SLAM's 1998 Wrestling Poll

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SLAM!'s 1998 Wrestling Poll

Thursday, January 14, 1998.

Foley fan fav in 1998

By JOHN POWELL -- SLAM! Sports
He says he keeps a lickin' and keeps on tickin'...and SLAM! Wrestling fans agree. Overwhelmingly, our loyal readers acknowledged the extraordinary efforts of the real life Captain Insane-o himself - Mick Foley (Alias: Cactus Jack, Mankind, Dude Love) - by voting him the Best Wrestler of 1998. Also in tribute to Foley's heart-stopping bump off a 15-foot high steel cage, fans picked his match against The Undertaker at King Of The Ring as their favorite bout.

At the other end of the spectrum, The (Ultimate) Warrior's return to the squared circle left nothing but bad impressions. James Hellwig was selected as the Worst Wrestler and his shortly-lived One Warrior Nation, the Worst Gang.

The majority of people are "down"with DX. The WWF's controversial yet popular D-Generation X stable and their New Age Outlaws tag team pinned the competition. DX is gang of the year and the New Age Outlaws, best tag team. Their Amazonian valet Chyna was also honored as Manager Of The Year.

As our readers' choice for their favorite wrestling organization, the World Wrestling Federation received a commanding 75 per cent of the popular vote. Though their product has improved lately, fans declared their disappointment with World Championship Wrestling (the WWF's main competion) giving them a scant 23 per cent of the overall talley and rating their pay-per-views as poor efforts across the board.

Rock n' rollin' Canuck grappler Chris "I want you to want me"Jericho upset traditional favorite Bret "The Hitman"Hart as the Canadian Wrestler Of 1998 by a slim margin of four percentage points.

Without further ado, here are our personal selections and those of our readers for the best and worst of 1998.

SLAM! Wrestling Picks

Catagory	John Powell	Greg Oliver	Matt Gardner	"Hardcore" Chris Gramlich
Best Wrestler	1. Mick Foley. 2. Sabu.	1. Steve Austin 2. Mick Foley	1. Mick Foley. 2. Chris Jericho.	1. Rob Van Dam 2. Raven
Worst Wrestler	1. Hogan. 2. Disciple.	1. Hogan. 2. The Warrior.	1. The Disciple 2. Bill Goldberg	1. Hogan. 2. Disciple.
Best Canadian	1. Chris Jericho. 2. Chris Benoit.	1. Chris Jericho. 2. Val Venis.	1. Chris Jericho. 2. Bret Hart	1. Chris Benoit. 2. Lance Storm.
Best Tag Team	1. Rob Van Dam, Sabu. 2. The New Age Outlaws.	1. New Age Outlaws. 2. Disco Inferno & Alex Wright	1. New Age Outlaws. 2. D-Lo/Henry	1. Sabu and Rob Van Dam. 2. The Dudley Boys.
Worst Tag Team	1. The Legion Of Doom. 2. Supernova, Blue Meanie.	1. DOA. 2. Legion of Doom	1. DOA. 2. Disco/Wright	1. DOA. 2. Southern Justice.
Best Fresh Face	1. Gangrel. 2. Edge.	1. Edge 2. Val Venis.	1. Val Venis. 2. Christian	1. Masato Tanaka. 2. Mike Awesome.
Best Match	1. Mankind Vs The Undertaker (King Of The Ring). 2. Rocky Miavia Vs Hunter Hearst-Helmsley (SummerSlam).	1. Flair vs Bret (Souled Out). 2. Mankind vs Undertaker (King Of The Ring).	1. Mankind and Undertaker (KOTR) 2. Maivia and HHH (SummerSlam)	1. Mankind and Undertaker (KOTR). 2. Tanaka and Mike Awesome (Heatwave).
Best Feud	1. Vince McMahon Vs Steve Austin. 2. Chris Benoit Vs Booker T.	1. McMahon Vs Austin. 2. Malenko Vs Jericho.	1. McMahon Vs Austin 2. Jericho Vs Stinko' Malenko.	1. Sabu Vs Sandman. 2. Raven Vs DDP.
Best Gang	1. The Brood. 2. The Flock.	1. D-Generation X. 2. WWF Corporate Team.	1. D-Generation X. 2. WWF Corporate Team.	1. The Dudleys. 2. The Brood.
Worst Gang	1. oWn. 2. Los Boricas.	1. oWn. 2. Los Boricas.	1. Kaienti 2. Los Boricas	1. nWo Hollywood. 2. Los Boricas.
Best Manager	1. Bill Alphonso 2. Chyna.	1. Chyna. 2. Bill Alphonso.	1. Paul Bearer 2. Debra McMichael	1. The Head. 2. Bill Alphonso.
Worst Manager	1. Babu. 2. The Head.	1. Debra McMichael 2. The Jackyl.	1. Terri Runnels 2. Jackie.	1. Babu. 2. Sonny Ono.
Best Fed	1. WWF. 2. ECW.	1. WWF. 2. ECW.	1. WWF 2. WCW.	1. ECW. 2. WWF.
Best Show	1. Raw Is War. 2. Monday Night Nitro.	1. Raw Is War. 2. Monday Night Nitro.	1. Raw Is War. 2. Monday Night Nitro.	1. ECW Television. 2. Raw Is War.
Best PPV	1. SummerSlam. 2. King Of The Ring.	1. King Of The Ring. 2. WrestleMania.	1. King Of The Ring. 2. WrestleMania.	1. Heatwave. 2. King Of The Ring.
Worst PPV	1. Fall Brawl: War Games. 2. Great American Bash.	1. Road Wild. 2. The rest of the WCW PPVs.	1. Fall Brawl: War Games. 2. Road Wild.	1. Superbrawl. 2. Starrcade.
Best Canadian Indie	1. ICW (Ontario). 2. EWF (Ontario).	1. ECCW. 2. Grand Prix (Maritimes).	1. ECCW 2. Can-Am	No vote.
Sexiest Female	1. Miss Elizabeth. 2. Debra McMichael.	1. Sunny. 2. The Head.	1. Sunny. 2. Debra McMichael.	1. The Head. 2. Chastity.
Sexiest Male	1. Sting. 2. Chris Jericho.	1. Edge. 2. Nicole Bass.	1. Buff Bagwell 2. Shawn Michaels	1. Nicole Bass. 2. Raven

