10 Academy Awards (For Pro Westling)
8. Best Original Score - The Ballad Of Las Vegas, By Elias
What a delight Elias is. Sometimes, the entire premise of sports entertainment - the already-ludicrous art of pro wrestling as forced entertainment - is too silly for an adult to watch guilt-free. Other times, ladies and gentlemen, we welcome Elias.
At Elimination Chamber, Elias thankfully did not go through with the rumoured full concert in his pod. That would have ruined the premise of such a violent match. Instead, he introduced it, leading the crowd in his brilliant "Who wants to walk with Elias?" crowd appeal - punctuated with the hyper-arrogant "You should, you should" line, a ridiculous boast of which The Rock and Ric Flair would be proud. He then worked the crowd into a frenzy like an experienced, manipulative old hand, making them laugh before making them mad with his "Shut your mouths!" bit. It's the carefree nature of the strumming that puts the heel bit over the top. Insulting the fans is as easy to him as a beginner's finger-picking exercise.
Adept at both deafening chant-alongs and muted deadpan put-downs, Elias is a wonder of comedic timing, generating heat like the sun.
Honourable Nominee Mention: The beautiful sound of silence that was the end of the Survivor Series main event was a symphony for those sick to death of the part-timer brigade.