Year 3 Nominations & Winners
The nominations and winners for each award are listed below. If you wish to simply see the winners, you can scroll to the bottom for the Quick Results.
Breakout Star
H.E.R.O.
The rising rookie had a pretty strong first year in the WWE. At WrestleMania, he competed in a 5-man Scramble match for the Hardcore Title and was the leader late in the match until then-champion Brett Diamond scored the final pinfall with only 15 seconds left to retain. After being drafted over to Smackdown in April, he continued to work his way up the rankings. In June, he competed in the reinstated King of the Ring Tournament. He made a surprising run to the Smackdown finals, beating Billy Carter and Hitman Jack before losing to eventual tournament winner Eric Executioner. After teaming up with Hitman Jack in September, he competed in a Tag Team Title match against the Bullet Boyz at the Hell in a Cell PPV. He is fairly popular with fans and seems to have a lot of potential.
The rising rookie had a pretty strong first year in the WWE. At WrestleMania, he competed in a 5-man Scramble match for the Hardcore Title and was the leader late in the match until then-champion Brett Diamond scored the final pinfall with only 15 seconds left to retain. After being drafted over to Smackdown in April, he continued to work his way up the rankings. In June, he competed in the reinstated King of the Ring Tournament. He made a surprising run to the Smackdown finals, beating Billy Carter and Hitman Jack before losing to eventual tournament winner Eric Executioner. After teaming up with Hitman Jack in September, he competed in a Tag Team Title match against the Bullet Boyz at the Hell in a Cell PPV. He is fairly popular with fans and seems to have a lot of potential.
Quinn Cadbury
The "English Gentleman" took the Smackdown brand by storm and already has a lot of major accomplishments in only
7 months of experience in the WWE. Quinn debuted in May and immediately formed an alliance with former European Wrestling League rival Joseph T. Lutte. Midway through the month, they became #1 contenders for the Tag Team Titles. Then on the "go home" episode of Raw that month, they challenged Hell United (David Degenerate & DMK) to a title match and won the belts in controversial fashion. In June they retained the titles against rivals American Cool at the King of the Ring PPV. In July, they assisted the Bullet Boyz in becoming the new #1 contenders, but at the Night of Champions PPV, Antonio Jordan interfered and cost them the Tag Team Titles. Quinn then got his first chance at the Intercontinental Title at the Summerslam PPV, in a tag team match where American Cool faced G.L.O.W. Quinn sacrificed his chance at the belt and helped Joseph T. Lutte capture the title by attacking the non-legal man. At the Hell in a Cell PPV, Joseph defended his title against Antonio Jordan but Quinn interfered to help Joseph retain. Quinn revealed a very sinister, secret betrayal of Joseph in the month of October and earned an Intercontinental Title match against his former partner. Quinn upset Joseph to win the Intercontinental Title at the Judgment Day PPV, and retained it against the "Fantastic Frenchman" at the Survivor Series PPV. Quinn captured 2 major championships in barely over half a year of competition and seems to be one of the most intelligent grapplers on the roster.
The "English Gentleman" took the Smackdown brand by storm and already has a lot of major accomplishments in only
7 months of experience in the WWE. Quinn debuted in May and immediately formed an alliance with former European Wrestling League rival Joseph T. Lutte. Midway through the month, they became #1 contenders for the Tag Team Titles. Then on the "go home" episode of Raw that month, they challenged Hell United (David Degenerate & DMK) to a title match and won the belts in controversial fashion. In June they retained the titles against rivals American Cool at the King of the Ring PPV. In July, they assisted the Bullet Boyz in becoming the new #1 contenders, but at the Night of Champions PPV, Antonio Jordan interfered and cost them the Tag Team Titles. Quinn then got his first chance at the Intercontinental Title at the Summerslam PPV, in a tag team match where American Cool faced G.L.O.W. Quinn sacrificed his chance at the belt and helped Joseph T. Lutte capture the title by attacking the non-legal man. At the Hell in a Cell PPV, Joseph defended his title against Antonio Jordan but Quinn interfered to help Joseph retain. Quinn revealed a very sinister, secret betrayal of Joseph in the month of October and earned an Intercontinental Title match against his former partner. Quinn upset Joseph to win the Intercontinental Title at the Judgment Day PPV, and retained it against the "Fantastic Frenchman" at the Survivor Series PPV. Quinn captured 2 major championships in barely over half a year of competition and seems to be one of the most intelligent grapplers on the roster.
Angus
The "Irish Giant" emerged as a very popular fan favorite throughout the year mainly due to his incredible unbeaten streak and calm demeanor. Over the course of the past 12 months, Angus put together a pretty impressive resume and didn't lose a single match. He won his first PPV match at the Royal Rumble, defeating Zach Wesley in an Inferno match. Two months later at WrestleMania, Angus captured the coveted Money in the Bank briefcase giving him a chance to challenge for any title at any time. So far, Angus has yet to cash it in but the threat looms. In May he became involved the feud between World Heavyweight champ Rebel Ford and rival Ace, and he defeated Ace in a Table Match at the Extreme Rules PPV. Angus continued to defeat every opponent, including wins over champions and #1 contenders. In November he was a surprise choice to represent Team Smackdown for a traditional Survivor Series Elimination Tag Match at the namesake PPV. At Survivor Series, alongside Guy Justice and surprise partner Jester Price, Team Smackdown won the match without suffering any eliminations. Angus' legend grows with every victory and despite not competing in any title matches, his possession of the Money in the Bank briefcase means his 1st title match is looming near!
The "Irish Giant" emerged as a very popular fan favorite throughout the year mainly due to his incredible unbeaten streak and calm demeanor. Over the course of the past 12 months, Angus put together a pretty impressive resume and didn't lose a single match. He won his first PPV match at the Royal Rumble, defeating Zach Wesley in an Inferno match. Two months later at WrestleMania, Angus captured the coveted Money in the Bank briefcase giving him a chance to challenge for any title at any time. So far, Angus has yet to cash it in but the threat looms. In May he became involved the feud between World Heavyweight champ Rebel Ford and rival Ace, and he defeated Ace in a Table Match at the Extreme Rules PPV. Angus continued to defeat every opponent, including wins over champions and #1 contenders. In November he was a surprise choice to represent Team Smackdown for a traditional Survivor Series Elimination Tag Match at the namesake PPV. At Survivor Series, alongside Guy Justice and surprise partner Jester Price, Team Smackdown won the match without suffering any eliminations. Angus' legend grows with every victory and despite not competing in any title matches, his possession of the Money in the Bank briefcase means his 1st title match is looming near!
Rebel Ford
The rebellious fan favorite had a meteoric rise up the rankings in the past year, and has emerged as a serious main event player. Rebel made a return from injury at the Royal Rumble, entering at #20 and was the final elimination, finishing runner-up to winner Carson Pain. His performance was a sign of things to come. Despite not earning any title opportunities to end Year 2, that changed immediately at the beginning of Year 3. It was revealed on the first Smackdown of the year that Rebel was the mystery draft pick, and given a World Heavyweight Title match that night! To close the show, Rebel upset Ace to win his 1st World Heavyweight Title on his first night as a member of the blue brand. A rivalry with Ace developed, along with a relationship with Women's champ Eve Torres. Rebel's former girlfriend Melina defected from Raw briefly and a "Winners Take All" mixed tag match was made for the King of the Ring PPV, where Rebel and Eve had to defend both of their titles against Ace and Melina. They were successful, and another challenger emerged at the same PPV when Eric Executioner won the namesake tournament and gave himself a title shot. At the Night of Champions PPV, Eric defeated Rebel to win his 3rd World Title. A very strange, deeply personal rivalry developed between Rebel, Eric and creepy manager Mr. Black. During August, Rebel had to save Eve from an abduction by Eric & Mr. Black and was given a difficult decision to face at the Summerslam PPV. Rebel won the match against Eric by DQ, and therefore didn't win back the belt. Eve took a personal leave of absence because of the emotional, mental and physical trauma she felt, which set off Rebel and led to a Hell in a Cell rematch against Eric. At the namesake PPV in September, Eric and Rebel had a very physical battle inside the demonic structure. Near the end of the match, Rebel suffered a broken ankle but still nearly claimed victory. The injury caused the loss and since then Rebel has only been seen sporadically and has not competed. But he remains a very young and promising superstar and has shown the ability to return from injury at full strength, so it will be interesting to see what happens when he returns soon!
The rebellious fan favorite had a meteoric rise up the rankings in the past year, and has emerged as a serious main event player. Rebel made a return from injury at the Royal Rumble, entering at #20 and was the final elimination, finishing runner-up to winner Carson Pain. His performance was a sign of things to come. Despite not earning any title opportunities to end Year 2, that changed immediately at the beginning of Year 3. It was revealed on the first Smackdown of the year that Rebel was the mystery draft pick, and given a World Heavyweight Title match that night! To close the show, Rebel upset Ace to win his 1st World Heavyweight Title on his first night as a member of the blue brand. A rivalry with Ace developed, along with a relationship with Women's champ Eve Torres. Rebel's former girlfriend Melina defected from Raw briefly and a "Winners Take All" mixed tag match was made for the King of the Ring PPV, where Rebel and Eve had to defend both of their titles against Ace and Melina. They were successful, and another challenger emerged at the same PPV when Eric Executioner won the namesake tournament and gave himself a title shot. At the Night of Champions PPV, Eric defeated Rebel to win his 3rd World Title. A very strange, deeply personal rivalry developed between Rebel, Eric and creepy manager Mr. Black. During August, Rebel had to save Eve from an abduction by Eric & Mr. Black and was given a difficult decision to face at the Summerslam PPV. Rebel won the match against Eric by DQ, and therefore didn't win back the belt. Eve took a personal leave of absence because of the emotional, mental and physical trauma she felt, which set off Rebel and led to a Hell in a Cell rematch against Eric. At the namesake PPV in September, Eric and Rebel had a very physical battle inside the demonic structure. Near the end of the match, Rebel suffered a broken ankle but still nearly claimed victory. The injury caused the loss and since then Rebel has only been seen sporadically and has not competed. But he remains a very young and promising superstar and has shown the ability to return from injury at full strength, so it will be interesting to see what happens when he returns soon!
Brett Diamond
The "Professional" put together a pretty impressive year and has established himself as a future star. Back in January, Brett began to focus on the Hardcore Title division and upset 4-time champ Big Mutha Trucker to win his 1st title ever in WWE. Brett reigned as champ for several months, including a last-second victory in a 5-man Scramble match at WrestleMania. Brett eventually lost the title to former friend Shawn Midnight at the Backlash PPV and failed to regain the belt in a rematch at the Extreme Rules PPV. But along the way, Brett gained a new ally in the "Glamazon" Beth Phoenix and together they formed the Professional Glam couple. With Brett's support, Beth rose up the rankings and won the Divas Title on an episode of Raw during the month of May. Brett and Beth continued to be successful, and Brett turned his attention to his next challenge... the U.S. Title! In July, Brett pulled off a stunner (albeit with Beth's help) and defeated David Degenerate to gain entry into a #1 contender battle royal. Although he didn't win the battle royal to get a title shot, he remained on the radar for potential challengers. Finally in October, Brett got his wish. A Beat-the-Clock Challenge was announced to determine the new #1 contender for Renegade's U.S. Title, and Brett's victory the first week of the challenge held up despite the party animal's attempts to intervene. As the new #1 contender, Brett began to feud with the unstable champion and they met at the Judgment Day PPV. Holding his focus, Brett conquered Renegade and captured his first U.S. Title! The feud continues to this day and the "Professional" continues to impress everyone with his meteoric rise.
