PWI Award Winners 2015

[Saiyanic Panic]

I'm the schmo who still pays for outdated wrestling magazines, and like any moron I turn around and provide it free of charge to you! Some additions you may find interesting this year for those that still follow Pro Wrestling Illustrated. Enjoy!

Wrestler of the Year
WINNER: Seth Rollins (62%)
1st Runner-up: Jay Lethal (15%)
2nd Runner-up: Roman Reigns (12%)
3rd Runner-up: John Cena (5%)

Most overwhelming margin of victory in this year's standings.

Tag Team of the Year
WINNERS: The New Day - Big E, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods (45%)
1st Runner-up: The Young Bucks - Matt and Nick Jackson (15%)
2nd Runner-up: The Wolves - Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards (12%)
3rd Runner-up: reDRagon - Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly (7%)

Only time a three-man tandem has been voted #1. Both the Shield and the Freebirds were named for particular pairings.

Match of the Year
WINNER: Bayley vs. Sasha Banks, 30-Minute Ironman - NXT Takeover: Respect (24%)
1st Runner-up: Bayley vs. Sasha Banks - NXT Takeover: Brooklyn (15%)
2nd Runner-up: Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena vs. Seth Rollins - WWE Royal Rumble (11%)
3rd Runner-up: John Cena vs. Kevin Owens - WWE Elimination Chamber (9%)

First time a women's match has been named best of the year in the forty-four history of the awards, dating back to 1972.

Most Hated Wrestler of the Year
WINNER: Seth Rollins (34%)
1st Runner-up: Kevin Owens (15%)
2nd Runner-up: Ethan Carter III (10%)
3rd Runner-up: Bray Wyatt (6%)

Most Popular Wrestler of the Year
WINNER: Dean Ambrose (38%)
1st Runner-up: Brock Lesnar (19%)
2nd Runner-up: Finn Balor (8%)
3rd Runner-up: Shinsuke Nakamura (6%)

Second year in a row for Dean, the first to repeat since Jeff Hardy in 2008-09.

Feud of the Year
WINNER: Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker (51%)
1st Runner-up: John Cena vs. Kevin Owens (18%)
2nd Runner-up: John Cena vs. Seth Rollins (6%)
3rd Runner-up: Kazuchika Okada vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi (5%)

Woman of the Year
WINNER: Sasha Banks (30%)
1st Runner-up: Nikki Bella (23%)
2nd Runner-up: Charlotte (19%)
3rd Runner-up: Paige (15%)

This was the fifth consecutive time PWI readers had voted someone other than #1 of the "Female 50" as best of the year. Up to 2010 they'd always been in agreement.

- WotY / F50 -
2011 - Mickie James / Madison Eagles
2012 - AJ Lee / Gail Kim
2013 - AJ Lee / Cheerleader Melissa
2014 - AJ Lee / Paige
2015 - Sasha Banks / Nikki Bella

Comeback of the Year
WINNER: The Undertaker (34%)
1st Runner-up: Sheamus (14%)
2nd Runner-up: Roderick Strong (9%)
3rd Runner-up: Daniel Bryan (8%)

Most Improved Wrestler of the Year
WINNER: Roman Reigns (35%)
1st Runner-up: Nikki Bella (30%)
2nd Runner-up: Sasha Banks (8%)
3rd Runner-up: Bayley (6%)

Inspirational Wrestler of the Year
WINNER: Bayley (26%)
1st Runner-up: John Cena (19%)
2nd Runner-up: Kevin Owens (11%)
3rd Runner-up: Sami Zayn (7%)

Rookie of the Year
WINNER: Moose (32%)
1st Runner-up: Tessa Blanchard (31%)
2nd Runner-up: Braun Strowman (21%)
3rd Runner-up: Dana Brooke (12%)

Stanley Weston Lifetime Achievement Award
Roddy Piper

[111111]

The Brooklyn match was better than the Iron Man Match in my opinion.


But hey ho, both of them got the recognition they deserve so it's all good.

[Aboutreika18]

Can't disagree with any of those winners.

[r.]

Can't be right, The Slammy's say the USO's are tag team of the year and all the fans voted for them....right

[1 Free Moon-Down with Burger]

Jan 16, 2016 13:30:25 GMT -5 r. said:

Can't be right, The Slammy's say the USO's are tag team of the year and all the fans voted for them....right

Because I'm sure it's all the exact same people that would vote on Twitter for Raw that read wrestling magazines.

[Magic knows Black Lives Matter]

Shout out to the OP. Interesting to read how these awards. I agree with pretty much everything and am pleasantly surprised that Sasha/Bayley won the Ironman match instead of the Brooklyn match.

[Deleted]

Is it on newsstands yet? I buy it because it's a link to my childhood/early fandom.

Could have sworn they said last year's awards was supposed to be the final such issue in print, so yay!

I really can't argue against the winners, but feel if more fans were exposed to ROH, ReDRagon could have pulled off a surprise win.

Congrats to all...even New Day.

[Saiyanic Panic]

Jan 16, 2016 14:28:32 GMT -5 @sandman said:

Is it on newsstands yet? I buy it because it's a link to my childhood/early fandom.

Could have sworn they said last year's awards was supposed to be the final such issue in print, so yay!

Just digital yet, though there will be a print version around February 9. They cut the previous winners section and moved it to an area on their website.

