This is a list of both active and inactive Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards created by professional wrestling and mixed martial arts (MMA) journalist Dave Meltzer. The first fourteen awards were created in 1980 as an informal poll between Meltzer and his friends and others he corresponded with on the subject of professional wrestling at the time. After starting the Wrestling Observer in 1982, the awards took on a greater life, with an increasing number of awards given out every year.[1]
The awards were created to recognize the individual achievements of a select few wrestlers who exemplified a specified criterion. The awards are given every year in various categories such as Wrestler of the Year,[2] Most Outstanding Wrestler, Tag Team of the Year, Most Improved, Pro Wrestling Match of the Year, etc.; there are also a handful of awards to recognize the dubious distinctions in the business during that year such as Most Overrated and Worst Match. There are currently forty-five categories that are actively assessed every year and twenty that are no longer active. The awards are voted for by the newsletter's paying readership, primarily wrestling fans, although it is claimed that some industry workers also vote.
The awards are organized into two categories. For "Category A" awards, voters indicate their top three choices. First choices are awarded five points, second places three points, and third places two points. The choice with the most points overall wins. For "Category B" awards, voters simply indicate their top choice. For the "Category B" Shad Gaspard/Jon Huber Memorial Award, the recipients are chosen by a committee headed by Meltzer.
Over the years, various MMA promotions or individual mixed martial artists were deemed eligible to win some awards when it seemed as though they were more deserving to win than the conventional wrestler or wrestling promotion. This led to, in 1997, the creation of Shootfighter of the Year and Shoot Match of the Year to recognize MMA achievement specifically. Still, some primarily professional wrestling-focused awards remained intact for MMA promotions/fighters to win, due to the similar business aspect between both sports (i.e. Best Box Office Draw and Promotion of the Year). In the December 3, 2007 edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, it was announced that from that year onwards, mixed martial artists are no longer eligible for the Lou Thesz/Ric Flair Award, thus reserving it for professional wrestlers only. Shootfighter of the Year was renamed to Most Outstanding Fighter and Shoot Match of the Year was renamed to MMA Match of the Year to match a new award called Mixed Martial Arts Most Valuable, which is similar to the Lou Thesz/Ric Flair Award except it is for mixed martial artists.
Note: Was known as "Shootfighter of the Year" until 2008.
Tag Team of the Year
Bobby Eaton and Stan Lane became the first tag team to win the award consecutively.
Best on Interviews
Promotion of the Year
Best Weekly TV Show
Pro Wrestling Match of the Year
Bob Backlund and Ken Patera were the inaugural winners of the category, for their 1980 Texas Death Match in WWF.
MMA Match of the Year
Note: Was previously known as the "Shoot Match of the Year" and is sometimes referred to as "Fight of the Year".
"Category B" awards
United States/Canada MVP
Japan MVP
Mexico MVP
Europe MVP
Danny Hodge Memorial Award (Non-Heavyweight MVP)
Women's Wrestling MVP
Women's MMA MVP
Best Box Office Draw
Feud of the Year
Most Improved
Brock Lesnar and The Miz are record two-time winners of the category.
Most Charismatic
Hulk Hogan and The Rock are six-time winners of the category.
Bryan Danielson Award (Best Technical Wrestler)
Bruiser Brody Memorial Award (Best Brawler)
Best Flying Wrestler
Most Overrated
Most Underrated
Bobby Eaton and Cesaro, the latter now known as Claudio Castagnoli, are four-time winners each of the category, Cesaro consecutively.
Rookie of the Year
Best Non-Wrestler
Best Television Announcer
Worst Television Announcer
Best Major Wrestling Show
Worst Major Wrestling Show
Best Wrestling Maneuver
Most Disgusting Promotional Tactic
Worst Television Show
Worst Match of the Year
Note: Named "Worst Worked Match of the Year" until 2018.
Worst Feud of the Year
Adam Cole/The Devil and MJF are the most recent winners of the award, for the 2023 MJF/Devil storyline in AEW.
Worst Promotion of the Year
Best Booker
Jim Cornette (top) and Paul Heyman (bottom) are the only winners of the category who won the award for work in two separate promotions.
Promoter of the Year
Best Gimmick
Worst Gimmick
Best Pro Wrestling Book
Best Pro Wrestling DVD/Streaming Documentary
Note: Was previously known simply as the "Best Pro Wrestling DVD" award.
Shad Gaspard/Jon Huber Memorial Award
Note: This award is given to participants in professional wrestling and mixed martial arts who make contributions outside the ring for the betterment of society.
^"Jan 22 1996 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Results of the 1995 Observer Newsletter Awards, 1995 Record Book, tons more". The Wrestling Observer. January 22, 1996.
^Beltrán, William (August 3, 2010). "Según el Wrestling Observer… ¿Quiénes son los mejores los mejores de la década?". Superluchas (in Spanish). Retrieved October 30, 2015.
Sources
Meltzer, Dave (January 26, 2011). "The 2011 Wrestling Observer Newsletter Awards Issue". Wrestling Observer Newsletter (5). Campbell, California: 1–40. ISSN 1083-9593. The following are the results of the 31st annual Wrestling Observer Newsletter readership awards, along with a listing of the previous winners in the various categories.
Meltzer, Dave (January 30, 2012). "Jan 30 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Gigantic year-end awards issue, best and worst in all categories plus UFC on FX 1, death of Savannah Jack, ratings, tons and tons of news". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Campbell, California: 1–29. ISSN 1083-9593.