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SLAM! WRESTLING

SLAM! Sports
SLAM! Wrestling
Tuesday, January 16, 2001

SLAM! Wrestling's Best And Worst Of 2000 Results

The year 2000 has come and gone, and it's certainly been an interesting one, to say the least. The wrestling business appears, like the economy, headed for a downturn. But this isn't an analysis of what's to come, it's a celebration of the highs and lows, pits and valleys of 2000. Thanks to everyone who voted and contributed. On to the results!



Best Wrestler Of The Year - Male

Triple H (50%)

Second: Kurt Angle (13%).
Third: The Rock (9%)
Other:
7% voted for Chris Benoit.
5% voted for Chris Jericho.
4% voted for Lance Storm.
2% voted for Jeff Jarrett, Scott Steiner, Booker T and Other.
1% voted for Goldberg, Jerry Lynn and Steve Corino.
0% voted for Justin Credible and William Regal.

TOTAL VOTES: 4729.


SLAM! Wrestling Picks

  • Greg Oliver: Triple H carried the WWF when it needed to be carried, and knew enough to step back at let others take the spotlight when it was their time. (But please divorce Stephanie so she doesn't have appear on TV anymore.)

  • John Powell: 1. Triple H. 2. Jeff Jarrett, Booker T. The easiest of all the categories in my opinion. I am not a fan of Triple H. Never have been. Never will be. But, I must give the man his due. With two of the biggest WWF superstars on the shelf (The Rock, Steve Austin), Triple H stepped up to the plate and successfully carried the company forward with enthusiasm. His effort was consistent as was his resolve to ascend to the main event level. He reinvented himself and in a short period of time proved he could hang tough in the ring with everyone from Benoit to Foley. In the up and down again WCW, Jarrett and Booker T. were doing the same thing. No matter if the company was falling down around their ears at the time or who they happened to be saddled in a program with, they never let the pressure or low morale deter them from giving the best they had in them. 2000 was a breakout year for all three of my picks.

  • John Molinaro: 1. Chris Benoit. 2. Triple H. By far, the two best workers in the U.S. and Canada. Honourable mention to Jerry Lynn.

  • Eric Benner: (1) The Rock - I've said it time and time again. Triple H may have dominated the squared circle this year, but wrestling is about so much more than actual wrestling nowadays. Rock is the real star, he drew the crowds in, and he delivered when it counted.
    (2) Triple H - Easily the best heel whose career has blossomed during my lifetime. On the criteria of actual wrestling, he put on more stellar performances than anyone else.

  • Bob Kapur: Triple H - Throughout the year, the WWF revolved around "The Game". His wars with Foley, Jericho and Angle dominated the PPV's, and his rocky relationship with Stephanie was the focus of much of the WWF's programming. Through it all, he proved he really is That Damn Good. Jeff Jarrett - "The Chosen One" consistently outperformed the rest of the roster during this hit-and-miss year for WCW. His outstanding ringwork and numerous title reigns brought focus back to the company even when everything else was falling apart around him. Like him or not, Slappy, he proved he's one of the best.

  • Aaron Henry: Triple H - This man is a great worker and has a great attitude towards the wrestling business. Heck, the man jobbed to the Brooklyn Brawler. Scott Steiner - This man would go down as a greater wrestler than he is perceived as now if it wasn't for his mouth.

  • Nick Tylwalk: 1. Triple H 2. Jeff Jarrett. From his greatly improved mic skills and physique to his consistent effort in the ring, Triple H blossomed as the WWF's top heel. Meanwhile, Jeff Jarrett was playing the same role in WCW... only no one was watching.

  • Ryan Robson: 1. Jeff Jarrett: The Chosen One had more title reigns in 2000 than any other wrestler. We put on some incredible matches with Booker T, and proved just as Randy Savage and Bret Hart ahd before him that you don't need to be 6'3 and 280 lbs to be a legitimate contender for the title.
    2. HHH: I'm sure most people would consider HHH as the wrestler of the year, and would most certainly have good reason to do so. He has carried the WWF on his shoulders all year long including a lengthy title reign, being the first heel to win the main event at Wrestlemania, and dominating broadcasts all year long.

  • Alex Ristic: Triple H. Lot's of arguments for rookie Kurt Angle, the early domination of Lance Storm in WCW, etc. However, without a true heavyweight heel, the WWF would have gone no where with its story lines this year. While it may be a stretch to say he saved the company, the WWF would have been in a tremendous pickle without his work ethic, and willingness to do anything (jobbing to Taka Mitchi-No-Clue?).

    Best Wrestler Of The Year - Female

    Lita (66%)

    Second: Chyna (18%).
    Third: Molly Holly (7%)
    Other:
    3% voted for Other.
    2% voted for Ivory.
    1% voted for Teri Gold, Madusa, Jackie, The Kat, Mae Young.
    0% voted for Jazz, Moolah.

    TOTAL VOTES: 4657.


    SLAM! Wrestling Picks

  • Greg Oliver: I've got a soft spot for Ivory from my post-WrestleMania interview, and it was so good to see the WWF finally invest some time in her, and put her in the Right To Censor. But it was Chyna who was the women's wrestler of the year, even if she can't wrestle worth squat. I think this will be Lita's award next year.

  • John Powell: 1. Lita. 2. Ivory. Like her male counterparts, Lita came out of her shell and shone in 2000. Her accomplishment in the current climate for female wrestlers in North America is even more astounding if you consider the mindsets she had to confront and sway. As anyone who follows Japanese wrestling will tell you, women wrestlers can be as exciting and enjoyable to watch as the men. They just have to be given that chance. Though she isn't a high-flier like Lita, Ivory is an underrated, skilled and educated talent. She deserves far more acclaim that she receives.

  • John Molinaro: None. They all suck. None of them would last five minutes working in Japan with the women's promotion over there.

  • Eric Benner: (1) Chyna - I think it would be pretty hard to name anyone else. After holding the intercontinental title, pinning more than a few men, a great run with Eddie Guerrero, and the cover of Playboy, Chyna has done it all, or certainly more than any other female WWF competitor. (2) Lita - Lita is not a complete wrestler, but what she's done for wrestling for women (actual wrestling) may outweight even Chyna's contribution. Though she rarely had matches with men, she certainly mixed it up with them, and her arsenal is unmatched by anyone woman ever.

  • Bob Kapur: Lita - Finally, a female wrestler North American fans actually care about. An exciting daredevil in the ring, she's the perfect counterpart to the Hardy Boys. Much more than just a pretty face. Molly Holly - Another well-kept secret that was revealed by the WWF. Refreshingly enthusiastic, she should be even more of a presence in 2001.

  • Aaron Henry: Lita - This lady would give the men in the men's division a run for their money. She even has some great looks to boot.
    Ivory - Since aligning herself with Right To Censor, Ivory is finally a female heel everyone can dislike.

  • Nick Tylwalk: 1. Lita 2. Molly Holly. This one is a no-brainer - 2000 belonged to Lita. Molly is the only other female wrestler who doesn't make me want to turn the channel..

  • Ryan Robson: 1. Lita: Lita is easily one of the most fantastic female wrestlers we've seen in a long time, her aerial attacks parallel those of her Hardy buddies, and she could probably give the light heavyweights a good run if she tried. 2. Molly Holly: This pick would have gone to Chyna except that her wrestling skills are worse than mine (jk). Molly Holly, despite limited exposure this year and a stupid gimmick, is by far a better wrestler than any of the remaining candidates.

  • Alex Ristic: Chyna. Laugh and say whatever you want, but besides Chyna hardly any other woman wrestles with the big boys, so for her all encompassing effort she gets the nod. However, if you're talking all women's wrestling, go with Terri Gold - in her environment, she's the best of the bunch.



    Worst Wrestler Of The Year - Male

    David Flair, Goldberg (16%)

    Second: Mideon (11%).
    Third: The Big Show, Kevin Nash, Tank Abbott, (9%)
    Other:
    6% voted for Just Joe.
    5% voted for The Demon, Kwee Wee.
    4% voted for Chuck Palumbo, Other.
    3% voted for Sgt. A-WALL.
    1% voted for Reno, Albert, Test, Bilvis Wesley, Rhino.
    0% voted for The Baldies, Balls Mahoney.

    TOTAL VOTES: 4703.


    SLAM! Wrestling Picks

  • Greg Oliver: David Flair. He just wasn't ready. He might be great someday, but the training grounds that made his father great, like Jim Crockett Promotions, just don't exist any more.

  • John Powell: 1. Tank Abbott. 2. Kevin Nash. Whoever thought that a bumbling toughman like Tank Abbott had any future in pro-wrestling and unleashed this inept buffoon on unassuming fans should be forced to watch 24 hours of uninterrupted Iron Sheik and Nicholai Volkoff matches while eating plateful after plateful of sardines with The Bushwackers. Good Lord! The man had one move, a friggin, punch! The only good thing about him being in WCW was that some smart booker flayed him alive and embarrassed him every night by making him dance with Three Count. Kevin Nash? What a waste of space. He's been cruising by on his charm for far too long. In the time he's been in the game he should have a virtual arsenal of moves at his command. Instead, he has but a handful because he never took the time to better himself or learn anything new. When you compare someone like Mike Awesome to him, it makes you realize why Nash is referred to as Big Lazy. Someone please send him packing before he puts on another wrestling clinic.

  • John Molinaro: 1. Kevin Nash. 2. The Demon. Nash in an over-paid, no-talent sloth. Demon was downright laughable.

  • Eric Benner: (1) Goldberg - There's bad as in undertalented, and bad as in just plain horrible. Goldberg is more the first than the second. His ego doesn't make up for his lack of talent. Neither does his bad attitude, his poor workrate, or his big, shiny muscles. (2) AWOL - This is the other kind of bad wrestler.

  • Bob Kapur: David Flair - An embarassment. Limited ability (that's being generous), horrible promos, lame angles... somebody please tell him he shouldn't be a wrestler.
    The Blue Boy - He used to be a decent wrestler. He used to be really funny. Now, he fills time during PPVs with lame promos. To top it off, he replaced 100 lbs of useless body weight with the next best thing... Jasmine. What price, Meanie?

  • Aaron Henry: David Flair - In this business you can't ride your daddy's coattail's. Sgt. A-Wall - When the Berlin gimmick sputtered, this man went AWOL.

  • Nick Tylwalk: 1. Sgt. A-WALL. 2. Kevin Nash I didn't like him when he was getting a push as The Wall, and I like him even less as A-WALL. Never the greatest wrestler, Big Sexy now gets by on personality alone.

  • Ryan Robson: 1. The Rock: I used to like the guy, but he is really boring the heck out of me. My decision to stop watching WWF was heavily based on the amount of exposure the Rock was getting. 2. Mideon: I still don't know what WWF sees in the guy.

  • Alex Ristic: Kevin Nash. Why Nash? That's simple. Most of the other people on this list have either just started out, in which case they can only get better, or were included because of bad gimmicks or no audience reaction. Well, Nash has almost no ability, so specifically for wrestling ability he's bottom of the barrel. Some other people can't help the gimmicks that WCW forced upon them, and to be honest I don't think they should be included on the list.

