ROH 2008 Awards.

[Duckman]

From ROHwrestling.com

Welcome to the 2008 edition of the Ring of Honor Year End Awards. Ring of Honor has had a successful year filled with great memories, emotions, and exciting events. This year’s Official Year End Awards had several first time winners including a changing of the guard for the three biggest wrestler based awards. So without further ado let’s get to the reason your reading, The Official 2008 Ring of Honor Year End Awards.

1. Match of the Year for December 1, 2007 - December 2, 2008 (Singles and Tag Matches are Eligible):

Winning this year’s award for match of the year is the current Ring of Honor World Champion, Nigel McGuinness and current number one contender Austin Aries for their incredible match at the Rising Above 2007 Event, on December 29, 2007 in New York City, NY. The effort and heart of both men earned twenty four votes, ten more than the closest competitor. In second place, receiving fourteen votes was yet another Nigel McGuinness match. McGuinness battled and defeated Tyler Black in an ROH World Title in Philadelphia on March 16, 2008. The top two matches in this year’s voting headlined Ring of Honor Pay Per View Events. The third place match, receiving eleven votes was another Nigel McGuiness ROH World Title defense as he defeated Tyler Black, American Dragon Bryan Danielson, & Claudio Castagnoli on August 2, 2008 in New York City, NY. Finishing Fourth with seven votes was a fourth Ring of Honor World Title defense by Nigel McGuinness, this time a singles match against American Dragon Bryan Danielson on February 23, 2008 in New York City, NY.


Here’s How The Rest Shook Out:
Six Votes: Danielson vs. Black, New Horizons, Pearce vs. Albright, Death Before Dishonor VI, Steen & Generico vs. Doi & Yoshino, Dragon Gate Challenge II, McGuinness vs. Aries, Supercard of Honor III, Six Votes.
Five Votes:Age of the Fall vs. Steen & Generico, Driven 2008
Three Votes:KENTA & Ibushi vs. Marufuji & Nakajima, The Tokyo Summit
Two Votes:Ibushi vs. Generico, Return Engagement, McGuinness vs. Generico, Age of Insanity, McGuinness vs. Danielson, Rising Above 2008, Black vs. Danielson, Breakout
One Vote: Typhoon (CIMA, Kid, & Saito) vs. Muscle Outlawz(Doi, Yoshino & Horiguchi), Supercard of Honor III, Ibushi vs. Richards, Bedlam in Beantown, Motor City Machine Guns vs. The Briscoe Bros., Return Engagement, Marufuji vs. Shiozaki, Death Before Dishonor VI, Hero vs. Strong, The Battle for Supremacy, Motor City Machine Guns vs. Age of the Fall, Tag Wars 2008.


2. Show of the Year for December 1, 2007 - December 2, 2008 (Rising Above 2007 â€" Rising Above 2008): Winning this year’s award for show of the year, receiving fifty two votes was Supercard of Honor III taped in Orlando, Florida on March 29, 2008. This show featured a six man tag team main event with the stars of Dragon Gate, CIMA, Dragon Kid, & Ryo Saito vs. Naruki Doi, Masato Yoshino & Genki Horiguchi. Also on this show was an epic ROH World Title Match with Austin Aries trying to dethrone ROH World Champion Nigel McGuinness. The runner up, receiving thirty seven votes was August 2, 2008 and New York City’s Death Before Dishonor VI featuring a Four Way for the ROH World Title Match with Nigel McGuinness taking on Tyler Black, Bryan Danielson, & Claudio Castagnoli and an NWA World Heavyweight Title Match with Brent Albright defeating Adam Pearce. Third place, receiving four votes was the Hammerstein Ballroom Debut in New York City on May 10, 2008. This show featured Bryan Danielson battling Naomichi Marufuji and an ROH World Title Match with Nigel McGuinness & Claudio Castagnoli. Finishing fourth was another New York City event from February 23rd, The Sixth Anniversary Show which received three votes. On that show was Bryan Danielson trying to reclaim the ROH World Title from Nigel McGuinness and Austin Aries taking on NOAH’s Go Shiozaki.