Best Wrestler Of 1998

1. Mick Foley (35%).

2. Steve Austin (19%).

3. The Rock (11%).

4. Bill Goldberg (7%).

5. Bret Hart (7%).

6. Chris Jericho (6%).

7. The Undertaker, Kevin Nash, Chris Benoit (tied at 2%).

8. Hollywood Hogan, Diamond Dallas Page, Rob Van Dam, Sting, Raven (tied at 1%).

Not enough votes to count: Sabu, Justin Credible, Saturn, Taz.

Total Votes: 3845

Worst Wrestler Of 1998

1. The Warrior (29%).

2. Hollywood Hogan (23%).

3. Lodi (14%).

4. Bill Goldberg (13%).

5. The Disciple (8%).

6. Horace Boulder (5%).

7. Mark Henry (4%).

8. Blue Meanie (3%).

9. Amish Roadkill (2%).

10. Danny Doring (1%).

Total Votes: 3833

Best Canadian Wrestler Of 1998

1. Chris Jericho (35%).

2. Bret Hart (31%).

3. Chris Benoit (12%).

4. Val Venis (9%).

5. Edge (6%).

6. Owen Hart (3%).

7. Gangrel (2%).

8. Tiger Ali Singh (1%).

Not enough votes to count: Christian, Kurrgan, Lance Storm.

Total Votes: 3836.

Best Tag Team Of 1998

1. The New Age Outlaws (71%).

2. Rob Van Dam and Sabu (7%).

3. D'Lo Brown and Mark Henry (4%).

4. The Legion Of Doom, Disco Inferno and Alex Wright (tied at 3%).

5. Supply And Demand, Head Bangers, The J.O.B. Squad (tied at 2%).

6. Southern Justice, Too Much, The Dudley Boys, D.O.A, Public Enemy, Kaientai (tied at 1%).

Not enough votes to count: Axl Rotten and Balls Mahoney, The Full Blooded Italians, Supernova and Blue Meanie.

Total Votes: 3823.

Worst Tag Team Of 1998

1. Disco Inferno and Alex Wright (19%).

2. The Legion Of Doom, Too Much (15%).

3. D.O.A. (10%).

4. Kaientai (9%).

5. Southern Justice (7%).

6. Public Enemy (5%).

7. The New Age Outlaws, J.O.B. Squad (tied at 4%).

8. The Full Blooded Italians, Head Bangers, D'Lo Brown and Mark Henry (tied at 3%).

9. Supernova and Blue Meanie (2%).

10. The Dudley Boys, Supply And Demand (tied at 1%).

Not enough votes to count: Rob Van Dam and Sabu.

