The 2013 Year End Awards Nominees Are In!

Did Randy Orton's dominant main event run over the last four months earn him a nomination for Wrestler Of The Year?

 

Check after the jump to reveal the full list of nominees for the best of 2013!

Wrestler Of The Year

Given to the top wrestler of the year.

Last Years Winner: CM Punk

And the nominees are:


Daniel Bryan - The WWE's breakout star of 2013 took the main event scene by storm and had some of the best matches of his career against top talents like John Cena, The Shield & Randy Orton.

Hiroshi Tanahashi - The Ace of New Japan Pro Wrestling remains a perennial contender thanks to his unbelievable consistency at the top. Champion or not, he's still the best main event performer alive.

Randy Orton - Orton has bounced back from relative obscurity and secured his place as the champion of champions in the WWE. He is the most convincing heel in pro wrestling with a terrific streak of performances in the latter half of 2013.

Kazuchika Okada - The current IWGP Heavyweight Champion is already the most valuable performer of his generation. And he's done more in two years than many have in twenty.

CM Punk - The reigning king would see his record breaking WWE title run come to an end in January, but rebounded by having perhaps the most impressive streak of marquee matches against legends like The Rock, Chris Jericho, The Undertaker & Brock Lesnar.

Woman Of The Year

Given to the top female wrestling personality of the year.

Last Year's Winner: AJ Lee

And the nominees are:


Cheerleader Melissa - The cornerstone of SHIMMER wrestling, Melissa remains the face of the best women's wrestling promotion in the US & her heel turn this year was arguably more impactful than anyone not named Randy Orton.

AJ Lee - AJ is one of the top two or three MVP's in the WWE right now. She single handedly brought interest back to the WWE divas division and more importantly the Divas Championship.

Gail Kim - 2007's winner came very close to winning this award for the second time in 2012 & she would make an even better claim for the title this year. Perhaps no female performer in the world is more reliable.

Kana - Kana is always in the argument of the best wrestlers in the world male or female. Her mere appearance at an event generates the sort of buzz no other woman alive can match. And her work in both JWP and SHIMMER this past year was truly superb.

Jessicka Havok - J-Hav is the most powerful force in all of women's wrestling. Her nomination comes both because of her stronghold over the WSU Championship (598+ days!!!) and out of the excitement she generated when she debuted for SHIMMER. Plus.....she scares me.

Tag Team Of The Year

Given to the year's best tag team. 



Last Year's Winner: Bad Influence

And the nominees are:


Killer Elite Squad (Lance Archer & Davey Boy Smith Jr.) - The intimidating duo reigned supreme over some of the best competition in the world using their power and cunning to stay atop the NJPW landscape.

The Shield (Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns) - Two thirds of the WWE's most dominant force spent half the year as WWE Tag Team Champions and earned victories over every major superstar or legend that crossed their paths.

The Rhodes Bros. (Cody Rhodes & Goldust) - Even though they only teamed for a few months, no other duo stole the hearts of the WWE Universe quite like the sons of WWE Hall Of Famer Dusty Rhodes.

Bad Influence (Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian) - TNA's best asset still remains the highly entertaining pairing of Daniels and Kaz. The competition is much higher then when they won this award last year, but they're still arguably, the best team in the world.

The Young Bucks (Nick & Matt Jackson) - The most exciting team in pro wrestling managed to capture gold in nearly every promotion they wrestled for this year (including the prestigious IWGP Junior Tag Team Championship).

Manager Of The Year

Given to the most useful manager.

Last Year's Winner: Truth Martini

And the nominees are:


Paul Heyman - Even though Heyman spent half the year assaulting his most prominent client, he was still able to drag Curtis Axel and Ryback back to relevance in the process.

Gedo - The charismatic mouthpiece for IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada helped his client maintain his elite status in the world's best wrestling promotion.

Zeb Colter - Love him or hate him, perhaps no other manager in wrestling was more effective on the stick this year. And any man that can make Jack Swagger seem interesting at least deserves a nomination.

Summer Rae - Fandango's leggy valet remains one of the more entertaining personas on the WWE roster right now. And her work has extended to NXT where her influence has brought rookie Sasha Banks into "one to watch" territory.

Ricardo Rodriguez - For the third year in a row, Ricardo Rodriguez lands a nomination. And for the third year in a row, there was no manager in the world more likable.

Most Entertaining Wrestler Of The Year
Given to wrestler that made us smile the most.

Last Year's Winner: Daniel Bryan

And the nominees are:


Daniel Bryan - The WWE's "Yes" man is easily, the most well-rounded athlete in the sport. He can make you laugh, he can make you angry, but no matter what, you always enjoy yourself whenever he is on screen.

