Wrestling Observer has published its year end awards which is voted on by both readers of the Wrestling Observer online and newsletter and hand chosen people within or covering the industry, e.g. Bill Apter, etc. The most surprising result is that for the first time in nine years, Daniel Bryan did not win the Best Technical Wrestler award, being beaten out by Pro Wrestling NOAH's Zack Sabre Jr, from England. Paul Heyman secured Best Interview for the second year in a row, New Japan Pro Wrestling won Best Promotion for the third year running and NXT won Best Weekly TV show also for the second year running. Below are several of the results, but not all, featuring the winner, runner-up and third place position.
LOU THESZ/RIC FLAIR AWARD (WRESTLER OF THE YEAR)
SHINSUKE NAKAMURA (323): 2,262
A.J. Styles (188): 1,739
Hiroshi Tanahashi (145): 1,563
MOST OUTSTANDING WRESTLER
A.J. STYLES (220): 1,819
Tomohiro Ishii (247): 1,671
Shinsuke Nakamura (190): 1,639
TAG TEAM OF THE YEAR
YOUNG BUCKS (509): 3,374
reDRagon (159): 2,042
T-Hawk & Eita (158): 1,344
MOST IMPROVED
RUSEV (181): 1,372
Charlotte (152): 1,281
Sasha Banks (2): 383
BEST ON INTERVIEWS
PAUL HEYMAN (411): 4,395
Conor McGregor (169): 1,675
Jay Briscoe (44): 582
BEST TECHNICAL WRESTLER
ZACK SABRE JR. (145): 1,221
Kyle O’Reilly (78): 841
A.J. Styles (58): 610
MOST UNDERRATED
CESARO (377): 2,275
Tomoaki Honma (99): 1,189
Tyson Kidd (29): 585
PROMOTION OF THE YEAR
NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING (779): 4,064
Ring of Honor (16): 1,038
Dragon Gate (36): 884
BEST WEEKLY TV SHOW
WWE NXT (416): 2,961
Ring of Honor (175): 1,744
Lucha Underground (106): 1,369
BEST MAJOR WRESTLING SHOW
NEW JAPAN G-1 8/1 TOKYO (313): 2,227
New Japan G-1 8/3 Osaka (166): 1,297
WWE WrestleMania 4/6 New Orleans (115): 920
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