But this post isn't about winners. It's about those that missed the cut, but deserve to be mentioned. Honourably (which is why you'll notice that there's no mention of TNA here).
So let's get to it - my Honourable Mentions for the 2010 Brain Buster Awards:
BEST ANGLE - HONOURABLE MENTION
SHAWN MICHAELS AND BRET HART FRIGGING HUG EACH OTHER
Photo - WWE.com
The above picture was from an alternate universe up until earlier this year, when our past universe and present universe intersected at the same point on the January 4th edition of Monday Night RAW.
Seriously. Think about that. This is FUCKING CRAZY. Normally you "never say never" in the wrestling business, but you also say "don't screw me out of my title for real on worldwide pay-per-view in my home country and expose the business for all to see." If you would've told anyone in 1997 (or any year up until this year, for that matter) that Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels would hug on TV, they would slap you in your dirty mouth.
WHY IT DIDN'T GET MY VOTE: This was huge. Beyond huge. In fact I'm watching this back and my entire body is one giant goosebump. My original reasoning for not voting for this was that it seemed too real, or just kind of "above" anything else that happened this year. Daniel Bryan returning, Nexus debuting, all of these things felt like they happened within the realm of the "WWE Universe." While this moment seemed entirely different.
Pretty stupid reasoning, considering how jacked I am after rewatching this segment. Holy crap. I don't care if that hug was the most unnatural thing ever (together they looked like an old dog trying to climb a tree or something), it was the most heartwarming thing to happen in pro wrestling this year (ever?).
BEST PROMO - HONOURABLE MENTION
Photo - WWE.com
In 2010, The Miz was a golden promo factory. From everything he did on NXT, to "HOW. DARE. EVERYONE?!" to his first promo as WWE Champion. But this promo in particular sticks out as his rise to glory. It's a big middle finger to everyone who ever doubted him, centering around how he was banned from the WWE locker room for eating chicken over a referee's bag, spilling crumbs inside. He also calls out JBL (who is either able to play the biggest, most convincing cock in the world, or just is the biggest cock in the world) for how he belittled him at every turn. It must feel pretty good to hold that WWE Title.
The promo itself is (wait for it) awesome. Just the idea that they let him take this promo all the way from the locker room out to the ring is a testament to how much faith they have in Miz on the mic. It might seem condescending saying how he can "walk AND talk" is exceptional, but it's true. Some guys can't even stand and talk.
WHY IT DIDN'T GET MY VOTE: This entire promo felt real. Like it was coming from the heart. Even MVP brings it, and that almost never happens. But when you look back at 2010, there were just too many great promos to be able to include this one. Not only that, but this was just the beginning for the Miz. The amount he grew from the start of the year to the end is pretty shocking, even for him. It also has MVP in it, so that took it down a notch.
MOST EPIC FAILURE - HONOURABLE MENTION
KANE, EDGE & PAUL BEARER
Photo - WWE.com
Why is it that I can suspend my disbelief and accept that Kane can shoot fireballs, but I can't suspend my disbelief and accept that Edge can get away with kidnapping... or even the idea that Kane would give a shit?
But it's not even the idea of logic or reason that makes this an epic failure. It's almost the opposite. I just can't understand who this is for. It's not funny (it's weird), or compelling (do people care what happens to Paul Bearer?), or logical (Edge's master plan = convoluted and already a failure), or anything (it's nothing). It's at best a terrible waste of pizza and chicken wings.
Just like Colt Cabana said in his podcast, how he'll never think of grapes and not think of Matt Hardy, I will never think of chicken wings and not think of Paul Bearer. What a bizarre idea. Seriously. Can you picture the writer's meeting? It's like one of the writer's has some kind of disturbing food fetish and was like, "what if we covered him in chicken wings and pizza... awww yeah." SO WEIRD. In fact, that writer might play a creepier Kane than Kane ever could.
To go off for a second here, Kane went from being SUPER dominant over the Undertaker, to running around crying every week for a month. I feel like I could write forever about this, so I should probably stop. Does Edge take Paul Bearer to the hotel with him? Drive him to the events? Are they constantly running from Kane up until show time? Surely this is more exhausting for Edge than it is Kane. OKAY I'LL STOP
WWE MATCH OF THE YEAR - HONOURABLE MENTION
THE 2010 ROYAL RUMBLE MATCH
Photo - WWE.com
I've been going back and watching Royal Rumble matches at random lately. How we sat through twenty years of men holding each other against the ropes, I don't know. This match was a great example of what the Royal Rumble could and should be (in 2010, at least).
A match with 30 guys in it is the perfect opportunity for the WWE to exercise their "Action Entertainment" muscle. When you see Randy Orton and John Cena in an Iron Man Match, going at it for sixty minutes, and there's different stories and moments and fully-thought out sequences the entire way through - that's a great example of "Action Entertainment" (JBL trying to run over John Cena with a car like we're in a live CSI episode, not a great example).
