Best of 2002 : by Matthew Evans 09/9/02
It's been quite a year of WWE wrestling. Just 4 more months and the year will be over. Then we will have people saying what the best match of the year was and who the best wrestler of the year was. But I've decided to do that now, based on what we've seen so far this year.
Wrestler Of The Year: Kurt Angle
It's been quite a year (so far) for our Olympic Hero. He came up short in the Royal Rumble, but was the last man to be eliminated (by Triple H of course). Then with HHH's soon-to-be ex-wife (at the time) by his side, he took on HHH at No Way Out and predictably beat him (Steph was the guest ref after all). However, he lost his no 1 contendership back to Helmsley in a re-match (surely it would have made more sense to have a triple threat match at Wrestlemania with Angle, HHH and Y2J). Instead, Kurt was put against Kane in a good bout that had little storyline build-up and a badly executed finish. At Backlash, Kurt took on and beat Edge in a great match which was part of an entertaining but short feud. (Kurt lost his hair to Edge at Judgement Day). At King Of The Ring, Kurt beat Hulk Hogan cleanly via ankle-lock submission in a better than expected match (thanks to Angle). Recently at Summerslam, he beat Rey Mysterio in a perplexing short feud. Angle has been consistently superb all year long, on the mic aswell as in the ring. I hope he decides to not go to the 2004 Olympics after all.
Worst Wrestler Of The Year: The Big Show
A few people would be cruel and vote TE2 winner Jaclie Gayda, based on her performance in that abysmal mixed tag on Raw. But not many people get it right first time, do they? Anyway, The Big Show has been his usual boring, lazy self this year. He was involved with the weaker, watered-down NWO, and has shown no improvement in the ring.
Babyface Of The Year Hulk Hogan
He came back as a heel (as part of the NWO) but the crowd just couldn't hate the Hulkster. This was proven at Wrestlemania when the crowd turned against The Rock and cheered Hogan more! The inevitable babyface turn soon followed, as well as a brief title reign. While none of Hogan's matches have been abysmal this year, his match with Triple H at Backlash was dissapointing and his Judgement Day clash with Undertaker was pointless. But Hogan still has the appeal with the fans and can still work good matches with the right opponents. Plus he's willing to put over younger talent like The Rock, Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar.
Heel Of The Year Eric Bischoff
I know he's only been there 2 months, but in that time Eric Bischoff has become one of the most hated characters on WWE tv, and it's easy to see why. As the former owner of WCW, he's despised by the pro-WWE fans and plays off his heel heat well. He doesn't even have to say or do anything. Just stand there with that smug grin. I can't wait for the Vince Mcmahon VS Eric Bischoff feud part 2.
Character Of The Year Kurt Angle
Like last year (and the year before) Angle has been hilarious this year. Highlights include "I just got beaten by a freakin' 12 year old!" (on his loss to Rey Mysterio), "Sorry son, you have to be this tall to touch Kurt Angle" (another joke at Rey's expense) and "I was winning NCAA titles when you were playing Hungry freakin' Hippos, buster!" (to Brock Lesnar).
Female Wrestler Of The Year Molly Holly
The "Mighty Molly" gimmick was getting her nowhere, so a change of character was needed. Molly developed into a RTC (Right To Censor) like figure who was disgusted with the other WWE women (especially Trish). She died her hair and changed her colours to plain black and white. She also had some good matches with Trish, but now the feud is past it's sell-by-date. The same goes for the big butt jokes at Molly's expense. Molly is probably the best women grappler there, but she needs fresh competition from Victoria, Ivory and Jaqueline.
Diva Of The Year Trish Stratus
Trish is the hottest of the divas in my opinion and her risks in the ring certainly haven't damaged her looks.Trish has greatly improved her ring work this year. Many thought her match with Jazz at Royal Rumble woudn't be much good, but they were proved wrong. Trish hasn't been afraid of dangerous bumps this year either (or pointless mud matches). Now recovered from her eye problems after the mud match, Trish needs a fresh feud, possibly with Victoria.
Match Of The Year The Rock VS Hollywood Hulk Hogan (Wrestlemania)
True, HHH VS HBK was one hell of a match but did you really think you would ever see The Rock tangle with Hulk Hogan? True, it wasn't the greatest pure wrestling match of all time, but for emotion and entertainment value, hell just the sight of seeing them square off in the ring, it won't be beaten.
Worst Match Of The Year Trish Stratus and Bradshaw VS Jackie Gayda and Chris Nowinski (Raw, July 8)
The year isn't over yet, but it's unlikely that this poor display will be topped by another stinker. Poor Jackie Gayda managed to screw up every move possible (she missed Trish in the ropes, and didn't take a top-rope bulldog properly). It was so bad that the crowd booed the women and both girl were in tears after the match (as were the fans). In fairness to Jackie, she was inexperienced and had never performed on a live show before. I question the WWE's decision to put her out there so soon.