List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards

This is a list of both active and inactive Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards created by professional wrestling journalist, Dave Meltzer. The first fourteen awards were created in 1980 as an informal poll between Meltzer and his friends and others he corresponded with on the subject of professional wrestling at the time. After starting the Wrestling Observer in 1983, the awards took on a greater life, with an increasing number of awards given out every year.

The awards were created to recognize the individual achievements of a select few wrestlers who exemplified in a specified criterion. The awards are given on a yearly basis in various categories such as Best Overall Wrestler, Most Outstanding Wrestler, Best Tag Team, Most Improved, Match of the Year, etc.; there are also a handful of awards to recognize the dubious distinctions in the business during that year such as Most Overrated and Worst Worked Match. Currently, there are thirty-seven categories that are actively assessed every year and ten that are no longer active. The awards are voted for by the readership of the newsletter, which includes various insiders of the industry, such as promoters, agents, and performers, as well as journalists, historians, and fans.

The awards are organized into two classes. For class A awards, voters indicate their top three choices. First choices are awarded five points, second places three points, and third places two points. The choice with the most points overall wins. For class B awards, voters simply indicate their top choice.

Over the years, various institutions of mixed martial arts have become eligible to win some awards that seemed as though they were more deserving than the conventional wrestler. This led to, in 1997, the creation of Shootfighter of the Year and Fight of the Year to recognize MMA achievement specifically, but some awards remained intact for MMA to win, due to the similar business aspect between both sports (i.e. Best Box Office Draw, Promotion of the Year). In the December 3, 2007 edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, it was announced that from that year onwards, mixed martial artists are no longer eligible for the Lou Thesz/Ric Flair Award, thus reserving it for wrestlers only. Shootfighter of the year was renamed to Most Outstanding Fighter to match a new award called MMA Most Valuable Fighter, which is similar to the Lou Thesz/Ric Flair Award except it is for Mixed Martial Artists.

Current awards

Class A awards

Lou Thesz/Ric Flair Award (Wrestler of the Year)

MMA Most Valuable Fighter

Most Outstanding Wrestler

Best Box Office Draw

Feud of the Year

Tag Team of the Year

Most Improved

Best on Interviews

Most Charismatic

Best Technical Wrestler

Bruiser Brody Memorial Award (Best Brawler)

Best Flying Wrestler

Most Overrated

Most Underrated

Promotion of the Year

Best Weekly Television Show

Most Outstanding Fighter (formerly Shootfighter of the Year)

Match of the Year

Fight of the Year

Rookie of the Year

Best Non-Wrestler

Best Television Announcer

Worst Television Announcer

Best Major Show

Class B Awards

Worst Major Wrestling Show

Best Wrestling Maneuver

Most Disgusting Promotional Tactic

Worst Television Show

Worst Worked Match of the Year

Worst Feud of the Year

Worst Promotion of the Year

Best Booker

Promoter of the Year

Best Gimmick

Worst Gimmick

Best Pro Wrestling Book

Best Pro Wrestling DVD

Defunct awards

Class A awards

Best Babyface

Best Heel

Manager of the Year

Class B Awards

Readers' Favorite Wrestler

Readers' Least Favorite Wrestler

Worst Wrestler

Worst Tag Team

Worst Manager

Most Embarrassing Wrestler

Worst Non-Wrestling Personality

References

• Meltzer, Dave (January 26, 2011). "The 2011 Wrestling Observer Newsletter Awards Issue". Wrestling Observer Newsletter (Campbell, California) (5): 1–40. ISSN 10839593. "The following are the results of the 31st annual Wrestling Observer Newsletter readership awards, along with a listing of the previous winners in the various categories."