The "Professional" put together a pretty impressive year and has established himself as a future star. Back in January, Brett began to focus on the Hardcore Title division and upset 4-time champ Big Mutha Trucker to win his 1st title ever in WWE. Brett reigned as champ for several months, including a last-second victory in a 5-man Scramble match at WrestleMania. Brett eventually lost the title to former friend Shawn Midnight at the Backlash PPV and failed to regain the belt in a rematch at the Extreme Rules PPV. But along the way, Brett gained a new ally in the "Glamazon" Beth Phoenix and together they formed the Professional Glam couple. With Brett's support, Beth rose up the rankings and won the Divas Title on an episode of Raw during the month of May. Brett and Beth continued to be successful, and Brett turned his attention to his next challenge... the U.S. Title! In July, Brett pulled off a stunner (albeit with Beth's help) and defeated David Degenerate to gain entry into a #1 contender battle royal. Although he didn't win the battle royal to get a title shot, he remained on the radar for potential challengers. Finally in October, Brett got his wish. A Beat-the-Clock Challenge was announced to determine the new #1 contender for Renegade's U.S. Title, and Brett's victory the first week of the challenge held up despite the party animal's attempts to intervene. As the new #1 contender, Brett began to feud with the unstable champion and they met at the Judgment Day PPV. Holding his focus, Brett conquered Renegade and captured his first U.S. Title! The feud continues to this day and the "Professional" continues to impress everyone with his meteoric rise.
WINNER: Brett Diamond
Woman of the Year
Beth Phoenix
The "Glamazon" had a pretty strong year that featured a significant title reign and an alliance with one of Raw's rising male superstars. Back in the winter months, Beth was still a member of Smackdown. In February, she beat Kelly Kelly to earn a shot at Eve Torres' Women's Title, but was not able to beat her at the Elimination Chamber PPV. In April, Beth was drafted over to Raw and quickly became one of the red brand's top female grapplers. She rose up the ranks fast and in May, less than 2 months after being drafted over, she beat Maryese to win the Divas Title! During this time, she was also developing a good relationship with Brett Diamond. Together, they formed the Professional Glam couple and began to dominate. In June, she was forced to defend her title in a Triple Threat match against Maryese and rookie Brittany Black. Beth used her experience to retain the title, and reigned as champ for several more months. In September, her feud with Brittany Black re-sparked and it led to a title match at October's Judgment Day PPV. On the same night that Brett won his 1st U.S. Title, Beth lost in quick fashion to Brittany due to a pre-match attack. Since then, she has been very aggressive towards her rival and a rematch is likely. The "Glamazon" was arguably Raw's best Diva of the past year!
The "Glamazon" had a pretty strong year that featured a significant title reign and an alliance with one of Raw's rising male superstars. Back in the winter months, Beth was still a member of Smackdown. In February, she beat Kelly Kelly to earn a shot at Eve Torres' Women's Title, but was not able to beat her at the Elimination Chamber PPV. In April, Beth was drafted over to Raw and quickly became one of the red brand's top female grapplers. She rose up the ranks fast and in May, less than 2 months after being drafted over, she beat Maryese to win the Divas Title! During this time, she was also developing a good relationship with Brett Diamond. Together, they formed the Professional Glam couple and began to dominate. In June, she was forced to defend her title in a Triple Threat match against Maryese and rookie Brittany Black. Beth used her experience to retain the title, and reigned as champ for several more months. In September, her feud with Brittany Black re-sparked and it led to a title match at October's Judgment Day PPV. On the same night that Brett won his 1st U.S. Title, Beth lost in quick fashion to Brittany due to a pre-match attack. Since then, she has been very aggressive towards her rival and a rematch is likely. The "Glamazon" was arguably Raw's best Diva of the past year!
Eve Torres
Eve had the most eventful year of any Diva on the roster. Back in the winter months, she was aligned with then-Intercontinental champ Joseph T. Lutte and following his "guidance" to become the next Women's champ. Eve became the #1 contender in January and began to feud with champ Kelly Kelly. After Kelly Kelly abandoned her partner in a mixed-tag match at the Royal Rumble PPV, Smackdown GM Teddy Long forced her to defend her title against Eve on the next Smackdown. Eve won the match and the Women's Title! Later in the month, Eve beat Beth Phoenix to defend her title at the Elimination Chamber PPV. As Joseph began feuding with Antonio Jordan, Eve began to slowly break away from the "Fantastic Frenchman". Following a title rematch loss to Antonio at the Backlash PPV and again at the beginning of May, Eve decided to end her relationship with him. Soon after, the Women's champ found another man to partner with: World Heavyweight champ Rebel Ford! Their relationship drew the ire of Rebel's former girlfriend Melina. In June, Melina beat Eve and earned a Women's Title match despite still being a member of Raw. A "Winner Take All" mixed-tag match was made for the King of the Ring PPV, where Rebel & Eve has to defend their titles against Melina & Ace. Luckily, Eve was the one to score the winning pinfall to help the champion couple retain their belts. But earlier that evening, Eric Executioner won the King of the Ring Tournament and earned a title shot against Rebel. Throughout July and August, Eric and his manager Mr. Black frightened and traumatized Eve in an attempt to psyche Rebel out. Eve was even abducted and held hostage by them for a week, until Rebel was able to save her. The events caused Eve to start pulling away from Rebel. In September, she defended her title in a battle royal. But during the match, Eric and Mr. Black appeared and caused her much stress. The distraction allowed Jersey Jenny to eliminate Eve to win the match and the title. As a result, Eve decided to end her relationship with Rebel and take an extended vacation. Eve has not been seen or heard from since, but she still put together an impressive title reign and established herself as one of the WWE's best female wrestlers.
Eve had the most eventful year of any Diva on the roster. Back in the winter months, she was aligned with then-Intercontinental champ Joseph T. Lutte and following his "guidance" to become the next Women's champ. Eve became the #1 contender in January and began to feud with champ Kelly Kelly. After Kelly Kelly abandoned her partner in a mixed-tag match at the Royal Rumble PPV, Smackdown GM Teddy Long forced her to defend her title against Eve on the next Smackdown. Eve won the match and the Women's Title! Later in the month, Eve beat Beth Phoenix to defend her title at the Elimination Chamber PPV. As Joseph began feuding with Antonio Jordan, Eve began to slowly break away from the "Fantastic Frenchman". Following a title rematch loss to Antonio at the Backlash PPV and again at the beginning of May, Eve decided to end her relationship with him. Soon after, the Women's champ found another man to partner with: World Heavyweight champ Rebel Ford! Their relationship drew the ire of Rebel's former girlfriend Melina. In June, Melina beat Eve and earned a Women's Title match despite still being a member of Raw. A "Winner Take All" mixed-tag match was made for the King of the Ring PPV, where Rebel & Eve has to defend their titles against Melina & Ace. Luckily, Eve was the one to score the winning pinfall to help the champion couple retain their belts. But earlier that evening, Eric Executioner won the King of the Ring Tournament and earned a title shot against Rebel. Throughout July and August, Eric and his manager Mr. Black frightened and traumatized Eve in an attempt to psyche Rebel out. Eve was even abducted and held hostage by them for a week, until Rebel was able to save her. The events caused Eve to start pulling away from Rebel. In September, she defended her title in a battle royal. But during the match, Eric and Mr. Black appeared and caused her much stress. The distraction allowed Jersey Jenny to eliminate Eve to win the match and the title. As a result, Eve decided to end her relationship with Rebel and take an extended vacation. Eve has not been seen or heard from since, but she still put together an impressive title reign and established herself as one of the WWE's best female wrestlers.
Brittany Black
The "Evil Diva" has already made a major impact on the WWE despite having less than a year's worth of experience. She debuted this past April and has been kicking butt since. In less than 2 months, she beat Maryese to become the #1 contender for Beth Phoenix's newly-won Divas Title. In June, Maryese challenged her to a rematch and Brittany won a very narrow contest. As a result of that match and Beth's odd behavior, a Triple Threat match was made for the King of the Ring PPV. Despite having control of most of the match, Beth outsmarted the rookie to retain the title. Brittany continued to win over and over again, and her confidence grew with each victory. In September, she finally confronted Beth about their unresolved feud. A title match was made for the next month's Judgment Day PPV. At the PPV, Brittany attacked the champ before the match started. Her shocking attack helped her score the winning pinfall less than a minute into the match, giving her her 1st Divas Title in only her 7th month on the roster! She continues to reign as Divas champ currently, but her feud with Beth continues. It's obvious that this woman is going to be one of the best female competitors for years to come.
The "Evil Diva" has already made a major impact on the WWE despite having less than a year's worth of experience. She debuted this past April and has been kicking butt since. In less than 2 months, she beat Maryese to become the #1 contender for Beth Phoenix's newly-won Divas Title. In June, Maryese challenged her to a rematch and Brittany won a very narrow contest. As a result of that match and Beth's odd behavior, a Triple Threat match was made for the King of the Ring PPV. Despite having control of most of the match, Beth outsmarted the rookie to retain the title. Brittany continued to win over and over again, and her confidence grew with each victory. In September, she finally confronted Beth about their unresolved feud. A title match was made for the next month's Judgment Day PPV. At the PPV, Brittany attacked the champ before the match started. Her shocking attack helped her score the winning pinfall less than a minute into the match, giving her her 1st Divas Title in only her 7th month on the roster! She continues to reign as Divas champ currently, but her feud with Beth continues. It's obvious that this woman is going to be one of the best female competitors for years to come.
Jersey Jenny
The "Shore's Princess" made her WWE debut in April and has been extremely impressive since. She teamed up with her brother Paulie Dominos and quickly made her way up the Smackdown Diva rankings. She had done so well in only a few months on the roster that she earned a spot in a Women's Title battle royal in September. Thanks to a distraction, she eliminated then-champ Eve Torres last to win the match and her 1st Women's Title! J.J. continues to reign currently, and her big mouth and hard-hitting attitude makes her a serious threat to any female that crosses her path. She should be one of the WWE's top Divas for many, many years.
The "Shore's Princess" made her WWE debut in April and has been extremely impressive since. She teamed up with her brother Paulie Dominos and quickly made her way up the Smackdown Diva rankings. She had done so well in only a few months on the roster that she earned a spot in a Women's Title battle royal in September. Thanks to a distraction, she eliminated then-champ Eve Torres last to win the match and her 1st Women's Title! J.J. continues to reign currently, and her big mouth and hard-hitting attitude makes her a serious threat to any female that crosses her path. She should be one of the WWE's top Divas for many, many years.