Total Votes: 3831

Best Fresh Face Of 1998

1. Val Venis (45%).

2. Edge (26%).

3. Gangrel (13%).

4. Justin Credible, Bobby Duncum Jr., Masato Tanaka (tied at 3%).

5. Duane Gill, Christian (tied at 2%).

6. Horace Boulder, Mike Awesome (1%).

Total Votes: 3811

Best Match Of 1998

1. Mankind Vs The Undertaker (King Of The Ring) (43%).

2. Steve Austin Vs Shawn Michaels (WrestleMania 14), Rocky Miavia Vs Hunter Hearst-Helmsley (SummerSlam) (Tied at 8%).

3. Mysterio Jr. Vs Kidman Vs Guerrera (Starrcade '98) (6%).

4. Ric Flair Vs Bret Hart (Souled Out), Diamond Dallas Page Vs Bill Goldberg (Halloween Havoc), Sting Vs Bret Hart (Halloween Havoc) (Tied at 4%).

5. Raven Vs Diamond Dallas Page Vs Chris Benoit (Uncensored) (3%).

6. Booker T. Vs Chris Benoit (Spring Stampede), Rocky Miavia Vs Hunter Hearst-Helmsley (INYH: Fully Loaded), Sting Vs Hogan (SuperBrawl), Steve Austin Vs Kane (King Of The Ring), Mankind Vs The Rock (Survivor Series), Mankind Vs Steve Austin (Survivor Series) (Tied at 2%).

7. Chris Benoit Vs Diamond Dallas Page (SuperBrawl), Rob Van Dam, Sabu Vs Hayabusa, Shinzaki (Heatwave), Sabu Vs Rob Van Dam (Wrestlepalooza), Billy Kidman Vs Juvie Guerrera (World War 3), Steve Austin Vs Dude Love (In Your House: Over The Edge), Mankind Vs Rocky Miavia (INYH: Rock Bottom), Ken Shamrock Vs The Rock Vs Mankind (INYH: Breakdown) (Tied at 1%).

Not enough votes to count: Owen Hart Vs Hunter Hearst-Helmsley (WrestleMania 14), Masato Tanaka Vs Mike Awesome (Heatwave), Sabu Vs The Sandman (House Party), Owen Hart Vs Ken Shamrock (INYH: Fully Loaded), Juvie Guerrera Vs Chris Jericho (Road Wild), D-Lo Brown Vs X-Pac (INYH: Judgment Day).

Total Votes: 3826.

Best Feud Of 1998

1. Vince McMahon Vs Steve Austin (62%).

2. Bret Hart Vs Everybody (12%).

3. Eric Bischoff Vs Ric Flair (5%).

4. nWo Hollywood Vs nWo Wolf Pack, Kane Vs The Undertaker, Chris Benoit Vs Booker T., Dean Malenko Vs Chris Jericho (Tied at 3%).

5. Raven Vs Diamond Dallas Page, Steve Austin Vs The Undertaker, Sting Vs Hollywood Hogan, Steve Austin Vs Shawn Michaels (Tied at 2%).

6. Sabu Vs The Sandman (1%).

Not enough votes to count: Taz Vs Bam Bam Bigelow, Justin Credible Vs Jerry Lynn.

Total Votes: 3822.

Best Gang Of 1998

1. D-Generation X (50%).

2. nWo Wolf Pack (11%).

3. The WWF Corporate Team (9%).

4. nWo Hollywood, The Four Horsemen (7%).

5. The Brood (6%).

6. The Oddities, The J.O.B. Squad (2%).

7. lWo, Legion Of Doom, The Flock, The Nation (Tied at 1%).

Not enough votes to count: D.O.A, Los Boricas, The New Triple Threat, The Old Triple Threat, Kaientai, The Dudley Boys, Full Blooded Italians, oWn.

Total Votes: 3831.

Worst Gang Of 1998

1. oWn (27%).

2. nWo Hollywood (14%).

3. lWo (15%).

4. Los Boricas (9%).

5. The Oddities (7%).

6. The WWF Corporate Team (4%).

7. nWo Wolf Pack, The Flock, Kaientai (Tied at 3%).

8. D-Generation X, Legion Of Doom, The Four Horsemen, The J.O.B. Squad, D.O.A., (Tied at 2%).

9. The Brood, The Nation, Full Blooded Italians, (Tied at 1%).

Not enough votes to count: The New Triple Threat, The Old Triple Threat, The Dudley Boys.