    Worst Wrestler Of The Year - Female

    Mae Young (39%)

    Second: Chyna (15%).
    Third: The Kat (13%)
    Other:
    7% voted for Ivory.
    6% voted for Moolah.
    5% voted for Other.
    3% voted for Terri Gold, Madusa, Jackie.
    2% voted for Jazz
    1% voted for Lita, Molly Holly, Jazz.

    TOTAL VOTES: 4662.


    SLAM! Wrestling Picks

  • Greg Oliver: Any time Terri tried to wrestle was painful to watch, though strangely fun at the same time. Moolah and Mae Young had their time, but having them wrestle again was plain silly.

  • John Powell: 1. The Kat. 2. Mae Young. The Kat. She might be good looking to some but she doesn't know a wristlock from a wrist watch. Watching her attempt to wrestle was about as pleasant for me as searing my retinas with hot pokers then cooling the burns with gasoline. Mae Young. She's getting up there and I actually feared for her life based on some of the bumps she took. Young taking her top off set new levels on the bad taste metre. And can anyone explain what the hell she was doing giving birth to a hand? Second thought. Don't bother. I don't wanna know.

  • John Molinaro: 1. Chyna. 2. The Kat. Chyna because she sucks and she gets a monster push. Kat is worse but at least she's not all over WWF TV.

  • Eric Benner: (1) The Kat - Not much to the Kat, once the clothes are stripped away. Even then. (2) Jackie - I hate to say it, but this just wasn't her year. She hasn't been entertaining in a long time.

  • Bob Kapur: Mae Young - Ugh... say no more. Moolah - Ditto

  • Aaron Henry: Moolah and Mae Young - Just use your imagination for this one. Wrinkled Puppies!! AARRGGHH!!!

  • Nick Tylwalk: 1. Chyna 2. Mae Young. No performer in the world of sports entertainment is as overrated as the so-called Ninth Wonder of the World. As for Mae Young... enough said.

  • Ryan Robson: 1. Madusa: She may be talented, and so on and so forth, but out of everyone listed, she has probably had the worst year. 2. Jackie: Very quiet year for the former PMS member.

  • Alex Ristic: Kat. Yeah, I like looking at her, but she's useless in the ring. Eye candy turned wrestler, with little training, doesn't equate to "electrifying" sports entertainment.

    Best Canadian Wrestler Of The Year

    Chris Benoit (44%)

    Second: Chris Jericho (27%).
    Third: Lance Storm (18%)
    Other:
    5% voted for Edge.
    2% voted for Christian, Vampiro.
    1% voted for Other, Test.
    0% voted for Just Joe, Val Venis, Tiger Ali.

    TOTAL VOTES: 4719.


    SLAM! Wrestling Picks

  • Greg Oliver: I'll give the award to both Benoit and Jericho. But both seem to be on a downward spiral in the WWF, a long way from the PPV main events they had this year. Honourable mention go to Edge & Christian who entertained us with their promos and their in-ring action.

  • John Powell: 1. Chris Benoit. 2. Chris Jericho. Chris Benoit is an aggressive, accomplished wrestling machine. Nuff said. Jericho is a rare commodity. Charisma, a great sense of humour and in-ring ability all in one package. He is a promoter's dream.

  • John Molinaro: 1. Chris Benoit. 2. Lance Storm. What a year for Benoit. He truly established himself in the WWF. Storm was one of the few bright spots in WCW.

  • Eric Benner: (1) Chris Benoit - He's set the WWF on fire since his debut early this year, only his fire runs on pure wrestling. He's a machine. (2) Lance Storm - He really took it up a notch in WCW. With a better push, he might have been #1. He carried almost everyone he faced this year, and drastically improved his promos and persona.

  • Bob Kapur: Lance Storm - Made a definite "Impact" in WCW this year. He won titles a-plenty, he managed to stir up interest in a bunch of midcarders called the MIA, and he even resurrected Jim Duggan's career.
    Chris Benoit - It took a while, but I'm finally sold on Benoit. I never was a fan of his "vanilla" style of wrestling when he was in WCW. But his several 4-star matches this year, along with the emergence of his cold and calculated personality, has finally made me see the light.

  • Aaron Henry: Chris Jericho - He was great in WCW, he's even better in the WWF. A man that can work the microphone and is mobile in the ring.

  • Nick Tylwalk: 1. Chris Benoit 2. Edge. Benoit continues to be the best reason to watch wrestling for the wrestling itself, and Edge is a future singles superstar, plain and simple.

  • Ryan Robson: 1. Lance Storm: Storm has had a great year. First he makes the jump to WCW, and within months gains the U.S. title, the hardcore title and the Cruiserweight title (and renames all of them), he has a solid feud with both Mike Awesome and General Rection, forms Team Canada, has Hacksaw Jim Duggan of all people become Canadian, and even tried a few times for the heavyweight title. 2. Chris Benoit: The guy unofficially wins the WCW heavyweight title, and the following week shows up on Raw. He has held numerous mid-card titles, and gone for the heavyweight strap on a few occasions.

  • Alex Ristic: Lance Storm. Of course Benoit and Jericho have higher profiles, but no one did as much, with as much to lose, as Lance Storm. Vilified by the hardcore fans for jumping ship to WCW from ECW, he held three belts at once, and brought a new dimensions to the U.S./Canada feud. He could have been buried behind a number of other people, but he was thrown in the forefront -- can't ask for a better reason to pick him than that.

    Worst Canadian Wrestler Of The Year

    Tiger Ali (43%)

    Second: Just Joe (24%).
    Third: Test (10%)
    Other:
    7% voted for Val Venis, Vampiro.
    3% voted for Other.
    2% voted for Chris Benoit, Lance Storm.
    1% voted for Chris Jericho, Christian, Edge.

    TOTAL VOTES: 4690.


    SLAM! Wrestling Picks

  • Greg Oliver: Vampiro disappointed me, but nobody buys Tiger Ali anymore. Not sure they ever did. Hopefully Just Joe will get another chance with a better gimmick. He's re-tooling in Memphis now.

  • John Powell: 1. Just Joe. 2. Tiger Ali. Just go, Just Joe. Okay. Okay. It's not entirely his fault. He was burdened with a nowhere gimmick and was never given the opportunity to exhibit his skills. Tiger Ali has no excuse though. Trust me. The guy can go in the ring. Why then does he feel it necessary to jump in a time machine and go back 20 or 30 years where degrading racial gimmicks were all the rage? What he's doing has no place in pro-wrestling now. I'd rather stay home than use my cherished heritage in such a manner.

  • John Molinaro: 1. Just Joe. 2. Test. Just Joe -- Whatever! Test is Kevin Nash Jr & big and clumsy!

  • Eric Benner: (1) Vampiro - Talk about lost potential. I thought he would be a star, but he's proven to be anything but, especially outside the ring. You can have your Insane Clown Posse. (2) Test - who?

  • Bob Kapur: Just Joe - Sad to see this Indy star fizzle in the big leagues. His gimmick was funny, but his matches were what everyone was laughing at. Tiger Ali - He was gone most of the year looking for a gimmick. When he finally found it, it was basically "J.O.B. Squad 2000". This Tiger ain't great.

  • Aaron Henry: Just Joe - Just what is this guy's purpose?

  • Nick Tylwalk: 1. Tiger Ali 2. Vampiro. Tiger Ali is consistently bad, but Vampiro almost earned my top vote here because of his bizarre anti-wrestling tirades.

  • Ryan Robson: 1. Tiger Ali: A once promising wrestler reduced to managing Lo Down (two people destined for a lifetime of Jakked). Need I say more. 2. Val Venis: The guy can still wrestle like you wouldn't believe, but he's caught up in the RTC which totally sucks.

  • Alex Ristic: Tiger Ali. Do you really need to ask why? For the short answer, he's managing now, not wrestling, which should be indication enough for you.

    Best Tag Team Of The Year

    Edge, Christian (42%)

    Second: The Hardy Boyz (21%).
    Third: The Dudley Boyz (14%)
    Other:
    4% voted for Tajiri, Whipwreck, Kronik
    2% voted for Jindrak - O'Haire, The Acolytes.
    1% voted for Three Count, The Radicals, Too Cool, The Impact Players, Raven - Tommy Dreamer, Team Canada, Head Cheese.
    0% voted for M.I.A., Disqo Knights, Yung Dragons, The Harris Brothers, The Perfect Event, Right To Censor, Lo' Down, Kai En Tai, DX, Roadkill-Doring, Baldies, F.B.I., Swinger-Diamond, Filthy Animals, Mamalukes, New Harlem Heat, Rave-Lane.

    TOTAL VOTES: 4687


    SLAM! Wrestling Picks

  • Greg Oliver: Edge & Christian. You need good heels to get the faces like the Hardys and Dudleys over.

  • John Powell: 1. Edge, Christian and The Hardy Boys. 2. Tajiri, Whipwreck. As my other SLAM! Wrestling colleagues will tell you, I have grown to dislike the Hardy Boys because they go out of their way to play to the female fan base. However, teamed with Edge and Christian they brought back those good old tag team feuds that I've been hankering for. Both teams reignited excitement in the tag team division and they should be proud of their achievement. Mikey Whipwreck and Tajiri's combination of moves remind me of how tag team wrestling was once viewed. Two men totally in synch with each other. Their timing is impeccable and their pairing was pure genius.

  • John Molinaro: 1. Tajiri, Whipwreck. 2. Edge, Christian. Tajiri and Whipwreck had amazing matches in ECW.

  • Eric Benner: (1) Edge and Christian - One of the best combinations of solid in-ring efforts with entertaining antics in recent memory. (2) The Hardy Boyz - They sacrifice of themselves every time they wrestle. We may as well give them tribute.

  • Bob Kapur: Roadkill & Danny Doring - On paper, the unlikeliest of pairings. In the ring, however, their smooth tag team work flows like melted butter. Finally captured the gold late this year, but were due a long time ago. The best team in wrestling today. The Dudley Boyz - Used tables and ladders and chairs better than any other team out there - moreso than their perrenial opponents the Hardy Boyz and Edge & Christian, if only because their size makes it look more impressive. Have to lose the "Wassaaap!" thing though - that's so last year.

  • Aaron Henry: Dudley Boyz - Everyone knows I'm a Dudley Mark! These guys don't need the tag titles to boost their careers. Kronik - These two big guys compliment each other nicely. Their team name also says it all.

  • Nick Tylwalk: 1. Edge, Christian. 2. Jindrak and O'Haire. The golden boys from Canada are equally fun to watch in matches or vignettes, a rare quality indeed. Jindrak and O'Haire represent the future of pro wrestling: they're big and can fly.

  • Ryan Robson: 1. Kronik: I know the others aren't too big on these guys, but they are one of the most dominant tag teams around, and it's good because we all know that these two couldn't make it in singles action 2. Edge and Christian: Just saying that, they almost sound like they could be a comedy team a la Abbott and Costello, Martin and Lewis, etc. Solid year with some of the best matches out of WWF.

  • Alex Ristic: Tajiri, Whipwreck. Although other teams where in the spotlight more, or have more history, how many teams actually excited you as much as these guys with their explosive moves? Hang the belts on a coat rack -- who needs them? No one was more stiff and spectacular than these two.

