestler (Female): Nikki Bella
  • Best TNA Wrestler (Male): EC3
  • Best TNA Wrestler (Female): Gail Kim
  • Best NXT Wrestler (Male): Kevin Owens
  • Best NXT Wrestler (Female): Sasha Banks.
  • Best ROH Wrestler (Female): Adam Cole

 

Love him or hate him, there is no denying Canadian Kevin Owens had a breakout year in the WWE. (Photo Courtesy: WWE.)

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