Wrestling Observer Awards 2006

[The Decemberists]

Lou Thesz/Ric Flair Award

 

1) Mistico (2,245)

2) Edge (1,985)

3) Tito Ortiz (1,620)

 

 

Most Outstanding Wrestler

 

1) Bryan Danielson (2,646)

2) KENTA (1,938)

3) Samoa Joe (1,335)

 

 

Best Box Office Draw

 

1) Mistico (3,112)

2) Tito Ortiz (2,902)

3) Matt Hughes (1,258)

 

 

Feud of the Year

 

1) Tito Ortiz vs Ken Shamrock (2,877)

2) ROH vs CZW (2,267)

3) John Cena vs Edge (2,030)

 

 

Tag Team of the Year

 

1) LAX (1,794)

2) Austin Aries & Roderick Strong (1,573)

3) AJ Styles & Christopher Daniels (1,077)

 

 

Most Improved

 

1) Takeshi Morishimia (1,464)

2) Johnny Nitro (1,316)

3) Nigel McGuiness (851)

 

 

Best on Interviews

 

1) Mick Foley (1,484)

2) Edge (1,317)

3) Konnan (1,285)

 

 

Most Charismatic

 

1) John Cena (2,889)

2) Tito Ortiz (969)

3) Perrp Aguayo Jr. (848)

 

 

Best Technical Wrestler

 

1) Bryan Danielson (3,266)

2) Chris Benoit (928)

3) KENTA (794)

 

 

Bruiser Brody Memorial Award for Best Brawler

 

1) Samoa Joe (2,064)

2) Fit Finlay (1,640)

3) Homicide (1,172)

 

 

Best Flying Wrestler

 

1) Mistico (2,957)

2) AJ Styles (1,513)

3) Jack Evans (1,217)

 

 

Most Overrated

 

1) Batista (1,422)

2) Jeff Jarrett (1,294)

3) HHH (770)

 

 

Most Underrated

 

1) Shelton Benjamin (1,510)

2) William Regal (1,139)

3) Matt Hardy (717)

 

 

Promotion of the Year

 

1) UFC (4,164)

2) ROH (1,856)

3) CMLL (1,578)

 

 

Best Weekly TV Show

 

1) Ultimate Fighter (3,345)

2) CMLL (1,496)

3) WWE Smackdown (1,337)

 

 

Shootfighter of the Year

 

1) Mirko Cro Cop (3,039)

2) Georges St Pierre (1,676)

3) Chuck Liddel (1,306)

 

 

Worked Match of the Year

 

1) Dragon Kid & Ryo Saito & Genki Horiguchi vs Cima & Naruki Doi & Masato Yoshino - 3/15, Chicago (1,994)

2) KENTA vs Naomichi Marufuji - 10/29, Tokyo Budokan (1,968)

3) Bryan Danielson vs KENTA - 9/16, New York (1,805)

 

 

Shoot Match of the Year

 

1) Diego Sanchez vs Karo Parisyan - 8/17, Las Vegas (1,677)

2) Matt Hughes vs BJ Penn - 9/23, Anaheim (1,492)

3) Josh Barnett vs Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira - 9/10, Saitama (1,367)

 

Rookie of the Year

 

1) Atsushi Aoki (2,655)

2) Cody Runnels (1,159)

3) Shuhei Taniguchi (1,062)

 

 

Best Non-Wrestler

 

1) Jim Cornette (2,101)

2) Konnan (1,414)

3) Jim Mitchell (688)

 

 

Best TV Announcer

 

1) Jim Ross (1,998)

2) JBL (1,580)

3) Mauro Ranallo (1,347)

 

Worst TV Announcer

 

1) Todd Grisham (1,877)

2) Michael Cole (1,504)

3) Jonathan Coachman (1,465)

 

Best Major Wrestling Show

 

1) ROH 9/16 Glory By Honor V (1,504)

2) Pride Final Conflict 9/10 (1,468)

3) ROH 3/31 Supercard of Honor (958)

 

Worst Major Wrestling Show

 

1) UFC 61 7/8 (155)

2) WWE Cyber Sunday 11/5 (107)

3) WWE Royal Rumble 1/29 (92)

 

 

Best Wrestling Maneuver

 

1) Go 2 Sleep (KENTA) (213)

2) Candian Destroyer (Petey Williams) (116)

3) Gringo Killa (Homicide) (89)

 

Most Disgusting Promotional Tactic

 

1) Eddie Guerrero Exploitation (682)

2) IWA having Savio Vega stab Invader in the chest (37)

3) Vince McMahon vs God (24)

 

 

Worst TV Show

 

1) WWE Raw (245)

2) WWE ECW (173)

3) TNA Impact (143)

 

Worst Match of the Year

 

1) TNA Reverse Battle Royal 10/24 (103)

2) Kane vs Fake Kane 6/25 (82)

3) Undertaker vs Big Show 7/23 (79)

 

 

Worst Feud of the Year

 

1) DX vs McMahons (221)