    Worst Tag Team Of The Year

    The New Harlem Heat (11%)

    Second: Disqo Knights, The Harris Brothers, Right To Censor, (8%).
    Third: Three Count, Kronik, Lo' Down, Kai En Tai, Too Cool, DX, M.I.A.(6%)
    Other:
    4% voted for Head Cheese.
    3% voted for The Perfect Event, .
    2% voted for Edge - Christian, The Filthy Animals, Rave - Lane.
    1% voted for Yung Dragons, Jindrak - O'Haire, The Hardy Boys, The Dudley Boys, The Radicals, The Baldies, The Mamalukes, Team Canada, Other.
    0% voted for The Acolytes, Roadkill - Danny Danny, The F.B.I., Tajiri - Whipwreck, Swinger - Diamond, The Impact Players, Dreamer - Masato, Raven - Dreamer.

    TOTAL VOTES: 4687


    SLAM! Wrestling Picks

  • Greg Oliver: The New Harlem Heat was laughable, but so was most of WCW's tag team division this year.

  • John Powell: Poor Ahmed Johnson. Poor Stevie Ray. All Ray wanted to do was give his good friend a second chance at fame and fortune. What he should have done is get him into a gym and refine his abilities before trucking him out to the fabled offices in Atlanta. The two power wrestlers didn't cut it as a team. Too slow. Too cumbersome to be a fluid, cohesive pairing. Same thing goes for Kronik. They have the look but nothing else. Anyone remember The Skyscapers? They moved like they had concrete poured into their boots before the match too.

  • John Molinaro: 1. Kronik. 2. The Harris Brothers. Why are these two teams even employed in wrestling?

  • Eric Benner: (1) Kronik - Overrated, overpushed, and they're already making backstage demands. (2) Acolytes - Whatever happened to these guys? Did Bradshaw need more time for his investments?

  • Bob Kapur: Disqo Knights - Who let these dogs out? The New Harlem Heat - The less said about this, the better.

  • Aaron Henry: Disqo Knights - I have one word for this tag team: WHY? Kai En Tai - All that money for Taka Michinoku and this is the best he can do by teaming him up with Funaki?

  • Nick Tylwalk: 1. Rave and Lane. 2. M.I.A. Rave and Lane had a gimmick so lame that is was nearly incomprehensible. In contrast, everyone understands the MIA gimmick - it's just bad.

  • Ryan Robson: 1. Too Cool: I think they were champions once. Too bad they still suck. The worm is the worst move I've seen since the people's elbow, and they don't have a trace of cool in them.
    2. Kai En Tai: These guys still exist? I must have blinked and missed their matches. Or maybe that's when I got something to eat. At any rate, just the mere mention of those guys makes me laugh at how pathetic they are.

  • Alex Ristic: The Baldies. Just watch the last ECW PPV (Guilty As Charged) and you'll see why.

    Best Fresh Face Of The Year

    K-Kwick (20%)

    Second: Kid Kash (18%).
    Third: Mike Sanders (16%)
    Other:
    10% voted for Other.
    8% voted for Elix Skipper.
    5% voted for O'Haire, The Yung Dragons.
    3% voted for Chuck Palumbo, Jindrak, Tank Abbott.
    2% voted for Kwee Wee, Reno, C.W. Anderson, Just Joe.
    1% voted for Tony Mamaluke, EZ Money.
    0% voted for Chris Hamrick, Bilvis Wesley, Chilly Willy.

    TOTAL VOTES: 4597


    SLAM! Wrestling Picks

  • Greg Oliver: K-Kwick's pretty good in the ring, but that rap stuff ...

  • John Powell: 1. Kid Kash. 2. C.W. Anderson. Kid Kash is an unbelievable dynamo who will have a stellar future in wrestling if he doesn't splatter himself on the concrete too often. I have a soft spot in my heart for C.W. Yeah, his gimmick is a complete rip-off. So what. The man is a throwback to the kind of Southern style of wrestling displayed by Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard and Bobby Eaton. Poise, control and ring psychology that amounts to poetry in motion.

  • John Molinaro: 1. The Yung Dragons. 2. C.W. Anderson. Yung Dragons were a breath of fresh air in WCW. CW is very much in the mould or Arn Anderson who I loved.

  • Eric Benner: (1) Tank Abbott - Haha, yeah right. (1) Mike Sanders - The real deal. I predict great success for this man. (2) CW Anderson - A rare pleasant surprise in ECW.

  • Bob Kapur: Kid Kash - The new Shawn Michaels? His performances are mostly jaw-dropping, and sometimes just plain crazy. Needs some work on the mic to be the all-around performer, but he's definitely a superstar in the making... assuming he doesn't kill himself first. Mike Sanders - The crown jewel of the Natural Born Thrillers. He's solid enough in the ring, but it was in his "Commissioner" role backstage that he really shone. How much better would this same gimmick be in ECW, though, where it wouldn't get lost among the chaff.

  • Aaron Henry: O'Haire - If this guy can align himself with a great mentor, he can be a legend. He has the making of a great wrestler.

  • Nick Tylwalk: 1. Mike Sanders 2. Kid Kash. Thrust into a starring role while he was still green, Mike Sanders has handled himself well. If you haven't seen Kid Kash wrestle in person, do so as soon as possible.

  • Ryan Robson: 1. Reno: Big bulky guy, has the look that might scare a lot of people, and he has one of the most innovative finishers in all of wrestling. How can you not like the guy? 2. Elix Skipper: Hey, it's primetime, he played in the CFL, he uses his Grey Cup ring, he's Canadian (as the story goes), he is the most agile and flexible competitor I've ever seen. He also has a great finisher, the overdrive, when he uses it.

  • Alex Ristic: Kurt Angle. I know he wasn't included, but I'm picking him with my "other" selection anyway. Fact is, he debuted in Oct/Nov. of 1999. Hardly enough time to make him a veteran hand in the WWF when 2000 rolled around. What? He got a whole two-month head start, and never wrestled professionally before, so I'm making no apologies. Besides, if you look at other sports (I don't want to hear that wrestling is fake -- I already know), players have to play a minimum amount of games before they're counted as a rookie anyway, so I'm using that rule here. As for picking him, let's see. Fact is, in 2000 he established himself, won King Of The Ring, the Euro-Continental title, and the world belt -- nuff said.

    Best Hardcore Wrestler Of The Year

    Steve Blackman (23%)

    Second: Triple H (12%).
    Third: Raven, Terry Funk (9%)
    Other:
    8% voted for Crash Holly. 6% voted for Steve Corino.
    5% voted for Crowbar, New Jack.
    4% voted for Mike Awesome.
    3% voted for Tazz, Justin Credible, Al Snow.
    2% voted for Norman Smiley, Hardcore Holly, The Sandman.
    1% voted for Big Vito, Balls Mahoney, Other.
    0% voted for Sgt. A-WALL.

    TOTAL VOTES: 4705


    SLAM! Wrestling Picks

  • John Powell: 1. Terry Funk. 2. Triple H. I had to pick The Funker. I respect the man way too much. Plus, how many people his age can still hold their own with competitors half their age? Triple H wrestled hard all throughout 2000. Steel Cage matches. An Iron Man bout. Street Fights and No DQ matches. He didn't shy away from any of them.

  • John Molinaro: 1. Steve Corino. 2. Crowbar. Corino bleed buckets this year. Crowbar took an amazing amount of punishment.

  • Eric Benner: (1) Raven - He breathed new life into the WWF's ailing hardcore division late in the year. (2) Terry Funk - His efforts produced more laughs than anything else, but I enjoyed them.

  • Bob Kapur: Steve Blackman - It took Al Snow's crazy antics and Shane McMahon's giant plummet to get him over, but it finally worked out. The perfect division to show off his martial arts expertise and weapons mastery, Blackman fit like fingers in a glove... a spiked coal-miners glove, that is. Steve Corino - How many times did he wrestle a match that didn't involve him bleeding all over the place? Think back to the cowbell match with Dusty Rhodes... that match alone puts him in a top spot.

  • Aaron Henry: Crash Holly - His career was stale until he entered the hardcore division. He might be small, but he welds a big trashcan. Steve Blackman - Another man who's career was launched by being placed in the hardcore division. Kendo sticks don't seem very hardcore, but nobody has the master of them like Blackman does.

  • Nick Tylwalk: 1. Steve Blackman 2. Norman Smiley. The Lethal Weapon finally found fan acceptance by taking the WWF's hardcore division by storm, while Smiley added a welcome comedic touch to WCW.

  • Ryan Robson: 1. Crowbar: This guy was made for hardcore. 2. Norman Smiley: he was a reluctant champion, but put on some of the more entertaining hardcore matches that I've seen out of either of the big two.

  • Alex Ristic: Steve Blackman. Why? Because he's realistic. If you're a martial artist you should be able to use weapons to your full advantage, and be able to take on multiple opponents. Blackman showed he had the skills in both arenas. And no, being hardcore doesn't mean you have to bleed all the time. Blackman showed he could be innovative without gore. Yes, there were more "hardcore" individuals out there, but we were asked for the "best" hardcore wrestler, not the "most" hardcore wrestler.

    Match Of The Year

    The Dudley Boyz Vs The Hardy Boyz Vs Edge, Christian (Three Way Ladder Match) (22%)

    Second: Cactus Jack Vs Triple H (No Way Out - Hell In A Cell Match). (14%).
    Third: The Hardy Boyz Vs Edge, Christian Vs The Dudley Boyz (SummerSlam) (13%)
    Other:
    7% voted for Cactus Jack Vs Triple H (Royal Rumble - Street Fight Match). 5% voted for Steve Austin Vs Triple H Vs Rikishi Vs The Rock Vs Kurt Angle Vs The Undertaker (Armaggedon), Chris Jericho vs Triple H (Fully Loaded - Last Man Standing Match).
    4% voted for Three Count Vs The Jung Dragons Vs Knoble, Karagias (Triple Ladder Match - Starrcade).
    3% voted for The Dudley Boyz Vs The Hardy Boyz (The Royal Rumble), The Rock Vs Triple H (Iron Man Match - Judgment Day), Edge, Christian Vs The Hardy Boyz (Unforgiven, Steel Cage Match), Triple H Vs Chris Benoit (No Mercy).
    2% voted for Sabu Vs Rob Van Dam (Guilty As Charged), Chris Jericho Vs Kurt Angle Vs Chris Benoit (WrestleMania), Chris Benoit Vs Chris Jericho (Backlash), Jerry Lynn Vs Rob Van Dam (Hardcore Heaven), Chris Benoit Vs Chris Jericho (SummerSlam), Other.
    1% voted for Jeff Jarrett Vs Diamond Dallas Page (Slamboree, Ready To Rumble Cage Match), Booker T. Vs Jeff Jarrett (Bash At The Beach), Steve Corino Vs Jerry Lynn (Heat Wave), Chris Benoit Vs The Rock (Fully Loaded),
    0% voted for Little Guido Vs Super Crazy (Living Dangerously - Italian Death Match), Kurt Angle Vs Chris Jericho (KOTR), Kurt Angle Vs Triple H (Unforgiven), C.W. Anderson Vs Steve Corino (Anarchy Rulz), The Rock Vs Kurt Angle (No Mercy), Kid Kash Vs C.W. Anderson (November To Remember).

