Cheap Heat Wrestling's 2015 Year-End Awards

2015 Cheap Heat Wrestling Year-End Awards

Rookie of the Year: Moose

Wrestling is a sport where the goal is to give the appearance of causing incalculable amounts of pain to your opponent without injuring him. It is almost a polar opposite of professional football, where the amount of pain you cause your opponent is an afterthought in the pursuit of ultimate glory. Football players are not supposed to catch on to professional wrestling this quickly; but, Quinn “Moose” Ojinnaka has quickly established himself as one of Ring of Honor’s top draws and one of the sport’s best wrestlers. After making his in-ring debut in late 2014, Moose went on a tear, taking his winning streak all the way through the month of May 2015, where he finally lost to no slouch in Cedric Alexander. Moose has gone toe to toe with Ring of Honor’s very best including champion Jay Lethal, in year one of what looks to be a long illustrious career in professional wrestling. Moose is Cheap Heat Wrestling’s 2015 Rookie of the Year.

Inspirational Wrestler of the Year: Allie Parker

Allie Parker risked her life and wrestling career to give a kidney to her ailing brother, who suffers from diabetes related kidney failure. Two days after wrestling a match in Las Vegas, Allie went under the knife, risking everything she had worked so hard for, to give her brother the kidney he desperately needed to save his life. While Allie Parker’s kindness, generosity, and self-sacrifice could make her Time’s Person of the Year, she will have to settle for being Cheap Heat Wrestling’s Inspirational Wrestler of the Year for 2015.  

Diva of the Year: Lana

This award goes to the hottest female of 2015, the female wrestler (or manager) who turns the most heads, gets the most Twitter Re-Tweets and Facebook Shares, and simply makes most hot blooded male wrestling fans lose their mind. Diva of the Year will be the wrestling personality most likely to be hanging in poster format, inside your locker or on your bedroom wall. We even have her autographed picture in our own Cheap Heat Wrestling lair where she's been named Diva of the Day more than anyone else this year. Our 2015 Diva of the Year Award goes out to none other than the Ravishing Russian, Lana.

Manager of the Year: Paul Heyman

Paul Heyman uses his unique skills to tame an absolute beast in Brock Lesnar. He keeps what is arguably the most dominating force in wrestling history at bay, until the bell rings where he then utilizes his other talents to make sure Brock Lesnar brutally assaults his opponent, accomplishing the task at hand, which is more often than not, an annihilation. Heyman, ever the businessman and opportunist, moves the Beast like a chess piece in his own personal game of universal domination. Additionally, Heyman worms his way into big match after big match by using his expert Brooklyn learned negotiating skills to get the McMahon family to bite on whatever bait he entices them with and it almost always works. He is arguably the greatest manager in wrestling history and although he tells Cheap Heat Wrestling that, "I am an advocate, not a manger," Heyman has set him self apart as Cheap Heat Wrestling’s Manager of the Year.        

SmackDown of the Year: Kalisto’s Salida Del Sol at TLC 

No one could believe what they witnessed at this December’s WWE TLC Special Event. In a Triple Threat Ladder Match against the Usos and the New Day, Kalisto successfully attempted the impossible. Like a moment frozen in time, Kalisto performed the Salida del Sol from the top of one ladder to another breaking a ladder at Jay Uso’s unfortunate expense. The maneuver will forever be etched in time, leaving the WWE Universe open jawed in awe struck astonishment. Without question the SmackDown of the Year is Kalisto’s Salida del Sol.

Most Popular Wrestler of the Year: Dean Ambrose

Ambrose is the 2015 version of everyman Dusty Rhodes, with Roddy Piper's fiery personality. Wrestling in a dirty sleeveless tee and jeans, he carries the WWE Universe with him in every match. With a punch and a chop, a clothesline here and there, and a relentless get-the-job-done attitude, he is how we all would wrestle, if we were gifted with the athletic abilities of an olympian. Frequently receiving the loudest and most vivacious crowd reactions in every city he works, as well as having a legions of internet fans all around the world, has ensured that Dean Ambrose is undoubtedly 2015’s Most Popular Wrestler of the Year.   

Comeback of the Year: Sting

Sting returned to wrestling late in 2014, to confront the Authority at Survivor Series. This led to a WrestleMania showdown between he and Triple H, an encounter that reignited the Monday Night Wars and saw the NWO square off against D-X at the Super Bowl of wrestling. Although Sting came up short in his match against Triple H, he undoubtedly helped provide some of WrestleMania 31’s most memorable moments. After defeating Big Show on RAW, Sting faced the WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins at Night of Champions in an epic match that saw the Icon finish strong, despite suffering an in-match career threatening neck injury. Considering how long he had been gone from a major wrestling promotion (Sting last wrestled in WCW in 2001) and the excitement his return generated, Sting wins the award for Comeback of the Year.