2) DX vs Spirit Squad (90)

3) Kane vs Fake Kane (82)

 

 

Worst Promotion of the Year

 

1) WWE (244)

2) NJPW (225)

3) TNA (205)

 

 

Best Booker

 

1) Gabe Sapolsky (588)

2) Juan Manuel Mar (119)

3) Joe Silva (98)

 

 

Promoter of the Year

 

1) Dana White (834)

2) Paco Alonso (77)

3) Cary Silkin (23)

 

 

Best Gimmick

 

1) LAX (184)

2) King Booker (127)

3) Delirious (68)

 

 

Worst Gimmick

 

1) Vito (131)

2) VKM (86)

3) Fake Kane (79)

 

 

Best Pro Wrestling Book

 

1) Tangled Ropes by Superstar Billy Graham/Keith Greenburg (154)

2) The Cowboy and the Cross by Bill Watts/Scott Williams (109)

3) Cheating Death, Stealing Life, by Eddie Guerrero/Michael Krugman (85)

 

 

Best Pro Wrestling DVD

 

1) The Bret Hart Story (299)

2) Hero's of World Class (297)

3) Loose Cannon: The Brian Pillman Story (139)

[Wyld Cannon]

I personally can't stand Lucha but based on the previous Observer, I had a strong feeling it was going to either Mistico or Cro Cop. Given the figures Meltzer laid out, it seems he really did deserve it considering he was legitimately THE draw in Mexico.

 

The tornillo armbar is gay though.

[Just John]

WWE and NJ are the tops for worst promotion? Yikes.

[Dobbs 3K]

Jim Ross as best announcer? Maybe if you have your TV on "mute", but otherwise, not in 2006.

[Celtic Jobber]

UFC as promotion of the year? MMA groups really shouldn't be grouped with pro wrestling any more than boxing (or, hell even baseball or football) should.

[The Decemberists]

Why not?

 

They have a massive cross over of fans and both do the same basic job - promote fights. The fact that one promotes fake fights and the other real fights really isn't an issue.

[Celtic Jobber]

But couldn't the same thing be said of boxing?

[The Decemberists]

Yes, but you've got to admit there's more a cross over between MMA and pro wrestling styles between boxing and pro wrestling.

 

Boxing is different though in the way it's organsised though, plus you're not going to have a UFC + IFL +Pride Champion in the same way you can have a WBO + WBC + IBF Champion in boxing.

 

And the WBO isn't really a 'promotion' the way WWE or UFC is. Don King would be the promotor rather than the organisation. I think. Boxing isn't really my strong point and I think I'm just rambling now so I'll stop before I start making even less sense.

[Celtic Jobber]

I know what you mean, and you're right about UFC having more cross-over appeal. I just don't personally see what's appealing about MMA, and I'm sure many hardcore MMA fans feel the same way about wrestling. But that's only my personal view, and I wouldn't presume to speak for all wrestling/mma fans.

[Cheech Tremendous]

I personally never understood the connection between MMA and pro wrestling either, and it's the main reason that I stopped subscribing to WON. It's not that I have anything against MMA or those who compare it to wrestling, I just don't understand how you compare a ridiculous over-the-top entertainment product like WWE to a organization that presents fights between real trained fighters.

[RonL21]

1st Issue...I think Edge deserved wrestler of the year...He's put in his time and he won't have another year like he had in 2006..Im sure the other guy deserved it though..He won best draw...that shouldve been enough..

 

2nd Issue.....Booker T shouldve won for best gimmick....I mean..LAX l lost all credibility when they ran from the Fischer Price sirens on the 2 hour Impact Special...

[The Niggardly King]

Eh, I don't see how Shelton Benjamin can beat out Regal for Most Underrated... I'm more of a Benjamin fan, but you gotta be crazy to think he's more underrated than Regal.

 

Glad to see Mistico sweep it.

[theintensifier]

IWA had Savio Vega stab Villiano? When did this happen?

[cabbageboy]

These awards are really stupid. Stuff like MMA shouldn't be awarded along with pro wrestling, those are two different forms of promoting.

 

I'm actually surprised Raw beat out ECW for Worst Show.

[Ravenbomb]

IWA had Savio Vega stab Villiano? When did this happen?

 

It says he stabbed Invader.

 

I'm glad Delirious got some recognition for being so awesome

[Kahran Ramsus]

I agree with those saying MMA should not be compared to worked wrestling. One's scripted, one is legitimate competition. That would be like comparing Muhammad Ali with Rocky Balboa.

[Dobbs 3K]

I'm surprised WWE has never done a stabbing angle, on screen anyway.

[UseTheSledgehammerUh]

You forget Bezerker trying to murder Undertaker with the sword.

[theintensifier]

Probably, since that was in what, 1991?

 

The average wrestling fan has a memory that only lasts a few weeks, remember?

[Just John]

I'm surprised WWE has never done a stabbing angle, on screen anyway.

 

WWE is a lot more creative with their attempted murders.