Kenny Omega Crowned Wrestling Observer's 2021 Wrestler Of The Year
AEW won big in the 2021 Wrestling Observer awards, with Kenny Omega taking Flair/Thesz honours.
Kenny Omega has been named the Wrestling Observer's wrestler of the year for 2021, outdoing runner-up Roman Reigns to take the outlet's Lous Thesz/Ric Flair award.
More than a pure workrate award, the Thesz/Flair encompasses the wrestler's importance to the business, in-ring success, and more. Holding the AEW, AAA, and IMPACT Wrestling World Championships and helping spark good business in those promotions, while constantly delivering between the ropes, made Omega the favourite for this one.
With Reigns second, Shingo Takagi (3rd), Bryan Danielson (4th), and Utami Hayashishita (5th) rounded out the top five.
Takagi scored the Most Outstanding Wrestling award, which is based solely on quality of work. Danielson (2nd) and Omega (3rd) were also in the top three. Reigns did not feature in the top 10.
The vast majority of the Wrestling Observer awards are voted on by the publication's subscribers, rather than arbitrarily judged by Dave Meltzer. To win the Thesz/Flair award, Omega earned 629 first-place votes to Reigns' 90. It wasn't even close.
Other notable Wrestling Observer award winners for 2021 are as follow:-
Tag Team Of The Year: The Young Bucks
Best On Interviews: MJF
Promotion Of The Year: AEW
Best Weekly TV Show: AEW Dynamite
Match Of The Year: The Young Bucks vs. Lucha Brothers (AEW All Out)
Women's Wrestling MVP: Utami Hayashishita
Best (Pro Wrestling) Box Office Draw: CM Punk (note: this is not a voted-for award, based, as it is, on objective data)
Feud Of The Year: Kenny Omega vs. Hangman Page
Most Improved: Tay Conti
Most Overrated: EVIL
Most Underrated: Ricochet
Rookie Of The Year: Jade Cargill
Best Major Wrestling Show: AEW All Out 2021
Worst Major Wrestling Show: WWE Survivor Series 2021
Most Disgusting Promotional Tactic: WWE firing wrestlers during a pandemic while setting record profits
Worst TV Show: WWE Raw
Worst Promotion Of The Year: WWE
Best Booker: Tony Khan
Best Promoter: Tony Khan