March 4, 2021
Why the Wrestling Observer Awards are a self-fulfilling prophecy
On the surface, there’s little to raise the pulse about the annual Wrestling Observer Newsletter reader awards. A democratic process in which the editor, Dave Meltzer, does not vote, at most it’s an interesting digest of the previous 12 months, a chance to recall things that were easily forgotten, and a means to examine how trends have shifted over time.
Every year, though, the reaction to the awards is a multiplication of their genuine utility, and thanks to social media, it’s getting worse. More than ever, few of the arguments are made eloquently, and many are guilty of the bias of which they wrongly accuse Meltzer.
There is no point in reproducing them here.
Still, it must be said that Meltzer - who has been writing the Observer for an astonishing 39 years - has fanned the flames with his own Twitter persona, to the point where it is difficult to believe that he’s not purposely doing so. Whereas he is one of the most knowledgeable people in the world on the subject of pro wrestling, on Twitter he all too often chooses to pick out his most inane mentions and boost them with his own response, quote-tweeted for added officiousness.
It is loud and condescending, and is not befitting his stature as the godfather of pro wrestling reporting.
Meltzer’s online presence is also grating given that the best of his work remains the antithesis of this: his historical pieces are bibles of fascinating information, and pro wrestling would be far less informed without his untouchable obituaries.
Playing in deafening stereo with Meltzer’s social media persona is the public response to All Elite Wrestling, the new power player in the industry. Owned by Tony Khan, the son of billionaire sports tycoon Shad Khan, AEW has gone a step further than WWE’s NXT in bringing independent wrestling stars to the mainstream without extensive retooling of their skills.
A long-time Wrestling Observer subscriber, Khan - who is also the AEW booker/decision-maker - has created a divisive product that nonetheless has appeal to those who waited in saint-like fashion for something better than two decades of abject WWE programming. It’s also one that Meltzer routinely applauds, even though he has notably, in the last three decades, gone from lambasting cartoon gimmicks like the WWF’s Honky Tonk Man and Akeem to extolling the virtues of AEW’s resident dinosaur, Luchasaurus, as well as the teleporting Matt Hardy. After denouncing Hulk Hogan’s overacting in the 1980s, too, he today delights in the theatrics of Kenny Omega.
Indeed, Meltzer swims against the tide by appearing to demand fewer elements of logical storytelling now than he did in his youth. Not for nothing did The Young Bucks seek to garner his attention by naming their finisher after him.
In any case, given that AEW is booked by an Observer subscriber and discussed in a positive light by the Observer’s author, it should be no surprise that readers of the publication voted for AEW personalities in the 2020 awards categories of Wrestler of the Year (Jon Moxley); Most Outstanding Wrestler (Kenny Omega); Tag Team of the Year; Best on interviews (Eddie Kingston); Promotion of the Year (AEW); Weekly TV Show of the Year (AEW Dynamite); Pro Wrestling Match of the Year (Kenny Omega and Adam Page versus The Young Bucks); Feud of the Year (Jon Moxley versus Eddie Kingston); Most Improved (Britt Baker); Most Charismatic (MJF); Best Brawler (Jon Moxley); Best Flying Wrestler (Rey Fénix); Best Non-wrestler (Taz); Best Television Announcer (Excalibur); Best Major Wrestling Show (AEW Revolution); Best Booker (Tony Khan); Promotion of the Year (AEW); and Best Gimmick (Orange Cassidy).
The group even took the prize for Best Wrestling Manoeuvre, which went to Kenny Omega and his One-Winged Angel.
In some ways, then, while this article may seem to do little but state the obvious, we are clearly in times where stating the obvious is not enough. So allow me to conclude by saying that there is nothing wrong with the Wrestling Observer reader awards, nor in disagreeing with the majority of its voters.
But perhaps before making the commotion worse, you should understand the process, and consider why they have voted as they have.
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