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 2001!
Wrestler Of The Year: Steve Austin
Stone Cold Steve Austin ties Bret Hart as the second and only other wrestler to win this award on three different occasions. In the previous years, Austin dominated the WWE landscape and no other performers even came close to touching him. What makes this year special and from a championship standpoint his best is the fact that he had much more elite competition in the ring during his time on top. His superb 175 day reign (his career high) saw him defeat the likes of The Rock, The Undertaker, Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho and Rob Van Dam and still remain the most popular act in the business. Not bad for a guy who was in the midst of perhaps the most bizarre heel turn ever at the time.
Runner Up: Kurt Angle
Woman Of The Year: Lita
It's no mistake that the WWE's most innovative diva is also the only woman to win this award two years in a row. Say what you want about her later career, but you can't deny the fact that Lita was one of the WWE's most popular acts in 2001, male or female. She captivated audiences with her innovative high flying abilities and unique look. Her popularity encouraged a higher standard of athletic competition within the WWE Women's Division yet she still retained the sexual elements that made it an Attitude Era mainstay. She also became the first woman in history to confidently stand up against Chyna and give her an admirable challenge for the women's title. Other accomplishments include beating Dean Malenko in singles competition, winning the 2001 "Internet Babe of the Year" and gracing the cover of the first ever WWE Divas Magazine.
Runner Up: Trish Stratus
Tag Team Of The Year: The Dudley Boyz
Even though they were often overshadowed by more popular tag teams like their rivals the Hardyz and Edge & Christan, Bubba Ray & D-Von Dudley were quietly the most successful duo of the entire year. As if winning an unbelievable five total WWE Tag Team Championship titles in one year wasn't enough, they also managed to defeat The Hardy Boyz at Survivor Series to capture the WCW Tag Team Championships in a title unification match. After this victory, they became the first and only team to capture the WWE, WCW & ECW Tag Team Championship belts.
Runner Up: Chris Benoit & Chris Jericho
Match Of The Year:: WWE Wrestlemania XVII: The Dudley Boyz vs. The Hardy Boyz vs. Edge & Christian
This match changed the landscape of tag team wrestling. These three teams put forth one of the greatest and most famous ladder matches of all time and forever raised the bar for innovation and awe-inspiring spots. Who could forget Edge spearing Jeff Hardy from over 15 feet in the air? Or Jeff Hardy's unbelievable Swanton off of a ladder onto a prone Rhyno and Spike Dudley? This match was like watching a 10 car pile up. It was so brutal it was almost poetic with absolutely no flaws. This match stole the show in what will be remembered as the greatest Wrestlemania of all time. It was easily the most unforgettable match of the year.
Runner Up:: WWE Wrestlemania XVII: Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. The Rock
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