Well, folks, it's that time again. 2019 has come and gone as we enter a new decade of professional wrestling. With being said, we should definitely look back on the year and honor those who helped make professional wrestling great in 2019. You may be wondering why I'm writing this in 2020, and my response is that the Oscars do the same shit, so I don't see why some schmuck with a small-time blog such as myself can't. So without further ado, let's kick off the second annual BAW Awards.
Most Underrated: SANADA
Already having carved out a name for himself in the tag team division with his partner-in-crime EVIL, 2019 saw SANADA compete more frequently in the singles division, putting on numerous stellar performances in the process. In March, he competed in the New Japan Cup and made it to the Finals before ultimately being eliminated by cup winner Kazuchika Okada, putting on stellar matches the entire way through. And the 8 points he earned in last year's G1 Climax definitely isn't reflective of the high quality of work his matches were, putting on stellar bouts against the likes of Kota Ibushi, Will Ospreay, and Hiroshi Tanashi, as well as securing high-profile wins against Zack Sabre, Jr. and current IWGP Champion Okada, who he also faced for the belt King Of Pro Wrestling 2019 in another excellent bout.
If SANADA proved anything this year, it's that he's a beyond incredible performer in all aspects of professional wrestling, and if he does manage to secure singles gold in the future, it's more than well-deserved. Stepping out of long shadow cast by his LIJ stablemates and then some, picking SANADA for Most Underrated Wrestler of 2019 was an absolute no-brainer.
Breakout Star: MJF
You don't just call yourself "The Fastest Rising Star In All Of Professional Wrestling" and not live the mantra. Embracing egoism and always sporting a Burberry scarf, Maxwell Jacob Friedman is the most pitch-perfect example of character utilization in professional wrestling right now. Competing in the first main show match at All In, The Elite clearly knew what they were doing not only booking him in their self-funded PPV, but also signing him to All Elite Wrestling. MJF made a name for himself on the indie circuit portraying the ultimate upper-crust dickhead who relishes in thumbing their nose at those less fortunate, picking up multiple championships in promotions such as Combat Zone Wrestling and Major League Wrestling in the process.
Some may call his actual in-ring work into question, and MJF is more than happy to shut them down with commitment to character and kayfabe. Taking a look at his Twitter, you can see this commitment in action as he runs down typical marks, working class folk, thirsty fangirls and purveyors of fast-food restaurants. When you're getting multitudes of people worked up by simply saying you don't play Dungeons & Dragons, you know you're doing something right. Moreover, watching every promo he cuts on Dynamite makes one realize just how focused he is in the storytelling process. Any wrestler can have the gimmick MJF has, but it takes true dedication to the craft to flesh out the character, as well as having the moxie to uphold the weight of kayfabe and take it to a national level. For these reasons and more, MJF is one of the hottest acts in professional wrestling right now, and his star power is only going to go up.
Best Stable: Bullet Club
So, I know what you're thinking, so I'll just say it before you ask: yes, I am a BC fan, but I do shower daily and practice proper hygiene. With that out of the way, I fail to see how any stable in 2019 could've compared to what Bullet Club was doing. To go from Puro's worst nightmare to merch whores to puro nightmare back again truly is astounding. And I don't think this would've been possible without the monumental acquisitions of Jay White and KENTA, who have both single-handedly set the IWC ablaze in 2019 with their very presence in New Japan. Combine them along with Taiji Ishimori and El Phantasmo and we see a fully fleshed out Bullet Club in 2019, which was honestly refreshing, given all the LIJ circle-jerking in New Japan.
And what, you may ask, did they accomplish in 2019? Well, they procured the IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental titles by way of Jay White, Guerrillas Of Destiny were both IWGP and ROH Tag Team champions, KENTA acquired the NEVER Openweight belt and Ishimori dominated the junior heavyweight division, winning both the singles belt and tag team titles with El Phantasmo. All things considered, BC pretty much ran the show in New Japan as far as 2019 goes, and they wouldn't have wanted it any other way.
Best Tag Team: Lucha Bros (Rey Fenix & Pentagon, Jr.)
CERO. MIEDO. For those less apt to the Spanish language, that means zero fear, which these real-life brothers showed in 2019 and then some, holding the the tag team scene in independent wrestling hostage and procuring gold wherever they went, putting on stellar bouts in the process. Whether it was AAA, Impact, AEW or elsewhere, you always had a feeling The Lucha Bros would show up, and they never failed to disappoint when they did.
But to say that isn't a slight on them, far from it, actually. As far as tag team wrestling goes, they were undoubtedly the MVPs of 2019, putting on banger after banger with LAX, the Young Bucks, SoCal Uncensored and several others, never failing to get the attention of any wrestling blog with their fluid combination of lucha libre and puroresu. Name a tag team MOTY candidate from 2019, and I guarantee you at least one if not several of them will include the Lucha Bros. There's more I could probably say, but I won't out of fear of fucking it up. More to the point, Penta & Rey dominated tag team wrestling in 2019, so it was beyond obvious to name them as the overall GOAT team of 2019. To name anybody else would probably be sacrilege.
