TNA Year End Awards are up!

Over at TNA Wrestling's website...

Here's the categories & nominees:

2007 Finisher of the Year
The Olympic Slam (Kurt Angle)
The Gringo Killer (Homicide)
The Black Hole Slam (Abyss)
The Border Toss (Hernandez)
The Payoff (Robert Roode)
The Muscle Buster/Kokina Clutch (Samoa Joe)
The Scorpion Deathdrop/Deathlock (Sting)
The Lethal Combo/Elbowdrop (Jay Lethal)
The Flux Capacitor (Kazarian)
The Styles Clash (AJ Styles)

My thoughts ? It's nice to see that Petey William's Canadian Destroyer isn't on the list this year, like it is every year. Petey wasn't much of a factor in 2007. Also, I'm of the opinion that a two-part finisher shouldn't really count; the Muscle Buster, I approve of, but on its own merits, without the Kokina Clutch. If you use the "in real life" analogy - that is, "Would the move finish a fight in real life?" line of reasoning - the move that would probably do the job the best would be Homicide's Gringo Killer.

2007 Knockout of the Year
Gail Kim
Christy Hemme
Ms. (Traci) Brooks
Karen Angle
Jackie Moore
Roxxi Leveaux
Awesome Kong

My thoughts? Gail Kim just edges out Christy Hemme, simply because Hemme has been quite annoying in her onscreen role this year, plus she's saddled with a go-nowhere tag team that's just on the cusp of splitting up, while Kim is the first ever damn women's champ, plus she looks good naked (google it, yo!). Traci Brooks ... you know, if you wanna know what it might be like to titty-fuck Traci Brooks, fill a cather's mitt with cement and have at it. Karen Angle looks like a hot mid-40's stripper. Jackie Moore used to bump the fuglies with Kevin Sullivan. Roxxi Leveaux ... no, no, no. And Awesome Kong just needs to have some more time to accomplish.

2007 Tag Team of the Year
Team 3D (Bros. Ray & Devon)
Voodoo Kin Mafia (BG & Kip James, nee the New Age Outlaws)
Motor City Machine Guns (Alx Shelley/ Chris Sabin)
Latin American Xchange (Homicide y Hernandez)
AJ Styles & Tomko (current World Tag Team champions)
Steiner Brothers (Rick & Scott)
Triple X (Christopher Daniels/ Senshi/ Elix Skipper)
Team Pacman (Ron Killings/ Pacman Jones/ Consequences Creed)

My thoughts? A vote for Team 3D, VKM, or Team Pacman is like a vote for an Independent presidential candidate: A wasted vote. Of the remaining set, you can't really go wrong. The Steiners have looked great since their reunion. AJ & Tomko are very impressive, and they're easily both the most improved, AJ in his promo & character development & Tomko in his in-ring skills. What "team" do you vote for in Triple X? I have to pass on them; that's just more thinking that I should have to do. LAX or MCMGs? I'll have to say that while LAX has done more, the MCMGs beat them in a match on TNA's online show, TNA Today. So, Shelley & Sabin, you're getting the nod; now, don't let me down in 2008.

2007 Inspirational Superstar of the Year
Sting
Abyss
Gail Kim
Scott Steiner
Jeff Jarrett
Kaz
Eric Young
Rhino

My thoughts? I'm not exactly sure what Abyss, Kaz or Eric Young have done exactly to be considered "inspirational." Sting has Jeebus in his corner, so he's probably always going to be in categories like this. Gail Kim, while she is hot naked, won a title, and for that matter Kurt Angle could be considered inspirational. El Hijo del Jerry Fucking Jarrett used his wife's death to facilitate a face turn ... BOOOOO!!! Rhino fought alcoholism, in the form of one good and two shitty matches with James Storm. I'm nodding in Scotty Steiner's direction; he got kicked in the throat, which detached his trachea, and had life-threatening surgery in a life-threatening Puerto Rico hospital & came back to wrestle some great matches, probably his best in a long time. Yep, that's inspiration to me.

2007 X Division Superstar of the Year
Alx Shelley
Chris Sabin
"Black Machismo" Jay Lethal
Kaz
Shark Boy
Sonjay Dutt
Christopher Daniels
Petey Williams
Elix Skipper
Johnny Devine

My thoughts? What, no Senshi? Whatever ... Shelley & Sabin are already better acknowledged as the tag team of the year. Shark Boy, Dutt, Skipper, Williams, and ESPECIALLY Johnny Devine have no business on this list. I'd go with Kaz, if he hadn't spent most of 2007 slumming it in Serotonin. Shit, just vote Jay Lethal, but know this: He could be doing a much better job lamping Savage's style.

2007 Memorable Moment of the Year
Sting Regains the World Championship (Bound For Glory)
Jay Lethal Upsets Kurt Angle (No Surrender)
Gail Kim Wins the First Women's Championship (Bound For Glory)
Road Warrior Animal Teams With Rick Steiner (Slammiversary)
Jeff Jarrett is Revealed as Eric Young's Friend (Impact)
Booker T & Sharmell Come to TNA (Genesis)
Kurt Angle Wins the World Title at King of the Mountain (Slammiversary)
Adam "Pacman" Jones Signs With TNA
Kurt Angle Wins Every TNA Title (Hard Justice)

My thoughts? Anything with Kurt Angle's name doesn't qualify as "memorable," as this year has steered Angle dangerously close to "Jeff Jarrett heat" territory ... I for one am not hating Angle for his dickhead heelish ways, I'm getting sick of homeboy being on television in every segment, holding every title (he's the only other TNA Triple Crown Champion, besides AJ Styles). Pacman Jones (why's he have that nickname?) was memorable for all the worst reasons. I could give a shit about Jeff Jarrett & Eric Young being "special friends." Again, while looking hot with no clothes on, Gail Kim's achievement isn't all that memorable, nor is Sting's regaining of the World title in a match that was just full of shenanigans. Animal teaming with Rick Steiner is "memorable," while Rick & Scott reuniting at Hard Justice isn't?? Booker T's emergence in TNA is the only logical choice, in my book.