Tag Team of the Year: New Day

New Day’s debut went over like a loud burp in Church. Similar to the Rock’s early years, audiences turned on the team built and force-fed to them as fan-favorites. New Day could have folded and returned to their original gimmicks or roll with the direction the fans provided them with. Roll with it they did and to astounding success. Morphing into a twisted version of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles meets My Little Pony, New Day went over as a gimmick and in the ring, as well where the talents of Big-E, Kofi Kingston, and Xavier Woods shined. Having defeated Tyson Kidd and Cesaro to become WWE Tag Team Champions at Extreme Rules, New Day successfully took on challenges from a rejuvenated tag team division that included the Usos, The Dudley Boyz, Los Matadores, The Prime Time Players, and the Lucha Dragons among others. Their in-ring promos have been nothing short of spectacular, leaving wrestling fans with an ear-to-ear smile week after week; but, winning two tag team titles and holding onto them for the majority of 2015 makes New Day our Tag Team of the Year.

Andy Kaufman Award (Best Comedic Performance by a Wrestler): Xavier Woods   

While New Day wins the Tag Team of the Year Award, fans were blessed by the comedic stylings of one Xavier Woods. Whether it was his incessant ring-side screaming, his clever catchphrases, his commentary, or his expertly timed trombone playing, Xavier Woods entertained the WWE Universe to heights never before witnessed, in 2015. Xavier Woods handedly wins our Andy Kaufman Award for Best Comedic Performance by a Wrestler in 2015.

Most Improved Wrestler of the Year: Nikki Bella

Women’s Wrestler of the Year: Nikki Bella

Before 2014, Nikki Bella was known primarily for reality television, being John Cena's better half, and being one half of the Bella Twins. That was until her historical championship run in that ran from 2014 to late 2015. Nikki set herself apart from her sister Brie and proved to be one of women’s wrestling most dominating forces, a fierce solo competitor to be reckoned with. Holding the title during the Divas Revolution, which saw an influx of new talent strengthen the Divas Division to historical proportions, Nikki held the title for a whopping 301 days, before losing the belt to Charlotte Flair. No Diva had a better year than Nikki in a year that will arguably be considered one of the greatest and most memorable in the history of women’s wrestling.

Rivalry of the Year: Brock Lesnar vs Undertaker

The beginnings of this rivalry date back to WrestleMania 30, where Brock Lesnar ended the Undertaker’s illustrious WrestleMania winning streak. Paul Heyman constantly reminded the WWE Universe that Lesnar would forever be the 1 in Undertaker’s 21-1. He reminded us and then he reminded us again and again and again and again. Undertaker eventually grew weary of Heyman’s incessantly running mouth and interfered in Lesnar’s championship match against Seth Rollins at Battleground, costing Lesnar his chance at regaining the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. When the two met at SummerSlam in a match dubbed “Too Big for WrestleMania,” the Undertaker apparently tapped out and although the time-keeper rang the bell, the referee didn’t see it, inevitably giving the Undertaker the tainted win over Lesnar. The feud would continue in brutal fashion as the two monstrous talents would meet at WWE’s Hell in a Cell in a Match of the Year candidate that would reach epic proportions of violence. In a bloodbath of pure carnage, Lesnar would win the match and the feud; but, the magnitude of hatred and the violence that ensued therein ensured this would be Cheap Heat Wrestling’s 2015 Rivalry of the Year.

Match of the Year: Vampiro vs Pentagon, Jr.

2015 saw an abundance of fantastic matches, some of which will go down in history as the greatest matches of all time. This includes two matches between Bayley and Sasha Banks, which were two of the best in history and absolutely ground-breaking for women’s wrestling. However, no match had the drama, the intensity, the bloodshed and the back and forth chemistry that Vampiro vs Pentagon, Jr. generated. From the opening moment where Vampiro made his long anticipated in-ring return to the brutally bloody battle itself, to the shocking ending of the match, where Vampiro revealed himself as Pentagon Jr’s mentor, this match held Lucha Underground and wrestling audiences entirely captivated. We haven't stopped thinking about it or talking about it since. Vampiro vs Pentagon, Jr is our Match of the Year for 2015.  

Wrestler of the Year: Seth Rollins

Most Hated Wrestler of the Year: Seth Rollins

Seth Rollins’ 2015 started off with a Match of the Year candidate at the 2015 Royal Rumble, when he took on both Brock Lesnar and John Cena and nearly became WWE World Heavyweight Champion. He finally accomplished that feat at WrestleMania 31, when he cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase to beat Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns for the Title. Seth held the Title for nearly seven months and although he was forced to vacate the championship due to a major knee injury he suffered in a match against the Demon Kane, Rollins was never beaten for his belt. During his reign, Rollins also managed to add to his championship hardware, capturing John Cena’s United States Championship. As WWE’s most believable heel, Rollins took on challenges from some of WWE’s most beloved  fan favorites like; John Cena, Brock Lesnar, Kane, Dean Ambrose and even the legendary WCW star Sting. While Rollins often relied on underhanded tactics to keep his WWE Title, he established himself as the WWE’s top heel, a Match of the Year candidate every time he gets into the ring, Cheap Heat Wrestling’s Most Hated Wrestler of the Year, and Cheap Heat Wrestling's Wrestler of the Year.