ECW Newsletter Awards '98
The 2nd Annual ECW Newsletter Year-End Awards are complete and I would like to thank everyone who voted!! We had a great return this year of 967 ballots from the fans on their favorite moments of ECW in 1998. Below we will break down each award and have a few words about the winner. Congratulations to all the winners!
Also, keep your eyes open
as many of these awards will be presented to the wrestlers at the Cyberslam 99
fan weekend q/a session on April 3rd!
| 1.
1998 Pay Per View of the Year (Last years winner was Barely Legal) |
And
the winner is...Heat
Wave 98 (65.4%) Runner up is...Living Dangerously (19.4%) |
| -ECW's summer PPV was stellar from top to bottom. With great matches like Justin Credible vs. Jerry Lynn and Masato Tanaka and Mike Awesome, ECW's undercard carried it to the top. Some people felt that the international tag team title match was the best of the year and who can forget Taz and Bam Bam Bigelow going through the ramp? |
| 2.
1998 ECW Arena Show of the Year
(Last years winner was Born to be Wired) |
And
the winner is...House
Party 98 (45.3%)
Runner up is...A Matter of Respect 98(27.6%) |
| -ECW opened 1998 with a great show from their home, the ECW Arena. An unbelievable match between Rob Van Dam and Bam Bam Bigelow and the return of 2 Cold Scorpio vs. Taz simply warmed up the crowd for the insane main event. The first ever Stairway to Hell Match between the Sandman and Sabu. House Party 98 was simply one of those shows you never forget. |
| 3.
1998 Match of the Year
(Last years winner
was Sabu vs. Terry Funk barbwire match) |
And
the winner is...Rob
Van Dam vs. Bam Bam Bigelow for the TV Title in Buffalo
(37.8%)
Runner up is...Sandman vs. Sabu Stairway to Hell Match (35.4%) |
| -This one was close with the two matches above being separated by only a few votes. RVD's victory over Bam Bam in Buffalo to win the TV title was a simply incredible performance by one of ECW's best. The multiple dives into the crowd, the table spot, and so much more made this match one to remember. Also, let’s give credit to the Sandman/Sabu match that was simply an insane display of violence that ECW had never seen before. |
| 4.
1998 Finisher of the Year
(Last years winner was Taz and the Tazmission) |
And
the winner is...The
Dudley Death Drop
(39.8%)
Runner up is...The Van Daminator (31.4%) |
| -Perhaps no finishing move in all of wrestling was talked about more then 3-D. The move that has been credited to breaking up several tag teams, injuring the Sandman, and removing Beulah from wrestling was on fire in 98. On top of all that, just about every team fell victim to 3-D as well. |
| 5.
1998 Spot of the Year
(Last years winner
was Sabu getting his arm ripped open at Born to be Wired) |
And
the winner is...New
Jack and Spike dive off the balcony at Living Dangerously
Runner up is...Rob Van Dam does a somersault plancha into the 5th row in Buffalo, NY. |
| -Wow. That's all that can be said about the dive at the same time by New Jack and Spike Dudley live on PPV in Asbury Park, NJ. A 20-foot near suicidal drop by the tag team putting both Dudleys through tables is insanity that only ECW can deliver. |
| 6.
1998 Most Improved Wrestler of the Year
(Last years winner was Al Snow) |
And
the winner is...Justin
Credible (28.2%)
Runner up is...Jerry Lynn (22.5%) |
| -There should be no doubt in anyone’s mind that Justin Credible took the "Incredible" step to being a star in this sport of the course of 1998. With huge victories and being involved in some classic feuds, Justin stepped out of any shadow he once stood in. His abilities in and out of the ring make him "Justin Credible." |
| 7.
1998 Manager of the Year
(Last years winner was Bill Alfonso) |
And
the winner is...Bill
Alfonso (53.9%)
Runner up is...Francine (21.1%) |
| -The manager of champions and the man who calls it "right down the middle" was right in the middle of all kinds of action in 1998. Managing Rob Van Dam to a 10-month TV Title reign and multiple tag team championship reigns with Rob Van Dam and Sabu made him the Manager of the Year for the second year in a row. |
| 8.
1998 Referee of the Year
(Last years winner was John Finegan) |
And
the winner is...John
Finegan (38.4%)
Runner up is...John "Pee Wee" Moore (24.0%) |
| -Referee of the Year for the 2nd year in a row, senior referee John Finegan did an outstanding job as a referee once again in 98. He was the 3rd man in the ring in so many key matches like Bam Bam vs. Taz, Chris Candido and Lance Storm, and Shane Douglas vs. Taz. On top of all that he found time to get himself into an amusing dancing act with the FBI and took some brutal bumps as well. |
| 9.
1998 Tag Team of the Year
(Last years winners were The Eliminators) |
And
the winner is...Sabu
and Rob Van Dam
(59.6%)
Runner up is...The Dudley Boys (27.0%) |
| -Electric. What more can you say about the Bill Alfonso's team of Sabu and Rob Van Dam. Tearing through the tag team ranks destroying every team that ECW put in front of them while maintaining strong singles careers as well, the current tag team champions are quite possibly unstoppable. Also, give credit to the Dudley Boys whom arguable emerged in 1998 as the best tag team in all of wrestling. |
| 10.
1998 ECW Newsletter Wrestler of the Year
(Last years winner was Shane Douglas) |
And
the winner is...Rob
Van Dam (71.4%)
Runner up is...Taz (6.1%) |
| -A total run away was this one; Mr. Monday Night Rob Van Dam took the honors from the fans as the Wrestler of the Year in 1998. What can we say about RVD? Maybe the best wrestler on the North American continent, Rob was able to shine in 1998. Capturing the TV Title in April and also the tag team champion several times, Rob Van Dam impressed us with his excellent mat wrestling skills. He also dazzled us with his high flying abilities, surprised us with his flare for insane dives, and left us laughing with his incredible mic skills and in ring charisma. Shane Douglas may truly be the franchise of ECW, but Rob Van Dam is the whole fn show. |