----RRO AWARDS RACE 2009 begins NOW!!! I have listed the first 6 categories in this year’s race. If you are a member of the KAYFABE MESSSAGE BOARD, then you may click over and put all your nominations there. Or you may e-mail your picks, if you do not want to post them “in the open” on the board. Send your nominations in ASAP. PLEASE PICK 3 NOMINEES for each category!!! Send your e-mail to brian_tramel@yahoo with subject: RRO Nominees. Deadline for first 6 awards is Wednesday 12.16.09. You may also go over to the RRO AWARDS RACE blog by CLICKING HERE and get all the up to the date info on the awards!!! Below my picks and thoughts are the Columnists Consensus results from a poll I conducted via e-mail last week with them.
----Promotion of the Year 2009. Both the top picks are two different animals, but need the nods. Memphis Wrestling – USA promotion behind the booking expertise of Bert Prentice had a lot of the top crowds of the year. He slacked off on promoting shows because of his health, but MW-USAW done real well the first 6 months. RWA was drawing close to 800 fans every month with a weekly show. I am not sure if MW-USA could do that or not. RWA morphed into DoggCW and continues to draw good crowds. I give the top nod to DoggCW for promotion of the year. Third place I would pick either TIWF [#2 drawing group weekly in area] and NBW.
----Booker of the Year 2009: Who gave you the best storylines?? Who drew crowds because of the storylines?? Who promoted the shows so people would come out to see them?? I would have to go with DoggCW/RWA’s Rodney Mack, MW-USA Wrestling’s Bert Prentice and TIWF Committee here. All three promotions have done something to get the crowds in the building.
----Announcer of the Year 2009: Who is the best on the mic for TV or just announcing at the shows?? Brian Thompson, who worked over half the year at NEW, leads the pack here. He is a first class announcer and just plain good. I would go with Terrance Ward as my second pick as he has that old school feel to him. My third favorite is Michael Ward, who made IWA 10 times better by just announcing. John Steele should be mentioned – I would listen to him with any of the three above, but Steele is not always good alone. Rick The Stick also is good at the shows.
----Gimmick of the Year 2009: Who has the best gimmick?? No doubt about it – if you are been to a live show with the music and casket – The “Baron” Malkavain, who won the award last year, also is the top contender this year. I like the idea of a team name and a manager as part of the gimmick. Weird how this use to be just a tag team, but it is really more of gimmick now – “Midnight Gold”. I also have always liked “The Asylum” and like the “Natural Born Playa” gimmick.
----Manager of the Year 2009: Two of my favorites here are Brian Thompson and Jimmy Tidwell. They both are almost perfect in their roles. The only reason I would not actually pick them as the winners is because of their limited roles for the year. My two top picks are “Hollywood” Jimmy Blaylock and Rashard Devon, who have fought over this award for all the past three years.
----Referee of the Year 2009: 2008 winner Downtown Bruno has to lead the pack here. If you have not seen him work at NEW, then you need to go for a visit. He is not your typical “out of sight out of mind” referee that I usually like, but when it comes to the time in the match where he is needed only for the 3-count, he is there. Second I would go with Chuck Poe, who comes off as a total professional – in and out of the ring. I only seen this third guy do one show and he also works for MLW, but Kellen James is a damn good ref.
-Columnists Consensus
-Promotion: EWE, NEW, RWA/DoggCW
-Booker: Stan Lee, Rodney Mack, Bert Prentice
-Announcer: John Steele, Michael Ward, Terrance Ward
-Gimmick: Malkavain, Playas, Precious
-Manager: “Hollywood” Jimmy, Brian Thompson, Rashard Devon
-Referee: Downtown Bruno, Chuck Poe, Kellen James
