Folks, I'm going to be honest: 2018 was a pretty damn good year for wrestling. Even with all the negatives involved (something I'd rather not get into, as I want to stray from my usual pessimistic self), it seemed as though the positives outweighed them, soaring above the bad spots and providing us a shining light in this dark, cruel world. Today, we'll be honoring the best professional wrestling had to offer us in 2018. Here it is, the First Annual BAW Awards. Let's get it started.
Most Underrated
Hangman Page- This was a tough one, as there were a lot of choices to pick from: Jonathan Gresham, Burch and Lorcan, the entirety of the 205 Live roster, etc. But I had to give it to Page simply for the fact he always delivered standout performances despite being overshadowed by the name recognition of his Elite constituents. He combines an impressive moveset (a dazzling display of strength, aerial offense and hard-hitting strikes) with a solid dash of charisma (check out his performance on Being The Elite if you aren't convinced).
Another example of a wrestler who can do excellent work in a tag team atmosphere (him and the Bucks vs. SoCal Uncensored are absolute bangers) or in singles (check out his work with Kota Ibushi, Punishment Martinez, Joey Janela and Jeff Cobb if you're not convinced). Don't let him leaving ROH take anything away from your opinion of the Hangman. When All Elite Wrestling takes off, he should be slated to have a big 2019 and he damn well deserves it. If Page isn't on your radar already, rest assured he will be.
Breakout Star
Jay White- It's crazy to think a man in his mid-20s, not far removed from the Dojo, would be one of the biggest fixtures in New Japan. Needless to say, White proved the doubters wrong this year and put in a surprising performance that few can rival. Adopting the Switchblade gimmick, White put in top-tier work as a villainous disruptor aiming to break down the pillars of New Japan, and did a pretty damn good job of it, too. He infiltrated and disrupted one of the most powerful stables in NJPW (CHAOS) and further sewed the seeds of dissension in another (Bullet Club).
But let's not take anything away from his ring work this year, as it's also been stellar. Whether it was vs. Hangman Page at Strong Style Evolved, Punishment Martinez at ROH War Of The Worlds: Toronto or his absolutely stellar performance at this year's G1 Climax, White consistently proved he can more than hang with the best of them. A fantastic character, a consistently good in-ring worker, White has more than proven he's up to the task of being the next top gaijin in New Japan (excluding Kenny Omega, for obvious reasons). He more than fulfilled the task he was given, and it'll be exciting to see what 2019 holds for him.
Best Stable
SoCal Uncensored- As with many of these awards, this one was a difficult decision. Numerous groups could've been added here: Undisputed Era in NXT, oVe in Impact, most of the stables in New Japan, etc. But when I think about the overall impact stables have made this year (in terms of matches/character progression/brand-building, etc.), there's no one who did it better then SCU in 2018. Teams like Bullet Club and LIJ already had marketable brands, so for them it was just maintaining the status quo. For SCU, it was different; while The Addiction already had a notable reputation, it was nowhere near the level of their constituents. They had more steps on their ladder, but managed to climb them with ease and market themselves (as a unit) as a force to be reckoned with in professional wrestling.
Their chemistry as a team is second to none, at least when it comes to forming a solid unit rather than a group of individuals who just happen to team up. Whether it's their matches, their promos, or their character paradigm, I can think of no other stable this year who did it better than SCU. I can safely say watching their shift from despicable heels to desperate babyfaces was one of the most interesting things I watched in wrestling this year. While every town (aside from beautiful Southern California) may have been the worst, there's no doubt SCU was the absolute best stable of 2018.
Best Tag Team
The Young Bucks- Sometimes, the most obvious answer is the best answer. In this case, the Jackson brothers fit this description better than any other tag team of 2018, putting on performances other tag teams in the wrestling business would strive to rival. Just a quick recap of what the Bucks did in 2018, in case you needed a reminder: moved up to NJPW's heavyweight tag team division and winning the belt (soon to be challenging for it again at Wrestle Kingdom), self-funded the biggest independent wrestling show ever (All In), plus are in the planning stage of developing their own promotion (All Elite Wrestling). And aside from their business acumen, let's talk about what really matters: the matches. Because, my god, they've had some brilliant bouts this year.
