The Undies
Under The Mat returns with a flourish to bring you the first annual year end awards called THE UNDIES!!!
Lets get started shall we?
Storyline of the Year: Without a doubt the best storyline this year encompasses the change in Chris Jericho. The WWE was in a down time, they had just lost their one credible top heel in Randy Orton to a severe shoulder injury. They needed someone to step in and take the lead heel spot. Enter Chris Jericho. Starting with the 'snapping' at certain points angle that WCW first used when they turned him heel, Chris went a totally different route this time. Gone was the whining, the temper tantrums and crybaby attitude. In it's place was a calculating, arrogant bastard that didn't care about what people thought. All he cared about was taking the steps that were needed to put the gold around his waist once more. He began coming to the ring wearing suits, stopped catering to the fans and did his best to end Shawn Michaels career. Chris Jericho, without a doubt, has become the most hated man in wrestling and it was a seemless and well told transition.
The 'We paid to see this?' Moment: On the flipside of the story of the year we have that one moment on television, PPV or live that had people across the world going what??? This Undie goes to the marriage debacle that TNA sprung earlier in the year involving Jay Lethal and So-Cal Val. I didn't get to see it when it first happened but I did catch clips of it and it was a pure waste of time. Vince Russo really needs to stop ripping off bad 80's TV moments and making them worse.
Tag Team of the Year: Yeah, sure I'm a mark for John Morrison and the Miz but you've got to admit that these two have taken the lost art of tag team wrestling and breathed some life back into it. The fact that they just recently won the World Tag Team titles doesn't hurt their cause either. If you are a loyal watcher of The Dirt Sheet then you see weekly how talented, and sometimes insane, that these two are. If the WWE knows what's good for them they'll use Miz and Morrison to recreate a tag team division on the WWE and make those belts mean something again.
'Entertainer' of the Year: Not to be confused with Wrestler of the Year, the Entertainer of the year is aimed at that one person that you watch wrestling for strictly because you enjoy his antics. The 2008 Undie award goes to Santino Marrella. Santino, from an enterainment standpoint, is week in and week out, the best thing that the WWE offers. You know that when you see Santino that the guy's going to do something to make you laugh and he rarely lets you down.
Wrestler of the Year Women's Division: This was the great debate between the trio of terror last night (myself, Hugo and Eagle) Who deserves this award? Beth Pheonix or Awesome Kong. Granted Kong's a monster and tears through her opponents in TNA. But let's face it, TNA does not get the recognition or viewers and has a tendancy to drop the ball. Beth, on the other hand, has had an outstanding year and has been paired with Santino on top of her reign as WWE Women's champion. Therefore my pick has got to be Beth Pheonix because she's stood in the spotlight for most of the year and she's shined.
Face of the Year aka The Steamboat Award: This year's top babyface is AJ Styles. The man has taken on every bad storyline that TNA has thrown at him and is now getting to show his worth as the leader of The Front Line against the Main Event Mafia. 2009 will be THE year for AJ Styles and I expect we'll be seeing him in the WWE at the end of his TNA contract.
Heel of the Year: Like I mentioned in the storyline of the year this award goes to Chris Jericho hands down. Jericho has done an amazing job of being the most hated man in wrestling and has done it the right way, by promo and his actions in the ring.
Wrestler of the Year: Now for the Undie that everyone's been waiting for. My pick for Wrestler of the year is......Jeff Hardy! Jeff has done an amazing job overcoming adverisity and both his mic skills and his passion to actually be in the wrestling buisiness are both much improved. Putting the WWE Title on him this last weekend was the crowning jewel in a great year for the high flyer. Congratulations Jeff, you deserve it.
That's all from here at Under the Mat. I want to wish everyone a happy holidays!!!
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