~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ UPPER MIDWEST WRESTLING NEWSLETTER No. 225 January 1, 2002 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2001 AWARDS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The third annual Upper Midwest Wrestling Newsletter awards are compiled. Points were awarded on a 5-3-2 basis for first through third. The winners were determined by total points. There were 128 ballots cast. First-place votes are in brackets with total votes following. 1. Wrestler of the year This is a combination of being both an important influential wrestler in a positive manner over the past year, combined with being a great performer in the ring. 1. Kamikaze Ken (25) ... 168 (tie) 1. Horace the Psychopath (20) ... 168 3. CM Punk (18) ... 162 4. Ace Steel (14) ... 123 5. Mitch Paradise (10) ... 113 Honorable mention: Dino Bambino 78. Comments: Neither Kamikaze Ken nor Horace the Psychopath placed last year, but a strong 2001 put both at the top of this award. Kamikaze Ken worked some dark matches for the WWF and also was one of the main players in All-Star Championship Wrestling. In addition, he worked for several other promotions including Mid American Wrestling, Midwest Pro Wrestling and Steel Domain Wrestling during the year. "Kamikaze Ken truly is the franchise of ACW," one voter wrote. Horace the Psychopath was the headliner in All American Wrestling this year. Horace also had strong matches in several other groups including one against Ace Steel in Steel Domain Wrestling. Previous winners: Dino Bambino (2000), Adam Pearce (1999). 2. Most outstanding wrestler Based on ring work as the only criterion. Simply, the best three workers today. Drawing power, charisma and push shouldn't be considered. 1. Ace Steel (25) ... 190 2. CM Punk (17) ... 169 3. Dino Bambino (15) ... 130 4. Horace the Psychopath (15) ... 112 5. Colt Cabana (5) ... 112 Honorable mention: Kamikaze Ken 97. Comments: Ace Steel moved up from third place a year ago to finish first. He had a series of three strong matches with CM Punk for Steel Domain, started working for Mid American and had an entertaining match with Horace the Psychopath that all aided in his first place award. Punk was fifth a year ago and was one of the busiest wrestlers in the country in 2001. In addition to working in Indiana, Illinois and Pennsylvania, Punk shined on cards for Mid American Wrestling and Steel Domain Wrestling. Previous winners: Adam Pearce (2000), Dino Bambino (1999). 3. Feud of the year Combination of storylines and great matches. 1. Colt Cabana vs. CM Punk (29) ... 209 2. ACW vs. MPW (25) ... 187 3. Ace Steel vs. CM Punk (13) ... 141 4. Kamikaze Ken vs. Kevin Krueger (5) ... 118 5. Horace the Psychopath vs. Angel Armoni (9) ... 95 Honorable mention: Lost Souls vs. Big Daddy Hoofer & K-Train 90. Comments: Colt Cabana vs. CM Punk earned the first-place award as the duo traveled throughout the country wrestling each other. They teamed in the early half of the year in SDW, but had a series of three memorable matches in the second half of the year in that promotion. "Every time Cabana and Punk stepped in the ring with each other, they stole the spotlight," a voter wrote. ACW vs. MPW was the top program in ACW throughout the year. Previous winners: Adam Pearce vs. Dino Bambino (2000), Shifty vs. Sheriff Johnny Emerald (1999). 4. Tag team of the year For the best working regular team. 1. Lost Souls - JB Trask & Johnny Parks (20) ... 174 2. Flex Appeal - Tony DeNucci & Travis Lee (21) ... 159 3. Sudden Impact - Brandon Blaze & Ryan Rogue (18) ... 149 4. GQ Centerfolds - Travis Lee & Matt Longtime (11) ... 122 5. Angel Armoni & Michael Mercedes Armoni (13) ... 