    TOTAL VOTES: 4640


    SLAM! Wrestling Picks

  • John Powell: 1. Booker T. versus Jeff Jarrett (Bash At The Beach). 2. Mikey Whipwreck, Tajiri Vs Super Crazy, Kid Kash, The Dudley Boyz Vs The Hardy Boyz Vs Edge, Christian. No match in 2000 had more genuine emotion than when Booker T. finally won the WCW World Heavyweight Title at Bash At The Beach. As I wrote in my review...Sometimes real life is better than any angle even the most creative booker can ever dream up. Jeff Jarrett, the other half of the equation, should be recognized also for putting on one hell of a show working with Booker. The Dudley Boyz Vs The Hardy Boyz Vs Edge, Christian get the nod from me for their creativity and Mikey Whipwreck, Tajiri Vs Super Crazy, Kid Kash was technical wrestling in its purest form.

  • John Molinaro: 1. Chris Jericho vs Triple H (Fully Loaded - Last Man Standing Match). 2. Cactus Jack Vs Triple H (Royal Rumble - Street Fight Match). Not much I can say other than they were amazing.

  • Eric Benner: (1) Dudleyz, Edge and Christian, Hardyz @ Wrestlemania Ladder match - Just awesome. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. I loved it. (2) Cactus Jack vs. Triple H @ No Way Out, Hell in the Cell - These two put on one of my favourite programs in the last ten years, and this was the fitting culmination.

  • Bob Kapur: Chris Jericho vs Triple H (Fully Loaded) - In a word, awesome. These two gave it their all for this one, and the result was the best match of the year bar None. . Dudley Boyz vs. Hardy Boyz (Royal Rumble) - One of the best table matches I've ever seen, this one had me on the edge of my seat from the opening bell. Paved the way for others like the TLC match and Triple-Ladder match at Starrcade.

  • Aaron Henry: The Dudley Boyz Vs The Hardy Boyz Vs Edge, Christian (Three Way Ladder) - This match was nowhere near the Hardy Boyz and Edge and Christian Ladder Match from the previous year, but it still contained high flying moves that left the audience in awe.

  • Nick Tylwalk: 1. The Dudley Boyz vs. The Hardy Boyz vs. Edge, Christian (WrestleMania - Three Way Ladder Match) 2. Jeff Jarrett vs. DDP (Slamboree - Ready To Rumble Cage). The ladder match injected a lot of excitement into a solid but unspectacular WrestleMania. Jarrett and DDP turned what could have been a shameless marketing ploy into something truly memorable.

  • Ryan Robson: 1. Booker T. Vs Jeff Jarrett (Bash At The Beach): Every single match, these guys had the most nail-biting finishes out of the wrestling world. This was a great moment in the career of Booker T. 2. Ladder match: Three Count vs. Knoble and Karagias vs. Jung Dragons. We love spot fests, and these six guys put on a show. Kick started what many believe was WCW's best pay per view of the year.

  • Alex Ristic: Booker T. Vs Jeff Jarrett (Bash At The Beach). There were other matches with better technical skilled opponents, but man, not only were both performers putting on a show, but there was high intensity and emotional involvement as well. Booker T was long deserving, and he was the champion WCW needed, plus, this was right after the Hogan debacle, holding the people's attention after the anti-climax.

    Worst Match Of The Year

    Viscera Vs Mark Henry (No Way Out) (17%)

    Second: Big Al Vs Tank Abbott (Super Brawl, Jacket On A Pole Match). (11%).
    Third: William Regal Vs Median (No Mercy), Steve Austin Vs Triple H Vs Rikishi Vs The Rock Vs Kurt Angle Vs The Undertaker (Armaggedon) (10%)
    Other:
    6% voted for The Demon Vs The Wall (Super Brawl), Goldberg Vs Kronik (Halloween Havoc).
    5% Billy Kidman Versus Hollywood Hogan (Great American Bash), Other.
    4% Hardcore Brawl (WrestleMania), Kevin Nash Vs Goldberg (Bash At The Beach), Buff Bagwell Vs David Flair (Halloween Havoc).
    3% voted for Kronik Vs The Harris Brothers (Fall Brawl), Mike Sanders Vs The Cat (Kick Boxing Match, Halloween Havoc).
    2% voted for Big T Vs Booker T (Super Brawl), Tank Abbott Vs Scott Steiner (Asylum Match, Great American Bash), Scott Steiner Vs Kevin Nash Vs Goldberg (New Blood Rising), Billy Kidman, Madusa Vs Shane Douglas, Torrie (Scaffold Match, Fall Brawl).
    1% voted for Kevin Nash Vs Jeff Jarrett (Great American Bash), Mike Awesome Vs Vampiro (Halloween Havoc), Reno Vs A-WALL (Halloween Havoc), Big Sal Vs Balls Mahoney (Heat Wave).

    TOTAL VOTES: 4566


    SLAM! Wrestling Picks

  • John Powell: 1. Big Al Vs Tank Abbott (Super Brawl, Jacket On A Pole Match). 2. Mike Sanders Vs The Cat (Kick Boxing Match, Halloween Havoc). Big Al Vs Tank Abbott was the first and only match I have ever given a negative rating to. It was not only the worst match of 2000 but could very well be the worst in recorded history to appear on pay-per-view. Tank finishes up the match by pulling a knife on Big Al and holding it to his throat! What the heck? As far as Sander versus The Cat goes...let's say it all together now...boxing-wrestling matches suck, suck, and will forever suck.

  • John Molinaro: 1. Any match with Chyna. Chyna sucks, plain and simple. All of her matches are equally bad and pathetic. 2. Billy Kidman, Madusa Vs Shane Douglas, Torrie (Scaffold Match, Fall Brawl). Talk about a waste of time.

  • Eric Benner: (1) Awesome vs. Vampiro at Havoc - This match was awful, which is weird because both workers are talented. The part where they both stopped to beat down a fan who attacked them was kind of funny. I think we have footage of that. (2) Kronik vs. Harrises @ Fall Brawl - This match was also a culmination (see Cactus, Triple H), only the bad kind. Their feud has been nasty and brutish, as Thoreau would say, but unfortunately not short.

  • Bob Kapur: Big Al vs. Tank Abbott - The horror... the horror. Pat Patterson vs. Gerry Brisco (evening gown) - Who thought this one up, and why do they still have a job?

  • Aaron Henry: Unforgiven's Hell in a Cell Match - The hype of the match over shadowed the match itself. It could have been the best ever, but it's a bad idea put more than 2 people in a cell.

  • Nick Tylwalk: 1. The Demon vs. The Wall (SuperBrawl) 2. Viscera vs. Mark Henry (No Way Out). If ever an argument could be made against monthly pay-per-views.

  • Ryan Robson: 1. Gerald Brisco vs. Pat Patterson, evening gown match. I can't remember which pay per view that was, but that had stinker written all over it from the moment they announced it. I too a piss break, and was mad that the match was still going on when I came back. By far the worst match. 2. Hardcore Brawl (Wrestlemania). Stupid idea, stupid result. I have better ways of wasting 15 minutes of my life.

  • Alex Ristic: Viscera Vs Mark Henry (No Way Out). The only thing that would have made this match even remotely tolerable would have been if it was casket match, because each opponent would have been too fat to stuff in the coffin. Snooze-fest.

    Best Wrestling Federation of 2000

    WWF (85%)

    Second: ECW (8%).
    Third: WCW (7%).

    TOTAL VOTES: 4678


    SLAM! Wrestling Picks

  • Greg Oliver: It was the WWF's year, no one else came close.

  • John Powell: 1. WWF. 2. ECW. WWF was the most consistent though they really fell into a state of mediocrity by the end of the year. ECW puts on better technical matches than other of the Big Two.

  • John Molinaro: None. Not one really impressed me. There were spurts when WWF were good and ECW good but not one promotion produced quality wrestling year-round.

  • Eric Benner: 1) WWF - I don't really have to explain this. (2) WCW - Bad as they were, they at least looked like a major league fed. (3) ECW - See WCW entry.

  • Bob Kapur: WWF - They faltered near the end of the year, with too much focus on the McMahon's family woes. But for the first 10 months, they had no real competition.

  • Aaron Henry: WWF - Vince McMahon is back atop where he was and where he belongs.

  • Nick Tylwalk: 1. WWF 2. WCW. Historically, only complacency can stop the WWF when it's on top. Will history repeat itself in 2001?

  • Ryan Robson: 1. WCW: I believe I'm in the minority by choosing WCW, but believe me, I enjoyed almost everything I watched this year, even the moments that others found stupid, confusing, or just plain bad. 2. WWF: This is only here because we get two picks, and ECW has had a rough year.

  • Alex Ristic: WWF. Only for continuity. I don't really agree with many of the philosophies of the WWF in regards to programming, but in terms of entertainment, they were the most consistent. WCW was too unorganized, and ECW got the plug pulled on them in TV before their full impact could be gauged.

    Worst Wrestling Federation of 2000

    WCW (77%)

    Second: ECW (16%).
    Third: WWF (7%).

    TOTAL VOTES: 4678


    SLAM! Wrestling Picks

  • Greg Oliver: WCW had problems on top of problems.

  • John Powell: 1. WCW. 2. WWF. WCW still can't sustain any sort of drive forward and the WWF is still on cruise control since Austin's return. Another Austin - McMahon feud? Excuse me while I slip into a coma. ZZZZZZZ.

  • John Molinaro: 1. WCW. My God, who else can you pick?

  • Eric Benner: (1) ECW - This shouldn't be listed with the big two anymore. The era of the North American big three is over. Awful, awful stuff this year from a distracted Heyman, a poor ECW, and injured and green wrestlers. (2) WCW - They dug a massive hole and they're sitting in it - the question is, will they be able to get out? (3) WWF - The least worst of all.

  • Bob Kapur: WCW - Unfortunately, anytime they got on a roll, backstage politics and business decisions got in the way. Hopefully they can recover from a shaky year and turn things around again.

  • Aaron Henry: WCW - Turmoil + over-the-hill wrestlers = A Federation Up For Sale.

  • Nick Tylwalk: 1. ECW 2. WCW. Hey, I love ECW... when I can see it. Heyman needs to get his boys back on national TV, and soon.

  • Ryan Robson: 1. ECW: More entertaining than WWF, but losing their weekly program has hurt them big time. 2. WWF: This category seems more appropriate for WWF. I can't stand watching their matches; tag teams with two feuding people just so they can be on the program, stupid feuds (Chris Jericho and Kane), endless run-ins. And oh yeah, I really couldn't stand seeing Mick Foley at the top of every show. He may be tough and what not, but I don't find him entertaining at all.

  • Alex Ristic: WCW. If only because they can't make up their minds as to who the booking team is, who to push, who to let go (Radicalz anyone?), etc.

    Best Weekly Television Show Of 2000

    Raw Is War (73%)

    Second: SmackDown! (12%).
    Third: Monday Night Nitro (7%).
    Other:
    6% voted for ECW On TNN.
    1% voted for WCW Thunder.
    0% voted for Sunday Night Heat.

    TOTAL VOTES: 4673


    SLAM! Wrestling Picks

  • John Powell: 1. Raw Is War. 2. ECW On TNN. ECW has better matches though the WWF clobbered them three ways to next Thursday with their angles.

  • John Molinaro: ECW On TNN. Excellent matches that feature actual wrestling and matches that lasted longer than three minutes!!!

