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**NeanderCarl** · 11-23-2006, 12:24 PM

And my final two Era Awards....

Attitude 1997-2001

Wrestler Of The Era
'Stone Cold' Steve Austin
There really was no other choice for this award. For the first time the WWF had a main eventer, a World Champion, who was wildly popular, a huge worldwide draw, a mainstream celebrity AND could deliver between the ropes. Even though he suffered a neck injury in 1997 which would ultimately cut his career short, he managed to develop a new brawling style which suited the WWF's new "Attitude" to a T. Between 1997 and 2001, the Rattlesnake was THE man. His closest contenders were The Rock, Triple H and Mick Foley

Champion Of The Era
Triple H
A surprising choice maybe, but consider that Steve Austin was usually in the hunt for the belt, not wearing it. Triple H on the other hand was not considered a top liner when he managed to snare the gold from Mick Foley, but through some top-notch performances (and with a lot of help from Foley) he got over as the WWF Champion, became the first heel to leave WrestleMania with the belt, and draw enormous buy rates against The Rock. He made Chris Jericho, Taka Michinoku and even the Brooklyn Brawler look like they were about to become the next champion, yet never looked like a weak champion along the way, a Ric Flair-worthy feat. And in the year 2000, while Austin and Undertaker were injured, and Foley had retired, Trips was the top dog in the company and, unlike now, he actually deserved it. Top contenders were D'Lo Brown (European Champion), The Rock (Intercontinental Champion) and Kurt Angle (for winning all the major singles titles within a year of his debut).

Tag Team Of The Era
Edge and Christian
The New Age Outlaws are an old favourite of mine, but the truth is that their matches were usually lacklustre, and they never had much strong competition in the tag team division. When the WWF's top team are defending their belts against makeshift tandems, and teams like The New Midnight Express, it's hard to justify the Outlaws as the greatest team of the era. By 2000, the tag team division was at its healthiest in years. The Dudley Boyz, The Hardy Boyz, Too Cool, The Hollys and my pick for team of the era, Edge and Christian. Although less spectacular than the Hardy brothers, Edge and Christian take it for the side-splitting dude characters they developed, along with the old five-second pose "for the benefit of those with flash photography", and for their match-winning performances in the three TLC matches between WrestleMania 2000 and WrestleMania X-Seven. The glory days of modern tag team wrestling.

Babyface Of The Era
The Rock
While it was hard not to give this one to Austin, its undisputable that by the time Austin returned from his injury layoff in late 2000, the Rock had equalled or maybe even surpassed 'Stone Cold's popularity. The king of the catchphrase, lord of the merchandise stand, and overall crowd pleaser.

Heel Of The Era
Triple H
The despicable "Game" turned his back on DX, wormed his way to the top of the Corporation, took the World crown from Mankind, drugged Stephanie McMahon and married her against her will, then formed The McMahon-Helmsly Faction which ruled Raw for several months (and still does, behind the scenes), intimidated referees to keep hold of his title, turned out to be responsible for Austin's year long hiatus after organising a hit and run, and generally acted like a thuggish, posh bully. It was a career turnaround, and the heat he received at this time was genuine heat (not "Fuck Off" heat like in 2002/2003). What's more, when the bell rang, Triple H could GO. Vince McMahon only came in second place for this award because he rarely got into the ring and wrestled, therfore his heat did not often translate into financial success.

Card Of The Era
WrestleMania X-Seven
Something for everyone on this one. A technical display from Angle vs Benoit. Brawling from Shane vs Vince, and Kane vs Raven vs Big Show. (Can you believe Raven's name between those two?) High spot mania in TLC II. A fun Gimmick Battle Royal featuring legends from the days of yore. And two very good wrestling matches in Undertaker vs HHH and Austin vs Rock. Great atmosphere, big event feel, the wrestling world was buzzing (I believe this was the first PPV since both ECW and WCW had gone out of business) and many of the matches are all-time classics. Plus it featured the return of The Repo Man!!