94 Honorable mention: Cruel & Unusual - Ian Xavier & Big Daddy Hoofer 82. Comments: The Lost Souls came together in the spring, worked for Buck ZumHofe's Rock and Roll Wrestling and then came on the scene for Minnesota Independent Wrestling and French Lake Wrestling Association. The MIW feud with Big Daddy Hoofer and K-Train was the top program in the promotion. The Lost Souls branched out and became the SDW tag team champs in December. In addition, they worked for All American Wrestling. Flex Appeal held the SDW tag team championship throughout most of 2001. Sudden Impact was involved in the top feud in the NAWF. Previous winners: Ace Steel & Danny Dominion (2000), Hellraisers Blood and Gutts (1999). 5. Most improved Based on making the biggest strides in ring work over the last year. 1. Kujo (17) ... 138 2. Eric Priest (14) ... 123 3. Big Daddy Hoofer (14) ... 104 4. Kamikaze Ken Anderson (10) ... 94 5. Shawn Daivari (10) ... 93 Honorable mention: Robbie Thunder 76. Comments: All-Star Championship Wrestling's Kujo made his mark this year and moved into a higher profile position in the group. "He completely reshaped his body, is in tremendous shape and his matches show it," one voter wrote. Eric Priest became the Underwear Model, worked in a team as a semi-member of Flex Appeal and also won the AWA heavyweight championship and defended it against a few names. Big Daddy Hoofer had a breakout year with several matches that highlighted his skills. Previous winners: CM Punk (2000), Red Lightning (1999) 6. Best on interviews Who has given the best interviews and promos. 1. Mortimer Plumtree (32) ... 225 2. Angel Armoni (16) ... 125 3. Horace the Psychopath (8) ... 101 4. Kamikaze Ken Anderson (13) ... 100 5. CM Punk (10) ... 90 Honorable mention: Adrian Lynch 85. Comments: Mortimer Plumtree won the award for the second straight year. He was the featured manager in Steel Domain Wrestling, often opening the show on the mike. He managed Ace Steel, Brad Bradley, Magnus, T.S. Aggressor and others throughout the year. "Mortimer will always remain king of the mike in the Upper Midwest," a voter wrote. There is little doubt who king of the stick is in All American Wrestling as Angel Armoni regularly took out his verbal aggression on the fans of that group. Previous winners: Mortimer Plumtree (2000), Hellraiser Blood (1999). 7. Most charismatic What wrestler has to do the least to get the most out of it. 1. Mitch Paradise (23) ... 192 2. CM Punk (18) ... 141 3. Kamikaze Ken Anderson (16) ... 125 4. Lenny Lane (13) ... 119 5. Mortimer Plumtree (10) ... 108 Honorable mention: Colt Cabana 59. Comments: Mitch Paradise moved from third to first in this category. The big man branched out to wrestle in Wisconsin this year after being a mainstay for several Minnesota groups. "He gets pops everywhere," a voter said. CM Punk became a player on the mike and also was able to grab the crowd whether he was wrestling as a face or heel. Previous winners: Adam Pearce (2000), Adam Pearce (1999). 8. Best technical wrestler This is for having the ability to use high level technical wrestling moves within the context of building a great worked wrestling match. 1. Ace Steel (38) ... 259 2. Derek St. Holmes (19) ... 165 3. Eric Hammers (10) ... 123 4. CM Punk (9) ... 120 5. Colt Cabana (5) ... 95 Honorable mention: Magnus Maximus 83. Comments: Ace Steel ran away with this category after finishing second a year ago. One voter said, "No one is close on actual ring work this year." Derek St. Holmes fell to second place. Previous winners: Derek St. Holmes (2000), Ace Steel and Hellraiser Gutts (1999). 9. Best brawler Best brawling tactics to put together the best matches during the last year. 1. Horace the Psychopath (52) ... 315 2. Nick Mondo (15) ... 160 3. Kujo (12) ... 139 4. Ian Rotten (10) ... 101 5. Sam Hayne (4) ... 68 Honorable mention: Chi-Town Thug 67. Comments: With hardcore stuff taken out of this category, Horace the Psychopath still reigned supreme. Horace regularly brawls into the crowd and voters obviously responded to it. Nick Mondo moved into the brawler category with a second-place finish. Previous winners: Horace the Psychopath (2000 & 1999) 10. Best hardcore wrestler For the wrestler who put together the best hardcore matches where things meant something. This is a new category. 