Total Votes: 3832

Manager Of The Year

1. Chyna (24%).

2. Sable (17%).

3. The Head (16%).

4. Sunny (12%).

5. Debra McMichael (11%).

6. Paul Bearer (7%).

7. Bill Alphonso (4%).

8. Terri Runnels, Sonny Ono, The Jackyl (Tied at 2%).

9. Tommy Rich, Jacqueline, Babu (Tied at 1%).

Not enough votes to count: Luna, Jason.

Total Votes: 3817.

Worst Manager Of The Year

1. Sonny Ono (26%).

2. Babu, Jackyl (Tied at 12%).

3. Paul Bearer (10%).

4. Sable, The Head (Tied at 7%).

5. Luna (6%).

6. Jacqueline (5%).

7. Terri Runnels, Debra McMichael (Tied at 4%).

8. Chyna, Sunny (Tied at 2%).

9. Bill Alphonso, Jason, Tommy Rich (Tied at 1%).

Total Votes: 3812

Best Federation Of 1998

1. WWF (75%).

2. WCW (23%).

3. ECW (2%).

Total Votes: 3820

Best Weekly Wrestling Show Of 1998

1. Raw Is War (73%).

2. Monday Night Nitro (21%).

3. ECW Television, Thunder, WCW Saturday Night (Tied at 2%).

Not enough votes to count: Shotgun Saturday Night, Sunday Night Heat.

Total Votes: 3821

Best PPV Of 1998

1. WrestleMania (24%).

2. King Of The Ring (18%).

3. SummerSlam, Survivor Series (9%).

4. Royal Rumble (6%).

5. Halloween Havoc, Starrcade (5%).

6. INYH: Rock Bottom (4%).

7. Souled Out (3%).

8. Heatwave, World War 3 (2%).

9. November To Remember, INYH: No Way Out, SuperBrawl, Uncensored, Wrestlepalooza, Spring Stampede, INYH: Unforgiven, INYH: Over The Edge, The Great American Bash, Bash At The Beach, INYH: Fully Loaded, Road Wild, Fall Brawl, INYH: Breakdown, INYH: Judgment Day (Tied at 1%).

Not enough votes to count: Slamboree, Living Dangerously.

Total Votes: 3754.

Worst PPV Of 1998

1. Starrcade (16%).

2. Fall Brawl, Halloween Havoc (11%).

3. Road Wild (9%).

4. Bash At The Beach (7%).

5. Souled Out, World War 3 (Tied at 6%).

6. Wrestlepalooza, Wrestlemania, Slamboree, The Great American Bash (3%).

7. November To Remember, INYH: No Way Out, Uncensored, Spring Stampede, Survivor Series, INYH: Rock Bottom (Tied at 2%).

8. Heatwave, Royal Rumble, Superbrawl, INYH: Unforgiven, INYH: Over The Edge, King Of The Ring, INYH: Fully Loaded, SummerSlam, INYH: Breakdown, INYH: Judgment Day, Living Dangerously (Tied at 1%).

Total Votes: 3751

Best Cdn Indie Promotion Of 1998

1. ICW (Ontario) (26%).

2. ECCW (B.C.) (18%).

3. Can-Am (Alberta) (15%).

4. RWA (Ontario) (8%).

5. Gran-Prix (Maritimes) (7%).

6. EWF (Ontario), NCW (Quebec) (Tied at 6%).

7. ICW (Quebec), ICW (B.C.), CWF (Manitoba) (Tied at 5%).

Total Votes: 3397.

Sexiest Female

1. Sunny (29%).

2. Sable (27%).

3. Debra McMichael (17%).

4. Miss Elizabeth (5%).

5. Chyna (4%).

6. The Head (3%).

6. Francine, Jacqueline (2%).

7. Chastity (1%).

Not enough votes to count: Nicole Bass, Luna.

Total Votes: 3800

Sexiest Male

1. Shawn Michaels (13%).

2. Buff Bagwell (11%).

3. Kevin Nash, The Rock, Val Venis (10%).

4. Bret Hart (7%).

5. Chris Jericho (6%).

6. Edge, Steve Austin, Nicole Bass, Mark Henry (5%).

7. Lex Luger, The Undertaker, Hunter-Hearst Helmsley (3%).

8. Sting, Raven (2%).

Not enough votes to count: Tommy Dreamer.

Total Votes: 3322

The 1997 Poll Results

The 1996 Poll Results

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