WINNER: Eve Torres
Most Shocking Moment
DMK struck by vehicle
This situation is still under investigation, but the actual event itself is still as haunting and shocking as anything that happened this whole calendar year. Near the conclusion of the Judgment Day PPV, the cameras observed DMK leaving the building and climbing into his car. As he drove out of the parking structure, a Mack truck struck his vehicle with enormous force and crashed it into a wall. The assailant escaped and is still unknown at this time, and DMK is still on the injured list with his current condition unknown. The lack of information surrounding this moment makes it even more shocking. |
David Degenerate aligns with Mr. McMahon
David Degenerate was a lost man during the first part of the summer. After losing the U.S. Title, the Tag Team Titles and ending his partnership with DMK, the "Dangerous Genius" was not as dangerous as he once appeared to be. He continued to mention needing an ally that would support him no matter what. After losing to Brett Diamond for a spot in a U.S. Title #1 Contender battle royal, David disappeared for a few weeks. Finally, he re-appeared in surprising fashion. After the WWE Title match at the Night of Champions PPV, an attacker hit retaining champ Carson Pain with a lead pipe. The attacker revealed himself to be David! On the episode of Monday Night Raw the next night, the show began with a heated discussion between WWE champ Carson Pain, DMK and Gravedigger over the controversial events of their Triple Threat match at the Night of Champions PPV. During their argument, Mr. McMahon appeared and announced that he had found a new ally. The WWE Chairman revealed him to be none other than the "Dangerous Genius" himself. Their alliance led to David capturing his 3rd WWE Title at that month's Summerslam PPV. |
Eve Torres abducted by Eric Executioner & Mr. Black
The month of August witnessed several big moments in the rivalry between Rebel Ford and World Heavyweight champ Eric Executioner. Eric defeated Rebel at the Night of Champions PPV and, along with Mr. Black, set out to play mind games with him. During the 2nd week's episode of Smackdown, Rebel was set to grapple with Craig Bullet in the show's main event. His girlfriend at the time, Women's champ Eve Torres, was at ringside. During the match, Eve and Craig's tag partner Tony Bullet got into an argument and got ejected from ringside. Eve left the area but remained on the stage to watch the match. Moments after Rebel claimed victory, Eric and Mr. Black appeared and grabbed Eve! They made a quick getaway to the parking lot, where they drove off with her in the car. Rebel tried to chase them down, but it was to no avail. Luckily, Rebel was able to outsmart his rivals and save her the following week, but the original abduction was unexpected and scary. |
Quinn Cadbury betrays Joseph T. Lutte
Of all the nominated moments in this category, this one came about as the result of the longest-term buildup. While many of the other moments were just as shocking as this, none of them had the history leading up to it as this moment did. At the beginning of May, Joseph T. Lutte was a little lost after suffering several personal losses - first, the Intercontinental Title... later, his girlfriend Eve Torres. Enter Quinn Cadbury, Joseph's longtime European rival. Quinn approached Joseph during his Smackdown debut, but instead of continuing their rivalry, he offered to team up. Together they formed the G.L.O.W. team and quickly rose up the tag team ranks. Only a few weeks later G.L.O.W. upset the Hell's Genius team, albeit in controversial fashion due to interference, to win the Tag Team Titles. G.L.O.W. reigned for about 2 months, but lost their titles in shocking fashion (see "Antonio Jordan disguises himself as camerman" below) and turned their attention to the Intercontinental Title. At the Summerslam PPV, Joseph re-captured the title in a tag team match against American Cool. Quinn sacrificed his chances to win the title, and started to inquire about getting a shot at the belt. In September at the Hell in a Cell PPV, Quinn disguised himself as one of Joseph's bodyguards and interfered to help Joseph retain. In October, a Beat the Clock Challenge was announced to determine the new #1 contender. Quinn paid off Billy Carter to take a deliberate fall, which surprisingly put Quinn in a direct shot for Joseph's title. Tensions grew as the reasons for Quinn's payment were unclear, but they were revealed only days before the Judgment Day PPV. As the G.L.O.W. team defended their Tag Team #1 contender spots against Alpha & Omega, Quinn attacked Joseph midway through the match and caused an intentional loss. After the match, Quinn revealed his entire long-term plan of betrayal and made their title match more personal and intriguing. Many people were stunned to see Quinn follow through perfectly on revenge. |
Antonio Jordan disguises himself as cameraman
The American Cool trio of Antonio Jordan, Krizz Torture and Audrey Vega had been feuding with the G.L.O.W. team of Joseph T. Lutte and Quinn Cadbury throughout the spring and summer months. The feud actually began back in March when Antonio exposed Joseph's payment plans to opponents to help him retain the Intercontinental Title, and then the "Mastermind" beat Joseph at WrestleMania to win the Intercontinental Title. The G.L.O.W. team made a very quick rise up the tag team rankings, going from a newly-formed team to #1 contenders to actual Tag Team Champions... in less than 3 weeks! This naturally added more fuel to the rivalry fire, and they met at the King of the Ring PPV with the Tag Team belts on the line. Joseph & Quinn retained the titles, but American Cool was determined to earn another shot. But during a #1 contender's match against the Bullet Boyz, Joseph had disguised himself as the ringside timekeeper and helped the Bullet Boyz pull the upset when he smashed the ring bell across Krizz's face! Angry over Joseph's interference, Antonio secretly planned a little revenge. Despite Smackdown GM Teddy Long's warning to stay away from the match, Antonio disguised himself as one of the cameraman at the Night of Champions PPV during the Tag Team Title match. Midway through the match, he entered the ring and hit Quinn with the heavy camera! The reveal about who the attacker was seemed to be the most shocking, as it was immediately understood that Antonio had deliberately went against Teddy's warnings! Antonio's interference helped the Bullet Boyz win their 3rd Tag Team Titles and end G.L.O.W.'s reign. This moment was one of the rare moments where Antonio "broke the rules" to send a message to a rival. |
DMK & David Degenerate form Hell's Genius
When two long-time hated rivals join forces with no prior warning, it creates an extremely shocking moment that causes major waves. In December, the Badass Coalition of David Degenerate, Big Mutha Trucker & Tank Blazer seemed to be having a subtle rift. While David was struggling to recapture the U.S. Title from Carson Pain, Trucker & Tank were rising back up the tag team ranks and putting themselves into position for a title shot. At the TLC PPV, David lost to Carson while Trucker & Tank brought home Tag Team gold. Upset and jealous, David finally snapped and attacked Trucker during a January episode of Raw. The "Dangerous Genius" claimed that he was sick of not having support from his teammates, and vowed to find someone who could give him what he needed. A week later, David came out following a match to address his former Coalition allies. As it turned out, David had an announcement to make. David revealed that his new ally was... WWE champ DMK! The crowd and the Tag Team champs were unbelievably stunned, as these two intense rivals had formed an unholy alliance. David and DMK were thought to have hated each other and has been feuding for years, but they apparently put their differences aside to create the most powerful team on Raw. |
Gravedigger tries to burn DMK alive
DMK and Gravedigger had a brutal, intense feud over the summer months that began when the "Graveyard Monster" made his first appearance as a member of the Raw roster. After being forced over to the red brand by losing at WrestleMania, Gravedigger disappeared for several weeks with no knowledge of his whereabouts. Meanwhile, DMK was fighting with Carson Pain to get the WWE Title back. 'Digger was responsible for two strange video distractions at both the Backlash and Extreme Rules PPVs. The first one helped Carson retain while the second one resulted in his return... and an attack on DMK! The feud continued to rage on through the summer, evolving from a personal one to a battle for the WWE Title to an intense desire to destroy each other. After a brutal Hell in a Cell match, the two agreed to a final match for the Judgment Day PPV. On an October episode of Raw, DMK came down to the ring to discuss the feud. Gravedigger soon followed, but he also rolled a freshly-made casket down to the ring as well. They agreed to a Last Man Standing match, but what happened after was much more shocking. A brawl ensued and 'Digger eventually was able to incapacitate his foe. The "Monster" locked DMK inside the casket, covered it in gasoline and threatened to burn him alive! But just seconds before flames engulfed the casket, DMK managed to break through the bottom and escape. The fans and DMK were shocked as the casket burned and Gravedigger laughed insanely! The images from the brawl, the casket set ablaze and DMK's near-death made for one of the most shocking moments of the year.
DMK and Gravedigger had a brutal, intense feud over the summer months that began when the "Graveyard Monster" made his first appearance as a member of the Raw roster. After being forced over to the red brand by losing at WrestleMania, Gravedigger disappeared for several weeks with no knowledge of his whereabouts. Meanwhile, DMK was fighting with Carson Pain to get the WWE Title back. 'Digger was responsible for two strange video distractions at both the Backlash and Extreme Rules PPVs. The first one helped Carson retain while the second one resulted in his return... and an attack on DMK! The feud continued to rage on through the summer, evolving from a personal one to a battle for the WWE Title to an intense desire to destroy each other. After a brutal Hell in a Cell match, the two agreed to a final match for the Judgment Day PPV. On an October episode of Raw, DMK came down to the ring to discuss the feud. Gravedigger soon followed, but he also rolled a freshly-made casket down to the ring as well. They agreed to a Last Man Standing match, but what happened after was much more shocking. A brawl ensued and 'Digger eventually was able to incapacitate his foe. The "Monster" locked DMK inside the casket, covered it in gasoline and threatened to burn him alive! But just seconds before flames engulfed the casket, DMK managed to break through the bottom and escape. The fans and DMK were shocked as the casket burned and Gravedigger laughed insanely! The images from the brawl, the casket set ablaze and DMK's near-death made for one of the most shocking moments of the year.
WINNER: Gravedigger tries to burn DMK alive
Superstar of the Year
Carson Pain
"The Original" put together a pretty impressive year and racked up several huge accomplishments. We first take a look back in the early stages of winter, as Carson entered December fresh off an upset win over David Degenerate at the Survivor Series PPV, winning his 1st United States Title. He defended the title that month, but then set his sights higher in January. Being a current champ somehow made Carson less likely to win the Royal Rumble in the eyes of betting markets, but "The Original" entered at #10 and lasted the rest of the prestigious match, eliminating 10 other competitors including Rebel Ford last to win! That put Carson in direct line for the WWE Title at WrestleMania, but that also drew the ire of the Hell's Genius power duo. David reignited their U.S. Title feud, but this time had WWE champ DMK in his corner for support. Thanks to a distraction, David won the title at the Elimination Chamber PPV but Carson turned his focus to DMK with WrestleMania just around the corner. Carson did the unthinkable and beat DMK fairly in the main event to win his 1st WWE Title. Carson managed to keep Raw's top belt until Summerslam, overcoming DMK and Gravedigger along the way. But David again re-entered the picture, this time with Mr. McMahon giving him support. At Summerslam, David outlasted Carson thanks to Mr. McMahon's assistance to win the WWE Title. Carson tried very hard to win the title back for several months, overcoming obstacles thrown in his way and David's penchant for cheap ways to retain the title. He beat David by countout at Hell in a Cell, lost to David in controversial fashion at Judgment Day and then couldn't beat him in a very exhilarating 60-minute Iron Man match at Survivor Series despite naming the match stipulation weeks earlier. Despite falling short of reclaiming the WWE Title late in the year, Carson still put together a very impressive first half and never gave up in his pursuit of the title afterward.
"The Original" put together a pretty impressive year and racked up several huge accomplishments. We first take a look back in the early stages of winter, as Carson entered December fresh off an upset win over David Degenerate at the Survivor Series PPV, winning his 1st United States Title. He defended the title that month, but then set his sights higher in January. Being a current champ somehow made Carson less likely to win the Royal Rumble in the eyes of betting markets, but "The Original" entered at #10 and lasted the rest of the prestigious match, eliminating 10 other competitors including Rebel Ford last to win! That put Carson in direct line for the WWE Title at WrestleMania, but that also drew the ire of the Hell's Genius power duo. David reignited their U.S. Title feud, but this time had WWE champ DMK in his corner for support. Thanks to a distraction, David won the title at the Elimination Chamber PPV but Carson turned his focus to DMK with WrestleMania just around the corner. Carson did the unthinkable and beat DMK fairly in the main event to win his 1st WWE Title. Carson managed to keep Raw's top belt until Summerslam, overcoming DMK and Gravedigger along the way. But David again re-entered the picture, this time with Mr. McMahon giving him support. At Summerslam, David outlasted Carson thanks to Mr. McMahon's assistance to win the WWE Title. Carson tried very hard to win the title back for several months, overcoming obstacles thrown in his way and David's penchant for cheap ways to retain the title. He beat David by countout at Hell in a Cell, lost to David in controversial fashion at Judgment Day and then couldn't beat him in a very exhilarating 60-minute Iron Man match at Survivor Series despite naming the match stipulation weeks earlier. Despite falling short of reclaiming the WWE Title late in the year, Carson still put together a very impressive first half and never gave up in his pursuit of the title afterward.