1. Nick Mondo (38) ... 276 2. Ian Rotten (20) ... 185 3. Dino Bambino (16) ... 171 4. Corp. Robinson (12) ... 100 5. Todd "The Natural" Borchardt (2) ... 31 (tie) 5. Horace the Psychopath (4) ... 31 Honorable mention: None. Comments: Nick Mondo is making a name for himself in hardcore action as he can brawl or fly during a hardcore match. Mondo worked in Mid American Wrestling's Hardcore Cup along with being a regular for Combat Zone Wrestling on the East Coast. He wrestled Midwest Pro Wrestling's most hardcore match in history against Sheriff Johnny Emerald. "I watch this guy wrestle and all I can say is 'wow'. The punishment he puts his body through is unreal," a voter wrote. Well-known hardcore wrestler Ian Rotten, who wrestled in MAW, and was a top gun in his own group, IWA, in Indiana, finished second. Previous winners: This is a new category. 11. Best flying wrestler Most innovative and solidly executed moves within the context of a match. 1. Dino Bambino (32) ... 196 2. CM Punk (15) ... 154 3. Austin Aries (17) ... 133 4. Lauden Payne (12) ... 91 5. Nick Mondo (9) ... 90 Honorable mention: Shifty 63. Comments: Dino Bambino is a three-time winner of this award, but the pack is gaining on him. CM Punk moved up one notch, while Minnesota rookie Austin Aries landed third. Lauden Payne, who wrestled in Packerland Pro Wrestling, Minnesota Independent Wrestling, All American Wrestling and MidWest Championship Wrestling, edged Nick Mondo for the fourth position. Previous winners: Dino Bambino (2000 & 1999). 12. Best promotion. 1. Steel Domain Wrestling (41) ... 280 2. All-Star Championship Wrestling (34) ... 226 3. Minnesota Independent Wrestling (8) ... 117 4. Midwest Pro Wrestling (6) ... 102 5. Mid American Wrestling (5) ... 98 Honorable mention: All American Wrestling 60. Comments: Steel Domain Wrestling, formerly St. Paul Championship Wrestling, won the award for the third straight year with strong wrestling. "Steel Domain Wrestling, with its expansion into the broadcast television world and production of one of the most professional-looking independent wrestling shows ever, easily takes the cake with this one. They use the top local talent combined with wrestlers from Chicago and the rest of the country, which puts them easily ahead of the competition," one voter said. All-Star Championship Wrestling, which had a strong regular show in Green Bay and broadcast television throughout most of the year, was second. Minnesota Independent Wrestling moved up two notches to third. Previous winners: St. Paul Championship Wrestling (2000 & 1999) 13. Match of the year. 1. Ace Steel vs. CM Punk on SDW 4/28/1 (23) ... 145 2. Magnus Maximus vs. Jerry Lynn on MIW 4/28/1 (11) ... 97 3. Justin Lee vs. Austin Aries on MIW 10/20/1 (13) ... 91 4. Ace Steel vs. Jerry Lynn on SDW 4/27/1 (4) ... 87 5. MPW vs. ACW on ACW 9/29/1 (7) ... 74 Honorable mention: Kevin Krueger vs. Kamikaze Ken on ACW 9/29/1 with 73. Comments: The building for the Ace Steel vs. CM Punk match was described as electric. Steel and Punk did not disappoint with big bump drama. "What else can you say about the ladder match that has not already been said? Steel and Punk put on over 35 minutes of non-stop wrestling action. Pretty much everything they tried in that ladder match worked. Unlike the Hardy Boys ladder matches which were pretty much just spot-fests, Steel and Punk wrestled for almost 10 minutes before the ladder even came into play," one voter said. Magnus Maximus vs. Jerry Lynn took second on a card from St. Cloud, Minnesota. Justin Lee vs. Austin Aries was third with a stellar match from Anoka. Previous winners: Dino Bambino vs. Adam Pearce (ACW 6/24/00), Stealth Suicide vs. Climatic Cage (BSW 7/24/99) and Adam Pearce vs. Danny Dominion (SPCW 3/25/99). 