10 Alternative Wrestling Awards For 2023
3. Rub-Master Of The Year
No, not that. This isn't the Jerry Lawler Award.
A lot of pro wrestlers deem it their moral duty to bring up young talents and give them the fabled "rub". The idea is for the vet to work with the upcoming act and elevate them to a higher level. Because that's how it apparently works. Some of the more cynical wrestling fans believe that the star only does this to ensure that they stay relevant.
Sheesh!
Matt Hardy was nominated for this award in 2020. Hardy first offered to align with Private Party on the June 3, 2020 Dynamite. 3 years, 6 months, and 17 days have passed since. Isiah Kassidy was more over after a 13 minute, 39 second match against the Young Bucks on the October 9, 2019 AEW Dynamite. He can't escape Hardy. Hardy is the burning of the sun. Hardy is the unfolding of time. The two things that cannot be stopped in this universe are change, and Matt Hardy's storyline association with Isiah Kassidy. Hardy can't be bargained with. He can't be reasoned with. He doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear - and he absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are dead.
There's always 2024, Matt!
Don Callis didn't exactly get Konosuke Takeshita over. Powerhouse Hobbs got little out of being paired with Callis nor QT Marshall. Chris Jericho forgot all about the Jericho Appreciation Society and did little to elevate Ricky Starks or Adam Cole, who fared much better with Bryan Danielson and MJF, respectively.
The Blackpool Combat Club did little to get Wheeler YUTA over, sadly, but Jon Moxley was at least clever enough to give himself a project extension; at WrestleDream, he said that he expects YUTA to be a player two years from now.
Nick Wayne is doing OK enough under Christian Cage. That's a bit of a stretch.
Erm. This is getting difficult. It's almost as if AEW should rethink this unsuccessful shortcut to push younger talent.