  • Eric Benner: (1) Raw - The WWF's flagship show. It gets the nod over Smackdown! because it tends to be a little less casual, and follows the pay-per-views. (2) Smackdown! - A little often just a pay-per-view promo gone long, Smackdown! continued to preach wrestling to the masses.

  • Bob Kapur: Smackdown! - Less talk than Raw, with plenty of great matches. Further, the Thursday night placement allows for some clever setups for the Sunday PPV's. Raw is War - The company's flagship show hasn't lost a step since moving to TNN. But it hasn't gained any either.

  • Aaron Henry: RAW - When the WWF is in the spotlight, they focus their attention onto their Monday night programming. The only problem is that RAW is more exciting than their PPV's.

  • Nick Tylwalk: 1. Raw Is War 2. Monday Nitro. Raw wasn't quite can't-miss TV, but it was darn close. I'm probably biased, but there were a number of gems hidden among the garbage in Nitro's 2000 season.

  • Ryan Robson: 1. Monday Night Nitro: The Canadian broadcast of Nitro is hurting, but it still provided me with many more enjoyable moments than any of the others. 2. WCW Thunder: Maybe it's the fact that I do the Thunder report, but I still find it way more entertaining than the alternatives.

  • Alex Ristic: ECW On TNN. Purely for the wrestling action.

    Worst Weekly Television Show Of 2000

    WCW Thunder (44%)

    Second: Monday Night Nitro (20%).
    Third: Sunday Night Heat (18%).
    Other:
    13% voted for ECW On TNN.
    3% voted for Raw Is War.
    2% voted for SmackDown!

    TOTAL VOTES: 4665


    SLAM! Wrestling Picks

  • John Powell: 1. WCW Thunder. 2. WWF Sunday Night Heat. Talent nobody cares about in matches nobody cares about typifies an edition of Thunder. Same is true for Sunday Night Heat. Both shows should be improved or pulled from the airwaves.

  • John Molinaro: 1. WCW Thunder. 2. Sunday Night Heat. Thunder is such a bore. What's the point of watching Heat?

  • Eric Benner: 1) ECW on TNN - Poor ECW. But it's not like they were using this timeslot well to begin with. (2) Thunder - I wonder if WCW management is still aware that they broadcast this show.

  • Bob Kapur: Sunday Night Heat - Does anything interesting happen on Heat anymore? What's on Fox? WCW Thunder - The Mike Tenay "shoot interviews" seemed like a good idea, until they actually aired.

  • Aaron Henry: Smackdown! - Yes I am knocking the show I write about every week. Smackdown! is progressively getting stagnant with their Tag-Team-O-Mania show every Thursday.

  • Nick Tylwalk: 1. Sunday Night Heat 2. ECW on TNN. Quite a pair here. Heat went a long stretch of 2000 with no actual wrestling; ECW put on a couple shows near the end without lights.

    Best Gang Of 2000

    The Radicals (24%)

    Second: The A.P.A. (17%).
    Third: Team Canada (14%).
    Other:
    12% voted for Right To Censor.
    7% voted for Natural Born Thrillers.
    6% voted for DX.
    3% voted for The Holly Family, The New Blood, The nWo.
    2% voted for The Millionaire's Club, Cyrus' Network Gang, Other. 1% voted for Three Count, The Filthy Animals, M.I.A., The Jung Dragons, The F.B.I. 0% voted for The Baldies, Hot Commodity.

    TOTAL VOTES: 4676


    SLAM! Wrestling Picks

  • John Powell: 1. The Radicals. 2. Right To Censor. The Radicals for their combined wrestling talent. Right To Censor because they are a fully developed heel squad.

  • John Molinaro: 1. The Jung Dragons. 2. Hot Commodity. These two groups really impressed me.

  • Eric Benner: (1) The New Blood - WCW really had something here. (2) The Holly Family - I can't get enough of the Hollys.

  • Bob Kapur: Natural Born Thrillers - The future of the industry is in here... with the exception of Chuck Polumbo. The Radicals - Individually, each of these guys are great. Travelling as a pack, they're an unstoppable force. It's too bad the singles success of Benoit and Guerrero haven't spilled over to Saturn, though... he's too good to be unnoticed.

  • Aaron Henry: The Radicals - The best thing that Eddie, Perry, Dean and Chris did was jump ship to the WWF.

  • Nick Tylwalk: 1. Right To Censor 2. The Natural Born Thrillers You probably can't stand Right To Censor, but that's exactly the point. One of WCW's best decisions of the year was to let its promising youngsters sink or swim as a group, and so far they've stayed afloat.

  • Ryan Robson: 1. The Natural Born Thrillers: These guys have come a long way in their short careers in WCW. And they have always been one step ahead of their opponents. Their swerve on Kevin Nash was one of the greatest moments I have witnessed in WCW. 2. The Filthy Animals: They had one of the best entrances with that white screen and the silhouettes. Dumping Disqo was a major plus for them. I don't actually like the Animals, but I can't argue with their popularity.

  • Alex Ristic: Right To Censor. Actually, in my opinion they win by acclamation. Most of the people in this list were either tag teams, or groups that were short lived, such as the reformation of the n.W.o It's pretty bad when you pick a gang based on their consistency -- to be honest, RTC just doesn't have enough true competition in this category to pick anyone else -- Remember, Team Canada started in the latter half of the year, and with the Rougeau/Oulette/Duggan and any other loser joining the group some of their seriousness was taken away.

    Worst Gang Of 2000

    Right To Censor (15%)

    Second: Three Count, The Millionaire's Club, The nWo. (11%).
    Third: M.I.A. (10%).
    Other:
    8% voted for DX, The Natural Born Thrillers.
    5% voted for Filthy Animals.
    3% voted for The Holly Family, Team Canada, The New Blood.
    2% voted for The Baldies, The Radicals.
    1% voted for The A.P.A., The Jung Dragons, The F.B.I., Cyrus' Network Gang, Hot Commodity, Other.

    TOTAL VOTES: 4656


    SLAM! Wrestling Picks

  • John Powell: 1. The Natural Born Thrillers. 2. The nWo. The dilemma with The Thrillers is that they weren't established as individuals before they became a team so they come off as a bunch of mid-carders WCW threw together because they didn't know to promote them properly. The nWo appeared and disappeared faster than my pay cheque.

  • John Molinaro: 1. The APA. 2. The Baldies. APA are useless and the Baldies are a joke.

  • Eric Benner: (1) MIA - A joke inflicted on less influential WCW wrestlers (2) Team Canada - A joke inflicted on Lance Storm.

  • Bob Kapur: The nWo - At its lowest point, WCW tried to generate interest by dredging this up again. What a debacle... this band should have never gotten back together. The Baldies - Angel and DeVito are quickly becoming the Kaientai of ECW. But less funny and with more losses.

  • Aaron Henry:The Millionaire's Club - Another group of old wrestlers that are way past their prime. Didn't the WCW just get rid of the nWo when this club came about? DX - The end is here for this group as well as the careers of X-Pac and Road Dogg, unless they do something fast.

  • Nick Tylwalk: 1. MIA 2. DX By now my feelings about MIA should be perfectly clear. And while it might seem sacreligious to trash DX, even the most fervent crotch-choppers have to admit they were a mere shadow of their former selves in 2000.

  • Ryan Robson: 1. The Holly Family: That's a gang? ...what a joke. 2. 3 Count: Fantastic wrestlers, but those songs are so hurting.

  • Alex Ristic: The Natural Born Thrillers. Actually good wrestlers, but as a gang? First they were feuding with each other, then they put aside their differences to fight the old guys, and now they're getting their asses whupped. Sorry, good gangs need to win more than they lose, or at least have some kind of identity -- the Thrillers are more like Time Killers until the next match comes along.

    Feud Of The Year

    Triple H versus Mick Foley (24%)

    Second: Edge - Christian versus The Hardy Boys. (17%).
    Third: The Rock versus Triple H (11%).
    Other:
    9% voted for Kurt Angle versus Triple H.
    5% voted for Chris Jericho versus Chris Benoit.
    4% voted for Steve Austin versus "Hit And Run Driver".
    3% voted for The Millionaires' Club versus The New Blood, Vampiro versus Sting, Chris Jericho versus Triple H.
    2% voted for Steve Austin versus Rikishi, Cyrus versus ECW, Chris Benoit versus The Rock, Steve Austin versus Triple H.
    1% voted for Booker T. versus Scott Steiner, Kurt Angle versus Chris Jericho, Dusty Rhodes versus Steve Corino, Team Canada versus M.I.A., Booker T. versus Jeff Jarrett, Scott Steiner versus Goldberg, The F.B.I. versus Tajiri - Whipwreck, Rhino versus RVD, Kurt Angle versus The Rock, Chris Jericho versus Kane, The Dudley Boys versus Edge - Christian, The Dudley Boys versus Right To Censor, Other.
    0% voted for New Jack versus The Baldies, Rikishi versus The Rock, Steve Corino versus Jerry Lynn, Rhino versus The Sandman, Sting versus Jeff Jarrett.

    TOTAL VOTES: 4685


    SLAM! Wrestling Picks

  • John Powell: 1. Triple H versus Mick Foley. 2. Edge, Christian versus The Hardy Boys. The energy, thought and time devoted to these two feuds set them apart from the rest.

  • John Molinaro: 1. Chris Jericho versus Triple H. 2. The F.B.I. versus Yoshiro Tajiri, Mikey Whipwreck. Jericho vs HHH produced my match of the year. FBI vs Tajiri, Whipwreck produced a great series of matches.

  • Eric Benner: (1) Cactus Jack vs. Triple H - I marked out more for this feud than all other wrestling in 2000 combined. Seriously. (2) The Rock vs. Triple H - Well, that's two for Triple H, isn't it?

  • Bob Kapur: The Millionaire's Club versus The New Blood - This was the feud that the wrestling world had been waiting for. The young and hungry stars taking on the household names with giant egos and better contracts. A great idea whose time had come. Triple H versus Mick Foley - A war in the old-school style, built up over a series of PPV's, culminating in one final dance for the loser. It was this feud which catapulted Triple H into the spotlight, and a great ending to the legacy of Mick.

  • Aaron Henry: Triple H versus Mick Foley - These guys put on some great matches during their feud. Each person benefited from the feud.

  • Nick Tylwalk: 1. Kurt Angle versus Triple H 2. Edge, Christian versus The Hardy Boyz. Though it petered out at the end, Angle wouldn't be where he is today without his feud with Triple H. Edge, Christian and the Hardys almost gave us too much of a good thing.

  • Ryan Robson: 1. Booker T vs. Jeff Jarrett: Watching these two wrestle each other was one of the finer moments this year. And being able to witness it live was also quite memorable. 2. The Millionaire's Club versus The New Blood: It didn't last too long, but it sure seemed like there was some animosity going on. It was like an all-star game, except that everyone was involved.

  • Alex Ristic: Triple H versus Mick Foley. This feud went back to the day of "the build up." It wasn't a two match affair that went away like Jericho's feud with HHH. This was good, compelling, had a lot on the line, and entertaining matches. While not an all time classic, certainly the best this year had to offer.

