Wrestler of the Half Year – John Cena
Despite losing the WWE title twice this year and having moments where huge segments of the crowd either booed or cheered him, he never lost his cool or was flustered in the ring or during any promos.
Most Hated Wrestler of the Half Year – Jeff Jarrett
As I explained in my TNA recap, there are two types of heat. While Edge has the best example of the type of heat a wrestler should have, Jeff has the type of heat that is not good for business. When people that don’t even pay to come to the shows are sick of having to see you in the main event that should be a red flag to TNA management that maybe they should make some type of change.
Most Popular Wrestler of the Half Year – Rey Mysterio
While his title reign has not been booked very well, the reason that Rey still holds onto the title is because of how much the fans like and respect him. The kids in the crowd love his colorful masks and the smarks respect Rey for all that he has contributed to the business. When you add in his real life friendship with the Guerrero family, Rey easily wins this honor.
Feud of the Half Year – Shawn Michaels vs Vince McMahon
What makes a great feud? If you consider things like length, memories created during the feud, the matches, and the feud getting many people involved in it then this feud has done it all. What started off as feud between Vince and Shawn has grown to include The Spirit Squad, Shane McMahon, and Triple H. This feud has led to the rebirth of D-X and the opportunity of five rookies to get some experience against the best in the business. Several of the moments in this feud will be talked about for years. Inside the ring, Shawn’s elbow drop off the ladder at WrestleMania will be seen for many years and outside the ring the D-X promo mocking The McMahon’s will be one of those RAW moments talked about for a long time.
Rookie of the Half Year – Bobby Lashley
Lashley made his debut on SmackDown! late last year and has been a force since entering the company. He is currently the U.S. Champion and his matches have been one of the highlights of SmackDown! He has taken advantage of the openings that injuries have created in the roster and is looking like he will be a major star in the business one day
Most Improved Wrestler – Mark Henry
Prior to this year, Mark was that weight lifting guy that only had a job because he signed a 10 year deal. In his final year of that the deal, he has finally shown the potential that many predicted for him. For some reason the WWE spent the majority of his career making him out to be a pervert. After 10 years, WWE creative used the “World’s Strongest Man” as he should be used, a monster that uses his strength to destroy people instead of a man that had sex with a transvestite and got an 80 year old woman pregnant.
Comeback of the Half Year – Finlay
In the waning days of WCW, Finlay suffered a severe leg injury when the WCW used the wrong type of table for him to perform a stunt with. After the closing of WCW, he worked as a WWE trainer and was responsible for training the woman of the era when the woman’s division was more than T&A variety matches. His return to the ring has resulted in many good matches that feature old school wrestling and some great in ring psychology. Even being teamed with a leprechaun has not hurt his image. As a matter of fact, the combination is one of the SmackDown! highlights.
Match of the Half-Year – Terry Funk, Tommy Dreamer, & Beulah vs Edge, Mick Foley, & Lita
During this match, I really believed I had entered a time warp and that ECW was still alive. While not a match that many will consider a five star classic, it was just a magical moment that was able to bring back many great memories for me and many other ECW fans.
Event of the Half Year – ECW One Night Stand
Worst Event of the Half Year – The debut episode of ECW on Sci Fi
Best Book of the Half Year –Cheating Death, Stealing Life by Eddie Guerrero
Best DVD of the Half Year – (tie) The Dusty Rhodes Story and Heroes of World Class (The Story of the Von Erichs and The Rise and Fall of World Class Championship Wrestling)
Worst Book of the Half Year – World Wrestling Insanity
Worst DVD of the Half Year – The World’s Greatest Wrestling Manager’s