Match Of The Era
The Undertaker vs Mankind, King Of The Ring 1998
This is here for its iconic status more than for the action itself. Those shots of Mick 'Mankind' Foley spilling off the top of the Hell In A Cell structure not once, but twice, are still played on a loop to this day. In addition, a bag of thumb tacks made their WWF debut. I believe that this match helped seal WCW's fate. They could not compete with a product that was putting out a match like this. Not long after this show, WCW would take their last ever win in the ratings war, and fizzle out.

Character/Gimmick Of The Era
"Your Olympic Hero" Kurt Angle
I remember the first time I became a fan of Kurt Angle. WWF had a UK pay-per-view in late '99/early 2000, and Angle was seen walking around the streets (it may have been Manchester) introducing himself to fans as "Kurt Angle, your Olympic Hero". Unlike his boastful "broken freakin' neck" spiel from later years, the early Kurt Angle played it ultra-straight and dorky, and it was brilliant. This goof-ball Angle was around for his first year or so, and this has to be my personal favourite period to watch Kurt. He was a natural.

Angle Of The Era
The Love Triangle
This was a classic angle, with a deflating climax, which was the earliest sign of Triple H's backstage power plays. The attraction between Kurt Angle and Stephanie McMahon was subtly built up almost from Angle's debut, and by the summer of 2000 they were fully embroiled in a close friendship. Triple H's actions, including being caught in compromising positions with Trish Stratus, drove them closer together. Trips and Angle, both heels, despised each other but tried to get along for Steph's sake. Then they started fighting. It was so well-built, the crowd loved it, ratings were big, the performances were fantastic (yes, even from Stephanie), the two were involved in a super heated SummerSlam main event with The Rock and then.... nothing. The whole thing just sort of disappeared. The two men had a disappointing match at Unforgiven 2000, which didn't resolve the feud at all. Steph chose to side with HHH. Then Triple H decided he didn't want to turn face after all, and ended up feuding with Steve Austin instead. What may have evolved into the best WWF storyline of all time just faded away because Triple H felt threatened by Angle. What a shame, but knowing Triple H's ways now, that isn't a surprise. The runner-up for this award was the OTHER Love Triangle storyline... Steve Austin and Kurt Angle's guitar-playing, cowboy hat-wearing battle for Vince hugs in 2001. Hilarious.

Worst Wrestler Of The Era
Mark Henry
Shortlist included Mideon, Chyna, Viscera and Dan Severn. Since debuting in 1996, Mark Henry has never shown any potential, nor improvement, yet continues to be pushed. In 1998, he began romantically pursuing Chyna, and so began the amusing Sexual Chocolate gimmick, which turned into a nightmare when WWF began using the gimmick to abuse Henry, shacking him up with a transvestite and Mae Young, among others. All the while, one thing has remained consistant about The World's Strongest Man... his matches have sucked.

-------------------------------------

Ruthless Aggression/The Power Is Back 2002-Present

Wrestler Of The Era
Shawn Michaels
Shortlist included Kurt Angle and Eddie Guerrero. Michaels takes it because nobody has had more classic matches in this timescale, in my opinion, than Michaels. From his Streetfight against Triple H at SummerSlam '02, to his World title win in the first Elimination Chamber, to his all-time great against Chris Jericho at WrestleMania XIX, to more great matches against Triple H, those Triple Threats with HHH and Benoit, his match against Angle at WM21 and even Vince McMahon at WM22. Despite being older than most of the roster, and physically battered, 'HBK' is still the real MVP of the WWE.

Champion Of The Era
Randy Orton
I am loathe to give this award to Triple H for being awarded the World title and then clutching onto it at all costs, on screen and off. Therefore I looked at Randy Orton's Intercontinental title reign as the best title run of the current era so far. One of the longest title runs in recent memory, Orton brought more prestige and stability to the title than it had prior to his reign, and as part of Evolution, he was involved in top feud, including one with Mick Foley, before dropping the title to Edge after an 8-month run.

Tag Team Of The Era
Los Guerreros
"We lie, we cheat, we steal". Eddie and Chavo Guerrero were about the most solid, consistant tag team over this time period, plus were very entertaining in their cheeky, albiet slightly stereotyped, role as the sneaky tweeners who loved to cheat their way to victories. Eddie would continue to play this role in singles after the team split, and it led him to the WWE Heavyweight championship.

