The following awards are the first to be presented, this round coming from Erik. Be prepared to hear the Friends duke it out on the show as to who is the truly deserving winner (or loser) of the Shammy Awards!
Most Screwed Over Wrestler (DDP in WCW Award)
Loser: Dolph Ziggler
Dammit, We're Going to Make This Work!!! (Vince McMahon Award)
Loser: 'Paul Heyman Guy'2013 was not a banner year for WWE Creative. Rumors swirled that each big moment actually only had about 5 minutes of thought put into it, and in some cases it was even on the fly. While this leads to lots of OMG/WTF/Any Other Outdated Acronym moments, it doesn't leave room for the all-important follow-up. Arguably, their biggest mistake was the monster push of Ryback in 2012 and into 2013. Not learning from the Goldberg fiasco in WCW, Ryback was skyrocketed to the big time, only to fall flat upon his first major loss. There was still time to save it, but their rushed placement of the hungry turtle with Paul Heyman sank the Ryback battleship. Heyman is infamous for leading poor talkers to the main event, but he's only one man. The mystique was gone. And in the case of Michael McGillic—er, Curtis Axel, it was never there in the first place.
Get the F off My TV!!! (Buff Bagwell Award)
Loser: Big Show
Worst Moment of the Year (Vince Russo in WCW Award)
Loser: Good Santa vs. Bad SantaIt's hard to pick a 'Worst' moment, as the term is inherently subjective. Additionally, each era is in and of itself plagued with head-scratchers (show any non-wrestling fan 'Attitude Era' highlights and see if they call you for any more pick-up games at the gym), allowing some of WWE's 'PG' moments in 2013 to be excused for the sake of the children. One thing I cannot abide by, however, is a match-up to save Christmas featuring Mark Henry and Damien Sandow. These guys should be at the top of any card on any given night, yet here their dignities are challenged by this god-awful display of foolishness (highlights include candy canes for weapons and Sandow, an intellectual, unable to operate a fire extinguisher). Had this match featured Santino and Heath Slater, it'd get a passing grade from me. But to put two men who trained for countless hours and left their families for the road to participate in this pitiful match is an embarrassment.
...and now, the Good...
Favorite Angle
Winner: Goldust and Cody get their jobs backThe Authority destroyed the hopes and dreams of many WWE fans, but not in the way the writers drew it up. One thing they did get right, however, was the dramatic Rhodes family fight for employment. It hit all the right notes: a tinge of realism (i.e. the real-life Rhodes-McMahon rivalry), mixed with a dose of high-stakes drama, with a large helping of nostalgia in *hissssssssssCHOMP!* Goldust. Had this been the Goldust of the late aughts, or even the late 90s, the angle would have been swept under the rug much like the Shockmaster or, worse, the lWo. Instead, the Bizarre One caught fire while Cody Rhodes finally found his place on the card, and together they became the working man's heroes that fans had longed for since the days of a foul-mouthed, Steveweiser-gulping sumbitch.
Favorite Match
Winner: Punk vs. Cena on RAW
Favorite Moment
Winner: Ziggler cashes in Money in the BankIf I could pick a favorite night to watch wrestling as my moment, it'd be the post-Wrestlemania Raw in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Since I can't, I'll pick my favorite moment from that entire night as being when Alberto Del Rio was writhing in pain after his handicap match against Jack Swagger and Zeb Colter and hearing Dolph Ziggler's music hit, before seeing the man who should have battled Del Rio at Wrestlemania XXIX fired up by the awesome crowd. The ensuing match was equally as dramatic, including impeccable timing and moments of hope and dread intermingling before Ziggler walked away with a legitimate World Championhip victory.
Wrestler of the Year
Winner: Goldust
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