WWE/AEW/NJPW: Vendetta Media’s Best of 2023 Wrestling Awards
2023 has been a remarkable year for WWE, AEW, and NJPW but which stars stood out the most and made the year theirs?
Wrestler awards are often awfully subjective, and this won’t differ when it comes to this list. While many other promotions have shown incredible improvements in the industry this year, WWE, AEW, and NJPW still stand on top of the mountain; for now.
Fans will naturally have their favorites that might harshly differ from this list, so feel free to list your own opinions in the comments below. Vendetta Media has chosen the following categories for our awards: Wrestler of the Year. Non-wrestler of the Year. Rising Star of the Year. Tag Team of the Year. Booker of the Year. Babyface of the Year. Heel of the Year.
Vendetta Media Wrestler of the Year: Seth Rollins:
Honorable mentions: Roman Reigns, Jon Moxley, Kazuchika Okada, and Bryan Danielson.
Seth Rollins has unmistakably been one of the hardest workers this year and remained the most consistent in terms of promo quality and his persona. Rollins also became the first star to hold the WWE World Heavyweight Championship this year and has since defended the belt in many major title bouts. Rollins has even gone as far as to defend the belt at NXT Gold Rush, where he clashed with Bron Breakker.
With CM Punk’s highly anticipated return to WWE during this year’s Survivor Series, it seems like the promotion also trusts him to loosen up The Second City Saint again. Seth Rollins has also since become the face of the promotion, and has made far more public appearances than even Roman Reigns. With the Tribal Chief seemingly winding down, Rollins is likely the next man that WWE is willing to place at the forefront of the decades-old promotion.
Vendetta Media Non-wrestler of the Year: Paul Heyman:
Honorable mentions: Prince Nana, Don Callis
The art of wrestling managing seems to be long lost, and today many stars in both AEW and WWE who arguably need a manager, are without one. Additionally, a larger-than-life manager could easily introduce American audiences to some of the best NJPW stars in crossover pay-per-views, like The Forbidden Door. However, while names like Prince Nana and Don Callis put up good shows this year, neither of them came close to Paul Heyman, who has been the white-collar man for The Bloodline since 2020.
Vendetta Media Rising Star of the Year: LA Knight:
Honorable mentions: Swerve Strickland, Jey Uso, Logal Paul, Shota Umino
Wrestling is often known for its larger-than-life characters that complement all the in-ring work. Arguably, no star has had enough charisma to take the mantle over from John Cena. AEW’s MJF has come dangerously close, but this year LA Knight proved himself to the WWE universe and even pro wrestling as a whole. Not too long ago, Knight was part of the Maxum Male Models faction as Max Dupri and many fans believed his run was dead in the water.
This year, LA Knight has not only become one of the biggest babyfaces in WWE but did so “organically” as fans arguably cheered him into the main event. His future as a world champion seems to be guaranteed, especially after getting a shot at Roman Reigns’ WWE Universal Championship this year. Knight has also often been compared to the likes of Stone Cold and The Rock this year by both veterans and fans.
Vendetta Media Tag-Team of the Year: Better Than You Bay Bay (MJF and Adam Cole):
Honorable mentions: FTR, Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens, Bishamon
Unlike last year, this year was a relatively difficult year for tag teams in pro wrestling. While The Usos dominated for quite some time, they’re currently broken up and due to this will not be included on the list. Additionally, Zayn and Owens had quite the WrestleMania moment, but have since fallen off. FTR also came pretty close, but after losing the AEW World Tag Team Championships Harwood and Wheeler have also majorly stepped back.
While Adam Cope is currently away due to an injury, Better Than You Bay Bay was successful in capturing the attention of not only AEW fans but the industry as a whole. Their storyline is also similarly a contender for the best angle in wrestling this year, as their unlikely pairing quickly became insanely over with fans to the point where their hilarious finisher “The Double Arm Clothesline” gained a monstrous pop from fans every time they performed the move.
Vendetta Media Booker of the Year: Paul “Triple H” Levesque (WWE):
Honorable mentions: Tony Khan (AEW), Gedo (NJPW), Scott D’Amore (Impact Wrestling)
According to many fans online, 2023 has been one of the best years for pro wrestling, and even outside the biggest promotions, many smaller promotions on the Independent Circuit have been stepping it up. For the past year or two, Tony Khan would likely have been an obvious winner for this category, but this year Paul Levesque stepped up tremendously.
While there might still be some who dislike WWE’s style, the promotion undoubtedly set the standard for a comeback and arguably had some of the biggest moments this year. Currently, there are a few storylines that are still ongoing, and depending on the payoff, this will determine whether Levesque walks away with the title at the end of 2024 or not.
Vendetta Media Babyface of the Year: Maxwell Jacob Friedman (MJF):
Honorable mentions: Cody Rhodes, Sami Zayn, Darby Allin, LA Knight
2023 was filled with many memorable moments topped by some of the biggest babyfaces in the industry. Despite not starting the year as a babyface, MJF quickly crept into the hearts of AEW fans after shedding his scaly appearance and becoming one of the most lovable stars on the roster. This was largely due to his pairing with Adam Cole, but over the past few weeks, he’s been standing on his own again like a traditional hero.
Friedman will probably never be a conventional hero and a heel turn will ultimately happen down the line, but 2023 will always be the year when a man who once called himself “The Devil” somehow became one of the most beloved figures in AEW and possibly the industry.
Vendetta Media Heel of the Year: Christian Cage:
Honorable mentions: “Timeless” Toni Storm, Roman Reigns, Gunther
Christian Cage initially established himself in WWE, but despite a successful run in TNA on his own, many still felt like he would always be in the shadow of his longtime friend, Adam Copeland (Edge in WWE). However, since betraying Jack Perry and convincing Killswitch to become his lapdog, Cage has become one of the most hated stars in AEW and pro wrestling.
Cage has cut some of the most memorable promos as a heel this year, and many credit him for bringing legitimacy to all the feuds he’s been involved in this year. Ultimately, Cage has struck a fine balance between making fans hate him while still entertaining them. At the end of the day, this has potentially been the best run of his career.
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