Babyface Of The Era
Eddie Guerrero
After a career in the midcard, it seemed that Eddie Guerrero was never destined to take that final step to the main event level. However, a tweaked "Lie, Cheat and Steal" gimmick (an extension of his previous 'Latino Heat' persona) which was aimed at the growing Hispanic audience proved a major hit and Guerrero became the WWE Heavyweight champion, something most in the business NEVER thought possible. And not just a one-trick pony, after getting Bradshaw (fucking BRADSHAW!!) over as a credible WWE Champion, Eddie was due another run with the belt before his untimely death. The outpouring of grief and sympathy from the fans in the crowd and on the internet after his demise just cements the fact that Eddie was probably the most beloved babyface of this era. The contenders for the award were Shawn Michaels, John Cena and Chris Benoit.

Heel Of The Era
The Rock
I know he was only around for a few months but I am basing this on the insane heat the 'Great One' mustered up after turning heel in early 2003. His new attitude, coupled with his new look, just proved that Rock is one of the most versatile performers in WWE history. Just look at the infamous Rock Concert as an example of how Duane Johnson could hold the audience in the palm of his hand, and manipulate them as he pleased. Rematch with Hogan was not so hot, but matches against Austin and Goldberg, plus segments with The Hurricane and just general all-round quality makes The Rock my choice for best heel of the era. Contenders included Eric Bischoff, Brock Lesnar and JBL.

Card Of The Era
WrestleMania 21
The crazy six-way Money In The Bank Ladder Match, a surprisingly thrilling match between The Undertaker and Randy Orton, a good but short match between Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio. A better than expected main event which saw Batista drop Triple H clean for the WWE World title. And the best match held on WWE soil in the modern era, Kurt Angle vs Shawn Michaels Part 1. Plus appearances by Steve Austin, Roddy Piper, Hulk Hogan and the rest of the Hall Of Fame Class of 2005. With only a couple of matches ranging from bad (Akebono vs Big Show) to okay (Cena vs JBL) this was a very good PPV.

Match Of The Era
Kurt Angle vs Shawn Michaels, WrestleMania 21
Two men showing the rest of the roster how it should be done. One of the best, most unpredictable and gripping matches I have ever seen. Incredible.

Character/Gimmick Of The Era
JBL
The transformation of stiff cowboy alcoholic Bradshaw into slick Wall Street media mogul John Bradshaw Layfield was startling but very effective. With plenty of help from Eddie Guerrero, JBL actually got over for possibly the first time in his career, and was holding the WWE Heavyweight championship within months. He takes the award for sheer diversity in changing his gimmick to such a degree, plus for the characters longevity in converting from the ring to the commentary booth.

Angle Of The Era
Raw vs. SmackDown
Although the so-called "Brand Extention" is often panned by critics, it has led to some memorable cross-brand moments and battles, including the 2005 Royal Rumble where the ring seperated into brands and the crowd went nuts. To be honest, this is a bit of a lame choice for the award but I really am racking my brains to think of a really memorable single angle or moment from the last four years, and I really can't. What does that say? The only other contenders were the night Kurt Angle dressed as Shawn Michaels and brought Sensational Sherri to the ring, but even that was more of a skit than a memorable angle, and the interaction between Ric Flair and Mick Foley on Raw earlier this year.

Worst Wrestler Of The Era
The Big Show
Beating off a looooong list of contenders, including John Heidenreich, The Great Khali, Scott Steiner, Road Warrior Animal, Nathan Jones, Tatanka, Billy Gunn, A-Train (deep breath...), Vader, Rene Dupree, Rikishi, Mark Henry (couldn't give it to him two eras in a row, could I??), Bull Buchanan, Rosey... my God, there have been some abysmal wrestlers on the roster the last few years, no? Anyway, the broken down Big Show now fits into that category that Andre The Giant filled several eras ago. The chain-smoking, McDonalds-guzzling Big Show boasts of never bothering to work out and eating a daily diet of junk food, and now complains that his 500lb body is falling apart. Bless. In his early days, Paul Wight was a tremendous wrestler for somebody of his size and with his inexperience. Nowadays, an extra 200lbs of flab later, Show is a wreck and so are his matches.

