10 Academy Awards (For Pro Westling)
2. Best Animated Short Film - Joey Janela
Joey Janela might be the sort of divisive in-ring performer who thinks performing a senton bump on a ring apron is a good idea, but his match announcement gimmick is objectively brilliant.
The prospect of WALTER Vs. Pierre Carl 'Jean Pierre Lafitte' Ouellet is awesome enough in itself; the chest-lacerating European strong man versus similarly stiff hidden gem '90s throwback who can still go is a mad scientist experiment, and the preceding announcement was also the work of a promotional genius. Tapping into the in-vogue nostalgia craze with an 8-bit feast of affectionate comedy, Janela and the Wrestling Arcade crafted an awesome Streets Of Rage-inspired short film portraying Jim Cornette as a feckless old school vanguard, lampooning Marty Jannetty as a luckless loser, and sending up Lio Rush as a social media disaster locked away in the Performance Center for being an absolute dumbass. It was both hilarious and depressing; Janela did more in two minutes to create anticipation for a novelty banter bout than Road Dogg has managed in over a month to drive interest in a dream match fans practically booked on his behalf.
Honourable Nominee Mention: Story Time is worth the odd chuckle.