David Degenerate
The "Dangerous Genius" likely believes that this award belongs to him without debate, but there are many big names on this list. Although, the accomplishments he has for the past year definitely make him a legit contender for the award. Looking back to the winter months, David definitely had a rocky period. He lost the U.S. Title to Carson Pain at Survivor Series and failed to win it back the following month. Then, feeling overshadowed by his Badass Coalition stablemates, David attacked Big Mutha Trucker to begin January and officially ended the long-running power group. He then made a shocking reveal the following week, announcing that he had joined forces with then-WWE champ DMK to form Hell's Genius. The power duo rocketed up the tag team ranks in only a few weeks, and then challenged Trucker and Tank Blazer to a title match at the Royal Rumble PPV. David and DMK were successful, putting 2 titles in their possession. After Carson Pain won the Royal Rumble later that evening, the Hell's Genius team knew that they had to re-focus their attention on "The Original". David wanted another shot at the U.S. Title, and asked DMK to join him at ringside. Thanks to a distraction by DMK, David beat Carson to win his 3rd U.S. Title at the Elimination Chamber PPV. The win gave Hell's Genius a large collection of titles: the WWE, U.S. and Tag Team belts. With Carson and DMK feuding over their upcoming WWE Title match at WrestleMania, another rival re-emerged in March: Big Mutha Trucker! The "Resident Redneck" wanted a shot at David's title and began to challenge him. Near the end of the month, Tank Blazer turned on Trucker during a match between Trucker and David, turning the U.S. Title picture into a 3-way dance. In April, David was forced to put his U.S. Title on the line against both Trucker and Tank and managed to successfully retain the belt at the Backlash PPV. Meanwhile, a rift was growing between him and DMK after the "King" lost the WWE Title to Carson. In May, the rift continued to grow quietly while each partner was embroiled in feuds. The rift came to a head on the final episode of Raw that month, which saw Hell's Genius lose the Tag Team Titles thanks to interference by Carson and Trucker. At the Extreme Rules PPV, David lost the U.S. Title to Trucker and officially went from 2 titles to zero titles in less than a week! David challenged Trucker to a rematch and broke off his partnership with DMK in June, but the "Genius" failed to win back the title at the King of the Ring PPV. David then disappeared for a month, but returned in shocking fashion at the Night of Champions PPV, attacking Carson Pain following his victory against DMK and Gravedigger. The next night on Raw, David revealed that he had aligned himself with Mr. McMahon and was given a WWE Title shot. A Fatal 4-Way match was made for Summerslam, and David outlasted Carson thanks to assistance by Vince to win his 3rd WWE Title. David then managed to retain the title for several months and still currently reigns. He deliberately took a countout loss to Carson at the Hell in a Cell PPV, and then managed a controversial win in a cage match against Carson at the Judgment Day PPV. Recently, he defeated Carson again in a 60-minute Iron Man match at Survivor Series although under some slightly unclean circumstances. Despite his knack for bending the rules, David is always involved in the title picture and must be accounted for as one of the WWE's top stars.
The "Dangerous Genius" likely believes that this award belongs to him without debate, but there are many big names on this list. Although, the accomplishments he has for the past year definitely make him a legit contender for the award. Looking back to the winter months, David definitely had a rocky period. He lost the U.S. Title to Carson Pain at Survivor Series and failed to win it back the following month. Then, feeling overshadowed by his Badass Coalition stablemates, David attacked Big Mutha Trucker to begin January and officially ended the long-running power group. He then made a shocking reveal the following week, announcing that he had joined forces with then-WWE champ DMK to form Hell's Genius. The power duo rocketed up the tag team ranks in only a few weeks, and then challenged Trucker and Tank Blazer to a title match at the Royal Rumble PPV. David and DMK were successful, putting 2 titles in their possession. After Carson Pain won the Royal Rumble later that evening, the Hell's Genius team knew that they had to re-focus their attention on "The Original". David wanted another shot at the U.S. Title, and asked DMK to join him at ringside. Thanks to a distraction by DMK, David beat Carson to win his 3rd U.S. Title at the Elimination Chamber PPV. The win gave Hell's Genius a large collection of titles: the WWE, U.S. and Tag Team belts. With Carson and DMK feuding over their upcoming WWE Title match at WrestleMania, another rival re-emerged in March: Big Mutha Trucker! The "Resident Redneck" wanted a shot at David's title and began to challenge him. Near the end of the month, Tank Blazer turned on Trucker during a match between Trucker and David, turning the U.S. Title picture into a 3-way dance. In April, David was forced to put his U.S. Title on the line against both Trucker and Tank and managed to successfully retain the belt at the Backlash PPV. Meanwhile, a rift was growing between him and DMK after the "King" lost the WWE Title to Carson. In May, the rift continued to grow quietly while each partner was embroiled in feuds. The rift came to a head on the final episode of Raw that month, which saw Hell's Genius lose the Tag Team Titles thanks to interference by Carson and Trucker. At the Extreme Rules PPV, David lost the U.S. Title to Trucker and officially went from 2 titles to zero titles in less than a week! David challenged Trucker to a rematch and broke off his partnership with DMK in June, but the "Genius" failed to win back the title at the King of the Ring PPV. David then disappeared for a month, but returned in shocking fashion at the Night of Champions PPV, attacking Carson Pain following his victory against DMK and Gravedigger. The next night on Raw, David revealed that he had aligned himself with Mr. McMahon and was given a WWE Title shot. A Fatal 4-Way match was made for Summerslam, and David outlasted Carson thanks to assistance by Vince to win his 3rd WWE Title. David then managed to retain the title for several months and still currently reigns. He deliberately took a countout loss to Carson at the Hell in a Cell PPV, and then managed a controversial win in a cage match against Carson at the Judgment Day PPV. Recently, he defeated Carson again in a 60-minute Iron Man match at Survivor Series although under some slightly unclean circumstances. Despite his knack for bending the rules, David is always involved in the title picture and must be accounted for as one of the WWE's top stars.
DMK
The "King" had a very interesting year, with many changes happening to him. DMK began his WWE Title reign last year by cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase at Night of Champions. He then shocked everyone by turning heel and revealing his anger over Renegade's popularity. DMK held onto the title throughout the fall and winter, and then shocked everyone again in January when he agreed to join forces with former rival David Degenerate to form the power duo named Hell's Genius. Together, they quickly rose up the tag team rankings and defeated Big Mutha Trucker and Tank Blazer at the Royal Rumble PPV to win the Tag Team Titles. The win gave DMK his 2nd reign as a duo, while he still remained WWE champ. Later in the show, Carson Pain won the Royal Rumble match and put himself directly in DMK's crosshairs. Next month, David challenged Carson to a U.S. Title match and DMK caused a distraction during the match to help his tag partner pull off the win, giving them 3 major titles as a duo: the WWE, U.S. and Tag Team Titles! As WrestleMania approached, Carson and DMK feuded heavily in the buildup to their main event match. Despite DMK's best efforts, he could not overcome the fan favorite and lost to "The Original" on the WWE's biggest stage. The loss ended DMK's impressive 8-month reign as WWE Champion. Upset, DMK continued to feud with Carson in hopes of winning the title back. At the Backlash PPV, DMK seemed poised to win the match but a video distraction allowed Carson to recover and pin him to retain the title. Furious, DMK accused Carson of being behind the video distraction and challenged him to a rematch at the Extreme Rules PPV. There, another video played mid-match but this time, Gravedigger appeared and attacked DMK to cause a DQ. 'Digger made his Raw debut and revealed that he was behind the videos all along and was targeting DMK. DMK began to have a change in heart over his actions, especially as Gravedigger continuously attacked Carson Pain. A No DQ match was made between DMK and 'Digger at the King of the Ring PPV. Gravedigger proved to be a much tougher foe than expected, as the "Graveyard Monster" busted DMK open during the match and emerged victorious. But after the match, DMK won over the fans again by standing up and challenging Gravedigger to fight more. 'Digger attempted to turn his attention to Carson and the WWE Title, but DMK made his own claim to another title shot thanks to Gravedigger's interference at Extreme Rules. A Triple Threat match was made, but Carson used a late chair shot on DMK to help him retain the title. The feud between the 3 men continued, but David Degenerate got inserted into it thanks to his alliance with Mr. McMahon. At Summerslam, a Fatal 4-Way Elimination match was held for Carson's WWE Title. DMK and Gravedigger were controversially eliminated due to a double countout, and 'Digger assaulted DMK and blamed him for losing his chances at the belt. Their feud took a few more vicious turns, but Raw GM Stephanie McMahon made an interesting deal with them: no physical contact until the Hell in a Cell PPV, where they could face each other inside the demonic structure! Despite several close calls and mind games, the two rivals honored the deal and approached the PPV with a lot of pent-up aggression. In a Match of the Year candidate, DMK emerged victorious and knotted their one-on-one rivalry at 1 win apiece. In October, the two agreed to a 3rd match, this time with the dangerous, anything-goes Last Man Standing match. At the Judgment Day PPV, DMK again outlasted his foe to essentially win the war. At the conclusion of the PPV, an unknown assailant hit DMK's car with a Mack truck, causing severe injuries according to sources. DMK has been on the injury list since then, with almost no information or updates. DMK still was able to put together a solid year before the injury, and remains a force on the red brand.
The "King" had a very interesting year, with many changes happening to him. DMK began his WWE Title reign last year by cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase at Night of Champions. He then shocked everyone by turning heel and revealing his anger over Renegade's popularity. DMK held onto the title throughout the fall and winter, and then shocked everyone again in January when he agreed to join forces with former rival David Degenerate to form the power duo named Hell's Genius. Together, they quickly rose up the tag team rankings and defeated Big Mutha Trucker and Tank Blazer at the Royal Rumble PPV to win the Tag Team Titles. The win gave DMK his 2nd reign as a duo, while he still remained WWE champ. Later in the show, Carson Pain won the Royal Rumble match and put himself directly in DMK's crosshairs. Next month, David challenged Carson to a U.S. Title match and DMK caused a distraction during the match to help his tag partner pull off the win, giving them 3 major titles as a duo: the WWE, U.S. and Tag Team Titles! As WrestleMania approached, Carson and DMK feuded heavily in the buildup to their main event match. Despite DMK's best efforts, he could not overcome the fan favorite and lost to "The Original" on the WWE's biggest stage. The loss ended DMK's impressive 8-month reign as WWE Champion. Upset, DMK continued to feud with Carson in hopes of winning the title back. At the Backlash PPV, DMK seemed poised to win the match but a video distraction allowed Carson to recover and pin him to retain the title. Furious, DMK accused Carson of being behind the video distraction and challenged him to a rematch at the Extreme Rules PPV. There, another video played mid-match but this time, Gravedigger appeared and attacked DMK to cause a DQ. 'Digger made his Raw debut and revealed that he was behind the videos all along and was targeting DMK. DMK began to have a change in heart over his actions, especially as Gravedigger continuously attacked Carson Pain. A No DQ match was made between DMK and 'Digger at the King of the Ring PPV. Gravedigger proved to be a much tougher foe than expected, as the "Graveyard Monster" busted DMK open during the match and emerged victorious. But after the match, DMK won over the fans again by standing up and challenging Gravedigger to fight more. 'Digger attempted to turn his attention to Carson and the WWE Title, but DMK made his own claim to another title shot thanks to Gravedigger's interference at Extreme Rules. A Triple Threat match was made, but Carson used a late chair shot on DMK to help him retain the title. The feud between the 3 men continued, but David Degenerate got inserted into it thanks to his alliance with Mr. McMahon. At Summerslam, a Fatal 4-Way Elimination match was held for Carson's WWE Title. DMK and Gravedigger were controversially eliminated due to a double countout, and 'Digger assaulted DMK and blamed him for losing his chances at the belt. Their feud took a few more vicious turns, but Raw GM Stephanie McMahon made an interesting deal with them: no physical contact until the Hell in a Cell PPV, where they could face each other inside the demonic structure! Despite several close calls and mind games, the two rivals honored the deal and approached the PPV with a lot of pent-up aggression. In a Match of the Year candidate, DMK emerged victorious and knotted their one-on-one rivalry at 1 win apiece. In October, the two agreed to a 3rd match, this time with the dangerous, anything-goes Last Man Standing match. At the Judgment Day PPV, DMK again outlasted his foe to essentially win the war. At the conclusion of the PPV, an unknown assailant hit DMK's car with a Mack truck, causing severe injuries according to sources. DMK has been on the injury list since then, with almost no information or updates. DMK still was able to put together a solid year before the injury, and remains a force on the red brand.