From CM Punk's in-match sermons; to Beth Phoenix eliminating Khali; to Shawn Michaels' DX-imploding, Undertaker-chasing, elimination-fest; to Edge's bearded return, this match was full of everything you could ask for (and not an hour of stomping and rope-hugging).
WHY IT DIDN'T GET MY VOTE: When it comes down to it, even though we're in the age of multiman matches and themed PPVs and whatnot, I still feel like a traditional one-on-one or two-on-two match should take the honour of MOTY, unless of course there's an undeniably incredible multiman match. This Rumble match was close - it's not like it was just a MITB spotfest with no story, no no... what made this match so good was the stories told within it.
INDEPENDENT MATCH OF THE YEAR - HONOURABLE MENTION
KEVIN STEEN VS. EL GENERICO - ROH FINAL BATTLE 2010
This is obviously hyperbole and not fair and so on and so forth. But I don't care. I just hope I don't let my fanboy brain hype this match up so high in my imagination that I'm let down by-- what am I saying this will rule holy crap I can't waitjdjhvsbhfjhkzj,bnf,zn.
WHY IT DIDN'T GET MY VOTE: It, uh, hasn't happened yet.
BEST MEN'S WWE WRESTLER - HONOURABLE MENTION
ALBERTO DEL RIO
Photo - WWE.com
I was ready to just give Alberto the vote. There are only a handful of WWE wrestlers I can say that genuinely entertain me every time they appear on the screen, and he is one of them (but you already knew that). He's damn near flawless in the ring, and I think his genetic fibre is made of CHARISMA.
WHY HE DIDN'T GET MY VOTE: The only thing holding him back was time. Del Rio debuted in August, and while he was thrust into the main event picture (the only place he belongs), he hasn't really had a high profile match outside of his Smackdown! main event against Mysterio (and one more against Mysterio and Edge). But I will put money on him being the biggest thing to happen to WWE next year.
BEST MEN'S INDEPENDENT WRESTLER - HONOURABLE MENTION
TYLER BLACK
Even the haters have to admit that Tyler Black had a stellar year. And even if you don't accept that, he still made headlines. Check out this brief Tyler Black timeline:
- Won the ROH World Championship from Austin Aries at ROH's 8th Anniversary Show
- Successfully defended vs. Roderick Strong & Austin Aries at the Big Bang
- Successfully defended vs. Roderick Strong at Supercard of Honor V (took out three refs between the two of them)
- Successfully defended vs. Davey Richards in the Match of the Year at Death Before Dishonor VIII
- Signed a WWE contract as the ROH World Champion
- Cut the best promo of his life
- Lost the ROH World Title to Roderick Strong at Glory By Honor IX
How can you discount a guy who can draw such polarizing reactions from a crowd at any given time. From the massive pop for his finishing sequence at 8th Anniversary where he won the strap, to the violent boos from the New York and Toronto crowds where NO ONE was on his side. And in the midst of all that, he wrestled in the greatest match of 2010 (in my humble fanboy opinion). AND that's not even counting all of the events in between the iPPVs. Holy.
SO WHY DIDN'T HE GET MY VOTE: While Tyler may have done all that, there where other guys who stepped up and came into their own this year that needed to be recognized. But if Tyler Black shows up on RAW tonight and does something cool then I'll change my vote. Because that'd be crazy.
BEST TAG TEAM & WOMEN'S WRESTLER - HONOURABLE MENTION
THE HART DYNASTY & NATALYA
Photo - WWE.com
Why they are getting an honourable mention should be pretty obvious. For the start of the year, with Uncle Bret by their side, they were the hottest face stable going (maybe the only one... but whatever!). They would get big pops for their wins, and just look super fucking cool walking out together, and with Bret Hart and Natalya at ringside.
But then for the rest of the year, Tyson and DH were barely used, potentially because they had no one to wrestle besides the Uso's, who get crowd reactions like Dana White gets the internet.
For Natalya, it was the opposite. She started the year pretty much as a valet for the Harts. That worked totally well and stuff, but why they weren't using her in the ring as well is beyond me. She is a breath of fresh air in the Divas divison - she uses suplexes! But it wasn't until the past little while that she had the spotlight all to herself.
WHY THEY DIDN'T GET MY VOTE: While all three of them had bright spots throughout the year, consistency was definitely an issue (although that's not their fault in the slightest).
These are the ones that didn't make my ballot (I feel like a big loser calling it a ballot). Want to see what ones could have? Go and put in your votes for the 2010 Brain Buster Awards, and then sometime after the deadline on December 22nd, check out who and what came out on top as voted by you and the Power Poll voters.
Now I'm going to prepare* for the three hour Slammy edition of RAW.
* = get blind drunk.
