The WWE Network broadcasted the 2020 Slammy Awards this morning on both the full and free versions of the network. This is the first Slammy Awards event to be held since 2015, and included fan voting for certain categories: Superstar of the Year; Match of the Year; Rivalry of the Year; Tag Team of the Year; and Return of the Year. Personally, I trust the fan voting element about as much as I used to for the Cyber Sunday PPV, where fans were supposedly given the chance to vote on match participants or stipulations. Oh, well, we’ve had enough voting drama for 2020, so I’ll just go along with this one.
On a pre-show which started a half-hour earlier, The Bump crew of Kayla Braxton, Matt Camp, Evan T. Mack, and Ryan Pappolla prognosticated the winners and their own favourites. Mack and Pappolla were both getting very excited, with Pappolla sounding a bit like Gilbert Gottfried at times, if had he done wrestling commentary. That’s not a knock; how come Gottfried never made it as a guest celebrity host of Monday Night Raw?
The Slammys are rich in (silly) history, as shown in flashbacks during the pre-show with moments like Batista hijacking Maria’s acceptance speech, The Miz facing off against “Angry Miz Girl”, and, for the first of many times this morning, a look back at the man who may have made the most of the Slammys: Owen Hart.
Before you go on and read the full results, though, remember that The Slam Wrestling Awards are a thing of beauty, too! Make sure you catch up on all the awards handed out by Slam Wrestling writers, with categories and nominees from across all major promotions!
We open the show with R-Truth in his rented limo on the way to the glamorous awards location of WWE Warehouse and Archives building, in Norwalk, CT. I suppose it’s still a step up from presenting the awards at Four Seasons Total Landscaping. Speaking of cut-rate, I don’t recall ever seeing a phone number and website splashed across the back window of Vince’s limo whenever he arrived on Raw. Then again, Vince’s limo always carried the risk of blowing up, so I don’t suppose R-Truth is complaining.
R-Truth is performing in front an array of WWE Superstar cardboard stand-ups; and it looks like Alexa Bliss’ needs an update. R-Truth doesn’t just use them as a backdrop, either. He engages in conversation with them, including a testy one-way exchange with Finn Balor.
Shawn Michaels hands out the first award, which is for the Male Superstar of the year. The nominees are Drew McIntyre, Roman Reigns, Randy Orton, Braun Strowman, and “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt.
The Winner is Drew McIntyre! McIntyre is humbled by the win in his remote acceptance speech, referencing watching Owen Hart celebrate his Slammy wins as a moment he loved as a fan.
Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi is about to present the award for Best Ring Gear. The nominees are Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, Seth Rollins, The New Day, Bianca Belair, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Carmella.
The winners are The New Day! Xavier Woods is almost heelish in his reaction, expressing how obvious it was that they would win. Kingston is a little more gracious, and Big E, in another location, is excited to the point of unintelligible shouting.
Mick Foley has the award winner for Return of the Year in hand. He admits it’s a good award for him to present, what with all of his own returns – and that little joke introduces the laugh track for the show. It’s a nice touch. The nominees are Goldberg, MVP, Roman Reigns, Sami Zayn, and Edge.
The Winner is Edge! Edge, however, is not available to thank the fans for voting him the winner. According to Foley, Edge is too busy rehabilitating his injury to appear. Lame.
Todd Pettengill is here! Re-vote on Return of the Year! He’s showcasing a Top 5 list of Slammy Awards Moments. He lists Owen Hart stealing an award, himself singing the opening number, and singing again later in the show. He moves forward in time to show Daniel Bryan winning six awards, then Shawn Michaels challenging The Undertaker, and finally returns to the past to show Vince doing his oft-lampooned musical bit Stand Back.
Method Man presents an award for Musical Performance of the Year. There are no nominees, only a winner: Elias! Elias appears to quite humbly (for him, at least) thank the WWE for the award, and throws out the idea of a collaboration with Method Man.
The Bachelor’s Demi Burnett is presenting the award for Rivalry of the Year. The nominees are Sasha Banks VS. Bayley, Edge VS. Orton, Lana VS. Announcers’ Table, Seth Rollins VS. The Mysterio Family, R-Truth VS. The World, and Drew McIntyre VS. Randy Orton.
The winner is: Edge VS. Randy Orton! R-Truth shows some sour grapes for not winning. His logic is that Edge and Orton only had to face one person, whereas he, in defending his 24/7 Championship, faced off against “sixteen and a half billion people”. He’s flabbergasted. So are we, Truth.