    Worst Feud Of The Year

    Steve Austin versus "Hit And Run Driver", The Millionaire's Club versus The New Blood (11%)

    Second: Tazz versus Jerry Lawler, Chris Jericho versus Kane (10%).
    Third: Big Al versus Tank Abbott, Lex Luger versus Goldberg (8%).
    Other:
    7% voted for The Demon versus Vampiro.
    6% voted for Buff Bagwell versus David Flair, Right To Censor versus Chyna.
    5% voted for Dean Maleko versus Lita, Ric Flair versus Vince Russo.
    3% voted for Team Canada versus M.I.A., Kronik versus The Harris Brothers.
    2% voted for Cyrus versus ECW, Mike Sanders versus Ernest Miller.
    1% voted for The Filthy Animals versus The Natural Born Thrillers, Big Vito versus Reno, Other.
    0% voted for The Baldies versus New Jack.

    TOTAL VOTES: 4685


    SLAM! Wrestling Picks

  • John Powell: 1. Steve Austin versus "The Hit And Run Driver". 2. Chris Jericho versus Kane. The Austin storyline was poorly plotted and offered no real pay-off. Not compared to the build-up it was given. The start of the Jericho - Kane confrontations was too stupid for words. Split coffee? Come on. A prime example of really lazy booking.

  • John Molinaro: . The Demon versus Vampiro. 2. Kronik versus The Harris Brothers. Demon is just a joke so anything he's involved in sucks. Kronik and the Harris Twins ar the two worst tag teams in the world.

  • Eric Benner: (1) Team Canada vs. MIA - A joke inflicted on the fans. (2) Steve Austin vs. Hit and Run driver - This was Austin's longest-running feud of 2000. Strangely, he hasn't garnered the reaction expected. I wonder why.

  • Bob Kapur: Buff Bagwell versus David Flair - A DNA match? Please. Did anyone even care about this angle? Was it even resolved? Why is David Flair still on TV? Steve Austin versus "hit and run driver". I could stand Austin coming out and stunning everyone on Raw. I even liked the Rikishi confession. What sucked about this one was the aftermath. The Austin-Rikishi "match" that resolved nothing. The dropping of Triple H from a crane, only to appear a week later without a scratch. This one rivalled the "Higher Power" farce from last year.

  • Aaron Henry: Millionaire's Club versus The New Blood - Old guys versus the new guys. Hmmm nWo versus the rest of WCW?

  • Nick Tylwalk: 1. Steve Austin versus "hit and run driver" 2. The Demon versus Vampiro. Nothing against the big guy, but the revelation that Rikishi was the driver who ran over Austin was (along with his reason for doing it) one of the dumbest developments of the past year.

  • Ryan Robson: 1. Tazz versus Jerry Lawler: 2. Steve Austin versus "hit and run driver": Let's see, I've hated Stone Cold for a number of years now, and now he's doing his same old thing getting in the face of anyone who might be a threat to him. I think I saw the same thing just prior to the Royal Rumble one year.

  • Alex Ristic: Steve Austin versus "hit and run driver". Horrible from start to finish. Most people know that Austin wasn't run over to begin with -- Jim Ross gave weekly updates on his site for his pre-existing neck condition for God's sake. Nothing was more anti-climatic, and quite frankly, no one gave serious consideration that Austin wouldn't find out who it was and kick their collective butts. To top it off, it was dragged out for far too long -- Nothing compelling whatsoever.

    Manager Of The Year

    Stephanie McMahon (30%)

    Second: Trish Stratus (23%).
    Third: Chyna, Shane McMahon (7%).
    Other:
    6% voted for Sinister Minister.
    4% voted for Bill Alphonso, Torrie Wilson.
    3% voted for Daffney, Terri Runnels.
    2% voted for Leia Meow, Francine, Dawn Marie, Tiger Ali, Other.
    1% voted for Lou. E. Dangerously, Kimberly, Elizabeth.
    0% voted for Paisley.

    TOTAL VOTES: 4649


    SLAM! Wrestling Picks

  • John Powell: 1. Bill Alphonso. 2. Shane McMahon. Alphonso gets more physically involved than any other manager out there. So much so that RVD relies on his assistance to complete many of his trademark maneuvers. Shane McMahon has the power and the presence.

  • John Molinaro: None. Managers don't mean a thing anymore.

  • Eric Benner: (1) Shane McMahon - He didn't manage much, but he certainly knows how. (2) Trish Stratus - Also in the mold of classic managers, she at least gave a reason to watch Albert's matches.

  • Bob Kapur: Stephanie McMahon - What made her good was her unpredictability. Would she turn on her husband, and for who? Would she screw up and cost her man the match? It certainly made for some interesting TV. Torrie Wilson - She didn't do a heck of a lot. But, man, she looked good doing it.

  • Aaron Henry: Chyna - A manager that not only watches your back, but can do your dirty work on the outside of the ring. Bill Alphonso - A great leader, coach and mentor.

  • Nick Tylwalk: 1. Shane McMahon. 2. Stephanie McMahon. Shane-O-Mac helped Chris Benoit out immensely when the Wolverine was still finding his wings on the mic. Steph gets props for her aid in the meteoric rise of a certain Olympic hero.

  • Ryan Robson: 1. Daffney: She screams, she pulls off a huricanrana, she's cute, what's not to like? 2. Leia Meow: She also pulls off a huricanrana, and she wears black leather. Again, what's not to like?

  • Alex Ristic: Daffney. Anyone who can scream at their client's opponent and knock them down without technically interfering gets my vote.

    Worst Manager Of The Year

    Tiger Ali (24%)

    Second: Chyna (14%).
    Third: Stephanie McMahon (9%).
    Other:
    7% voted for Terri Runnels, Daffney.
    5% voted for Paisley.
    6% voted for Elizabeth.
    4% voted for Torrie Wilson, Trish Stratus, Shane McMahon.
    3% voted for Kimberly, Leia Meow, .
    2% voted for Bill Alphonso, Lou E. Dangerously, The Sinister Minister, Other.
    1% voted for Francine, Dawn Marie.

    TOTAL VOTES: 4625


    SLAM! Wrestling Picks

  • John Powell: 1. Tiger Ali. 2. Kimberly. If we were to adhere to the angle, Tiger Ali has to be the worst as for a while there he couldn't even get his team past security or booked on a WWF card. Kimberly does very little than stand in one place, look good and pound the mat.

  • John Molinaro: 1. Chyna. 2. Paisley. Chyna because I can't stand her and Paisley because her presence added absolutely nothing to WCW

  • Eric Benner: (1) Leia Meow - What a joke. First a creepy cheerleader-to-old-men, now a dominatrix for the Jungs. Uh huh. (2) Terri Runnels - She's still employed with the WWF?!?

  • Bob Kapur: Elizabeth - She managed Lex Luger. Say no more. Bill Alphonso - Not a good year for Fonzie. First Sabu left and then RVD skipped town, effectively silencing Bill's whistle for most of the year.

  • Aaron Henry: Daffney - Her screeching on the outside causes more damage to the man she is there for than her opponent. Terri Runnels - The She-Devil thing is old. Give it up.

  • Nick Tylwalk: 1. Tiger Ali. 2. The Sinister Minister. Both of these guys are just plain annoying.

  • Ryan Robson: 1. Torrie Wilson: She may be good as eye candy, but she is beyond useless as a manager 2. Stephanie McMahon: See above

  • Alex Ristic: Elizabeth. Been in the business for 15-years and still does nothing but try to look pretty.

    Best Valet Of 2000

    Lita (47%)

    Second: Ms. Hancock (18%).
    Third: Major Gunns (15%).
    Other:
    8% voted for Midajah.
    4% voted for Tori.
    3% voted for Other.
    2% voted for Miss Jones.
    1% voted for Tygress, Jack Victory, Elektra, Sal E. Graziano.
    0% voted for Prodigy.


    TOTAL VOTES: 4643


    SLAM! Wrestling Picks

  • John Powell: 1. Lita. 2. Jack Victory. Lita gets involved both in reprimanding the officials and taking it to any of the Hardy Boys' opponents. Without Jack Victory, how would any of the tables, ladders or chairs get set-up in ECW. High spot! High spot!

  • John Molinaro: None. Valets don't mean a thing.

  • Eric Benner: (1) Lita - At least she contributed to her men's matches. (2) Ms. Hancock - Eye candy, plain and simple.

  • Bob Kapur: Lita - I'm not sure I would lump her in the same category as the rest, since she's much more than just a valet. Her involvement has helped the Hardy Boyz tremendously. Sal E. Graziano - He didn't do much, but he sure looked good doing it. Actually, that's entirely wrong. His assistance helped the FBI win and keep the ECW tag belts longer than they should have probably had them.

  • Aaron Henry: Lita - She can fit with anybody she's aligned with. Essa Rios was nothing till she got there. Now that she's gone he's back to nothing and the Hardy Boyz are even more popular.

  • Nick Tylwalk: 1. Lita. 2. Midajah. Lita can actually contribute in a match, which is more than most valets can say. I have a hard time picturing Scott Steiner now without his favorite freak.

  • Ryan Robson: 1. Ms. Hancock: Besides the pregnancy thing, she has been exquisite as a valet 2. Tygress: She has looked very good in the Animals all year long.

  • Alex Ristic: Ms. Hancock. Besides her legs, she actually did what a valet was supposed to do - distract the ref, not get too involved.

    Worst Valet Of 2000

    Tori (14%)

    Second: Major Gunns (13%).
    Third: Jack Victory (12%).
    Other:
    10% voted for Other, Sal E. Graziano.
    9% voted for Tygress.
    8% voted for Miss Jones.
    6% voted for Ms. Hancock, Prodigy.
    5% voted for Midajah, Elektra.
    3% voted for Lita.


    TOTAL VOTES: 4577


    SLAM! Wrestling Picks

  • John Powell: 1. Ms. Hancock. 2. Elektra. These two are window dressing and nothing more. They hardly ever help out their men and have no reason to be at ringside.

  • John Molinaro: They all suck.

  • Eric Benner: (1) Tori - Talentless, but somehow caused Kane to lose dozens of matches. (2) Major Gunns - See Ms. Hancock, only without the eye candy (subjective, I guess).

  • Bob Kapur: Prodigy - His ridiculous antics were a constant thorn in the side of Simon Diamond... so much so that he got the boot. The Musketeer - See above, but add a goofier looking wardrobe. Would have been my first pick, but his promos are funny.

  • Aaron Henry: Tygress - I find her annoying and she whines too much. Major Gunns - She was hot when she came in, but quickly cooled off.

  • Nick Tylwalk: 1. Jack Victory. 2. Tori. Let's have a show of hands: how many of you out there actually like Jack Victory?

  • Ryan Robson: 1. Major Gunns: Cost her team the victory more often than helping them out. 2. Tori: I can't even think of anything to say she was so useless this year.

  • Alex Ristic: Jack Victory. I think he's made up, either that or he's invisible. That's not really Jack Victory you see when Steve Corino come out -- it's a camera trick. Otherwise, a real life person would actually do something instead of just standing around.

    Best Pay-Per-View Of 2000

    WWF Royal Rumble (18%)

    Second: WWF WrestleMania 2000 (17%).
    Third: WWF SummerSlam (11%).
    Other:
    6% voted for WWF No Way Out.
    5% voted for WWF Backlash, WWF Armageddon, WCW Starcade.
    4% voted for WWF Judgment Day, WWF Fully Loaded.
    3% voted for WWF King Of The Ring, WWF No Mercy.
    2% voted for ECW Guilty As Charged, WWF Unforgiven, ECW November To Remember, WWF Survivor Series, ECW Massacre On 34th Street.
    1% voted for ECW Living Dangerously, WCW Spring Stampede, ECW Hardcore Heaven, WCW Bash At The Beach, ECW Heat Wave, WCW New Blood Rising, ECW Anarchy Rulz.
    0% voted for WCW Souled Out, WCW SuperBrawl, WCW Uncensored, WCW Slamboree, WCW Great American Bash, WCW Fall Brawl, WCW Halloween Havoc, WCW Mayhem.

