The 2000-2009 Decade Awards!

The 2000s were a great time to be a wrestling fan! Yes, there were some low points, but the decade provided us with consistently great matches and insane moments that we will never forget.


With that said, here are the categories for outstanding achievement in 2000-2009 and their explanations:

Superstar Awards:

Wrestler of the decade: Given to the top wrestler of the decade.
Diva of the decade: Given to the woman who best represented the division.
Tag team of the decade: Given to the team that accomplished the most.
Manager of the decade: Given to the most useful manager.
Most entertaining superstar of the decade: Given to the most consistently entertaining superstar.
In-ring performer of the decade: Given to the most consistent wrestler in the ring.
Champion of the decade: Given to the champion who brought the most to their respective title.
Most popular superstar of the decade: Given to the superstar with the largest fan base.
Most hated superstar of the decade: Given to the best heel of the decade.
Inspirational superstar of the decade: Given to the superstar who made the most out of a bad situation.


Misc. Awards:

Moment of the decade: Awarded to the most memorable event of the decade.
Match of the decade: Awarded to the decade's best match.
Feud of the decade: Awarded to the decade's best rivalry.
PPV of the decade: Awarded to the decade's must-see PPV.


So, what moments, matches and superstars were the BEST of the BEST of the decade?


FIND OUT AFTER THE JUMP!

 

Wrestler of the decade: John Cena

No other superstar was a more polarizing figure in the 2000s then John Cena.  Critics knock Cena's popularity and say that he was not the draw that Steve Austin was.  I compare his run at the top to that of Kobe Bryant.  Cena, like Bryant, dominated in an era where the level of quality competition was much higher.  There were many better men that tried to knock Cena off of his throne, but not one was successful.  His list of accomplishments in the decade are tremendous as well.  Multiple world championships, a Royal Rumble win, 5 Wrestlemania main events (4/5 a victory),  the longest WWE title reign of the decade and a slew of classic matches.

Runner up: Kurt Angle

Diva of the decade: Trish Stratus

To this day, no other woman even comes close to what Trish has accomplished.  She not only deserves this award, but will probably go down as the greatest WWE diva of all time.  The record seven women's championships, will also never be broken as the title is now defunct.

 

Runner up: Gail Kim

 

Tag Team of the decade: The Dudley Boyz/Team 3D

The team of Bubba Ray & D-Von would go on to become the most dominant and successful tag team of all time.  The 2000s saw the golden age of tag team wrestling, and the WWE's tag team division has never been the same since the departure of quite possibly, the greatest tandem to ever live.

Runner up: Beer Money Inc.

Manager of the decade: Lita

Lita was one of the most beloved divas of all time prior to her managing Edge.  The raven-haired vixen turned on her boyfriend of over four years, Matt Hardy, and entered an adulterous affair with the Rated 'R' Superstar.  This scenario would play out over a series of PPVs, and launch Edge's career even further into the stratosphere.  As a manager, Lita was able to help her man secure multiple WWE championships, and provided plenty of distractions along the way.  They will go down in WWE history as possibly wrestling's most devious and successful pairing of all time.

Runner up: Paul Heyman

Most entertaining superstar of the decade: The Rock

No one ever entertained us as much as the great one in the early 2000s.  Every time he would get his hands on a microphone, he would create a legendary moment.  To this day, I have not been as entertained as I was around that time.  His iconic status as the WWE's resident mic master, is chiseled in stone.

Runner up: Chris Jericho

In-ring performer of the decade: Shawn Michaels

Another case where the winner should be considered amongst the greats of all time in his/her category.  There's not one Shawn Michaels match where you can say that he didn't give you everything he had.  He was by far the most consistent and reliable performer of the decade.  His seven five star matches from 2000-2009, are all a testament to his great in-ring ability.

 

Runner up: Kurt Angle

 

Champion of the decade: Triple H

The game dominated the WWE title scene for the better half of the decade.  Going on to win 13 world championships and having two of the most dominant reigns of all time.  He made his goal very clear from 2000-2009, capture as many world titles as possible, and defend them with all the blood, sweat and tears he could muster.

 

Runner up: Kenta Kobashi

 

Most popular superstar of the decade: Jeff Hardy

Though superstars like The Rock and John Cena may have drew large crowds and sold a lot of merchandise, Jeff Hardy possesses arguably, the most loyal fan base of all time.  The Rock's fans turned on him when he left for Hollywood and Cena struggles to maintain the fan's adoration.  Jeff however, can do no wrong in the eyes of the WWE Universe.  It's their unwavering support that makes him an easy choice here.