Here’s How The Rest Shook Out:
One Vote: Dragon Gate Challenge II (3/28/08), Glory By Honor VII (9/20/08), The Tokyo Summit (9/14/08), Rising Above 2007(12/29/07), Rising Above 2008 (11/22/08)


3. Best Ring of Honor Pay Per View December 1, 2007 â€" December 2, 2008 (Rising Above 2007, Take No Prisoners, Respect is Earned II, New Horizons, Driven 2008, & Rising Above 2008):
Another year of epic Ring of Honor Pay Per View, another set of terrific matches. This year’s first place winner was Take No Prisoners from March 16, 2008. The show aired in May, earning forty three votes as the best Ring of Honor Pay Per View of 2008. The show featured Tyler Black earning an ROH World Title match against Nigel McGuinness after winning a Four Corner Survival Match. Also on the show was an amazing match with Austin Aries and Bryan Danielson. Finishing in second place with nineteen votes was June’s Respect is Earned II from Philadelphia, PA. This show featured an incredible ROH World Tag Team Title match with Age of the Fall defending against Bryan Danielson and Austin Aries as well as a Fight without Honor between rivals Erick Stevens and Roderick Strong. The Pay Per View with the 2008 Match of the Year was Rising Above from December 28, 2007 in New York City. Nigel McGuinness defended the ROH World Title against Austin Aries and a classic brawl between Bryan Danielson and Takeshi Morishima. This show earned fifteen votes.

Here’s How The Rest Shook Out:
Eleven Votes:Rising Above 2008 (11/23/08)
Eight Votes:Driven 2008 (9/19/08)
Six Votes:New Horizons (7/26/08)


4. Storyline of the Year for December 1, 2007 - December 2, 2008:
A former ROH World Champion steals the girl of a bitter, emotional, violent psychopath all the while he tried to add him to his side. Austin Aries and Jimmy Jacobs battled for over six months beating each other into submission, with blood, guts, and a massive amount of emotion in between. The Storyline of the Year Award winner for 2008, was Austin Aries and Jimmy Jacobs saga, earning forty seven votes. ROH World Champion Nigel McGuinness and his pursuit of respect from the people earned second place with twenty three votes. McGuinness has had an amazing year as ROH World Champion, and has successfully proved everyone wrong that has questioned his heart, desire, and worth as World Champion. The third place award winner with twelve votes was also related to ROH gold. Kevin Steen made a promise and he and partner El Generico lived up to it, earning the ROH World Tag Team Titles from the Age of the Fall in Boston at the Driven 2008 Pay Per View.


Here’s How The Rest Shook Out:
Four Votes: Danielson’s Pay Per View Title Shot Quest, Sweet & Sour Inc.’s Hostile Takeover of ROH
Three Votes:Brent Albright leaves Sweet & Sour Inc., wins NWA Title
Two Votes:Aries & the Briscoes battle AOTF, Titus, Delirious, Haze Love Triangle, Tyler Black Rises to the top of ROH
One Vote:Stevens and Strong Pound Respect into one another, Necro Leaves AOTF, becomes his own man


5. Wrestler of the Year for December 1, 2007 - December 2, 2008:
What can you about ROH World Champion Nigel McGuinness that hasn’t been said before? How about he’s the 2008 Ring of Honor Wrestler of the Year? Earning seventy five votes, fifty nine votes more than the second place finisher, McGuinness dominated ROH in 2008. Nobody matches McGuinness in Match of the Year voting, and he also finished second place in the award for best storyline. Congratulations to Nigel McGuinness on an amazing year. The second place winner was American Dragon Bryan Danielson. Danielson earned sixteen votes after a year that would be very hard to top. Both Danielson and McGuinness, the Aces of ROH set themselves apart from the rest of the roster with the year’s they had.


Here’s How The Rest Shook Out:
Three Votes:Jimmy Jacobs, Tyler Black, Austin Aries
One Vote: Kevin Steen, El Generico


6. 2008 CM Punk Award (Ring Of Honor MVP):
Match of the Year, Wrestler of the Year, Second Place winner for Storyline of the Year, and now the MVP of Ring of Honor in 2008. Nigel McGuinness, ROH World Champion since October 6, 2007 has had a year that will go down in the ROH History Books as one of, if not the best of all time. It can’t be stated how important McGuinness’s matches were to ROH shows. The response he elicits is one of the loudest every event. McGuinness received forty nine votes more than double of his closest counterpart. Will 2009 be just as good for Nigel McGuinness? Only time will tell. But if you’re a betting man, I’d bet McGuinness is in it, to win it again in 2009.