Mack Wheeler
The "Human Semi" finally broke through as a legitimate contender when he was drafted over to Raw this past April. Leading up to that point, Mack put himself in position to challenge for Smackdown's World Heavyweight Title a few times. He was involved in both a Fatal 4-Way at the Royal Rumble PPV and the Elimination Chamber match at the namesake PPV in February. He was unable to win the title, but it signaled his ascent up the rankings. After being drafted over to Raw, Mack went on a long winning streak which included reaching the Raw Final of the King of the Ring Tournament in June. His first loss on Raw came against Renegade in that Raw Final match, but it showed that Mack was on the verge of much more. Sure enough, a feud between himself and Hardcore champ Shawn Midnight developed the following month and they met at the Night of Champions PPV. Mack won the match to win his 1st Hardcore Title and his first title on Raw after only 4 months on the brand! Mack retained the title in impressive fashion against Shawn at Summerslam, and then went into a nasty feud with Tank Blazer. The "Captain" shocked Mack by winning the Hardcore Title at the Hell in a Cell PPV. But the "Human Semi" got revenge only a few weeks later, winning a title rematch on Raw to claim his 2nd Hardcore Title reign. The feud continued into November, but Tank seemed determined to win it back. At Survivor Series, the two rivals had an excellent, brutal battle but Tank emerged victorious again to take back the Hardcore belt. Despite a few big losses, Mack had a very high winning percentage through most of the year, won the Hardcore Title twice and proved himself to be the "next man up"!
The "Human Semi" finally broke through as a legitimate contender when he was drafted over to Raw this past April. Leading up to that point, Mack put himself in position to challenge for Smackdown's World Heavyweight Title a few times. He was involved in both a Fatal 4-Way at the Royal Rumble PPV and the Elimination Chamber match at the namesake PPV in February. He was unable to win the title, but it signaled his ascent up the rankings. After being drafted over to Raw, Mack went on a long winning streak which included reaching the Raw Final of the King of the Ring Tournament in June. His first loss on Raw came against Renegade in that Raw Final match, but it showed that Mack was on the verge of much more. Sure enough, a feud between himself and Hardcore champ Shawn Midnight developed the following month and they met at the Night of Champions PPV. Mack won the match to win his 1st Hardcore Title and his first title on Raw after only 4 months on the brand! Mack retained the title in impressive fashion against Shawn at Summerslam, and then went into a nasty feud with Tank Blazer. The "Captain" shocked Mack by winning the Hardcore Title at the Hell in a Cell PPV. But the "Human Semi" got revenge only a few weeks later, winning a title rematch on Raw to claim his 2nd Hardcore Title reign. The feud continued into November, but Tank seemed determined to win it back. At Survivor Series, the two rivals had an excellent, brutal battle but Tank emerged victorious again to take back the Hardcore belt. Despite a few big losses, Mack had a very high winning percentage through most of the year, won the Hardcore Title twice and proved himself to be the "next man up"!
Joseph T. Lutte
The "Fantastic Frenchman" has put together a pretty impressive resume, and this past year added a few more accomplishments to it. Joseph was the reigning Intercontinental Champion over the winter months, but it was discovered late in February that he had been paying off opponents to help him retain the title and avoid facing a "real" threat. Antonio Jordan eavesdropped on a conversation between Joseph and Billy Carter, and then exposed the underhanded payment plan. Joseph was upset that Antonio had revealed the truth, but he did admit that he used a little bit of his wealth to keep his reign alive. Antonio earned a title shot and the two feuded in the lead-up to WrestleMania. On the WWE's biggest stage, Antonio ended Joseph's reign. The Frenchman wanted a rematch but failed to recapture the title at the Backlash PPV. After also losing his girlfriend Eve Torres, Joseph was down and depressed over his bad luck. But out of the depths appeared an unlikely ally, former European rival and new Smackdown debut Quinn Cadbury! Joseph and Quinn formed the G.L.O.W. team and very quickly made their way to the #1 contenders' spot. On the final episode of Raw in May, G.L.O.W. challenged Hell's Genius to a Tag Team Title match. Thanks to interference, Joseph & Quinn pulled the upset and gave them each their 1st Tag Team Title reigns! Joseph's rivalry with Antonio was reignited as his American Cool team wanted to take the Tag Team belts away from the European duo. But Joseph & Quinn won a No DQ title match at the King of the Ring PPV, gaining the upper hand on their rivals. In July, American Cool was forced to defend their #1 contender spots against the Bullet Boyz, and Joseph disguised himself as the ringside timekeeper so he could interfere and cost Antonio & Krizz the match. G.L.O.W. was then scheduled to defend their titles against the Bullet Boyz at the Night of Champions PPV. But at the PPV, Antonio disguised himself as one of the cameramen and got payback by interfering and costing G.L.O.W. the match and their titles. Antonio's interference went against Smackdown GM Teddy Long's orders, so Teddy gave Joseph & Quinn a title rematch a few days later. They weren't able to win back the titles, but Teddy gave them another reward as well: a shot at Antonio's Intercontinental Title! Antonio would have to defend his title at Summerslam in a tag team match pitting American Cool against G.L.O.W. A rift grew between Antonio and Krizz, as Krizz began to realize that he could win the title himself. During the match, Antonio & Krizz fell into an argument and thanks to Quinn's willing sacrifice, Joseph pinned Antonio to win the match and his 3rd Intercontinental Title! Joseph retained the title against Antonio the next month thanks to Quinn's interference, but October saw the G.L.O.W. team go through some odd moments. First, Quinn paid off Billy Carter to help him win a Beat-the-Clock Challenge and become the #1 contender to Joseph's title. Then later, they were expected to defend their tag team #1 contender spots against Alpha & Omega. But midway through the match, Quinn attacked Joseph and cost them the match. Afterwards, Quinn revealed his long-term plan to betray Joseph and take the Intercontinental Title from him. At the Judgment Day PPV, Quinn was successful in beating Joseph and winning the belt. Joseph angrily tried to seek revenge and a title rematch, but he failed to win back the title at Survivor Series. Joseph may have suffered a tough loss near the end of the fall, but the "Fantastic Frenchman" still remains a force to be reckoned with.
The "Fantastic Frenchman" has put together a pretty impressive resume, and this past year added a few more accomplishments to it. Joseph was the reigning Intercontinental Champion over the winter months, but it was discovered late in February that he had been paying off opponents to help him retain the title and avoid facing a "real" threat. Antonio Jordan eavesdropped on a conversation between Joseph and Billy Carter, and then exposed the underhanded payment plan. Joseph was upset that Antonio had revealed the truth, but he did admit that he used a little bit of his wealth to keep his reign alive. Antonio earned a title shot and the two feuded in the lead-up to WrestleMania. On the WWE's biggest stage, Antonio ended Joseph's reign. The Frenchman wanted a rematch but failed to recapture the title at the Backlash PPV. After also losing his girlfriend Eve Torres, Joseph was down and depressed over his bad luck. But out of the depths appeared an unlikely ally, former European rival and new Smackdown debut Quinn Cadbury! Joseph and Quinn formed the G.L.O.W. team and very quickly made their way to the #1 contenders' spot. On the final episode of Raw in May, G.L.O.W. challenged Hell's Genius to a Tag Team Title match. Thanks to interference, Joseph & Quinn pulled the upset and gave them each their 1st Tag Team Title reigns! Joseph's rivalry with Antonio was reignited as his American Cool team wanted to take the Tag Team belts away from the European duo. But Joseph & Quinn won a No DQ title match at the King of the Ring PPV, gaining the upper hand on their rivals. In July, American Cool was forced to defend their #1 contender spots against the Bullet Boyz, and Joseph disguised himself as the ringside timekeeper so he could interfere and cost Antonio & Krizz the match. G.L.O.W. was then scheduled to defend their titles against the Bullet Boyz at the Night of Champions PPV. But at the PPV, Antonio disguised himself as one of the cameramen and got payback by interfering and costing G.L.O.W. the match and their titles. Antonio's interference went against Smackdown GM Teddy Long's orders, so Teddy gave Joseph & Quinn a title rematch a few days later. They weren't able to win back the titles, but Teddy gave them another reward as well: a shot at Antonio's Intercontinental Title! Antonio would have to defend his title at Summerslam in a tag team match pitting American Cool against G.L.O.W. A rift grew between Antonio and Krizz, as Krizz began to realize that he could win the title himself. During the match, Antonio & Krizz fell into an argument and thanks to Quinn's willing sacrifice, Joseph pinned Antonio to win the match and his 3rd Intercontinental Title! Joseph retained the title against Antonio the next month thanks to Quinn's interference, but October saw the G.L.O.W. team go through some odd moments. First, Quinn paid off Billy Carter to help him win a Beat-the-Clock Challenge and become the #1 contender to Joseph's title. Then later, they were expected to defend their tag team #1 contender spots against Alpha & Omega. But midway through the match, Quinn attacked Joseph and cost them the match. Afterwards, Quinn revealed his long-term plan to betray Joseph and take the Intercontinental Title from him. At the Judgment Day PPV, Quinn was successful in beating Joseph and winning the belt. Joseph angrily tried to seek revenge and a title rematch, but he failed to win back the title at Survivor Series. Joseph may have suffered a tough loss near the end of the fall, but the "Fantastic Frenchman" still remains a force to be reckoned with.
Eric Executioner
The narcissist went through a major change in demeanor this past year, transitioning from the brash, self-centered competitor to a silent, dangerous and more aggressive force. The change coincided with his alignment with Mr. Black as his new manager, and it has led to one of Eric's most successful runs on the WWE roster. After losing the World Heavyweight Title to Gravedigger last year, the narcissist went on a months-long quest to regain the title. During which, he ended his partnership with Mack Wheeler and started a feud with him. Despite multiple attempts at the World Title, Eric was unable to recapture the gold. At the conclusion of the Elimination Chamber PPV, Eric was approached by Mr. Black and left with him in a town car. Eric's next appearance displayed his new attitude. Eric has not spoken since and has shown no remorse for some very heinous actions. Eric and Gravedigger feuded in the buildup to WrestleMania, and a stipulation was added to their match: the loser leaves Smackdown! Under Mr. Black's guide, Eric defeated 'Digger and sent a message that this new version of Eric was a dangerous force. Eric continued to dominate the blue brand, squashing opponents and winning in impressive fashion. In June, Eric was an injury replacement in the reinstated King of the Ring Tournament. Eric rolled easily through the Smackdown side of the bracket, beating H.E.R.O. in the final to qualify for the PPV final against Raw's finalist. Eric then defeated Renegade and earned himself a World Heavyweight Title match at the next PPV. Eric and Mr. Black turned their attention to reigning champ Rebel Ford and Women's champ Eve Torres, and they began to intimidate the champion couple. At the Night of Champions PPV, Eric beat Rebel to capture his 3rd World Title. A few days later, Mr. Black broke their silence with a scathing promo, revealing that their desire to rule Smackdown with the World Title in tow was the plan all along. Rebel responded and demanded a title rematch, but Eric and Mr. Black continued to play mind games. At the end of a Smackdown episode, they abducted Eve and held her hostage for over a week. The following week, Rebel managed to outsmart them and save her but the damage was done. Mr. Black delivered a difficult ultimatum to Rebel days before the Summerslam PPV, and there was a lot of tension heading into their rematch. At Summerslam, Rebel gave Eric a tough battle and worried Mr. Black. The creepy manager ordered Eric to use a steel chair to deliberate take a DQ loss, to which Eric reluctantly agreed to do. With the title still in their possession and their threat of traumatizing Eve more in play, the feud continued and got more intense after their distraction caused Eve to lose her Women's Title. Eve then decided to take a personal leave and end her relationship with Rebel, which caused Rebel to have a mental breakdown. Weeks of vicious brawls erupted between Rebel and Eric, leading to a Hell in a Cell title match. At the Hell in a Cell PPV, Eric narrowly defeated Rebel thanks to an injury suffered late in the match to retain his title. With Rebel on the injury list, Ace emerged as a new contender. The former rivals reignited their feud and prepared to face off at the next PPV. At Judgment Day, Eric defeated Ace to again keep the title. In November, Antonio Jordan beat Ace in a #1 contender's match to put himself in line for a World Title shot. But despite Antonio's confidence, Eric again won and retained the title. Eric has been reigning as World champ for nearly 5 months and at this point, does not seem capable of losing it yet!
