The (WWE) Fake News Awards

by Michael Hamflett

1. 'Lifetime Achievement Award' - John Laurinaitis

John Laurinaitis
WWE.com

Nostalgia is a safety net every wrestling company needs to rely upon from time to time, so thank goodness for John Laurinaitis' glittering reign as the Executive Vice President of Talent Relations. His legendary stewardship over the talent of tomorrow resulted in an unprecedented level of star creation for WWE and the industry at large.

Raw 25 is sure to be an exhilarating thrill-ride with the current crop of globally recognised megastars such as Dana Brooke and Curt Hawkins, but the names announced from the good old days are sure to draw in the casual fans too.

What will Eric Escobar get up to?

Who will Ricky Ortiz 'rally'?

When will Manu make his presence felt?

Why is KC James?

Where would we be without 'Big Johnny's golden era? Congratulations on another well-deserved honour.

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Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation for 10 years. Alongside the production of daily written, audio and video content covering WWE and AEW, he also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot on the UK's wrestling podcast charts with over 10,000 episodes and 70,000,000 total downloads. He also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House!, Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast, and has guested on long-running Sunderland AFC podcast Wise Men Say. With WhatCulture, he has provided in-person coverage of some of the biggest pay-per-views and Premium Live Events in wrestling history, including WrestleMania, Survivor Series, All In & Double Or Nothing in destinations such as New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. He has also been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana, 411Mania and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in music and culture magazines The Crack, Pilot as well as Sunderland AFC's premiere fanzine A Love Supreme. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it every other Saturday at the Stadium Of Light, and at Cribs gigs nationwide.