Here’s How The Rest Shook Out:
Twenty One Votes: Bryan Danielson
Eleven Votes:Jimmy Jacobs
Eight Votes:El Generico, Tyler Black
Two Votes:Austin Aries
One Vote:Delirious, Erick Stevens


7. Tag Team of the Year for December 1, 2007 - December 2, 2008:
A man is only as good as his word, and Kevin Steen is good, very good. Kevin Steen promised to win ROH Gold before 2008 ended, and he and partner El Generico did just that defeating Jimmy Jacobs and Tyler Black at the 2008 version of Driven, in Boston. Earning seventy eight votes, which was a little over four and a half times their closest counterparts, El Generico & Kevin Steen are the 2008 Ring of Honor Tag Team of the Year. In second place was another championship duo, Jimmy Jacobs and Tyler Black, the Age of the Fall earned seventeen votes after a year of blood baths and great wrestling matches. While the Age of the Fall duo is over with, Jacobs and Black have left a legacy in ROH that will have people talking many years down the road.


Here’s How The Rest Shook Out:
Three Votes:The Briscoe Brothers, Mark and Jay
One Vote:Motor City Machine Guns of Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin, No Remorse Corps of Davey Richards and Rocky “Azucar” Romero, Team Work of Austin Aries and American Dragon Bryan Danielson


8. DVD Cover of the Year for December 1, 2007 - December 2, 2008 (Rising Above 2007 â€" Bound By Hate):
May 10, 2008 will be remembered for being the debut at NYC’s Hammerstein Ballroom. A show with some great matches, a huge reaction for Brent Albright, and the 2008 DVD Cover of the Year as ROH reached A New Level. The show received twenty five votes. In second place was another Hammerstein show, Death Before Dishonor VI from August 2, 2008 which received seventeen votes. Only one vote behind Death Before Dishonor VI with sixteen votes was Glory By Honor VII from Philadelphia on September 20, 2008.


Here’s How The Rest Shook Out:
Eight Votes:Supercard of Honor III (3/29/08)
Seven Votes:Sixth Anniversary Show (2/23/08)
Five Votes:Fueling the Fire (8/1/08)
Four Votes:Dragon Gate Challenge II (3/28/08)
Two Votes:Age of Insanity (8/15/08), Bound by Hate (11/08/08)
One Vote:Eye of the Storm (2/22/08), Breakout (1/25/08), Double Feature (3/14/08 & 3/15/08), Southern Navigation (5/9/08), Vendetta II (6/28/08), Return Engagement (4/19/08), Return of the 187 (10/24/08), Take No Prisoners (3/16/08), Driven 2008 (9/19/08), The Tokyo Summit (9/14/08), Ring of Homicide II (10/25/08)


9. Feud of the Year for December 1, 2007 - December 2, 2008:
Two men and a lot of blood was shed. Jimmy Jacobs and Austin Aries earned forty six votes and the title of Ring of Honor 2008 Feud of the Year. These two men beat each other up and down the ROH circuit. Lacey was caught in the middle until Jacobs did away with her. Austin Aries sought revenge and got it, winning the feud. Second place was another year long rivalry finished on Pay Per View, Roderick Strong and Erick Stevens earned thirty nine votes after beating each other into a mutual respect. The now partners ended their rivalry on Pay Per View when Strong defeated Stevens in a Fight without Honor. Third place, with nine votes was what seems like a lifelong rivalry between ROH World Champion Nigel McGuinness and American Dragon Bryan Danielson.


Here’s How The Rest Shook Out:
Three Votes:Austin Aries vs. The Age of the Fall, Tyler Black & The Necro Butcher
One Vote:Rhett Titus vs. Delirious, Bryan Danielson vs. Tyler Black, Roderick Strong vs. Sweet & Sour Inc., Brent Albright vs. Adam Pearce


10. Most Improved Regular Roster Member for December 1, 2007 - December 2, 2008:
Improvement can be gauged in many different ways. On one hand you can look at wins, titles, and reactions or on the other hand you can view mechanics and skills in the ring. One man stood far above the rest in both sides of the argument this year, Tyler Black. Black was one half of the ROH World Tag Team Champions, he also won a lot of tag team matches. His in ring skills were a huge step forward as he grew more comfortable working in front of the ROH crowds. Black received fifty two votes to win first place. Second place was Erick Stevens, who battled Roderick Strong and Sweet & Sour Inc. most of the year. Stevens received seventeen votes.


Here’s How The Rest Shook Out:
Seven Votes: Davey Richards, Brent Albright, El Generico
Four Votes:Go Shiozaki
Two Votes:Kevin Steen
One Vote:Eddie Edwards, Jimmy Jacobs, Rhett Titus


11. Most Improved ROH Student for December 1, 2007 - December 2, 2008:
His music hits the fans shake, when Addicted to Love Rhett Titus enters the ringside area it’s clear he’s head and shoulders above the rest of the ROH Students. Winning the 2008 Most Improved ROH Student Award with a whopping eighty eight votes, a little over fourteen times more than the second place winner, Rhett Titus made a huge step in becoming a regular member of the ROH roster. Due to Titus winning the award, he’s no longer eligible for repeating next year.