The narcissist went through a major change in demeanor this past year, transitioning from the brash, self-centered competitor to a silent, dangerous and more aggressive force. The change coincided with his alignment with Mr. Black as his new manager, and it has led to one of Eric's most successful runs on the WWE roster. After losing the World Heavyweight Title to Gravedigger last year, the narcissist went on a months-long quest to regain the title. During which, he ended his partnership with Mack Wheeler and started a feud with him. Despite multiple attempts at the World Title, Eric was unable to recapture the gold. At the conclusion of the Elimination Chamber PPV, Eric was approached by Mr. Black and left with him in a town car. Eric's next appearance displayed his new attitude. Eric has not spoken since and has shown no remorse for some very heinous actions. Eric and Gravedigger feuded in the buildup to WrestleMania, and a stipulation was added to their match: the loser leaves Smackdown! Under Mr. Black's guide, Eric defeated 'Digger and sent a message that this new version of Eric was a dangerous force. Eric continued to dominate the blue brand, squashing opponents and winning in impressive fashion. In June, Eric was an injury replacement in the reinstated King of the Ring Tournament. Eric rolled easily through the Smackdown side of the bracket, beating H.E.R.O. in the final to qualify for the PPV final against Raw's finalist. Eric then defeated Renegade and earned himself a World Heavyweight Title match at the next PPV. Eric and Mr. Black turned their attention to reigning champ Rebel Ford and Women's champ Eve Torres, and they began to intimidate the champion couple. At the Night of Champions PPV, Eric beat Rebel to capture his 3rd World Title. A few days later, Mr. Black broke their silence with a scathing promo, revealing that their desire to rule Smackdown with the World Title in tow was the plan all along. Rebel responded and demanded a title rematch, but Eric and Mr. Black continued to play mind games. At the end of a Smackdown episode, they abducted Eve and held her hostage for over a week. The following week, Rebel managed to outsmart them and save her but the damage was done. Mr. Black delivered a difficult ultimatum to Rebel days before the Summerslam PPV, and there was a lot of tension heading into their rematch. At Summerslam, Rebel gave Eric a tough battle and worried Mr. Black. The creepy manager ordered Eric to use a steel chair to deliberate take a DQ loss, to which Eric reluctantly agreed to do. With the title still in their possession and their threat of traumatizing Eve more in play, the feud continued and got more intense after their distraction caused Eve to lose her Women's Title. Eve then decided to take a personal leave and end her relationship with Rebel, which caused Rebel to have a mental breakdown. Weeks of vicious brawls erupted between Rebel and Eric, leading to a Hell in a Cell title match. At the Hell in a Cell PPV, Eric narrowly defeated Rebel thanks to an injury suffered late in the match to retain his title. With Rebel on the injury list, Ace emerged as a new contender. The former rivals reignited their feud and prepared to face off at the next PPV. At Judgment Day, Eric defeated Ace to again keep the title. In November, Antonio Jordan beat Ace in a #1 contender's match to put himself in line for a World Title shot. But despite Antonio's confidence, Eric again won and retained the title. Eric has been reigning as World champ for nearly 5 months and at this point, does not seem capable of losing it yet!
Antonio Jordan
The "Mastermind" has had a fairly slow ascent up the Smackdown rankings, but lately that ascent has definitely sped up. Looking back over the past year, Antonio scored one big accomplishment and was a regular part of each Smackdown episode. In the winter months, Antonio began to focus more on his individual performance although he still maintained a strong partnership with Krizz Torture. In February, he earned a spot in the Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Title. Days before the PPV, he overheard a conversation between Intercontinental champ Joseph T. Lutte and Billy Carter where they discussed payment for Billy to lose in a title match to Joseph. Antonio kept the information quiet for a week and focused on the title match at the PPV. "America's Favorite" was quite impressive, recording 3 eliminations and finished runner-up to Ace, who retained his title by winning the match. Days later, Antonio exposed Joseph's months-long payment plan to corruptly keep his Intercontinental Title without a real challenger emerging. Antonio then won a #1 contender's match and sparked a feud with the "Fantastic Frenchman". At WrestleMania, Antonio won his 1st singles title since being drafted over to Smackdown! Antonio reigned for several months as he and Krizz continued to feud with Joseph, and eventually Quinn Cadbury as well. Audrey Vega made her WWE debut and quicky began to develop a relationship with Antonio. Antonio retained his title against Joseph at the Backlash PPV. After G.L.O.W. won the Tag Team Titles in May, Antonio & Krizz re-focused their attention on the tag team division. They earned a title shot against their European rivals and prepared to face them in a No DQ match at the King of the Ring PPV. Unfortunately, Joseph & Quinn retained their titles. In July, Antonio & Krizz were forced to defend their #1 contender spots against the Bullet Boyz on an episode of Smackdown. Joseph disguised himself as the ringside timekeeper and interfered in the match, costing American Cool their chances for a rematch. In an act of defiant revenge, Antonio disguised himself as one of the cameraman at the Night of Champions PPV. During the Tag Team Title match, Antonio interfered and helped the Bullet Boyz upset G.L.O.W. to win the titles. As a result of his actions, which went directly against Smackdown GM Teddy Long's wishes, Antonio was forced to defend his Intercontinental Title at Summerslam in a tag team match against G.L.O.W. When Krizz came to the realization that he could win the title too, a rift began to grow between him and Antonio. The European duo exploited an argument between the American Cool partners, and Joseph pinned Antonio to win the match and the title. In September, Antonio challenged Joseph to a rematch. But at the Hell in a Cell PPV, Quinn disguised himself as one of Joseph's hired bodyguards and interfered on his partner's behalf, costing Antonio the match. The "Mastermind" continued to win matches and rise up the ranks, and got a big opportunity in November. He challenged and beat Ace in a #1 contender's match, giving Antonio his first one-on-one World Heavyweight Title match. Despite showing no fear of Eric Executioner nor his creepy manager, Mr. Black, Antonio lost the title match at the Survivor Series PPV. Antonio is one of the WWE's best wrestlers and will be a main-event superstar for years to come.
The "Mastermind" has had a fairly slow ascent up the Smackdown rankings, but lately that ascent has definitely sped up. Looking back over the past year, Antonio scored one big accomplishment and was a regular part of each Smackdown episode. In the winter months, Antonio began to focus more on his individual performance although he still maintained a strong partnership with Krizz Torture. In February, he earned a spot in the Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Title. Days before the PPV, he overheard a conversation between Intercontinental champ Joseph T. Lutte and Billy Carter where they discussed payment for Billy to lose in a title match to Joseph. Antonio kept the information quiet for a week and focused on the title match at the PPV. "America's Favorite" was quite impressive, recording 3 eliminations and finished runner-up to Ace, who retained his title by winning the match. Days later, Antonio exposed Joseph's months-long payment plan to corruptly keep his Intercontinental Title without a real challenger emerging. Antonio then won a #1 contender's match and sparked a feud with the "Fantastic Frenchman". At WrestleMania, Antonio won his 1st singles title since being drafted over to Smackdown! Antonio reigned for several months as he and Krizz continued to feud with Joseph, and eventually Quinn Cadbury as well. Audrey Vega made her WWE debut and quicky began to develop a relationship with Antonio. Antonio retained his title against Joseph at the Backlash PPV. After G.L.O.W. won the Tag Team Titles in May, Antonio & Krizz re-focused their attention on the tag team division. They earned a title shot against their European rivals and prepared to face them in a No DQ match at the King of the Ring PPV. Unfortunately, Joseph & Quinn retained their titles. In July, Antonio & Krizz were forced to defend their #1 contender spots against the Bullet Boyz on an episode of Smackdown. Joseph disguised himself as the ringside timekeeper and interfered in the match, costing American Cool their chances for a rematch. In an act of defiant revenge, Antonio disguised himself as one of the cameraman at the Night of Champions PPV. During the Tag Team Title match, Antonio interfered and helped the Bullet Boyz upset G.L.O.W. to win the titles. As a result of his actions, which went directly against Smackdown GM Teddy Long's wishes, Antonio was forced to defend his Intercontinental Title at Summerslam in a tag team match against G.L.O.W. When Krizz came to the realization that he could win the title too, a rift began to grow between him and Antonio. The European duo exploited an argument between the American Cool partners, and Joseph pinned Antonio to win the match and the title. In September, Antonio challenged Joseph to a rematch. But at the Hell in a Cell PPV, Quinn disguised himself as one of Joseph's hired bodyguards and interfered on his partner's behalf, costing Antonio the match. The "Mastermind" continued to win matches and rise up the ranks, and got a big opportunity in November. He challenged and beat Ace in a #1 contender's match, giving Antonio his first one-on-one World Heavyweight Title match. Despite showing no fear of Eric Executioner nor his creepy manager, Mr. Black, Antonio lost the title match at the Survivor Series PPV. Antonio is one of the WWE's best wrestlers and will be a main-event superstar for years to come.
Rebel Ford
The rebellious fan favorite had a meteoric rise up the rankings in the past year, and has emerged as a serious main event player. Rebel made a return from injury at the Royal Rumble, entering at #20 and was the final elimination, finishing runner-up to winner Carson Pain. His performance was a sign of things to come. Despite not earning any title opportunities to end Year 2, that changed immediately at the beginning of Year 3. It was revealed on the first Smackdown of the year that Rebel was the mystery draft pick, and given a World Heavyweight Title match that night! To close the show, Rebel upset Ace to win his 1st World Heavyweight Title on his first night as a member of the blue brand. A rivalry with Ace developed, along with a relationship with Women's champ Eve Torres. Rebel's former girlfriend Melina defected from Raw briefly and a "Winners Take All" mixed tag match was made for the King of the Ring PPV, where Rebel and Eve had to defend both of their titles against Ace and Melina. They were successful, and another challenger emerged at the same PPV when Eric Executioner won the namesake tournament and gave himself a title shot. At the Night of Champions PPV, Eric defeated Rebel to win his 3rd World Title. A very strange, deeply personal rivalry developed between Rebel, Eric and creepy manager Mr. Black. During August, Rebel had to save Eve from an abduction by Eric & Mr. Black and was given a difficult decision to face at the Summerslam PPV. Rebel won the match against Eric by DQ, and therefore didn't win back the belt. Eve took a personal leave of absence because of the emotional, mental and physical trauma she felt, which set off Rebel and led to a Hell in a Cell rematch against Eric. At the namesake PPV in September, Eric and Rebel had a very physical battle inside the demonic structure. Near the end of the match, Rebel suffered a broken ankle but still nearly claimed victory. The injury caused the loss and since then Rebel has only been seen sporadically and has not competed. But he remains a very young and promising superstar and has shown the ability to return from injury at full strength, so it will be interesting to see what happens when he returns soon!