They really proved their absolute versatility this year more than others. Name a type of match, and the Bucks made an absolute banger out of it: Exhilarating spotfests (them vs. SoCal Uncensored at Supercard Of Honor w/Flip Gordon, vs. SCU and Briscoes at Final Battle), straight-up tag team wrasslin' (vs. Briscoes at Best In The World) and pure, heartfelt storytelling (vs. Golden Lovers, Strong Style Evolved). You can put the arguments of "horfdorf spot monkeys" to rest, because this year, more than others, they proved they're so much more than that. Marketing geniuses, ring masters and consummate professionals all-around. The Bucks are the best tag team of 2018 and I will hear no arguments to the contrary.
Best Character
Eddie Edwards- When it comes to storytelling and character progression, Impact is arguably doing it better than anyone in professional wrestling, and the best example of that is the Eddie Edwards saga. What started as a regular joe underdog fulfilling his dreams and becoming World Heavyweight Champion turned into something much more sinister and foreboding. It turned into a epic tome of a man losing his mind in a quest for vengeance, however superficial that vengeance may have been.
No one was more engrossing of a personality in 2018 than Eddie Edwards and I'll die on that hill. In the realm of professional wrestling, to actually delve into the psyche of a wrestler, exposing their mental state and presenting it as just more than "BLAH BLAH I CRAZY NOW," it's truly an accomplishment. While not the exact same, it's akin to Brian Pillman in ECW/WWE, as far as how unabashedly naked and bare the talent involved were willing to portray their mentally unstable character. And the craziest part is, it isn't over for the Edwards saga. The best is yet to come, and I can't wait.
Best Feud
Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa- A feud simple in idea, yet otherworldly in execution. Take a beloved tag team (DIY), split them up in dramatic fashion (immediately after a heartbreaking loss to the Authors Of Pain at Takeover: Chicago), and let the characters develop organically and over time, and you have the most intriguing feud of 2018, and arguably one of the best in the last decade. And the crazy part? It shouldn't have worked as well as it did, given Ciampa's injury during the AOP match. But through a mix of perfectly executed promos and post-match attacks from Ciampa, it worked like a charm.
The characters were laid and performed superbly by both wrestlers: Ciampa, envious of the spotlight and aching to carve out his own identity by any means necessary. Gargano, confused and angry from the betrayal, desperate for vengeance at all costs yet trying to keep his "Johnny Wrestling" so as not to become like Ciampa. It started with promos (excellent from both men) crafting and developing their characters, then they took it over the top with a tremendous series of matches. And the best part of the feud was how morbid it became. Given his recent heel turn, it was pretty apparent Gargano had failed in his quest for vengeance. He became everything he supposedly despised, and it's supposedly come full-circle. But who knows? Maybe there's more to this story to unfold, and that's what makes it so great. The layers, both realized and potential, are so thick and rich it's impossible not to indulge.
Best Match
Marty Scurll vs. Will Ospreay vs. KUSHIDA vs. Hiromu Takahashi, Wrestle Kingdom 12- It's no secret that the Junior Heavyweight usually always steal the show (specifically the singles matches). This was no truer than Wrestle Kingdom 12, where they gave an already stacked show an extra shot of adrenaline. There are so many components to why this match is so great, so I'll try my best to explain my love for this match in as succinct of detail as possible.
For starters, let's talk about the competitors. All four men involved had well-established rivalries with one another (Scurll/Ospreay and KUSHIDA/Takahashi), so it's no secret that the in-ring chemistry would be great. But the fact they managed to merge them together and do so in a way where everyone gets a chance to shine with the other competitor involved while also working their previous rivalries is nothing short of incredible. Plus, let's not forget each competitor's character throughout the show: we have Ospreay, the famed Aerial Assassin; KUSHIDA, the consummate grappler and time-weathered veteran; Takahashi, the wily and unpredictable sparkplug; and last but not least, we have the then-champion Scurll, playing the puppet master of the whole match, countering the momentum of each competitor and bending the advantage to his favor given the opportunity.
