Comeback of the Year: Big Show
(Runners Up – Brock Lesnar, Layla, Matt Morgan)
Big Show didn’t come back from an injury or absence from television, but he did come back from being a shell of what he had the potential to be. Big Show is finally being consistently booked, and he was rewarded towards the end of the year with a World Heavyweight Championship reign, which is still going on. He got his ‘Wrestlemania moment’ by beating Cody Rhodes for the Intercontinental Championship, and he was also looking strong in the spring while aligned with John Laurinaitis. Big Show has been on fire lately, and he really made a statement by earning convincing wins over former champion Sheamus at Hell In A Cell and TLC. Big Show made a comeback from being a mediocre giant, and he deserves credit for what he accomplished this year. Much of the blame can be put on WWE writing in the past, but Big Show has been a good worker and is finally being appropriately rewarded for his hard work.
(Note: Brock Lesnar was nominated for Comeback of the Year, and Disappointment of the Year. You may ask, why? Honestly, the times he were used were effective and entertaining, but they should have found a way to use him more. Quitting twice seemed a bit much; they could have said he had other obligations or used him somehow near Survivor Series time; The Rock left without an explanation and we know where he is. Brock Lesnar being on WWE television was a welcomed return, and his first match back was even an early Match of the Year candidate, I just wish there’d be more. Hopefully 2013 brings more than we got this year.)
Worst Idea of the Year: Claire Lynch
(Runners Up – AJ’s Affair w/ John Cena, Hulk Hogan threatening to ‘kill’ a masked Aces and Eights member for answers, Michael Cole reporting Jerry Lawler’s “anal bleeding”)
It was just bad from the start. AJ Styles was set up to have an affair with this woman, which was all set up by Daniels and Kazarian. Dixie Carter was involved at the beginning, and they went back and forth a bunch of times telling us both sides of the story. The whole thing was tiring, and the only reason the angle ended so suddenly was because fans found out the actress playing Claire’s real identity on her website and started harassing her. I feel bad for the actress, and I feel bad for the wrestlers involved because it was the worst thing TNA did after making a lot of progress in other areas. What makes it worse, is that WWE tried to copy the storyline and they ended that because pictures leaked of John Cena and Nikki Bella, his real girlfriend. In the end, Claire gets the nod over Cena/AJ because AJ’s out of office activities resulted in her turning heel, and Daniels, Kazarian and Styles pretty much stayed where they were as far as character is concerned.
Tag Team of the Year: Team Hell No
(Runners Up – Bad Intentions aka Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian, Chavo Guerrero & Hernandez, R-Truth & Kofi Kingston)
A no brainer. Team Hell No has been brilliant, and both Kane and Daniel Bryan have turned a possible turd into gold. Their anger management segments were very funny, and they have come together and handled themselves in the ring when it mattered. They have gone from a dysfunctional over-the-top team to a sarcastic, cohesive unit, and they are at the top of the WWE’s tag division revival.
(Awards continued on the next page…)