The rebellious fan favorite had a meteoric rise up the rankings in the past year, and has emerged as a serious main event player. Rebel made a return from injury at the Royal Rumble, entering at #20 and was the final elimination, finishing runner-up to winner Carson Pain. His performance was a sign of things to come. Despite not earning any title opportunities to end Year 2, that changed immediately at the beginning of Year 3. It was revealed on the first Smackdown of the year that Rebel was the mystery draft pick, and given a World Heavyweight Title match that night! To close the show, Rebel upset Ace to win his 1st World Heavyweight Title on his first night as a member of the blue brand. A rivalry with Ace developed, along with a relationship with Women's champ Eve Torres. Rebel's former girlfriend Melina defected from Raw briefly and a "Winners Take All" mixed tag match was made for the King of the Ring PPV, where Rebel and Eve had to defend both of their titles against Ace and Melina. They were successful, and another challenger emerged at the same PPV when Eric Executioner won the namesake tournament and gave himself a title shot. At the Night of Champions PPV, Eric defeated Rebel to win his 3rd World Title. A very strange, deeply personal rivalry developed between Rebel, Eric and creepy manager Mr. Black. During August, Rebel had to save Eve from an abduction by Eric & Mr. Black and was given a difficult decision to face at the Summerslam PPV. Rebel won the match against Eric by DQ, and therefore didn't win back the belt. Eve took a personal leave of absence because of the emotional, mental and physical trauma she felt, which set off Rebel and led to a Hell in a Cell rematch against Eric. At the namesake PPV in September, Eric and Rebel had a very physical battle inside the demonic structure. Near the end of the match, Rebel suffered a broken ankle but still nearly claimed victory. The injury caused the loss and since then Rebel has only been seen sporadically and has not competed. But he remains a very young and promising superstar and has shown the ability to return from injury at full strength, so it will be interesting to see what happens when he returns soon!
WINNER: David Degenerate
Match of the Year
Hell in a Cell PPV
World Heavyweight Championship (Hell in a Cell):
Eric Executioner [C] vs. Rebel Ford
The build-up to this match was almost as exciting as the match itself. Back in June, Eric Executioner won the returning King of the Ring Tournament and earned himself a World Heavyweight Title match at the next PPV, Night of Champions. The current champion at the time? The emerging fan favorite Rebel Ford, who had just defended his title in a mixed-tag match at the same PPV where Eric won the King of the Ring Tournament. Their rivalry began in July and it was clear right away that these men were not going to like each other in any way. Eric and Mr. Black tried aggressive, physical attacks and psychological mind games with the young champion and his girlfriend, Women's champ Eve Torres. Rebel tried to maintain his focus and defend his honor, but Eric won the title match at Night of Champions to claim his 3rd World Title. The feud continued into August, which saw Eric and Mr. Black abduct Eve, Rebel outsmart them the next week to save her, and Mr. Black issue a very strange ultimatum. At the Summerslam PPV, Eric lost the match by taking a DQ, which preserved his title reign and gave Mr. Black the result he desired - since Rebel "won" the match, he was still going to play mind games with Eve! Soon after, Eve was defending her Women's Title in a battle royal on Smackdown but Eric and Mr. Black appeared. Their appearance was only a distraction, and Eve lost the match and her title belt. The following week, Eve informed Rebel that she was ending their relationship and taking some personal time off. This sent Rebel into a mental breakdown, in which he began viciously attacking Eric. Rebel wanted to face Eric in the hellacious cell structure, while Mr. Black took it upon himself to put the World Title on the line, against Eric's wishes.
The match itself was a brutal, personal war between two men that just wanted to beat each other to death. Everything was used as a weapon: chairs, steel steps, and especially the cell itself! It was a very close battle as Rebel made Mr. Black nervous that he could actually pull the upset and win the title back. But near the end of the match, Eric placed Rebel's foot and ankle inside a chair and stomped down hard, which broke Rebel's ankle! Despite the injury, Rebel carried on and actually had the narcissist dazed and reeling. But when Rebel attempted to lift his bigger foe to deliver his finishing move, his one healthy leg couldn't support all the weight and the move attempt failed. Eric capitalized on the moment, delivering his finisher and winning the match. Eric walked away a beaten man, despite still remaining champion. Rebel was carted out by medical personnel and still has not returned to ring action at this time. The match was incredible and took everything out of them, especially after a long and mentally-straining feud.
World Heavyweight Championship (Hell in a Cell):
Eric Executioner [C] vs. Rebel Ford
The build-up to this match was almost as exciting as the match itself. Back in June, Eric Executioner won the returning King of the Ring Tournament and earned himself a World Heavyweight Title match at the next PPV, Night of Champions. The current champion at the time? The emerging fan favorite Rebel Ford, who had just defended his title in a mixed-tag match at the same PPV where Eric won the King of the Ring Tournament. Their rivalry began in July and it was clear right away that these men were not going to like each other in any way. Eric and Mr. Black tried aggressive, physical attacks and psychological mind games with the young champion and his girlfriend, Women's champ Eve Torres. Rebel tried to maintain his focus and defend his honor, but Eric won the title match at Night of Champions to claim his 3rd World Title. The feud continued into August, which saw Eric and Mr. Black abduct Eve, Rebel outsmart them the next week to save her, and Mr. Black issue a very strange ultimatum. At the Summerslam PPV, Eric lost the match by taking a DQ, which preserved his title reign and gave Mr. Black the result he desired - since Rebel "won" the match, he was still going to play mind games with Eve! Soon after, Eve was defending her Women's Title in a battle royal on Smackdown but Eric and Mr. Black appeared. Their appearance was only a distraction, and Eve lost the match and her title belt. The following week, Eve informed Rebel that she was ending their relationship and taking some personal time off. This sent Rebel into a mental breakdown, in which he began viciously attacking Eric. Rebel wanted to face Eric in the hellacious cell structure, while Mr. Black took it upon himself to put the World Title on the line, against Eric's wishes.
The match itself was a brutal, personal war between two men that just wanted to beat each other to death. Everything was used as a weapon: chairs, steel steps, and especially the cell itself! It was a very close battle as Rebel made Mr. Black nervous that he could actually pull the upset and win the title back. But near the end of the match, Eric placed Rebel's foot and ankle inside a chair and stomped down hard, which broke Rebel's ankle! Despite the injury, Rebel carried on and actually had the narcissist dazed and reeling. But when Rebel attempted to lift his bigger foe to deliver his finishing move, his one healthy leg couldn't support all the weight and the move attempt failed. Eric capitalized on the moment, delivering his finisher and winning the match. Eric walked away a beaten man, despite still remaining champion. Rebel was carted out by medical personnel and still has not returned to ring action at this time. The match was incredible and took everything out of them, especially after a long and mentally-straining feud.
Survivor Series PPV
WWE Championship (60-Minute Iron Man):
David Degenerate [C] vs. Carson Pain
This match is nominated for Match of the Year and similar to some of the other nominees, it features a big match near the end of a long and personal rivalry. Carson and David's rivalry actually stretches back to last year, when Carson was officially drafted over to Raw. Carson quickly became #1 contender and put himself in direct line for David's WWE Title. "The Original" didn't win the title then, but the seeds of hate were planted. The two would interact again later in the year, when David attacked Carson at the Night of Champions PPV. This, along with another ongoing feud, led to a Fatal 4-Way match at Summerslam for the U.S. Title. David won that match and the title, but the feud continued between them. Finally at Survivor Series, Carson defeated David to win his 1st U.S. Title. They continued to battle over the belt, but Carson retained and seemed to have David's number. David then made a big move in January, joining forces with WWE champ DMK. This didn't affect Carson that much... until "The Original" won the Royal Rumble at the end of the month! That gave the U.S. champ a WrestleMania title match against DMK, and put him right in the cross-hairs of the Hell's Genius power team. At Elimination Chamber the following month, David again challenged for the U.S. Title and used a distraction from DMK to upset Carson and win back the title. At WrestleMania though, Carson outlasted DMK to win his 1st WWE Title. The two were still rivals but didn't really interact much for a few months, until David attacked Carson following his win in a Triple Threat match at Night of Champions PPV. The next night, David revealed that he had formed an alliance with WWE Chairman Mr. McMahon and was being put into a 4-way match at Summerslam for Carson's WWE Title. Thanks to Mr. McMahon's help, David pinned Carson last to win the match and his 3rd WWE Title. This sparked their most-recent feud, and arguably their most personal of all. Carson challenged to a rematch at the Hell in a Cell PPV, but David faked an injury and took a countout loss to retain. The next month, Carson again got another title shot against David but this time inside a steel cage. Carson appeared to have the match won, but Mr. McMahon shoved the referee into the cage door just as Carson was climbing out, giving David enough time to escape and win. Finally, that brings us to this match, the 60-minute Iron Man match. Exactly one year after Carson beat David to win the U.S. Title, they were facing off again... but this time for David's WWE Title!
The Iron Man match featured some of the best wrestling in any match this year. Carson and David are well-known for their athleticism, and it was on full display for this match. They both used every second of that time limit to try and score pinfalls or submissions, but both men were extremely resilient. David tried to use underhanded tactics to help out early in the match, but the referee saw him strike Carson with a chair and awarded the first fall to Carson. "The Original" maintained his 1-0 lead for a long time, but about midway through the match, David nailed his foe with a flying elbow and got the first pinfall to knot the score at 1-1. The score remained tied as the timer ticked down, and Carson slowly began to dominate the match. It seemed like his next fall could happen at any moment, but David refused to stay down or tap out. Finally, with only a few minutes left, David surprised Carson with a tight roll-up and secretly used the ropes for leverage to get a pinfall, taking a 2-1 lead. Carson, angry from the cheap pinfall, went on a furious run trying to desperately tie the score before the timer ran out. With under a minute left, Carson hit his signature and locked in his Ankle Pain finishing submission hold! The seconds ticked away and David struggled to avoid tapping out, while Carson applied enormous pressure. Eventually the timer ran out before David could tap out, and Carson was stunned that he lost the match. David, although unable to walk properly on one of his ankles, celebrated the win over his hated rival.
WWE Championship (60-Minute Iron Man):
David Degenerate [C] vs. Carson Pain
This match is nominated for Match of the Year and similar to some of the other nominees, it features a big match near the end of a long and personal rivalry. Carson and David's rivalry actually stretches back to last year, when Carson was officially drafted over to Raw. Carson quickly became #1 contender and put himself in direct line for David's WWE Title. "The Original" didn't win the title then, but the seeds of hate were planted. The two would interact again later in the year, when David attacked Carson at the Night of Champions PPV. This, along with another ongoing feud, led to a Fatal 4-Way match at Summerslam for the U.S. Title. David won that match and the title, but the feud continued between them. Finally at Survivor Series, Carson defeated David to win his 1st U.S. Title. They continued to battle over the belt, but Carson retained and seemed to have David's number. David then made a big move in January, joining forces with WWE champ DMK. This didn't affect Carson that much... until "The Original" won the Royal Rumble at the end of the month! That gave the U.S. champ a WrestleMania title match against DMK, and put him right in the cross-hairs of the Hell's Genius power team. At Elimination Chamber the following month, David again challenged for the U.S. Title and used a distraction from DMK to upset Carson and win back the title. At WrestleMania though, Carson outlasted DMK to win his 1st WWE Title. The two were still rivals but didn't really interact much for a few months, until David attacked Carson following his win in a Triple Threat match at Night of Champions PPV. The next night, David revealed that he had formed an alliance with WWE Chairman Mr. McMahon and was being put into a 4-way match at Summerslam for Carson's WWE Title. Thanks to Mr. McMahon's help, David pinned Carson last to win the match and his 3rd WWE Title. This sparked their most-recent feud, and arguably their most personal of all. Carson challenged to a rematch at the Hell in a Cell PPV, but David faked an injury and took a countout loss to retain. The next month, Carson again got another title shot against David but this time inside a steel cage. Carson appeared to have the match won, but Mr. McMahon shoved the referee into the cage door just as Carson was climbing out, giving David enough time to escape and win. Finally, that brings us to this match, the 60-minute Iron Man match. Exactly one year after Carson beat David to win the U.S. Title, they were facing off again... but this time for David's WWE Title!