    TOTAL VOTES: 4375


    SLAM! Wrestling Picks

  • John Powell: 1. WWF No Way Out, Bash At The Beach. 2. WWF Royal Rumble. No Way Out was strong from top to bottom. Bash At The Beach saw Hogan vanish and Booker T. and Jarrett wrestle an unforgettable bout. The Royal Rumble put the fun back into wrestling.

  • John Molinaro: 1. WWF Royal Rumble. 2. ECW Hardcore Heaven. Rumble was great with that Cactus vs HHH match.

  • Eric Benner: (1) No Way Out - Cactus Jack and Triple H finish their fight. (2) Wrestlemania - This is just for the triple ladder match, with its legendary status enough to prop up the rest of the show.

  • Bob Kapur: WWF SummerSlam - Benoit-Jericho and the TLC match were incredible. The rest of the card was solid as well. What WMX7 should have been. ECW Living Dangerously - A great ending to a solid buildup for the Tag Team title match. Corino-Rhodes was a highlight of the year.

  • Aaron Henry: WCW Great American Bash - I went to this PPV in Baltimore for just something to do on a Sunday. I was pleasantly surprised with the show they put on. The 'Sting' fall and Goldberg's Heel Turn made for an interesting evening.

  • Nick Tylwalk: 1. WWF SummerSlam. 2. WWF Fully Loaded. SummerSlam represented the WWF in high gear, while Fully Loaded will always hold a special place in my heart as I rooted for Chris Benoit live in the midst of the thousands (and thousands) of The Rock's fans.

  • Ryan Robson: 1. WCW Starrcade: Steiner stays champ, huge ladder match, WCW delivers. 2. WCW Bash at the Beach: One of the most talked about pay per views ever with Booker T winning the championship, the last time we see Hogan.

  • Alex Ristic: WCW Great American Bash. This may sound bad, but one of the reasons is for Hogan getting his walking papers, and the other is for the immensely solid booking, plus excellent all around wrestling matches. There may have been better matches in terms of one or two here or there, but for an entire card, culminating with Booker T vs. Jarrett, this took the cake.

    Worst Pay-Per-View Of 2000

    WCW Souled Out, WWF Armageddon (10%)

    Second: WCW Halloween Havoc (8%).
    Third: WCW Starrcade, WCW Mayhem (7%).
    Other:
    6% voted for WCW SuperBrawl.
    5% voted for WWF WrestleMania 2000, WCW Great American Bash, WCW Bash At The Beach, WCW New Blood Rising.
    4% voted for WCW Uncensored.
    3% voted for WCW Spring Stampede, WCW Slamboree, WCW Fall Brawl, WWF Survivor Series.
    2% voted for ECW Guilty As Charged, WWF King Of The Ring.
    1% voted for WWF Royal Rumble, WWF No Way Out, ECW Living Dangerously, ECW Hardcore Heaven, WWF Judgment Day, ECW Heat Wave, WWF Unforgiven, WWF No Mercy, ECW Massacre On 34th Street, WWF Fully Loaded.
    0% voted for ECW Anarchy Rulz, ECW November To Remember.

    TOTAL VOTES: 4306


    SLAM! Wrestling Picks

  • John Powell: 1. WWF Armageddon 2. WCW Halloween Havoc. Armageddon was all meaningless talk, talk, talk. Halloween Havoc was altogether the worst set of matches imaginable.

  • John Molinaro: 1. WCW Halloween Havoc 2. WCW Great American Bash. Havoc was just a joke. Ditto for the Bash with that scaffold match.

  • Eric Benner: (1) Starrcade - What a disappointment. How far this one-time igranddaddy of them alli has fallen. (2) Armageddon - I guess the WWF's brain took December off.

  • Bob Kapur: WCW SuperBrawl - David Flair vs. The Wall. Big Al vs. Tank Abbott. Big T vs. Booker T. This truly was the lowest of the low for WCW. WWF WrestleMania 2000 - A horribly overbooked main event, with nothing to write home about on the undercard. Hype alone can't drive a Pay-Per-View.

  • Aaron Henry: WWF Wrestlemania 2000 - Maybe it was the stagnation of sitting there from noon to 8 watching the Wresltmania's Past before the event, but I thought it was lousy for a Wrestlemania.

  • Nick Tylwalk: 1. WCW SuperBrawl. 2. WWF Armageddon. It couldn't get much worse for WCW than SuperBrawl, and thankfully it didn't. Armageddon was fine... if you like your pay-per-views to revolve around just one match.

  • Ryan Robson: 1. WWF Armageddon: Highlighted by six guys punching and kicking each other, and insanely long rants to build up the match. Isn't jerry Springer on right about now? 2. WWF Judgement Day: The Rock and HHH fighting again (yawn), in a different gimmick match. Ending was flubbed, and the match really didn't make me want to see more.

  • Alex Ristic: WWF Fully Loaded. This is more objective than subjective. I really didn't like the way the WWF played off their stars, letting Angle, Jericho and Benoit lose all their matches when they're supposed to be the future of the company. Sure, you can argue that Angle has the title now, but no one expects him to have it at WrestleMania, which is where your number one and two guys are supposed to get the spotlight. Add to that the fact that Jericho and Benoit are still buried (which I think this particular PPV contributed to that status, because if they went over things would be different now), and you have a failure to invest in youth.

    Best WWF Pay-Per-View Of 2000

    WWF Royal Rumble (22%).

    Second: WWF WrestleMania 2000 (21%).
    Third: WWF SummerSlam (14%).
    Other:
    5% voted for WWF King Of The Ring, WWF Fully Loaded.
    4% voted for WWF Judgment Day, WWF Unforgiven, WWF No Mercy.
    3% voted for Survivor Series

    TOTAL VOTES: 4285


    SLAM! Wrestling Picks

  • John Powell: 1. WWF No Way Out. 2. WWF Royal Rumble.

  • John Molinaro: 1. Royal Rumble. 2. No Way Out. Rumble because of the Cactus vs HHH match.

  • Eric Benner: (1) No Way Out - It would be silly if I listed anything else here. (2) Wrestlemania - Ditto.

  • Bob Kapur: SummerSlam - Best of the year. Fully Loaded - Gave the up-and-comers a chance to shine... and they did. Rikishi's leap from the top of the steel cage still amazes me.

  • Aaron Henry: Royal Rumble - I love the Royal Rumble no matter how bad the ending is.

  • Nick Tylwalk: 1. SummerSlam. 2. Fully Loaded. I covered this above.

  • Ryan Robson: 1. No Way Out: HHH and Cactus Jack in a hell in a cell? It's got my vote 2. King Of The Ring: King Kurt emerges with a huge suplex on Rikishi.

  • Alex Ristic: No Way Out. Hell in a Cell - Yeah baby. Mick Foley's last real hurrah, and it was a good one.

    Worst WWF Pay-Per-View Of 2000

    WWF Armageddon (28%).

    Second: WWF Survivor Series (15%).
    Third: WWF WrestleMania 2000.
    Other:
    9% voted for King Of The Ring.
    8% voted for WWF No Mercy.
    6% voted for WWF Backlash, WWF Unforgiven.
    5% voted for WWF No Way Out, WWF Fully Loaded.
    4% voted for WWF Judgment Day.
    3% voted for WWF Royal Rumble, WWF SummerSlam.

    TOTAL VOTES: 4226


    SLAM! Wrestling Picks

  • John Powell: 1. WWF Armageddon. 2. WWF WrestleMania.

  • John Molinaro: 1. Survivor Series. 2. Armageddon. Survivor Series disappointed, and for a major show like that, it shouldn't.

  • Eric Benner: (1) Armageddon - See No Way Out, Wrestlemania. (2) Survivor Series - I can't get over that silly ending.

  • Bob Kapur: WrestleMania 2000 - See above Survivor Series - Rock-Rikishi reeked. The remainder of the card wasn't that great either, featuring Raw-caliber elimination matches. Worst of the worst, though, was the infamous crane spot.

  • Aaron Henry: Armageddon.

  • Nick Tylwalk: 1. Armageddon. 2. Survivor Series. Two straight snoozers to close out the WWF season.

  • Ryan Robson: 1. Armageddon: See above comments 2. Judgement Day: See above comments

  • Alex Ristic: Fully Loaded. See worst of the year.

    Best WCW Pay-Per-View Of 2000

    WCW Starrcade (37%).

    Second: WCW New Blood Rising (10%).
    Third: WCW Bash At The Beach (9%).
    Other:
    6% voted for WCW Souled Out, WCW Great American Bash, WCW Halloween Havoc, WCW Mayhem.
    4% voted for WCW Uncensored, WCW Spring Stampede, WCW Slamboree, WCW Fall Brawl.
    3% voted for WCW SuperBrawl.

    TOTAL VOTES: 3868


    SLAM! Wrestling Picks

  • John Powell: 1. WCW Bash At The Beach. 2. WCW Spring Stampede.

  • John Molinaro: None. They are all an insult to my iintelligence.

  • Eric Benner: (1) New Blood Rising - Lance Storm hit his crescendo, Jeff Jarrett and Booker T put on a clinic - this is my #3 pay-per-view of the year. (2) Fall Brawl - Actually not that bad this year.

  • Bob Kapur: Slamboree - The Ready to Rumble match was creative and well-done (despite the David Arquette presence). The New Blood - Millionaire's Club feud came to a head. WCW's finest hour. Starrcade - Solid card highlighted by an insane Triple-Ladder match to open the show. A great way to end the year for WCW, hopefully they can capitalize on the momentum.

  • Aaron Henry: Bash at the Beach - The Hogan incident made it worth the purchase.

  • Nick Tylwalk: 1. Great American Bash. 2. Bash At The Beach. Sadly, WCW couldn't maintain the momentum they got going in the middle of Y2K.

  • Ryan Robson: 1. Starrcade: See above comments 2. Bash at the Beach: See above comments

  • Alex Ristic: Great American Bash. See best PPV of year.

    Worst WCW Pay-Per-View Of 2000

    WCW Souled Out (15%).

    Second: WCW Mayhem (13%).
    Third: WCW Halloween Havoc (12%).
    Other:
    10% voted for WCW Starrcade.
    9% voted for WCW New Blood Rising.
    8% voted for WCW SuperBrawl.
    7% voted for WCW Uncensored, WCW Great American Bash, WCW Bash At The Beach. 5% voted for WCW Fall Brawl.
    4% voted for WCW Spring Stampede, WCW Slamboree.

    TOTAL VOTES: 3986


    SLAM! Wrestling Picks

  • John Powell: 1. WCW Halloween Havoc. 2. WCW Souled Out.

  • John Molinaro: 1. WCW Halloween Havoc 2. WCW Great American Bash. Oh God & the horror!!!

