PWI Award Winners 2017

[Saiyanic Panic]

Dropped another chunk of change on Pro Wrestling Illustrated so here's the QnD for the award winners. Any folks with fond to middling memories of these, enjoy!

Wrestler of the Year
WINNER: AJ Styles (38%)
1st Runner-up: Kazuchika Okada (21%)
2nd Runner-up: Kenny Omega (11%)
3rd Runner-up: Cody (9%)

Twice in a row for Styles.

Tag Team of the Year
WINNERS: The Young Bucks - Matt and Nick Jackson (28%)
1st Runner-up: The Bar - Sheamus and Cesaro (23%)
2nd Runner-up: The Shield - Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose (22%)
3rd Runner-up: Jimmy and Jey Uso (21%)

First time an independent tag-team or wrestler (outside of the feds that PWI normally gives consideration) has won best of the year.

Match of the Year
WINNER: Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega - Wrestle Kingdom 11 (20%)
1st Runner-up: Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega - NJPW G1 Climax 2017 (12%)
2nd Runner-up: Pete Dunne vs. Tyler Bate - NXT Takeover: Chicago (10%)
3rd Runner-up: Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe vs. Braun Strowman - WWE SummerSlam (8%)

Most Hated Wrestler of the Year
WINNER: Jinder Mahal (26%)
1st Runner-up: Kevin Owens (24%)
2nd Runner-up: Roman Reigns (22%)
3rd Runner-up: Sexy Star (15%)

Most Popular Wrestler of the Year
WINNER: A.J. Styles (37%)
1st Runner-up: Shinsuke Nakamura (10%)
2nd Runner-up: Braun Strowman (9%)
3rd Runner-up: Kazuchika Okada (7%)

Feud of the Year
WINNER: Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega (26%)
1st Runner-up: Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman (21%)
2nd Runner-up: Chris Jericho vs. Kevin Owens (11%)
3rd Runner-up: Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman (8%)

Woman of the Year
WINNER: Asuka (38%)
1st Runner-up: Alexa Bliss (23%)
2nd Runner-up: Charlotte Flair (12%)
3rd Runner-up: Sienna (8%)

Comeback of the Year
WINNER: Matt and Jeff Hardy (39%)
1st Runner-up: Finn Balor (25%)
2nd Runner-up: Mickie James (11%)
3rd Runner-up: Shelton Benjamin (9%)

Jeff Hardy joins Sting as a three-time winner of this award, having also been named in 2007 and 2012.

Most Improved Wrestler of the Year
WINNER: Jinder Mahal (34%)
1st Runner-up: Braun Strowman (28%)
2nd Runner-up: Eli Drake (15%)
3rd Runner-up: Naomi (11%)

Inspirational Wrestler of the Year
WINNER: Christopher Daniels (21%)
1st Runner-up: John Cena (20%)
2nd Runner-up: Shane McMahon (18%)
3rd Runner-up: Mia Yim (11%)

Rookie of the Year
WINNER: Otis Dozovic (28%)
1st Runner-up: Ray Gonzalez Jr. (24%)
2nd Runner-up: Andy Williams (23%)
3rd Runner-up: Hirai Kawato (15%)

Stanley Weston Lifetime Achievement Award
Jack Brisco

[chazraps]

Really glad CD won inspirational wrestler of the year. Really an under-appreciated moment at year's end.

[Ludwig Kaiser’s Walk]

Too bad Sexy Star got votes for being an unprofessional douchebag instead of as a character.

[Spider2024]

Thanks for dropping that chunk of change for the benefit of my fond memories of buying PWI for more than just the 500 and Female 50 issues.

[Clash, Never a Meter Maid]

I loved the Summerslam four-way, but Styles/Cena at Rumble was the superior match. And the top two for Wrestler Of The Year should be reversed. Other than that, not a bad list.

[cabbageboy]

I am a bit surprised AJ won Wrestler of the Year for 2017. Does anyone know if this is a legit vote?

[YAKMAN is ICHIBAN]

Otis Dozovic won rookie of the year!

STEAKS AND WEIGHTS!

[AwamoriRock]

Jan 12, 2018 9:22:57 GMT -5 cabbageboy said:

I am a bit surprised AJ won Wrestler of the Year for 2017. Does anyone know if this is a legit vote?

Pretty sure a lot of it factors in kayfabe and WWE has always been valued highly in it. Otherwise you'd see a bigger mix of companies.

[Deleted]

Jan 12, 2018 7:38:15 GMT -5 Clash, Never a Meter Maid said:

I loved the Summerslam four-way, but Styles/Cena at Rumble was the superior match.

Eh... Very different strokes on that one. Personally I vastly preferred the SummerSlam match since at least as a mindless spotfest it made total sense from the perspective of having three unstoppable monsters and super Reigns all going at it and having periods where each of the guys would swap in and out for a bit (though one thing that has always bugged me with the match is how you could really remove Joe entirely and it'd barely be any different) while the Rumble match I just hated for being the latest in the line of, "Cena does the AA a dozen times, eventually it works," that he's been doing ever since he won the US title.

[JoDaNa1281]

I think that Braun, E-LI-DRAKE & Naomi all improved more than Jinder.

[cabbageboy]

Incidentally why the G1 match in the MOTY running over the Dominion 60 minute draw? The G1 final was a better match to me (Naito/Omega) than the Omega/Okada semi.

[Saiyanic Panic]

Jan 12, 2018 11:23:06 GMT -5 JoDaNa1281 said:

I think that Braun, E-LI-DRAKE & Naomi all improved more than Jinder.

Point taken, but bear in mind that PWI remains a kayfabe magazine, aside from the times it decides it isn't. They've been in a nebulous zone of reporting legit stuff with the fictitious for some time now and they're a bit of a mess for it. So depending on what's taken into account votes may be all over the place.

Mahal went from perennial loser to WWE Champion in the span of weeks. So not shocked at all about him getting it.

[HMARK Center]

Jan 12, 2018 11:29:56 GMT -5 cabbageboy said:

Incidentally why the G1 match in the MOTY running over the Dominion 60 minute draw? The G1 final was a better match to me (Naito/Omega) than the Omega/Okada semi.

I think a case for the G1 match can be made given the backdrop of "Omega hasn't beaten him in 45 or 60 minutes, now has to do it in 30", and how that played into the way the match was wrestled, with an incredible sense of urgency. Playing up Omega's worked injury stemming from his early Suzuki match and Okada's worked neck problems only helped...but yeah, it's an argument that could go either way.

Plus, Omega just has a bit more exposure in magazines like PWI than Naito does right now, so his matches are likely getting more priority.

And yeah, the lists really aren't too bad (Yeah, Daniels!), but Okada tops every best wrestler list for 2017 in my book.

[Deleted]

I have 1 more year on my gift subscription I’ve enjoyed the nostalgia of getting a wrestling magazine in the mail after not reading pwi since the early 00’s.I’ll be on the lookout for this.

I’m hoping Andy Williams placed so highly solely on the merits of Moon River.

[Deleted]

Can't argue with any of the placings based on the general response to things. Personally I wasn't a fan of the top 3 matches (Omega I just cant get into and I thought Dunne/Bate sucked) but going off the general response to everything mentioned, they're all fair winners.

[Mr PONYMANIA Mr Jenzie]

more a fan of the UNNOFICIAL awards
any change you can wrangle them up
they're a right good larf