Santino Marella - Even though he missed half the year due to injury, Marella came back better than ever with some of the year's most memorable bits under his belt.

Fandango - Fandango's persona could have been a complete disaster in the hands of any other performer, but the man formerly known as Johnny Curtis proved that he is of a unique breed of entertainer.

Bad Influence (Christopher Daniels & Kazarian) - I'm lumping them together given the fact that no two men play off of each other better than TNA's most entertaining duo.

3MB (Heath Slater, Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal) - The WWE's answer to Bad Influence, the three man band never took themselves too seriously and always found a way to make themselves an in-demand act despite the fact that they always seem to lose.

In-Ring Performer Of The Year

Given to the most consistent wrestler in the ring.

Last Year's Winner: Hiroshi Tanahashi

And the nominees are:


Daniel Bryan - His Summerslam match with John Cena was the best WWE main event of the year and he was easily "the man" when it came to free TV matches in 2013. No other wrestler in the world was more exciting to watch.

Hiroshi Tanahashi - Hiroshi Tanahashi is still the best pro wrestler in the world. Bar none. And his polarizing presence in the 2013 Top 25 (FIVE matches in the top 10!) alone is a strong testament to that.

Tomohiro Ishii - The quiet show stealer had a laundry list of physical wars this year and asserted himself as the best brawler in the sport. Just the fact that he survived 2013 is a spectacle all unto itself.

CM Punk - Punk delivered near five star matches with four different part timers this year. No other WWE wrestler is better in high pressure situations than the Best In The World.

Kazuchika Okada - The young champion main evented nearly every NJPW event in 2013 and had the near impossible task of following some of the best talent in the world night in and night out. It's a mind-blowing miracle that somehow, he usually managed to deliver.

 

Champion Of The Year
Given to the champion who had the year's most noteworthy title reign.

Last Year's Winner: CM Punk

And the nominees are:


Kazuchika Okada - After a career performance at Invasion Attack in April where he won the IWGP Heavyweight title, Kazuchika Okada would remain champion for the rest of the year.

Alberto Del Rio - Del Rio's second World Heavyweight Championship run went a bit under the radar, but it was full of spectacular matches & major victories over Dolph Ziggler, Rob Van Dam & Christian.

Hiroshi Tanahashi - Tanahashi's legendary 295 day title reign came to an end just a few months into the year, but his loss to Kazuchika Okada propelled the young sensation to heights he never dreamed of. And his main event match with Karl Anderson at New Beginning was also stellar.

Shinsuke Nakamura - In just two years of existence, the IWGP Intercontinental Championship is one of the top five most prestigious championships in the world right now. Shinsuke Nakamura can be thanked for that.

Cheerleader Melissa - The SHIMMER Champion became perhaps, the most unstoppable champion in company history when she turned on the fans and made staying on top her new primary focus.

 

Most Popular

Given to the most popular babyface of the year.

Last Year's Winner: Jeff Hardy

And the nominees are:


Daniel Bryan - Bryan had already become one of the most beloved superstars ever when he formed Team Hell No with Kane last year. This year, the WWE Universe hand picked him as "their guy".

CM Punk - Punk began the year as the best heel on the roster. After a brief hiatus, he returned more popular than ever because dammit, we missed his lovable snark.

John Cena - Cena will more than likely be a top candidate for this award until the day he decides to hang up the boots for good.

AJ Styles - AJ Styles rose back up to the very top of the TNA roster and secured himself a spot in the main event at Bound For Glory all thanks to his undeniable cult following.

Shinsuke Nakamura - Even though Tanahashi is their Ace, it was Shinsuke Nakamura that was New Japan Pro Wrestling's most in-demand performer in 2013.

Most Hated

Given to the best villian of the year.

Last Year's Winner: CM Punk

And the nominees are:


Prince Devitt - Devitt's heel turn was the most beautifully executed of the entire year. Since then, no other performer in NJPW has been more reviled.

Cheerleader Melissa - Melissa's shocking attack on Allison Danger immediately after Danger's retirement match sent shockwaves through the wrestling world. Her resulting feuds with SHIMMER's most beloved athletes produced perhaps her best work to date.

Randy Orton - After two years of floating aimlessly between one midcard feud to another, the WWE's Apex Predator became the most hated man on the entire roster by ruining Daniel Bryan's Summerslam moment & aligning himself with the authority.

The Authority - The combined powers of Triple H & wife Stephanie McMahon were too much for fan favorites like Big Show and Daniel Bryan to handle. They run the WWE locker room like a militant dictatorship.

Bully Ray - Ray's Aces & Eights stable fell apart towards the end of the year, but with or without his supporters, he was the most brash asshole TNA wrestling has ever seen.

Moment Of The Year

Awarded to the most memorable moment of the year.