Man that was all pretty time consuming!

11-23-2006, 12:24 PM	#15
NeanderCarl That's Not My Name Posts: 9,086	And my final two Era Awards.... Attitude 1997-2001 Wrestler Of The Era 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin There really was no other choice for this award. For the first time the WWF had a main eventer, a World Champion, who was wildly popular, a huge worldwide draw, a mainstream celebrity AND could deliver between the ropes. Even though he suffered a neck injury in 1997 which would ultimately cut his career short, he managed to develop a new brawling style which suited the WWF's new "Attitude" to a T. Between 1997 and 2001, the Rattlesnake was THE man. His closest contenders were The Rock, Triple H and Mick Foley Champion Of The Era Triple H A surprising choice maybe, but consider that Steve Austin was usually in the hunt for the belt, not wearing it. Triple H on the other hand was not considered a top liner when he managed to snare the gold from Mick Foley, but through some top-notch performances (and with a lot of help from Foley) he got over as the WWF Champion, became the first heel to leave WrestleMania with the belt, and draw enormous buy rates against The Rock. He made Chris Jericho, Taka Michinoku and even the Brooklyn Brawler look like they were about to become the next champion, yet never looked like a weak champion along the way, a Ric Flair-worthy feat. And in the year 2000, while Austin and Undertaker were injured, and Foley had retired, Trips was the top dog in the company and, unlike now, he actually deserved it. Top contenders were D'Lo Brown (European Champion), The Rock (Intercontinental Champion) and Kurt Angle (for winning all the major singles titles within a year of his debut). Tag Team Of The Era Edge and Christian The New Age Outlaws are an old favourite of mine, but the truth is that their matches were usually lacklustre, and they never had much strong competition in the tag team division. When the WWF's top team are defending their belts against makeshift tandems, and teams like The New Midnight Express, it's hard to justify the Outlaws as the greatest team of the era. By 2000, the tag team division was at its healthiest in years. The Dudley Boyz, The Hardy Boyz, Too Cool, The Hollys and my pick for team of the era, Edge and Christian. Although less spectacular than the Hardy brothers, Edge and Christian take it for the side-splitting dude characters they developed, along with the old five-second pose "for the benefit of those with flash photography", and for their match-winning performances in the three TLC matches between WrestleMania 2000 and WrestleMania X-Seven. The glory days of modern tag team wrestling. Babyface Of The Era The Rock While it was hard not to give this one to Austin, its undisputable that by the time Austin returned from his injury layoff in late 2000, the Rock had equalled or maybe even surpassed 'Stone Cold's popularity. The king of the catchphrase, lord of the merchandise stand, and overall crowd pleaser. Heel Of The Era Triple H The despicable "Game" turned his back on DX, wormed his way to the top of the Corporation, took the World crown from Mankind, drugged Stephanie McMahon and married her against her will, then formed The McMahon-Helmsly Faction which ruled Raw for several months (and still does, behind the scenes), intimidated referees to keep hold of his title, turned out to be responsible for Austin's year long hiatus after organising a hit and run, and generally acted like a thuggish, posh bully. It was a career turnaround, and the heat he received at this time was genuine heat (not "Fuck Off" heat like in 2002/2003). What's more, when the bell rang, Triple H could GO. Vince McMahon only came in second place for this award because he rarely got into the ring and wrestled, therfore his heat did not often translate into financial success. Card Of The Era WrestleMania X-Seven Something for everyone on this one. A technical display from Angle vs Benoit. Brawling from Shane vs Vince, and Kane vs Raven vs Big Show. (Can you believe Raven's name between those two?) High spot mania in TLC II. A fun Gimmick Battle Royal featuring legends from the days of yore. And two very good wrestling matches in Undertaker vs HHH and Austin vs Rock. Great atmosphere, big event feel, the wrestling world was buzzing (I believe this was the first PPV since both ECW and WCW had gone out of business) and many of the matches are all-time classics. Plus it featured the return of The Repo Man!! Match Of The Era The Undertaker vs Mankind, King Of The Ring 1998 This is here for its iconic status more than for the action itself. Those