Next, let's talk about the spots, because hot damn, were they aplenty. Ospreay's moonsault off the scaffolding and springboard shooting star press, Scurll pulling out an OsCutter of his own just to spite Ospreay, Takahashi's fluid-as-fuck sunset bombs, the dual Crossface Chickenwing/Hoverboard Lock, etc. There's too many to name, and they were each coordinated and performed with absolute ease. Not only that, but they were done to tell a story, and were effective in doing so. And with that came near fall after near fall, each one feeling just as earned as the last, until the last final sequence with Ospreay hitting the Oscutter to the end the "Scurll Beats Ospreay" curse and the secure the title.
Such a momentous match, I forgot to keep my rule of succinct detail. Anyways, moving on.
Best PPV
ROH Supercard Of Honor XII- So I know the term "stacked card" gets thrown around flippantly when talking about wrestling shows. However, trust me when I tell you this show actually managed to live up to the term and then some, if only for consistency's sake. Many PPVs tend to only have a small handful of matches I'm actually invested in. But whether it was my obvious bias or not, SOH actually managed to make me care about practically all of the matches on the card, which is hard to do, given the cynicism of many a wrestling fan (including myself) nowadays. While there were points in the show where my interest dipped, there was never a point where I just didn't flat out give a fuck. When a show can make you care and be interested in practically the entire card, that's when you know you have a kino PPV.
SOH seemed to offer a little bit of everything when it came to the matches. For the tag team matches, you had something for the spotfest lovers (The Young Bucks and Flip Gordon vs. SoCal Uncensored) and something for those who love pure, old-fashioned wrasslin' (Jay Lethal and Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. The Briscoes). On the midcard, we had two similar matches each with a subtle difference: one was a bruising slugfest for those who love a good brawl (Punishment Martinez vs. Tomohiro Ishii), while the other was another striking affair but with a little bit more high-flying athleticism peppered in (Kota Ibushi vs. Hangman). And for the co-main event, we had pure, unabashed storytelling (Cody vs. Kenny Omega, attempting to a settle a feud that just missed the cut for Feud Of The Year honors). I could run down the entire card, but that'd be tiresome, so I'll just say every match had a little something to give for everyone, and that's more than many PPVs nowadays can say.
Top-to-bottom excellence with 100% replay value and no signs of aging any time soon, there's no doubt Supercard Of Honor was the Best PPV of 2018.
Female MVP
Tessa Blanchard- So I know we can say this about a lot of wrestlers, about they're the New Face/Next Big Thing/Future Of/etc. Many rise to the occasion, while others fall flat and bust. Given the year Tessa Blanchard had in 2018, I can safely say she's accomplished the former, and deserves to not only be named the Female MVP of professional wrestling in 2018, but also the Future of Women's Wrestling and where it should be going from here on out.
How did she accomplish this, you ask? Well, it's very simple really: by being one of the best damn in-ring performers in professional wrestling. The uniqueness of her moveset (a fascinating blend of power, speed and hard strikes) is only rivaled by the versatility of her competition. Whether it was tearing the house down at All In, enduring a 75-minute epic against Mercedes Martinez at RISE 10 or holding her own and then some in numerous intergender matches (including an epic encounter with Brian Cage in WrestleCircus), Blanchard proved just how multifaceted she is as a performer. Female or male, she's far above most competition.
For more proof, look no further than her beyond-excellent run in Impact Wrestling this year. Shortly after debuting, Blanchard won the Knockouts Championship in an excellent bout vs. Su Yung and Allie at Impact: ReDefined, and has been on a tear ever since. She's defended the belt numerous times, most notably against Taya Valkyrie at Bound For Glory. And aside from her matches, she routinely displays a natural sense of charisma as a champion; carrying it with an earned air of pride and arrogance knowing she can back it up and then some. Simply put, the Knockouts Division goes through her, and it's going to take one hell of an effort to change that.
