PW Awards 2016: Event of the Year

Winner: Wrestle Kingdom 10

“There’s just something magical about how Japan presents their big shows. Whether it was PRIDE or DREAM back in the day, anything New Japan or even RIZIN – it’s a incomparable experience. It’s hard to even find words for it. From the video packages to the walk outs to the matches themselves – Wrestle Kingdom 10 was one of the best wrestling events I’ve ever had the pleasure of enjoying from start to finish. I can’t imagine what it’d be like to witness a spectacle such as this live when it was this good sitting alone on my couch here stateside from the middle of the night to the early morning on NJPWWorld. Goto versus Shibata, Styles vs. Nakamura and Tanahashi vs. Okada III back to back to back to close out the show may be something that can never be topped again. While it’d be silly to expect anything to compare to what we saw last year, it’s still hard not to get goosepimples with Wrestle Kingdom 11 just one sleep away.” – Dave Reno

Runner Up: NXT TakeOver: Dallas

“This was a really tough one to me. There were several that could have qualified. If I told you that there was a show and that a Finn Balor/Samoa Joe match was going to be the 4th best match on the show…what would you say? That was the reality though. Zayn/Nakamura is a legit MOTY candidate. Revival/American Alpha and Bayley/Asuka were both phenomenal. Throw that into a smaller arena with a passionate, but not obnoxious crowd…yep, event of the year.” – Aaron Oster

Honorable Mention: Chikara: King of Trios

“I had the great privilege of actually attending King of Trios this year. I think everyone owes it to themselves to experience a live Chikara show once in their lives, and KoT is a great place for the casual/new Chikara fan, because it is an event where plenty of regular indie faces appear alongside Chikara regulars. It’s family friendly, so it’s a safe space for anyone who is usually concerned about being harassed at a wrestling show. And while it’s helpful to have a basic grasp of how the promotion works, the tournament format of the event helps to create context even if you’re walking in blind. KOT2016 not only had a variety of indie participants from across the world, they crowned their first ever Queen of Trios when Team JWP & Team Sendai Girls faced off in the finals. If you’re looking for a way into the Chikara universe, by all means give KOT2016 your full attention!” – Lady J

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