Best Character: Sami Callihan
Ever since debuting in Impact, Sami Callihan has proven just how good of a character worker he is, but it was 2019 where he really shined, engaging in multiple feuds and telling a compelling story each time in the process. Whether it was against Rich Swann, Brian Cage or Tessa Blanchard, Callihan managed to not only bring out the best in himself but also his opponents in these feuds. He's absolutely amorphous in his role, able to bend and mold different aspects of his character in order to fit the story being told, and to see that happen in this day and age where character-based wrestling is almost a lost art form, it really is refreshing to see a wrestler take the storytelling aspects of professional wrestling so seriously.
Callihan's character is one born of misanthropy and sadism; he despises the world around him, and is determined to rid himself of who he deems to be responsible of causing his anguish. Similar to a heel Kevin Owens, Callihan is definitely one of those types who were bullied for their size or appearance; rather than better themselves, they take their pent-up aggression out on those who they feel caused it. Truly embodying the guy you love to hate, there's no question as to why Sami Callihan is 2019's Best Character.
Best Feud: Tessa Blanchard vs. oVe
It seems stupidly obvious that wrestling's best character of 2019 (Sami Callihan) would also have the best feud of the same year; call it an effect of Occam's Razor, I suppose. Nevertheless, the feud between Tessa Blanchard and oVe was an exercise in how to do intergender wrestling right.We start with Callihan running his mouth about women's wrestling, then evolve into Blanchard beating up the Crist brothers. After that, Callihan and Blanchard main event Slammiversary, then Blanchard fully shifts into the men's singles division and Callihan becomes world champion. And depending upon when my lazy ass can actually get this article out, Blanchard will either be challenging or have challenged for Callihan's title.
This feud was the best of 2019 simply because of how layered it was. It tackled heavy topics like misogyny and intergender wrestling, while also turning Blanchard from a despised heel into arguably the most over babyface Impact has on their roster. Callihan cements his status as a god-tier heel and Impact draws more eyes on the product. You really couldn't ask for more out of a story such as this, and regardless of what the outcome may be, it's absolutely revolutionary for the world of professional wrestling.
Best Match: Jon Moxley vs. Kenny Omega, AEW Full Gear
When Moxley turned up at Double Or Nothing, it was clear he had one thing on his mind: to prove he was the very best professional wrestling has to offer. And to do that, it only makes sense to go after those who were previously considered the best. After weeks of goading each other on with offers of violence, it all came to a head at Full Gear, where the two duked it out in a seemingly endless tome of carnage. As each minute passed, Moxley and Omega added layers upon layers of violence to their bout, creating a Rachel's Trifle of sorts (Seinfeld is still better, by the way). And with one final Paradigm Shift onto the exposed ring surface, Moxley would be the victor of this epic gladiator battle.
Seemingly a long-form deathmatch, it was arguably one of the most divisive matches of the year, with major wrestling personalities praising the technical aspects of it while completely aghast of the level of violence presented. I feel the controversy works in this match's favor; the level of violence brought out in this match upped the dramatization in the storytelling, making it a much more engaging watch in the process. We could've had just a traditional 1 v. 1 match, and these two still would've tore the house down. But to have the balls to do what they did on such a large scale is truly monumental. It practically broke the barriers of traditional wrestling, transcending into a cinematic duel of sorts. Brutal, exhausting but altogether fantastic, there's no question as to why this was the best match of 2019.
Best PPV: Joey Janela's Spring Break 3 (the whole damn thing)
So, I know what you're thinking, and uhhh....I don't care, I'm counting it as one. The Spring Break PPVs are usually an absolute delight, and to say this one was no exception would be an understatement. Chocked full of talent from top to bottom, Spring Break 3 offered something for everyone and then some. We had brutal deathmatches in Masashi Takeda/Jimmy Lloyd, fun flippy-do spotfests in the Six-Way Scramble match, tag-team excellence in LAX/Rock 'n' Roll Express as well as the "I don't know what this is, but I'm all for it" in the Clusterfuck Battle Royal. On top of that, we have the sheer poetry of Invisible Man/Invisible Stan, with referee Bryce Remsberg putting on an incredible performance.
Why Spring Break 3 was the best PPV of 2019 is a combination of two things: depth of talent and presentation. Not only did we receive a smorgasbord of wrestling entertainment, it was also given to us in the least pretentious way possible. It was self-aware of the overall silliness of professional wrestling, delivering campy theatrics in conjunction with excellent in-ring storytelling. It was pure entertainment, providing unstuffy aesthetics and embracing bombastic nature of professional wrestling. GCW definitely set a high bar for others to follow; whether independent or major-market, I didn't see a single PPV in 2019 that captivated me as much as this one.