And the craziest thing is she's accomplished all of this at only 23 years of age, meaning her impact (no pun intended) is only going to grow. Taking all of this into consideration, not only does it make perfect sense, but it's blatantly obvious Tessa Blanchard is 2018's Female MVP.
Male MVP
Jay Lethal- Some might think it's silly (and somewhat bias) of me to select Lethal, when it seems like there'd be other, more obvious options to choose from. But watching his performance last year from beginning to end, from an all-around perspective, it'd be stupid of me NOT to select him as the overall Male MVP of 2018. In terms of sheer consistency, there's no man who delivered as much as to professional wrestling as Jay Lethal last year.
To prove this, let's get into the matches. He started the year off with an excellent bout against Will Ospreay (on free TV, no less), proved his tag-team prowess with Hiroshi Tanahashi against The Briscoes at Supercard Of Honor, slugged it out with Punishment Martinez, had a MOTY candidate vs. KUSHIDA at Best In The World as well as provided us with an excellent trio of matches against Jonathan Gresham (the third of which we'll get to). And while we're on the topic, let's talk about Lethal relieving us of Dalton Castle's boring title reign, because hot damn, was that necessary (sorry, Dalton).
Lethal becoming champion again was the best possible decision ROH made, because not only does he have an absolute passion and devotion to ROH, but he's provided excellent matches so far when defending his title. Look no further than his second Ospreay match in 2018 as well as his third (and final) match against Jonathan Gresham, an Iron Man match which is another MOTY candidate. Not only that, but he also capped off the year by BTFOing Cody at Final Battle and maintaining his spot as top dog of ROH.
Lethal earned the Male MVP honors for these reasons: his tremendous in-ring work (be it on free TV or PPV), his overall performance as a champion and his ability to build up ROH while also simultaneously establishing his own brand.
Best Promotion
NXT- Okay, so before you start yelling, hear me out on this one. I'm well aware NXT is just a branch of WWE and not its own promotion by definition. But judging from the content they produced in 2018, they might as well have been, because it's nothing like what we see from main roster WWE. I would rival it with the likes of NJPW/ROH/Impact/etc., as far as cranking out consistently high quality content, be it from their weekly shows or their PPVs. But from what I saw this year, nobody did it better than NXT.
On weekly shows, they do a better job at developing characters and delivering excellent than arguably most promotions, and can do so within under an hour. They proved this with the Gargano/Ciampa saga, the Veleveteen Dream revolution as well as the domination of the Undisputed Era. And on the Women's side, let's not forget Shayna Baszler running roughshod and easily being the most captivating female persona in NXT.
And as for PPVs, fuhgeddaboutit. We had Takeover: Chicago II, New Orleans, Brooklyn 4 and WarGames 2, among others. There's too many matches to list, so I'll just name a few: UE vs. Burch & Lorcan, Gargano vs. Almas, the 6-Man ladder match for the North American Title, Ricochet/Adam Cole, the Gargano/Ciampa trilogy, Baszler/Kairi Sane, etc. There's something about Takeovers that really bring out the best in NXT, and they proved that this year moreso than the others.
By managing to consistently deliver on their weekly shows as well as their PPVs, there's no doubt in my mind NXT was the overall best brand in professional wrestling this year. And judging by what they have in store for us this year, 2019 may be just as good.
So, yeah, 2018 was a really damn good year for wrestling, be it WWE/NJPW/ROH/Impact/etc. We had countless great matches, engrossing feuds, shocking moments, and so on and so forth. 2019 just started, so we have the rest of the year ahead of us. Let's keep the positivity up and wish for the best. Rest assured, you'll be hearing from me about it at the end of the year. Cheers, folks.
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