shots of Mick 'Mankind' Foley spilling off the top of the Hell In A Cell structure not once, but twice, are still played on a loop to this day. In addition, a bag of thumb tacks made their WWF debut. I believe that this match helped seal WCW's fate. They could not compete with a product that was putting out a match like this. Not long after this show, WCW would take their last ever win in the ratings war, and fizzle out. Character/Gimmick Of The Era "Your Olympic Hero" Kurt Angle I remember the first time I became a fan of Kurt Angle. WWF had a UK pay-per-view in late '99/early 2000, and Angle was seen walking around the streets (it may have been Manchester) introducing himself to fans as "Kurt Angle, your Olympic Hero". Unlike his boastful "broken freakin' neck" spiel from later years, the early Kurt Angle played it ultra-straight and dorky, and it was brilliant. This goof-ball Angle was around for his first year or so, and this has to be my personal favourite period to watch Kurt. He was a natural. Angle Of The Era The Love Triangle This was a classic angle, with a deflating climax, which was the earliest sign of Triple H's backstage power plays. The attraction between Kurt Angle and Stephanie McMahon was subtly built up almost from Angle's debut, and by the summer of 2000 they were fully embroiled in a close friendship. Triple H's actions, including being caught in compromising positions with Trish Stratus, drove them closer together. Trips and Angle, both heels, despised each other but tried to get along for Steph's sake. Then they started fighting. It was so well-built, the crowd loved it, ratings were big, the performances were fantastic (yes, even from Stephanie), the two were involved in a super heated SummerSlam main event with The Rock and then.... nothing. The whole thing just sort of disappeared. The two men had a disappointing match at Unforgiven 2000, which didn't resolve the feud at all. Steph chose to side with HHH. Then Triple H decided he didn't want to turn face after all, and ended up feuding with Steve Austin instead. What may have evolved into the best WWF storyline of all time just faded away because Triple H felt threatened by Angle. What a shame, but knowing Triple H's ways now, that isn't a surprise. The runner-up for this award was the OTHER Love Triangle storyline... Steve Austin and Kurt Angle's guitar-playing, cowboy hat-wearing battle for Vince hugs in 2001. Hilarious. Worst Wrestler Of The Era Mark Henry Shortlist included Mideon, Chyna, Viscera and Dan Severn. Since debuting in 1996, Mark Henry has never shown any potential, nor improvement, yet continues to be pushed. In 1998, he began romantically pursuing Chyna, and so began the amusing Sexual Chocolate gimmick, which turned into a nightmare when WWF began using the gimmick to abuse Henry, shacking him up with a transvestite and Mae Young, among others. All the while, one thing has remained consistant about The World's Strongest Man... his matches have sucked. ------------------------------------- Ruthless Aggression/The Power Is Back 2002-Present Wrestler Of The Era Shawn Michaels Shortlist included Kurt Angle and Eddie Guerrero. Michaels takes it because nobody has had more classic matches in this timescale, in my opinion, than Michaels. From his Streetfight against Triple H at SummerSlam '02, to his World title win in the first Elimination Chamber, to his all-time great against Chris Jericho at WrestleMania XIX, to more great matches against Triple H, those Triple Threats with HHH and Benoit, his match against Angle at WM21 and even Vince McMahon at WM22. Despite being older than most of the roster, and physically battered, 'HBK' is still the real MVP of the WWE. Champion Of The Era Randy Orton I am loathe to give this award to Triple H for being awarded the World title and then clutching onto it at all costs, on screen and off. Therefore I looked at Randy Orton's Intercontinental title reign as the best title run of the current era so far. One of the longest title runs in recent memory, Orton brought more prestige and stability to the title than it had prior to his reign, and as part of Evolution, he was involved in top feud, including one with Mick Foley, before dropping the title to Edge after an 8-month run. Tag Team Of The Era Los Guerreros "We lie, we cheat, we steal". Eddie and Chavo Guerrero were about the most solid, consistant tag team over this time period, plus were very entertaining in their cheeky, albiet slightly stereotyped, role as the sneaky tweeners who loved to cheat their way to victories. Eddie would continue to play this role in singles after the team split, and it led him to