Last Year's Winner: Brock Lesnar returns

And the nominees are:


AJ Lee's "pipebombshell" - In a moment reminiscent of our 2011 winner, AJ Lee shocked the WWE Universe when she went on a scathing tirade aimed at the cast of E!'s Total Divas.

The Rhodes Bros. defeat The Shield at Battleground & get reinstated - A tearjerker of a moment that saw Dusty Rhodes clutch his sons close with pride as the WWE Universe showered all three with gleeful adulation. Unforgettable.

Mark Henry "retires" - The best swerve of the year saw Mark Henry bring the WWE Universe to tears before nailing John Cena with the World's Strongest Slam. Beyond memorable.

The Wyatt Family debuts - In the most chill inducing moment of the year, Bray Wyatt would make his long awaited debut on the WWE's main roster with Luke Harper and Eric Rowan bringing some added sizzle.

The WWE/World Heavyweight Championship ascension ceremony - What began with two now classic promos from John Cena and Randy Orton, ended with the most exciting bit of chaos this year. A slew of WrestleMania match possibilities also generated immediate buzz.

Match Of The Year

Awarded to the year's best match.

Last Year's Winner:: NJPW King Of Pro Wrestling: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Minoru Suzuki

And the nominees are:


WWE Summerslam: Daniel Bryan vs. John Cena - The best WWE main event match of the year saw Daniel Bryan take John Cena through levels of endurance he hadn't been through in years. A white hot crowd made things all the better.

NJPW Invasion Attack: Kazuchika Okada vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi - A true "passing of the torch" from Tanahashi to Okada that exceeded the tremendous amount of hype they had going in.

WWE Summerslam: CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar - These two Paul Heyman protégés headlined Summerslam in a match dubbed "The Best vs. The Beast" and created the biggest spectacle of the year.

NJPW G1 Climax 23 Day 4: Kota Ibushi vs. Shinsuke Nakamura - The most action packed match of the year and the highlight of the greatest tournament in the history of pro wrestling.

NJPW King Of Pro Wrestling: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada - The climax of a two year rivalry that Saw Okada again defeat Tanahahsi in an all-time epic.

Feud Of The Year

Awarded to the year's best rivalry.

Last Year's Winner: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada

And the nominees are:


Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada - The first rivalry to earn a nomination in back-to-back years is quite possibly, the best ever from a pure in-ring perspective.

CM Punk vs. The Rock - The best traditional "good guy vs. bad guy" feud of the year saw CM Punk's bravado clash with The Rock's enigmatic swagger. These two created magic whenever they were onscreen together.

Tomohiro Ishii vs. Katsuyori Shibata - The most physically demanding rivalry of the year. Shibata and Ishii created some of the most cringe worthy spectacles of all time. No storylines needed. No mercy was shown. No fucks were given.

The Shield vs. The Rhodes Bros. - No other rivalry in recent WWE history resulted in a better "feel good" thrill ride. It was a one-of-a-kind series that reminded fans of why we fell in love with WWE in the first place.

Daniel Bryan vs. The Authority/Randy Orton - Say what you want about the results, but this feud created the most captivating bit of WWE television in the final months of the year.

Pay-Per-View Of The Year

Awarded to the year's must-see PPV.

Last Year's Winner: WWE Extreme Rules

And the nominees are:


NJPW G1 Climax 23 Day 4 - Kota Ibushi and Shinsuke Nakamura main evented a show that was also highlighted by a near five star epic between Tomohiro Ishii and Katsuyori Shibata.

NJPW G1 Climax Day 8 - Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kazuchika Okada's 30 minute draw was one of the best matches of the year. Other standout matches include Kota Ibushi/Minoru Suzuki's stiff battle and the crowd pleasing slugfest between Lance Archer & Satoshi Kojima.

NJPW Wrestle Kingdom VII - A show that featured no less than FOUR matches I rated 4 stars or above, NJPW delivered on their promise that this would be the biggest event of the year. Shinsuke Nakamura's MMA style fight with Kazushi Sakuraba was a real treat.

WWE Summerslam - The WWE's best event since Extreme Rules 2012 saw Daniel Bryan capture the imagination of fans all over the world and ascend to superstar status. Still, it was Punk vs. Lesnar that brought the biggest amount of grandeur.

NJPW Invasion Attack - Top to bottom, this was perhaps the most varied PPV of the year. Aside from the all-time classic main event, this card was loaded with underrated gems.

The Torrie Wilson Award

Given to wrestling's sexiest woman of the year.

Last Year's Winner: Maria Kanellis

And the nominees are:


Summer Rae - It's easy to find Summer physically attractive, but it's her quiet charisma and entertaining persona that made her a favorite of fans all over the world.

