The G9Z Wrestling Honor Roll: Class Of 1999

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 1999!

Wrestler Of The Year: Steve Austin

For the second year in a row, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin dominated the wrestling scene.  His iconic feud with Vince McMahon was in full swing and the buzz surrounding the Austin-led WWE was at an all time high.  Austin's monumental popularity was met with championship success as he defeated his greatest rival, The Rock at Wrestlemania XV to win his third WWE Championship.  As the most prominent figure in the business at the time, Austin would almost single handedly set the bar for every other superstar that followed.  It was an iconic year for perhaps the sport's most iconic figure.

 

Runner Up: Mitsuharu Misawa

Woman Of The Year: Chyna

One of the most popular and dynamic divas of all time, the "Ninth Wonder Of The World", Chyna was in the midst of one of the most groundbreaking runs any athlete has ever had in the WWE.  She would do so by becoming the first woman to enter the Royal Rumble match, qualify for the King Of The Ring tournament, become the #1 contender for the WWE title and win the prestigious Intercontinental Championship.  Aside from entering the rumble, all of these feats have yet to be duplicated.  With that said, it's hard to argue with Chyna as one of the most important women in the history of the sport.

Runner Up: Terri Runnels

Tag Team Of The Year: The Hardy Boyz

High flying brothers Matt and Jeff Hardy composed one of the most famous tag teams of all time.  Their first break in popularity came in 1999 after fans started to realize just how innovative the daredevils could be.  Many would argue that their biggest moment of the year came in June when they defeated the Acolytes to win their first WWE Tag Team Championship, but they would achieve even higher levels of greatness come the No Mercy PPV in October.  They would then make history by defeating rivals Edge & Christian in the first ever tag team ladder match to win the services of Terri Runnels.  Many have said it was one of the greatest tag matches in WWE history.  And it wouldn't be the last time they'd say that in regards to this now iconic tandem.

 

Runner Up: The Rock & Sock Connection

Match Of The Year:: AJPW Budokan Hall Show (June): Kenta Kobashi vs. Mitsuharu Misawa

This match is an interesting case.  While it is viewed as an all-time classic, it's also hailed as the weakest of the three most famous matches in the lengthy Misawa/Kobashi rivalry.  That being said, while the drama was higher in their '98 match and their '03 match is often hailed as the best overall, it was this match that had some of the best bumping and memorable spots of the entire year.  Nothing companies like WWE, WCW or ECW could offer would even come close in terms of quality, intensity and physicality.  It's a true testament to both men's abilities that they were able to turn in this kind of magic on so many different occasions.

Runner Up:: WWE No Mercy: The Hardy Boyz vs. Edge & Christian