Who to Watch in 2008?
Matt Morgan
Awesome Kong
Booker T
Kazarian
Judas Mesias
Black Reign
Rellik
Roxxi Leveaux
ODB
Velvet Sky
Angelina Love
Sharmell

My thoughts? Unless they're doing butt-naked split leg moonsaults on my dick, Roxxi Leveaux, ODB, Velvet Sky, nor Angelina Love have anything I'm interested in seeing in 2008 ... ODB especially, because her shit's already stale, and she's only been in TNA for two months. Booker T & Sharmell aren't "who to watch," because does anyone doubt that Book will get a World title shot right away? Black Reign & Rellik (Get it? It's "killer" spelled backwards, HAW!) ain't worth watching. Kazarian might have some big pushes ahead, but I see him being more X title material. Awesome Kong's a given. Matt Morgan is not showing any signs of being put in the ring yet, so I reserve judgment there. That leaves Judas Mesias, who I've been digging the hell out of in AAA every weekend; granted, if they'd have brought in Cibernetico in the "Judas Mesias" spot, I'd probably shit a kidney, but Mesias could produce some very solid matches with people outside of just Abyss ... if they let him. Mesias as TNA World champ? I'd buy it.

2007 Feud of the Year
Samoa Joe vs. Kurt Angle
Sting vs. Abyss/James Mitchell
Team 3D vs. the Steiners
Chris Harris vs. James Storm
Team 3D vs. the X Division
Christian vs. Samoa Joe
Robert Roode vs. Eric Young
LAX vs. Team 3D
Rhino vs. James Storm
Sting vs. Kurt Angle

My thoughts? This category exposes some things that are wrong with TNA's direction. Sting & Abyss' feud was rife with some unfortunate matches ("Last Rites?" "The Prison Yard Match?") and cheesy melodrama; skip. Chris Harris & James Storm split from AMW, Storm blinded Harris, and they had all of what, two matches (one of which was a blindfold match)? Granted, one match was that awesome Texas Death match, but one solid match does not a "best feud" make; skip. Anything vs. 3D, that's not the Steiners ... pass. Robert Roode vs. Eric Young was lengthy & illogical, and ended up teetering on "don't give a fuck;" pass. Realistically, the only options are 3D vs. the Steiners, Samoa Joe vs. Kurt Angle, Christian vs. Samoa Joe, and Sting vs. Kurt Angle. Now, look at the list again, and see how many people were involved in more than one feud ... doesn't really make for compelling choices. Plus, they left out the solid AJ Styles/Rhino feud from early this year ... dumb. Now, of the ones that I named as being solid choices, consider this: 3D/Steiners - 2 matches, both won by the Steiners; Samoa Joe vs. Kurt Angle - too many matches against each other to count, and Joe was made to look like a moron in most of those; Christian vs. Joe - 2 matches total; Sting vs. Kurt Angle - 1 match total. I'm going with Samoa Joe vs. Kurt Angle, because at least there's a potential payoff in the future available to Joe for all the ills of 2007.

2007 Match of the Year
Sting vs. Angle (Bound for Glory)
LAX vs. Triple X - Ultimate X (Bound For Glory)
Angle vs. Christian vs. Rhino (Impact)
Angle vs. Samoa Joe - Ironman Match (Final Resolution)
Styles vs. Rhino - Elevation X (Destination X)
Christian vs. Samoa Joe (Destination X)
Harris vs. Storm - Texas Death Match (Sacrifice)
King of the Mountain (Slammiversary)
Angle vs. Joe (Hard Justice)
Kazarian vs. Christian - Ladder Match (Genesis)
Angle vs. Lethal (No Surrender)

My thoughts? Gimmick matches galore!! The Storm/Harris match wins, hands down. The Ultimate X match, with LAX & XXX, was very good, and it resulted in the image of Hernandez wearing the big red X around his neck like it was bling.

TNA MVP of 2007
Christian Cage
Kurt Angle
Sting
AJ Styles
Samoa Joe
Gail Kim
Abyss
Jay Lethal

My thoughts? Christian did more for 2006 than 2007. Angle did more for Angle than TNA in 2007. Sting is allegedly leaving TNA for 2008, and he didn't make much impact in 2007. Joe was booked like a dumbass in 2007. Gail Kim, while she looks hot naked, doesn't stand out amongst the pack as the MVP for the year. Abyss ... he bleeds a lot. Jay Lethal ran hot and cold. That only leaves AJ Styles, who provided a lot of great in-ring and promo moments & has shown some of the most improvement than most of his whole TNA career.

Overall, 2007 wasn't exactly TNA's strongest year, but they have all the ingredients for 2008 to be fan-damn-tastic. Me & my South Cackalacka crew have tix for Against All Odds in February, so I'm hoping for some good stuff to happen.