14. Rookie of the year Based on ring performance and not how they are pushed. Debut after June 1, 2000 and before July 1, 2001 or listed on ballot. 1. Austin Aries (28) ... 209 2. Black Stallion (20) ... 195 3. Jason Green (11) ... 122 4. Dysfunction Kurt Krueger (7) ... 78 5. Brad Bradley (8) ... 73 Honorable mention: Big Dog Barber 52. Comments: The flashy Austin Aries edged out Black Stallion for the rookie of the year. Aries and Stallion had strong matches early in their career in late 2000. Jason Green has shown skills beyond his experience. Previous winners: Colt Cabana (2000), CM Punk (1999). 15. Best non-wrestler performer Valet, manager of the year. 1. Mortimer Plumtree (45) ... 301 2. Angelo Stefano (19) ... 140 3. Dave Prazak (12) ... 96 4. Alexis (7) ... 87 5. Rain (5) ... 81 Honorable mention: High Rollers 75. Comments: Mortimer Plumtree finished first in this category for the third straight year. He was strong on the mike for SDW, while also appearing for All American Wrestling and MidWest Championship Wrestling in 2001. "His expressions, antics, vocabulary, and ability to portray his character in such a great way make him the obvious choice for this award," one voter wrote. Angelo Stefano moved up one notch to second, while Dave Prazak also jumped up one position. Previous winners: Mortimer Plumtree (2000), Mortimer Plumtree & Master Quinn (1999). 16. Best announcer. 1. Mick Karch (56) ... 342 2. Capital City Kyle (10) ... 104 3. Doug Kaufman (8) ... 96 4. Matt Byron (11) ... 93 5. Christian Dady (1) ... 71 Honorable mention: Dale Spear 63. Comments: Slick Mick Karch kept his stronghold on the announcing award for the third year in a row as the voice of Steel Domain Wrestling. Capital City Kyle slid up one spot to second as the voice of Minnesota Wrestling Superstars. Previous winners: Mick Karch (2000 & 1999) 17. Best ring announcer. 1. Travis Sharpe (45) ... 261 2. Jimmy Kennedy (18) ... 194 3. Justin Roberts (8) ... 114 4. Jason Jerry (12) ... 93 5. Gino Lanza (3) ... 88 Honorable mention: A.J. Fontaine 41. Comments: Travis Sharpe worked for several groups in 2001 including Steel Domain Wrestling, Minnesota Independent Wrestling, French Lake Wrestling Association and Pro Wrestling America. Sharpe, usually clad in a tuxedo, gave promotions a big-event feel. "Sharpe's booming voice, very similar to that of the great Howard Finkel, is the perfect type to get an audience settled down and ready for the next match," a voter wrote. Jimmy Kennedy, who didn't do much ring announcing in 2001, still placed second. Previous winners: This is a new category. 18. Best show of the year 1. All-Star Championship Wrestling 9/29/1 (34) ... 195 2. Steel Domain Wrestling 4/27/1 (11) ... 119 3. Steel Domain Wrestling 4/28/1 (10) ... 108 4. Steel Domain Wrestling 8/18/1 (9) ... 101 5. Mid American Wrestling 4/21/1 (3) ... 69 Honorable mention: Minnesota Independent Wrestling/French Lake Wrestling Association 11/17/1 with 55. Comments: The finale to the ACW vs. MPW feud plus other strong matches helped give ACW the card of the year. SDW had the next three shows, while Mid American Wrestling's hardcore cup finals was fifth. The MIW/FLWA Rumble for Relief was a strong write-in that finished a surprising sixth. Previous winners: All-Star Championship Wrestling (6/24/00), Badger State Wrestling (7/24/99) and St. Paul Championship Wrestling (3/25/99). 19. Promoter of the year This is for the guy who sold the tickets and put his butt on the line. 1. Ed Hellier (36) ... 234 2. Michael Krause (28) ... 216 3. Terry Fox (9) ... 106 4. Jim Gagnon (9) ... 99 5. Carmine DeSpirito (4) ... 80. Honorable mention: Terry Klinger/Dan Schaffner 75. Comments: Ed Hellier continued his lock on the promoter of the year award. Michael Krause was second for the second straight year. Terry Fox moved up to third, while All American Wrestling's Jim Gagnon was fourth. Carmine DeSpirito fell to fifth. Previous Winners: Ed Hellier (2000 & 1999) 20. Next star Next wrestler to move to stardom on the national scene. 