Runner up: John Cena

Most hated superstar of the decade: Edge

Edge was by far the most hated superstar of the new millennium.  His sneaky, often opportunistic victories, caused near riots.  He would screw over any wrestler to get to the top.  The list of victims at Edge's disposal were some of the most popular superstars ever.  Names like Jeff hardy, John Cena, The Undertaker, Matt Hardy, Batista and Shawn Michaels, have all been manipulated by the Ultimate Opportunist.

Runner up: Triple H

Inspirational superstar of the decade: Rey Mysterio

The WWE's biggest little man has arguably inspired more people then anyone else in WWE history.  Whether it's through his moving dedication of his world title victory to the late Eddie Guerrero or through his no fear attitude towards locking up with various much larger superstars.  Still, it's Rey's connection to the kids that makes him most inspirational.  While Cena may grant more wishes, it's Rey who is going to inspire the next generation of great WWE superstars.

Runner up: Ric Flair

Moment of the decade: The Guerrero/Benoit victory celebration

In a moment that I will NEVER forget (no matter how much the WWE wants us to), the two most-deserving, however least likely, world champions of all time stood tall at the end of what was a great night.  After years of disappointments, Chris Benoit beat two of the biggest superstars in WWE history in the greatest Wrestlemania main event of all time.  I immediately felt tears in my eyes as his best friend Eddie Guerrero (who accomplished a similar feat a month prior), came to the ring to enjoy this moment with him.  As confetti fell and the crowd erupted, I knew that I was witnessing something very special.  With the tragic deaths of both men, this moment holds even more meaning and is a symbol of the good times, before Benoit's actions changed his legacy forever.

Runner up: The Rock confronts Hulk Hogan

Match of the decade:: Wrestlemania XX: Triple H vs. Chris Benoit vs. Shawn Michaels

When on the topic of greatest Wrestlemania main events, this match will more than likely never be mentioned again.  While I don't blame the WWE for deleting him from the history books, Chris Benoit's tarnished legacy has erased many of my favorite matches of all time. But if I am the only one who recognizes his accomplishments, then so be it.  I still believe that this is the greatest Wrestlemania main event I have ever seen and it was the perfect combination of story, performance & technical wizardry that resulted in arguably, the best world title match ever.  The three differing styles of Triple H, Michaels & Benoit meshed so beautifully that you immediately knew you were witnessing something special.  Benoit's 18-year trek to the top of the mountain made for perhaps the most sympathetic babyface tale to ever be woven in a match of this magnitude.  Add in the two year history of bad blood between Michaels & HHH, and you've got quite the dynamic.  Never before has a triple threat match worked so smoothly and it's highly unlikely that we'll ever witness one better.  It was once in a lifetime.  Regardless of whether or not you choose to acknowledge it, it's a great piece of art & it's a shame that technically, it no longer exists.

Runner up:: Wrestlemania XXV:: Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker

Feud of the decade: Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels

In what could go down as the greatest feud of all time, Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels had the rivalry of a lifetime.  It started in 2003, when Chris would claim that he had become even better than Shawn Michaels.  HBK would silence Jericho at Wrestlemania 19, but this war was not over.  In 2008, Y2J would yet again confront his idol accusing him of feigning a knee injury.  What no one saw was the spark of what would become the most intense feud of the 2000s.  It became extremely personal once Jericho assaulted Shawn's wife, and the war would reach it's epic climax in the match that made the Showstopper famous, a ladder match.  Their feud-ending match at No Mercy, is one of the top 5 matches of the decade by any stretch, and you could argue that point about pretty much every match these two had. 

Runner up: Bryan Danielson vs. Nigel McGuinness

Pay-Per-View of the decade: WWE Wrestlemania XVII

I remember watching this live and I don't think I have ever been more pumped going into a PPV.  Top to bottom, the card was STACKED and the WWE has struggled to match it to this day.  The main event between The rock and Steve Austin, may have been the most anticipated main event in WWE history.  These two icons tore down the house in what was at the time, the most exciting match I have ever witnessed.  The TLC II match between the Hardyz, Dudleyz and Edge and Christian, was the biggest and most awesome spot fest of all time. In terms of quality, Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit grappled in a pure contest to see who really was the best "wrestler" in the WWE.  As if that were not enough, The Undertaker extended his streak to 9-0, by beating Triple H in a brutal No-DQ battle.  With big matches like these, the crowd could not have been more excited and the fans at home definitely got their money's worth.  This PPV set the bar for every Wrestlemania that followed it, a bar that still holds to this very day.

Runner up: DGUSA Untouchable 2009