Female MVP: Tessa Blanchard
So, before I get into this, let me preface by saying this was written prior to the news that came out about her. I absolutely abhor her actions and I feel whatever punishment she receives is deserved. And while it's definitely awful and should be discussed, it's something I feel should be saved for another time, because it isn't relevant to the subject I'm discussing. What I am discussing is who was the top female wrestler in 2019, and without question it was Blanchard. It's hard to believe you could become the top draw in your company without actually holding any title whatsoever, but Blanchard managed to do that.
And how was this accomplished, you ask? Well, it was a combination of several things. For one, her feud with Gail Kim as well as oVe proved she's just as apt in character work as she is in the ring, playing the respective heel and face in those feuds very aptly. And as far as in-ring work goes, it's second to none, putting on absolute bangers with Kim, Sami Callihan, her performance in the X Division Ladder Match at Bound For Glory as well as the #1 Contendership Gauntlet Match from Impact a while ago. To say she shattered glass ceilings is an understatement, turning intergender wrestling on its head and molding it into her own image. It wasn't a battle of the sexes so much as it was brawl with tough-as-nails fighters with something to prove. As an all-around performer, she was inarguably one of the best professional wrestling had to offer in 2019.
Male MVP: Will Ospreay
*blocks your path while doing a flip in the process* To say Ospreay had quite a year in 2019 would be the biggest of understatements, as he carved a path of success many wrestlers would be envious of. His work in New Japan speaks for itself, walking the tightrope between Junior Heavyweight and Heavyweight in grand fashion, winning the Best Of The Super Juniors for the second time as well as delivering strong performances in the G1 Climax, New Japan Cup and Super J Cup. Aside from NJPW, he's also popped up in British promotions such as PROGRESS and Rev Pro, as well as the Irish promotion OTT Wrestling and appearing in the main event of the Mark Haskins Memorial Supershow against Bandido.
And with such a busy workload, one would have to expect the match quality to be high, and Mr. Ospreay more than delivered, putting on banger after banger with the best New Japan has to offer, in particular against the likes of Kota Ibushi, Shingo Takagi, Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Robbie Eagles, El Phantasmo and Zack Sabre, Jr. among many others both in a singles and tag team capacity. Aside from those names, he's also performed against Ring Of Honor's Jeff Cobb and Bandido (outside of ROH capacity), as well as excellent tag team bouts with Paul Robinson against Aussie Open in PROGRESS. And with high match quality comes championship success, with Ospreay enjoying reigns as IWGP Junior Heavyweight and NEVER Openweight Champion, as well as PROGRESS Tag Team Champions with Paul Robinson. Undoubtedly and unequivocally, no wrestler on this planet in any capacity had a better year in 2019 than Ospreay, and there's no arguing with me on that.
Best Promotion: Game Changer Wrestling
So, this was admittedly a tough one for me, given that I watched a plethora of wrestling promotions in either a major or minor capacity in 2019. But of all the ones I watched, I felt none compared to what GCW put out. When determining this choice, I based it upon three factors: Match/PPV Quality, Creative Process and Overall Impact. I can safely say that of all the wrestling I consumed in 2019 (which was plenty), none met the criteria I laid before you quite as well as GCW. For Match/PPV Quality, GCW was armed to the teeth with the best of what professional wrestling has to offer, including Chris Dickinson, Tony Deppen, Jake Atlas, Jungle Boy, Joey Janela and countless others putting on absolute stellar performances every time they went out, with each show ranging from either decent to great, which is pretty remarkable given the fact GCW put out 30+ shows in 2019. It really is an amazing feat to put out that much wrestling content and still be able to always produce a solid show in any capacity.
As for creative process, it's second to none as GCW is practically chameleon in nature, changing its style at whim to match a mood. For combat junkies, they have Bloodsport. For deathmatch and puro purists, they have Tournament Of Survival, the Nick Gage Invitational as well as their tour of Japan (Worst Behavior and New Face Of War). For ultimate indie diehards, they have Backyard Wrestling. It really isn't the fact they can have so many gimmick-themed PPVs so much as they can do this while also incorporating said gimmicks into so many of their events, which ultimately makes for a more enriching experience. And as for overall impact, they live up to their name and then some by changing the game with a mix of versatility and consistency. They're the ultimate standard-bearers of independent wrestling, with many a promotion clamoring to collaborate with them. Crafting a high-quality product while never taking themselves too seriously in the process, there's honestly no other promotion like it, which is why GCW is the Best Promotion of 2019.
Well, that wraps up the 2nd Annual BAW Awards. I hope you had fun with it, because I sorta kinda did. Anyways, thank you for your support and I'll see you in the next one. Who knows? Maybe 2020 will be just as lit.
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