I believe you're thinking of the Pro Wrestling Annual that they've discontinued.

[Crimson]

Would have been unfortunate if Bryan won "Comeback of the Year."

[CeilingFan]

Jan 16, 2016 12:47:21 GMT -5 Saiyanic Panic said:

I'm the schmo who still pays for outdated wrestling magazines, and like any moron I turn around and provide it free of charge to you! Some additions you may find interesting this year for those that still follow Pro Wrestling Illustrated. Enjoy!

Wrestler of the Year
WINNER: Seth Rollins (62%)
1st Runner-up: Jay Lethal (15%)
2nd Runner-up: Roman Reigns (12%)
3rd Runner-up: John Cena (5%)

Most overwhelming margin of victory in this year's standings.

Tag Team of the Year
WINNERS: The New Day - Big E, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods (45%)
1st Runner-up: The Young Bucks - Matt and Nick Jackson (15%)
2nd Runner-up: The Wolves - Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards (12%)
3rd Runner-up: reDRagon - Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly (7%)

Only time a three-man tandem has been voted #1. Both the Shield and the Freebirds were named for particular pairings.

Match of the Year
WINNER: Bayley vs. Sasha Banks, 30-Minute Ironman - NXT Takeover: Respect (24%)
1st Runner-up: Bayley vs. Sasha Banks - NXT Takeover: Brooklyn (15%)
2nd Runner-up: Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena vs. Seth Rollins - WWE Royal Rumble (11%)
3rd Runner-up: John Cena vs. Kevin Owens - WWE Elimination Chamber (9%)

First time a women's match has been named best of the year in the forty-four history of the awards, dating back to 1972.

Most Hated Wrestler of the Year
WINNER: Seth Rollins (34%)
1st Runner-up: Kevin Owens (15%)
2nd Runner-up: Ethan Carter III (10%)
3rd Runner-up: Bray Wyatt (6%)

Most Popular Wrestler of the Year
WINNER: Dean Ambrose (38%)
1st Runner-up: Brock Lesnar (19%)
2nd Runner-up: Finn Balor (8%)
3rd Runner-up: Shinsuke Nakamura (6%)

Second year in a row for Dean, the first to repeat since Jeff Hardy in 2008-09.

Feud of the Year
WINNER: Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker (51%)
1st Runner-up: John Cena vs. Kevin Owens (18%)
2nd Runner-up: John Cena vs. Seth Rollins (6%)
3rd Runner-up: Kazuchika Okada vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi (5%)

Woman of the Year
WINNER: Sasha Banks (30%)
1st Runner-up: Nikki Bella (23%)
2nd Runner-up: Charlotte (19%)
3rd Runner-up: Paige (15%)

This was the fifth consecutive time PWI readers had voted someone other than #1 of the "Female 50" as best of the year. Up to 2010 they'd always been in agreement.

- WotY / F50 -
2011 - Mickie James / Madison Eagles
2012 - AJ Lee / Gail Kim
2013 - AJ Lee / Cheerleader Melissa
2014 - AJ Lee / Paige
2015 - Sasha Banks / Nikki Bella

Comeback of the Year
WINNER: The Undertaker (34%)
1st Runner-up: Sheamus (14%)
2nd Runner-up: Roderick Strong (9%)
3rd Runner-up: Daniel Bryan (8%)

Most Improved Wrestler of the Year
WINNER: Roman Reigns (35%)
1st Runner-up: Nikki Bella (30%)
2nd Runner-up: Sasha Banks (8%)
3rd Runner-up: Bayley (6%)

Inspirational Wrestler of the Year
WINNER: Bayley (26%)
1st Runner-up: John Cena (19%)
2nd Runner-up: Kevin Owens (11%)
3rd Runner-up: Sami Zayn (7%)

Rookie of the Year
WINNER: Moose (32%)
1st Runner-up: Tessa Blanchard (31%)
2nd Runner-up: Braun Strowman (21%)
3rd Runner-up: Dana Brooke (12%)

Stanley Weston Lifetime Achievement Award
Roddy Piper

TNA won no awards? This is an outrage!

[chazraps]

MOOSE!

[Raskovnik]

The story Lesnar and Undertaker told themselves in the ring was awesome and worth telling, but the WWE's complete refusal to acknowledge it or sell it for what it actually f***ing was still baffles me.

[The Ichi]

I agree with all of them except Taker/Brock being feud of the year. That shit suuuuucked.

[r.]

Jan 16, 2016 13:36:57 GMT -5 1 Free Moon-Down with Burger said:

Jan 16, 2016 13:30:25 GMT -5 r. said:

Can't be right, The Slammy's say the USO's are tag team of the year and all the fans voted for them....right

Because I'm sure it's all the exact same people that would vote on Twitter for Raw that read wrestling magazines.

Because no crossover exists.

I'm not trying to suggest a vats conspiracy only that is an award show run by WWE to serve as a recap show as well as get people over, Not everything is left to chance or fan whim.

[Deleted]

I used to pick this up every year but in the last year or so no places around me carry pwi.

[Johnny]

Jan 16, 2016 12:50:25 GMT -5 111111 said:

The Brooklyn match was better than the Iron Man Match in my opinion.


But hey ho, both of them got the recognition they deserve so it's all good.

Yeah, I won't lose any sleep over it, but it baffles me how many people prefer the second match.