The G9Z Wrestling Honor Roll: Class Of 1996

Welcome to another edition of the HONOR ROLL. Every year during my "Year End Awards" I give out roughly 15 awards. Of those awards, "the big four" are the Wrestler, Woman, Tag Team & Match of the year. The winners of these awards were generally the most awesome performers of the year and with hundreds of prominent wrestlers worldwide, it's a true honor to be able to snag one of the four. This section of the blog will be dedicated to the winners for every year dating all the way back to 1990 (roughly the time I first began watching wrestling)! Every week I will add another year's winners until the database is up to date. This is just a fun series that will give you an idea of what the best of the best was in any year you may have missed. Any current and/or future winners will also be added to the honor roll and join the most prestigious group in all of blogging!

This week, we're announcing the class of 1996!

Wrestler Of The Year: Shawn Michaels

After nearly a decade of being one of the top two or three in-ring performers in the world, Shawn Michaels' boyhood dream would finally come true.  He would kick-start the year by winning his second Royal Rumble in a row and go on to win the WWE Championship from arch-rival Bret Hart in one of the most legendary Wrestlemania main events of all time, the first ever Iron Man match.  He would reign for 231 days with his most noteworthy title defense coming in a match no one gave him a shot at winning when he defeated Mankind after an all out war at Mind Games.

Runner Up: Kenta Kobashi

Woman Of The Year: Sunny

The archetype for the modern day WWE Diva is without a doubt, the single sexiest woman alive circa 1996.  Tammy "Sunny" Sytch captivated WWE audiences with her striking beauty and electric persona that made her an undeniable figure in the company at the time.  She would also be named the most downloaded woman on AOL that year and was arguably, pro wrestling's best manager.  No doubt about it, Sunny set the tone for the many gorgeous ladies that have graced the WWE with their presence over the years.  If you're a fan of other past stunners like Torrie Wilson, Stacy Kiebler, Kelly Kelly and Maryse, then it's Sunny you have to thank.

Runner Up: Manami Toyota

Tag Team Of The Year: Harlem Heat

Brothers Booker T and Stevie Ray were arguably, the best team in the history of WCW.  Accompanied by their legendary manager, Sensational Sherri, the pair would defeat the likes of The Steiner Brothers, The American Males, Sting & Lex Luger and The Public Enemy to win a remarkable three separate WCW World Tag Team Championships throughout the year.  They would spend a combined 231 days as champions.

Runner Up: Mitsuharu Misawa & Jun Akiyama

Match Of The Year:: WWE Wrestlemania XII: Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels

Both Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels have been an integral part in building Wrestlemania as the WWE's premier event.  From an in-ring standpoint, perhaps they are THE most integral pair of wrestlers to ever compete on pro wrestling's grandest stage.  And it's arguable that this match is the most important match to both men's legacies at the show of shows.  The buildup has to be mentioned when on the topic of the best ever and sure the match has shown some age, but it's still a landmark contest that stands alone as the prototype for every Wrestlemania main event going forward.

Runner Up:: AJPW Budokan Hall Show (Dec): Akira Taue & Toshiaki Kawada vs. Mitsuharu Misawa & Jun Akiyama