  • Eric Benner: (1) Starrcade - See No Way Out, Wrestlemania, Armageddon. (2) Halloween Havoc - Rubbish. That's English for garbage.

  • Bob Kapur: SuperBrawl - Dismal waste of 3 hours. Hallowe'en Havoc - Between Goldberg's squashing of Kronik and the army of Sting's, it's hard to distinguish the bad parts of this card from the really bad parts.

  • Aaron Henry: Souled Out.

  • Nick Tylwalk: 1. SuperBrawl. 2. Souled Out. Love him or hate him, at least Vince Russo's second shot at booking WCW produced more interesting pay-per-views than these two.

  • Ryan Robson: 1. Souled Out: Bret Hart and Jeff Jarrett both injured and can't compete, 'tis a sad day for WCW. 2. Halloween Havoc: steiner beats the hell out of Booker T and doesn't win the title? What's up with that?

  • Alex Ristic: Halloween Havoc. Just take my word for it. You're in for a lot of pain if you need to rent it. To summarise in a short sentence, this PPV demonstrated everything that was wrong with WCW in 2000.

    Best ECW Pay-Per-View Of 2000

    ECW November To Remember (21%).

    Second: Anarchy Rulz (19%).
    Third: ECW Massacre On 34th Street (16%).
    Other:
    15% voted for ECW Guilty As Charged.
    13% voted for ECW Hardcore Heaven.
    8% voted for ECW Heat Wave.
    7% voted for ECW Living Dangerously.

    TOTAL VOTES: 3700


    SLAM! Wrestling Picks

  • John Powell: 1. ECW November To Remember. 2. ECW Hardcore Heaven.

  • John Molinaro: 1. Hardcore Heaven. 2. Massacre On 34th Street. Both featured some quality wrestling and good matches.

  • Eric Benner: (1) Living Dangerously - By best, I mean Least Bad, of course. (2) I can't pick two. Heck, they only put on like three.

  • Bob Kapur: Living Dangerously - See above Massacre on 34th Street - ECW ends their year with a great card, notable for the emergence of CW Anderson as a bona fide talent with a bright future (for those of you who continued to doubt him).

  • Alex Ristic: Anarchy Rulz. Back to back action. For pure wrestling with a hardcore bent it didn't get much better than this.

    Worst ECW Pay-Per-View Of 2000

    ECW Massacre On 34th Street, ECW Heat Wave (19%).

    Second: ECW Guilty As Charged (16%).
    Third: ECW Living Dangerously (14%).
    Other:
    12% voted for ECW November To Remember.
    10% voted for ECW Hardcore Heaven, ECW Anarchy Rulz.


    TOTAL VOTES: 3596


    SLAM! Wrestling Picks

  • John Powell: 1. ECW Guilty As Charged. 2. ECW Heat Wave.

  • John Molinaro: 1. Living Dangerously.

  • Eric Benner: (1) November to Remember - In past years, one of my favourite three of the year. This year, just awful. A shade of its former self. (2) All the others.

  • Bob Kapur: Guilty as Charged - I can't remember anything good about this one, which is something I can't say for any other ECW PPV. So it must have been the worst. Heat Wave - The Blue Boy had the opening promo, and it didn't get much better after that. A case of trying too hard to fit everyone on the show. An overbooked and sloppy PPV was the result.

  • Ryan Robson: Didn't watch any ECW pay per views this year.

  • Alex Ristic: November To Remember. Back to back confusion, missed spots, and lack of planning - and the sad thing is that it came right after their best one.

    Best Announcer Of 2000

    Jim Ross (38%).

    Second: Jerry Lawler (30%).
    Third: Bobby Heenan (8%).
    Other:
    7% voted for Tazz.
    6% voted for Joey Styles.
    2% voted for Mike Tenay, Mark Madden, Joel Gertner, Tony Schiavone, Other.
    1% voted for Cyrus, Scott Hudson, Michael Cole.
    0% voted for Kevin Kelly.

    TOTAL VOTES: 4654


    SLAM! Wrestling Picks

  • John Powell: 1. Jim Ross. 2. Mike Tenay. Nobody comes close to calling a match with more insight and legitimate emotion than Jim Ross. He creates excitement that complements the match being shown. Also, little things like reasonably offering an explanation for a flubbed move to the audience are a measure of his outstanding professionalism and the seriousness to which he takes his job. Mike Tenay is much the same in the insight department. He is a respected walking, talking textbook of pro-wrestling whose knowledge adds a whole new dimension to any match he is providing the colour for.

  • John Molinaro: 1. Mike Tenay. 2. Scott Hudson. Tenay is head and shoulder better than everybody else in WCW. Hudson is so mis-used.

  • Eric Benner: (1) Jerry Lawler - My favourite announcer in any sport. (2) Jim Ross - Hands down, the best play-by-play man in wrestling.

  • Bob Kapur: Joey Styles - The true voice of ECW, Joey is one of the best play-by-play guys in the business. If there's one problem, it's that he's strong enough on the mic to make his partners look weak (see: Joel Gertner and Cyrus). Tony Schiavone - I know that most people would disagree with this pick. But if you've ever watched a WCW PPV in Scramble-Vision, you'll know what I'm talking about. Filter out the yammering by Mark Madden, and Schiavone calls the action so well you can visualize what's going on simply through his announcing.

  • Aaron Henry: Joey Styles - This guy is animated and is a joy to listen to. He is a perfect fit for ECW and would be out of sorts if he was in the Big 2. Jerry Lawler - A funny color man that doesn't make you want to change the channel every time you watch.

  • Nick Tylwalk: 1. Jim Ross 2. Scott Hudson Believe it or not, JR is the main reason my roommates watch WWF programming. Hudson makes my job as Slam! Wrestling Nitro reporter much better in the audio department.

  • Ryan Robson: 1. Mark Madden: "Spin-a-rooney, spin-a-rooney, spin-a-rooney" fresh heel announcer that didn't get annoying. 2. Mike Tenay: He knows the names of the moves, but really, he is the best of a bad crop.

  • Alex Ristic: Jim Ross. Really, good ol' J.R. wins by default, but at the same token he deserves to win. Fact is, this section should be split up into play-by-play and colour commentary, and J.R. wins for play by play hands down.

    Worst Announcer Of 2000

    Tony Schiavone (29%).

    Second: Mark Madden (28%).
    Third: Mike Teny (8%).
    Other:
    7% voted for Kevin Kelly.
    6% voted for Tazz.
    4% voted for Jim Ross, Michael Cole.
    3% voted for Bobby Heenan.
    2% voted for Jerry Lawler, Cyrus, Scott Hudson, Other.
    1% voted for Joel Gertner, Joey Styles.

    TOTAL VOTES: 4617


    SLAM! Wrestling Picks

  • John Powell: 1. Mark Madden. 2. Tony Schiavone Mark Madden oversold everything to the point of absurdity. He wasn't interested in hyping the match or the superstars involved but was there at the desk to promote one thing only, himself. Good riddance to bad garbage. Schiavone is clearly out of the loop when it comes to the happenings and it shows in his lifeless, disjointed, shallow commentary. His heart hasn't been in it for years. A mannequin or a hand puppet could do a better job.

  • John Molinaro: 1. Mark Madden. 2. Tony Schiavone. I celebrated when Madden was fired. He's such a bafoon.

  • Eric Benner: (1) Tony Schiavone - No one gets on my nerves like Tony. His lines from N64's WCW Backstage Assault, which are actually programmed to repeat, are barely less original. "You expect to see punishment in WCW, BUT NOT LIKE THAT!" (2) Scott Hudson - He's pretty bad.

  • Bob Kapur: Mark Madden - Yammering and screaming like an idiot must be part of his job description, he does it so well. He adds nothing to the commentary, his voice is annoying, and he should never take his shirt off on TV again. Tazz - This is why he left ECW? Sunday Night Heat was bad enough without his constant barrage of bad jokes and raspy laughing. Stick to your day job.

  • Aaron Henry: Kevin Kelly - This man has no testicles. Better yet, I could do a better job than this guy. Mark Madden - His shirts are as annoying as his personality.

  • Nick Tylwalk: 1. Mark Madden 2. Kevin Kelly Good riddance to Madden, who couldn't keep his backstage politics out of his announcing, which wasn't that great anyway. Kelly is by far the weak sister on the WWF announcing staff.

  • Ryan Robson: 1. Jerry Lawler: I had more restraint than this bumbling idiot when I first hit puberty. 2. Tony Schiavone: Please tell me why he still has a job, and works both Nitro and Thunder.

  • Alex Ristic: Tony Schiavone. How this guy even has a job in wrestling broadcasting is beyond me.

    Best Canadian Indy Promotion

    Stampede Wrestling (31%).

    Second: AWF (ON) (15%).
    Third: ECCW/NWA (BC) (7%).
    Other:
    5% voted for Grand Prix (NS), HWF (ON), Powerslam (ON).
    4% voted for Lutte 2000 (PQ).
    3% voted for Border City (ON), CWA (ON), CWF/NWA (MB).
    2% voted for ICW (BC), IWF (ON), NCW (PQ), Top Rope (MB), WCEW (AB).
    1% voted for CAWF (AB), CEW (NF), High Impact (SK), ICW (PQ), MainStream (NS), NCW (NF).
    0% voted for BCW (BC), Real Action (PEI).

    TOTAL VOTES: 1067.


    SLAM! Wrestling Picks

  • Greg Oliver: As the resident Canadian indy guy here at SLAM! Wrestling, I guess I have to weigh in and hurt some feelings. For sheer success, nothing compares to Jacques Rougeau Jr's. Lutte 2000. Nobody else drew more than 4,000 to a single show. But he only ran a handful of shows in 2000. (And plus the promotion needs a new name now!) ... Stampede had so much promise, and the best TV deal of any promotion in the country, but still couldn't make it work. Simply put, the Harts had far too many other distractions. ... I think we'll be hearing more from WCEW out west, even if they are on their second booker in less than half a year promoting ... ECCW on the West Coast is the only promotion to run anything close to a serious number of shows. They deserve credit for keeping going, and now with some inroads into Washington State, they may just succeed. ... Toronto's AWF is a solid promotion, run by solid people. (You can't say that about many promotions, alas.) ... Grand Prix in the Maritimes is like going into a time warp, and the upstart Real Action Wrestling, while it has its own problems, is trying to address fans's desires to see wrestling from this generation ... The promotional war in Winnipeg between the CWF and Top Rope is interesting from afar, but must seriously hurt wrestling in the community.

  • John Powell: 1. Stampede. 2. AWF.

  • John Molinaro: Border City (ON).

  • Eric Benner: (1) Lutte 2000 - I've got a sentimental soft spot for Jacques Rougeau's Montreal promotion, and I hope it really gets off the ground in 2001.

  • Bob Kapur: 1. HWF. 2. AWF. I must admit, I haven't seen a lot of these promotions. But of the ones I have seen, these two put on some great shows.

    SLAM! Wrestling's highs and lows of 2000

    There are four full-time bodies working at CANOE.ca that also dedicate time to SLAM! Wrestling. We've asked each of them to let us know a little about the year that was, their highs and lows of 2000. And we've included links to the stories that will allow you to read some of what you may have missed!
  • Jan. 9: Full story

    1999 Year-End Poll Results
    1998 Year-End Poll Results
    1997 Year-End Poll Results
    1996 Year-End Poll Results





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