the WWE Heavyweight championship. Babyface Of The Era Eddie Guerrero After a career in the midcard, it seemed that Eddie Guerrero was never destined to take that final step to the main event level. However, a tweaked "Lie, Cheat and Steal" gimmick (an extension of his previous 'Latino Heat' persona) which was aimed at the growing Hispanic audience proved a major hit and Guerrero became the WWE Heavyweight champion, something most in the business NEVER thought possible. And not just a one-trick pony, after getting Bradshaw (fucking BRADSHAW!!) over as a credible WWE Champion, Eddie was due another run with the belt before his untimely death. The outpouring of grief and sympathy from the fans in the crowd and on the internet after his demise just cements the fact that Eddie was probably the most beloved babyface of this era. The contenders for the award were Shawn Michaels, John Cena and Chris Benoit. Heel Of The Era The Rock I know he was only around for a few months but I am basing this on the insane heat the 'Great One' mustered up after turning heel in early 2003. His new attitude, coupled with his new look, just proved that Rock is one of the most versatile performers in WWE history. Just look at the infamous Rock Concert as an example of how Duane Johnson could hold the audience in the palm of his hand, and manipulate them as he pleased. Rematch with Hogan was not so hot, but matches against Austin and Goldberg, plus segments with The Hurricane and just general all-round quality makes The Rock my choice for best heel of the era. Contenders included Eric Bischoff, Brock Lesnar and JBL. Card Of The Era WrestleMania 21 The crazy six-way Money In The Bank Ladder Match, a surprisingly thrilling match between The Undertaker and Randy Orton, a good but short match between Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio. A better than expected main event which saw Batista drop Triple H clean for the WWE World title. And the best match held on WWE soil in the modern era, Kurt Angle vs Shawn Michaels Part 1. Plus appearances by Steve Austin, Roddy Piper, Hulk Hogan and the rest of the Hall Of Fame Class of 2005. With only a couple of matches ranging from bad (Akebono vs Big Show) to okay (Cena vs JBL) this was a very good PPV. Match Of The Era Kurt Angle vs Shawn Michaels, WrestleMania 21 Two men showing the rest of the roster how it should be done. One of the best, most unpredictable and gripping matches I have ever seen. Incredible. Character/Gimmick Of The Era JBL The transformation of stiff cowboy alcoholic Bradshaw into slick Wall Street media mogul John Bradshaw Layfield was startling but very effective. With plenty of help from Eddie Guerrero, JBL actually got over for possibly the first time in his career, and was holding the WWE Heavyweight championship within months. He takes the award for sheer diversity in changing his gimmick to such a degree, plus for the characters longevity in converting from the ring to the commentary booth. Angle Of The Era Raw vs. SmackDown Although the so-called "Brand Extention" is often panned by critics, it has led to some memorable cross-brand moments and battles, including the 2005 Royal Rumble where the ring seperated into brands and the crowd went nuts. To be honest, this is a bit of a lame choice for the award but I really am racking my brains to think of a really memorable single angle or moment from the last four years, and I really can't. What does that say? The only other contenders were the night Kurt Angle dressed as Shawn Michaels and brought Sensational Sherri to the ring, but even that was more of a skit than a memorable angle, and the interaction between Ric Flair and Mick Foley on Raw earlier this year. Worst Wrestler Of The Era The Big Show Beating off a looooong list of contenders, including John Heidenreich, The Great Khali, Scott Steiner, Road Warrior Animal, Nathan Jones, Tatanka, Billy Gunn, A-Train (deep breath...), Vader, Rene Dupree, Rikishi, Mark Henry (couldn't give it to him two eras in a row, could I??), Bull Buchanan, Rosey... my God, there have been some abysmal wrestlers on the roster the last few years, no? Anyway, the broken down Big Show now fits into that category that Andre The Giant filled several eras ago. The chain-smoking, McDonalds-guzzling Big Show boasts of never bothering to work out and eating a daily diet of junk food, and now complains that his 500lb body is falling apart. Bless. In his early days, Paul Wight was a tremendous wrestler for somebody of his size and with his inexperience. Nowadays, an extra 200lbs of flab later, Show is a wreck and so are his matches. Man that was all pretty time consuming!