Next up is Trish Stratus presenting the award for Female Superstar of the Year. The nominees are Asuka, Sasha Banks, Bayley, Becky Lynch, and Charlotte Flair.
The winner is Sasha Banks! Stratus took a little time to lament how The Slammys were absent during her own in-ring career, but she does still have her Diva of the Decade Award to soothe her soul. In a recorded bit, Beth Phoenix also brings up Owen Hart’s Slammy theatrics as a favourite memory from watching as a fan.
TikToker Derek Baker is presenting the award for Breakout Star of the Year. The nominees are Dominik Mysterio, Bianca Belair, Murphy, Otis, and The Street Profits.
The winners are The Street Profits! They are also in a humble and gracious mood, and are most appreciative of the recognition.
We are treated to a quick succession of award announcements hosted by Kayla Braxton, Ryan Pappolla, and Matt Camp, just like when the Oscars hand out tons of awards that don’t make the prime time cut.
Social Media Superstar of the Year: Bayley
Female Trash Talker of the Year: Lacey Evans
Male Trash Talkers of the Year: The Hurt Business
The WWE Network Documentary of the Year: Undertaker: The Last Ride
Celebrity Appearance of the Year: Rob Gronkowski
The Double-Cross of the Year: Bayley
Referee of the Year: Charles Robinson
That last award brought the most hi-jinks and shenanigans, as referee John Cone had shown up in absolute certainty that he would win. He even tried accepting the award with a blond wig (and a high-pitched voice?), pretending to be Charles Robinson.
Ken Jeong is presenting the award for the Moment of the Year. The nominees are: Edge returns to the men’s Royal Rumble, Drew McIntyre defeats Brock Lesnar, Becky Lynch announces her pregnancy, Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman unite, Bayley betrays Sasha Banks, The New Day drafted to different brands, and The Undertaker’s Final Farewell.
The Moment of the Year is The Undertaker’s Final Farewell! Jeong started his bit in promo mode, lashing out at John Cena and Vince McMahon, but ended on a sincere note and thanked all of WWE for providing entertainment in trying times this year, and a special thanks for The Undertaker for his thirty years in the ring.
Clark Duke is on-screen to announce the winner of Tag Team of the Year. The nominees are The Golden Role Models, Shinsuke Nakamura & Cesaro, Shayna Baszler & Nia Jax, The New Day, The Street Profits.
The Tag Team of the Year is The Street Profits! Duke is a little worried about backlash from The Miz and John Morrison after they were snubbed from even a nomination in this category. R-Truth brings up Duke’s role in the movie Hot Tub Time Machine, and wonders what it was like to for him to have “went in time in a hot tub”. Not “went back in time”, just “went in time”. I honestly can’t tell when R-Truth is saying nonsense to be funny, and I think that’s probably a tribute to his performance.
Presenting the award for Best Match of the Year are Rico and Raini Rodriguez. The nominees are Becky Lynch VS. Asuka, the Men’s Royal Rumble, AJ Styles VS. The Undertaker (The Boneyard Match), AJ Styles VS. Daniel Bryan (Intercontinental Tournament Finals, Edge VS. Randy Orton (The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever), AJ Styles VS. Sami Zayn VS. Jeff Hardy (Ladder Match), Roman Reigns VS. Jey Uso (I Quit Hell in a Cell), Sasha Banks VS. Bayley, The New Day VS. The Hurt Business, Drew McIntyre VS. Roman Reigns.
The Match of the Year is: The Boneyard Match – The Undertaker VS. AJ Styles! Both Styles and The Undertaker continue the majority trend today of delivering very humble and appreciative speeches. The Undertaker specifically thanks Styles for calling him out and making him come back for the match.
I can’t say that I’m thrilled that this match, while very entertaining, wins Match of the Year, but I’ll point out that the award not going to “The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever” kind of nullifies that match’s name, doesn’t it?
Ric Flair is presenting the final award of the day, and it’s for Superstar of the Year. The nominees are Drew McIntyre, Asuka, Roman Reigns, Sasha Banks, Randy Orton, Bayley, Braun Strowman, Becky Lynch, “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt, and Charlotte Flair.
The winner is: Drew McIntyre! Another gracious “thank you” from McIntyre to the fans, a customary “Woo” from Flair, and that’s the show!
Thanks for following along with our live updates, and enjoy the bragging of heels holding their Slammy Awards for the next little while.