Here’s How The Rest Shook Out:
Six Votes:Grizzley Redwood
Four Votes:Sugarfoot Alex Payne
Two Votes:Bobby Dempsey
One Vote:Shane Hagadorn


12. Whose Star Shines Brightest in 2009?:
Last year it was Kings of Wrestling members Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli who won this award. The year did not work out so well for them. Will 2009 be the change? The star who will shine brightest in 2009 according to the ROH Fans is Tyler Black who received fifty nine votes. Second place went to Canadian star Kenny Omega who received twelve votes. Third place was Davey Richards of Sweet & Sour Inc., who was given seven votes.


Here’s How The Rest Shook Out:
Four Votes:El Generico, Kenny King
Three Votes:Nigel McGuinness, Roderick Strong
Two Votes:Brent Albright
One Vote:Chris Hero, Jerry Lynn, The Necro Butcher, Addicted to Love Rhett Titus, The American Wolves of Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards, Austin Aries


13. Best Interview of the Year for December 1, 2007 - December 2, 2008:
One of the most improved facets of Ring of Honor Shows and DVD releases has been the interviews that help establish what’s going on. Men like CM Punk and Samoa Joe led the way to improved interview skills that men like Larry Sweeney, Jimmy Jacobs and Adam Pearce have helped improve in the last two years. This year the best overall man on the microphone was awarded to ROH World Champion Nigel McGuinness who received forty first place votes. Second place went to the Age of the Fall’s Jimmy Jacobs who earned twenty five votes. Finishing third was Sweet & Sour Inc.’s own Larry Sweeney with eighteen votes.


Here’s How The Rest Shook Out:
Three Votes:Bryan Danielson
Two Votes:Kevin Steen, Adam Pearce, Mark & Jay Briscoe, Rhett Titus
One Vote:El Generico


14. Best Individual Promo of the Year for December 1, 2007 - December 2, 2008:
Ring of Honor is always associated with hard work, passion, and emotion. The wrestlers are passionate, the fans are passionate, and the ROH staff is passionate. The promo done by American Dragon Bryan Danielson on February 23, 2008 at the Sixth Anniversary Show in New York City about the ROH World Title and how much he wanted it, respected it, and how much the fans respect it won the award for Best Individual Promo in 2008, receiving thirty five votes. Second place went to Mr. Everything 2008, Nigel McGuinness as his video wire interview from March 12 and March 26, 2008 received twenty four votes. Third place was a tie between a Nigel McGuinness interview at the Sixth Anniversary Show and a Nigel McGuinness interview at Final Battle 2007, each received nine votes.


Here’s How The Rest Shook Out:
Two Votes:The Briscoes Shoot Guns (Video Wire), Haze Sit Down (Video Wire)
One Vote:McGuinness (Without Remorse), Aries (Eye of the storm), Danielson & Redwood Chop Wood (Video Wire), Steen & Generico (Dragon Gate Challenge II), Danielson (The Tokyo Summit), Jacobs (Dragon Gate Challenge II), Tyler Black, Change (Ring of Homicide II), McGuinness & Castagnoli (Video Wire), El Generico (Without Remorse), Danielson (8/1/08 Video Wire), Storm (Northern Navigation), Steen (Tag Wars 2008), Rhett Titus (A New Level), Jacobs (Return Engagement), Delirious (A New Level), Jacobs (Tag Wars 2008), Erick Stevens (Supercard of Honor III)


15. SHIMMER Athlete of the Year for December 1, 2007 - December 2, 2008:
SHIMMER is a very important component of Ring of Honor. They’ve provided great women athletes to Ring of Honor as managers, wrestlers, and valets. This year a new star at SHIMMER stepped up. MsChif earned forty four votes as the first place winner for SHIMMER Athlete of the Year for her work in SHIMMER, FIP, and ROH. Her year included winning the SHIMMER Title defeating Sara Del Rey and matches in FIP and ROH. Second place went to Sweet & Sour Inc.’s Top Lady Sara Del Rey who received thirty three votes. Del Rey lost the SHIMMER Title to MsChif and feuded with Daizee Haze in ROH this year. Third place went to the lady full of Flower Power, Daizee Haze. Haze received eighteen votes.


Here’s How The Rest Shook Out:
One Vote: Lacey, Sarah Stock

Special thanks to Jeff Schwartz for his work on putting together the awards summary and for overseeing the voting.