1. Mitch Paradise (18) ... 173 2. Magnus Maximus (17) ... 131 3. Kamikaze Ken (15) ... 125 4. Lenny Lane (11) ... 97 5. CM Punk (11) ... 89 Honorable mention: Ace Steel 88. Comments: Mitch Paradise moved from third to first in the next star category. At 6-4 and 282 pounds, voters think Paradise has what it takes to get a shot at the big time. "I'm surprised he hasn't gotten more of a look," a voter wrote. Magnus Maximus, another wrestler with excellent size, was second, while Kamikaze Ken, who had more WWF dark matches than anyone in the Upper Midwest in 2001, was third. Previous winners: Adam Pearce (2000), Scotty Zappa (1999). 21. Most underrated wrestler. 1. Travis Lee (15) ... 140 2. Adrian Lynch (13) ... 109 3. Playboy Pete Huge (10) ... 73 4. JB Trask (10) ... 68 5. Skull Krusher (9) ... 62 (tie) 5. Gage Octane (5) ... 62. Honorable mention: Chi-Town Thug 52. Comments: Tasty Travis Lee started the year strong teaming with Matt Longtime in the GQ Centerfolds tag team and as one half of the SDW Flex Appeal team. He worked almost every promotion and a variety of different wrestlers. Adrian Lynch, last year's winner in this category, continued to be considered under-rated. Playboy Pete Huge, who had a strong second half of the year, took third, while veteran JB Trask was fourth. Previous winners: Adrian Lynch (2000). 22. Best referee. 1. Jimmy Kennedy (23) ... 192 2. Jay Soltis (30) ... 181 3. Craig Smith (20) ... 158 4. Terry Fox (3) ... 63 5. Scott DeMarc (7) ... 55 Honorable mention: Gino Lanza 53. Comments: Jimmy Kennedy unseated Jay Soltis for best referee. Kennedy worked for several groups, but mostly made his name in ACW and NAWF. Soltis, who mainly worked for SDW, remained near the top, while All American Wrestling referee Craig Smith was third. Previous winners: Jay Soltis (2000). 23. Best gimmick. 1. Horace the Psychopath (38) ... 265 2. Dr. Darin Davis (21) ... 176 3. Sam Hayne (15) ... 128 4. Matt Longtime (8) ... 72 5. Chuckie Smooth (7) ... 66 Honorable mention: Underwear Model Eric Priest 64. Comments: Last year, Dr. Darin Davis edged Horace the Psychopath for the award. This year, Horace ran away with it. Sam Hayne moved from sixth to third. Previous winners: Dr. Darin Davis (2000). 24. Women's wrestler of the year. 1. Lacey (28) ... 244 2. ODB (20) ... 153 3. Ashley Xavier (10) ... 121 4. Rain (12) ... 115 5. Phoenix/Drusala (13) ... 96 Honorable mention: Shauna Doyle 54. Comments: In this new category, Lacey won by a strong margin. She worked for more groups than the rest having strong matches with just about every female wrestler. ODB hasn't worked many wrestling matches, but she drew a lot of respect for what she has done. Previous winners: This is a new category. 25. Underachiever for the year. Whose performance were you most disappointed in for the year 2001? 1. Rob Norwood (3) ... 32 2. Big Daddy Loker (4) ... 27 3. Scotty Zappa (3) ... 25 4. Magnus Maximus (3) ... 23 5. Lenny Lane (2) ... 21 (tie) 5. Tony DeNucci (3) ... 21 (tie) 5. Ruff Rider Raashan (2) ... 21 Comments: After a strong 2000, Rob Norwood hasn't been much of a factor in 2001. There were 79 different people receiving votes. Previous winners: This is a new category. 26. Most overrated wrestler. Whose performance in 2001 earns the title of most overrated? 1. Tony DeNucci (12) ... 79 2. Lenny Lane (2) ... 35 3. Shifty (5) ... 28 4. Chi-Town Thug (4) ... 25 5. CM Punk (3) ... 23 Comments: Tony DeNucci was in high profile positions in SDW and AAW throughout 2001. There were 85 different people receiving votes. Previous winners: This is a new category. Coming later this week: An interview with Tim Larson, plus his thoughts on the 2001 awards. In addition, there will be a regular edition of the newsletter.