Brooke Tessmacher - Twerking may be the most overblown craze in pop culture in 2013, but Brooke has damn near made it her calling card. I for one, have her high on my list of reasons to still watch Impact Wrestling. Sue me.

AJ Lee - AJ Lee has a cult-like following because of her confidence and "girl next door" appeal. Perhaps no other female in the sport boasts a longer line of willing suitors.

Maria Kanellis - The newly engaged Kanellis has remained one of the most beautiful women in the world for the better half of a decade now. It's safe to say that 2012 may not be the only time she wins here.

Taeler Hendrix - Regardless of what TNA officials think (she is NOT "heavy"), Hendrix is one of the most desirable women in all of wrestling. Her curvaceous figure is always a feast for the eyes.

The Brock Lesnar Next Big Thing Award

Given to wrestling's next breakout star.

Last Year's Winner: Dean Ambrose

And the nominees are:


Paige - The first ever NXT women's champion is one of the most charismatic athletes to ever step foot in the WWE. It's scary to think that she's only 21 years old and already one of the best female performers today.

Luke Harper - The most promising (and arguably most popular) member of the Wyatt Family has all the tools to become a main event player in the near future.

Sami Zayn - Despite his lack of size, Sami Zayn has all the presence & ability of an elite superstar. And he is easily, the most electrifying talent in NXT right now.

Mojo Rawley - I personally handpicked Rawley for superstardom the minute I saw him. I seem to have been alone in that sentiment at first, but mark my words, this kid has superstar potential.

Alexander Rusev - Rusev has an old-school look, feel & presence that just can't be denied. Not since Umaga ran roughshod over the WWE landscape have fans witnessed a specimen of his type.

 

And here are the new awards this year....

Most Charismatic

Given to the most captivating persona.

And the nominees are:


John Cena - Love him or hate him, you always "feel" something when John Cena is on screen. He's managed to last longer at the top than any other main event star in the last twenty years due to his ability to grab viewer's attention.

Bray Wyatt - Since I first saw Wyatt's "I ain't no white trash" promo nearly two years ago, I became infatuated with the character. As soon as he begins to speak, he is the definition of captivating.

CM Punk - Mark Henry has gone on record saying that CM Punk's sees himself as the same size. It's the reason that despite not having the height or physique of an "ideal" WWE main eventer, Punk has gotten himself there anyhow. He oozes self-confidence more than any other performer in the world.

Shinsuke Nakamura - No other wrestler is more fun to watch than Shinsuke Nakamura. And I've gone on record saying that if I can only watch one talent all year, it'd be Nakamura. The man is the physical embodiment of the word "cool".

AJ Styles - For years Styles has won fans over with his unmatched athleticism and ability to amaze. In 2013, I found his dark, brooding ring persona and "back-to-basics" ring style to be must-see TV.

Best On The Mic

Given to the best talker of the year.

And the nominees are:


CM Punk - If I had given this award out in 2011 & 2012, it would have been CM Punk who walked away the winner. There's no other superstar more bold, quotable and original on the stick.

John Cena - For years, Cena may have landed on many "worst" lists in this category, but in 2013 he proved that when motivated and straying away from "poop jokes", he is among the world's most elite. And his tirade during the championship ascension ceremony, may be the promo of the year.

Bully Ray - Bully Ray is Impact Wrestling's gold standard for microphone excellence. He's one of the most believable, brash and straightforward promo men in the business today.

Bray Wyatt - There isn't a more charismatic superstar on the mic than Bray Wyatt. Any time this man gets the chance to speak, viewers hang on his every word.

Paul Heyman - Paul Heyman's recent two year stint as a manager in the WWE has pretty much been valued at his ability to cut an unbelievable promo. He can take a client from irrelevancy to championship glory with just the use of words.

Most Underrated

Given to the most underrated performer.

And the nominees are:


Tomohiro Ishii - Ishii has had quite possibly the best streak of critically acclaimed matches of any wrestler this past year. Still somehow, he's yet to have been given a world title shot or any major recognition for his efforts.

Dolph Ziggler - Ziggler's 2013 was the biggest roller coaster ride in all of wrestling. The fans have been more than behind him all year, but there's someone higher up that doesn't seem to be too high on him.

Tomoaki Honma - Honma is New Japan's equivalent of Ziggler. His 2013 was spent having a solid streak of incredible matches, but he hasn't done anything of true relevance all year long.

Karl Anderson - Karl Anderson has had two shots at the IWGP Heavyweight Championship this year and has been a spotlighted member of the best stable in wrestling. Even still, there are many that have no faith in his abilities.

Seth Rollins - The least heralded member of the WWE's most dominant faction is perhaps the best performer on the entire roster. Ambrose and Reigns have their fanboys/girls, but it's Rollins that deserved the most praise in 2013.