The Iron Man match featured some of the best wrestling in any match this year. Carson and David are well-known for their athleticism, and it was on full display for this match. They both used every second of that time limit to try and score pinfalls or submissions, but both men were extremely resilient. David tried to use underhanded tactics to help out early in the match, but the referee saw him strike Carson with a chair and awarded the first fall to Carson. "The Original" maintained his 1-0 lead for a long time, but about midway through the match, David nailed his foe with a flying elbow and got the first pinfall to knot the score at 1-1. The score remained tied as the timer ticked down, and Carson slowly began to dominate the match. It seemed like his next fall could happen at any moment, but David refused to stay down or tap out. Finally, with only a few minutes left, David surprised Carson with a tight roll-up and secretly used the ropes for leverage to get a pinfall, taking a 2-1 lead. Carson, angry from the cheap pinfall, went on a furious run trying to desperately tie the score before the timer ran out. With under a minute left, Carson hit his signature and locked in his Ankle Pain finishing submission hold! The seconds ticked away and David struggled to avoid tapping out, while Carson applied enormous pressure. Eventually the timer ran out before David could tap out, and Carson was stunned that he lost the match. David, although unable to walk properly on one of his ankles, celebrated the win over his hated rival.
Summerslam PPV
United States Championship (Extreme Rules Falls Count Anywhere):
Renegade [C] vs. Big Mutha Trucker
The battle over the U.S. Title took a brutal turn over the course of the summer, and it led to a spectacular match at one of the WWE's biggest events. Big Mutha Trucker was the reigning U.S. champ heading into July, after vanquishing rival David Degenerate. Renegade was fresh off a runner-up finish in the King of the Ring Tournament, and a few weeks later he won a #1 contender battle royal to give himself a shot at Trucker's title. The feud developed, and fans were excited to see them face of at the Night of Champions PPV. Renegade won the match and the title, but he needed to deliver 3 finishing Kick-olutions to do it. After the match, Renegade attacked Trucker wildly and began to make fans wonder about his mental stability. The rivalry continued into August as Trucker seeked a rematch, but he didn't seem to faze his foe. Finally, Trucker challenged Renegade to a non-title match, with the winner choosing the stipulation for their title rematch. The "Resident Redneck" won the match and, after Renegade lost a chance to pick the stipulation the following week, Trucker revealed his choice - an Extreme Rules, Falls Count Anywhere match! Trucker, the 4-time Hardcore champ, thought it would give him the advantage he needed to win back the U.S. Title.
The match was an incredible, brutal fight between an unstable, crazed champion and his determined, tough-as-nails challenger. Weapons of all kinds and the entire ringside environment was used, as both men took pleasure in delivering pain to each other. But the most shocking moment that really pushed the match to another level was the move Renegade used to win the match. The party animal placed Trucker onto the announce table and looked around for an idea of how to punish his opponent. The unstable champ spotted the ladder in the ring and decided to attempt something... insane! Renegade re-entered the ring, positioned the ladder as close to the ropes as possible and climbed up. The fans were unsure if Renegade was really going to attempt the dangerous leap, but the champ steadied himself... and jumped off! Renegade flew over the ropes and smashed Trucker through the announce table with a massive elbow drop! Renegade pinned Trucker right there on the ringside floor to retain the title. After the match, a crazed Renegade attacked Trucker with a steel chair, forcing ringside officials to intervene and end the unwarranted assault. It was an unfortunate punctuation to a great match.
United States Championship (Extreme Rules Falls Count Anywhere):
Renegade [C] vs. Big Mutha Trucker
The battle over the U.S. Title took a brutal turn over the course of the summer, and it led to a spectacular match at one of the WWE's biggest events. Big Mutha Trucker was the reigning U.S. champ heading into July, after vanquishing rival David Degenerate. Renegade was fresh off a runner-up finish in the King of the Ring Tournament, and a few weeks later he won a #1 contender battle royal to give himself a shot at Trucker's title. The feud developed, and fans were excited to see them face of at the Night of Champions PPV. Renegade won the match and the title, but he needed to deliver 3 finishing Kick-olutions to do it. After the match, Renegade attacked Trucker wildly and began to make fans wonder about his mental stability. The rivalry continued into August as Trucker seeked a rematch, but he didn't seem to faze his foe. Finally, Trucker challenged Renegade to a non-title match, with the winner choosing the stipulation for their title rematch. The "Resident Redneck" won the match and, after Renegade lost a chance to pick the stipulation the following week, Trucker revealed his choice - an Extreme Rules, Falls Count Anywhere match! Trucker, the 4-time Hardcore champ, thought it would give him the advantage he needed to win back the U.S. Title.
The match was an incredible, brutal fight between an unstable, crazed champion and his determined, tough-as-nails challenger. Weapons of all kinds and the entire ringside environment was used, as both men took pleasure in delivering pain to each other. But the most shocking moment that really pushed the match to another level was the move Renegade used to win the match. The party animal placed Trucker onto the announce table and looked around for an idea of how to punish his opponent. The unstable champ spotted the ladder in the ring and decided to attempt something... insane! Renegade re-entered the ring, positioned the ladder as close to the ropes as possible and climbed up. The fans were unsure if Renegade was really going to attempt the dangerous leap, but the champ steadied himself... and jumped off! Renegade flew over the ropes and smashed Trucker through the announce table with a massive elbow drop! Renegade pinned Trucker right there on the ringside floor to retain the title. After the match, a crazed Renegade attacked Trucker with a steel chair, forcing ringside officials to intervene and end the unwarranted assault. It was an unfortunate punctuation to a great match.
Hell in a Cell PPV
Hell in a Cell Match:
DMK vs. Gravedigger
The feud between DMK and Gravedigger reached levels of brutality that rival anything ever seen in WWE history. It started when 'Digger made his Raw debut at the Extreme Rules PPV, attacking DMK in the middle of the WWE Title match and causing a DQ. Gravedigger then revealed that he had targeted DMK because he represented everything that the "Graveyard Monster" wanted to be: a tough, dark man to be feared. 'Digger wanted to be the one feared on the red brand, and believed that removing DMK from the picture was the only way to achieve his goal. A challenge was made for the King of the Ring PPV for a No DQ match. At the PPV, Gravedigger caused DMK to bleed and emerged victorious from an intense battle. But moments after the match, DMK rose off the mat and appeared to challenge 'Digger again, to which the fans viewed as DMK's return to the good side. Gravedigger tried to turn his attention to Carson Pain and the WWE Title, but DMK intervened and made his own claim to the title. At the Night of Champions PPV, Carson retained the title by smacking DMK with a chair late in the match and pinning Gravedigger. Their challenge for the WWE Title continued, although David Degenerate was entered into the match by Mr. McMahon. At Summerslam, DMK and 'Digger were controversially eliminated from the match by double countout and Gravedigger beat DMK viciously in response. This led to September with the Hell in a Cell PPV approaching. DMK and Gravedigger continued to brutally fight each other, which caused Raw GM Stephanie McMahon to issue a warning. She would grant them another match in the demonic Hell in a Cell structure, but they could NOT make physical contact until the PPV! The rivals played some mind games with each other, trying to coax the other into a brawl. Somehow, they resisted and built up all their aggression to use inside Hell in a Cell!
The match was a brutal display of two angered, strong heavyweights trying to destroy each other. Fans were stunned at the violence shown, as weapons and the cell itself were used to inflict pain. The two biggest and most dangerous moments of the match helped DMK pull off the big victory. The first moment happened after repeated use of the cell began to weaken a portion of it. The cell had already held one match prior in the evening, and DMK and 'Digger also slammed each other into the metal walls. With 'Digger leaned up against the cell wall, DMK sprinted and speared him through it! The cell wall busted open and both men were down for a significant period of time. Later on, both men climbed to the top of the cell and brawled high above the ring. DMK got control of the "Monster" and was able to deliver his signature move right onto the cell ceiling. The force of the move broke a section of the ceiling, and 'Digger crashed down to the mat below! DMK climbed down safely and used the advantage to hit his rival with a vicious finishing Checkmate chokeslam, pinning him to win the match. DMK had finally vanquished the "Graveyard Monster" despite needing such a vicious scene of brutality to do it.
Hell in a Cell Match:
DMK vs. Gravedigger
The feud between DMK and Gravedigger reached levels of brutality that rival anything ever seen in WWE history. It started when 'Digger made his Raw debut at the Extreme Rules PPV, attacking DMK in the middle of the WWE Title match and causing a DQ. Gravedigger then revealed that he had targeted DMK because he represented everything that the "Graveyard Monster" wanted to be: a tough, dark man to be feared. 'Digger wanted to be the one feared on the red brand, and believed that removing DMK from the picture was the only way to achieve his goal. A challenge was made for the King of the Ring PPV for a No DQ match. At the PPV, Gravedigger caused DMK to bleed and emerged victorious from an intense battle. But moments after the match, DMK rose off the mat and appeared to challenge 'Digger again, to which the fans viewed as DMK's return to the good side. Gravedigger tried to turn his attention to Carson Pain and the WWE Title, but DMK intervened and made his own claim to the title. At the Night of Champions PPV, Carson retained the title by smacking DMK with a chair late in the match and pinning Gravedigger. Their challenge for the WWE Title continued, although David Degenerate was entered into the match by Mr. McMahon. At Summerslam, DMK and 'Digger were controversially eliminated from the match by double countout and Gravedigger beat DMK viciously in response. This led to September with the Hell in a Cell PPV approaching. DMK and Gravedigger continued to brutally fight each other, which caused Raw GM Stephanie McMahon to issue a warning. She would grant them another match in the demonic Hell in a Cell structure, but they could NOT make physical contact until the PPV! The rivals played some mind games with each other, trying to coax the other into a brawl. Somehow, they resisted and built up all their aggression to use inside Hell in a Cell!
The match was a brutal display of two angered, strong heavyweights trying to destroy each other. Fans were stunned at the violence shown, as weapons and the cell itself were used to inflict pain. The two biggest and most dangerous moments of the match helped DMK pull off the big victory. The first moment happened after repeated use of the cell began to weaken a portion of it. The cell had already held one match prior in the evening, and DMK and 'Digger also slammed each other into the metal walls. With 'Digger leaned up against the cell wall, DMK sprinted and speared him through it! The cell wall busted open and both men were down for a significant period of time. Later on, both men climbed to the top of the cell and brawled high above the ring. DMK got control of the "Monster" and was able to deliver his signature move right onto the cell ceiling. The force of the move broke a section of the ceiling, and 'Digger crashed down to the mat below! DMK climbed down safely and used the advantage to hit his rival with a vicious finishing Checkmate chokeslam, pinning him to win the match. DMK had finally vanquished the "Graveyard Monster" despite needing such a vicious scene of brutality to do it.
WINNER:
WWE Championship
(60-Minute Iron Man Match)
Survivor Series PPV
David Degenerate vs. Carson Pain
Quick Results
Breakout Star: Brett Diamond
Woman of the Year: Eve Torres
Most Shocking Moment: Gravedigger tries to burn DMK alive
Superstar of the Year: David Degenerate
Match of the Year:
Survivor Series PPV
WWE Championship (60-Minute Iron Man Match):
David Degenerate {C} vs. Carson Pain
Woman of the Year: Eve Torres
Most Shocking Moment: Gravedigger tries to burn DMK alive
Superstar of the Year: David Degenerate
Match of the Year:
Survivor Series PPV
WWE Championship (60-Minute Iron Man Match):
David Degenerate {C} vs. Carson Pain