NOTE: PLEASE READ THE INTRO BEFORE BITCHING ABOUT WHO WON WHAT!

Welcome to the DOI 6th Annual Year End Awards. This year, the DOI has seen more wrestlers and more promotions than ever before, and while our awards will be based on accomplishments in the northeast region, outside of the northeast accomplishments will be looked at.

To make things clear, we consider promotions/wrestlers from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania & Delaware as the Northeast. We do give consideration to Connecticut & Massachusetts as well, although we consider them more "New England" than Northeast.

Like last year, we will be announcing a winner in most categories, with five runner-ups. Some categories will only have one winner.

ROH/TNA matches were not included in these awards, in order to give more exposure to the heart of the wrestling business- indy wrestling. The reason we do this on the DOI is because we started to notice that if we allow TNA/ROH to be involved with our indy awards, they dominate every category, and we like to recoginize the grassroots of professional wrestling with our awards. Everyone is aware of ROH & TNA and the purpose of these awards are to give exposure to wrestlers who don't have full time contracts with a wrestling company.

I would also like to make it clear that this was the hardest year end awards to do since we started doing this on the DOI. There weren't many clear cut winners like years previous. Several categories were wide open.

These awards are self-admittedly JAPW-heavy. The reason for that is because JAPW is really the only top promotion in the northeast today. There are so many indy promotions that have gone out of business in the last two years. The JCW's, Cyberspaces, IHPW's, PWX's, PWElites, SSCW's, Gung Ho's and many others are gone. The NY scene is completely dead, as it's full of student promotions. Philly has two main feds in CZW & PWU but they had alot of ups and downs this year. Only JAPW stayed consisent and built throughout the year.

Keep in mind these awards are north east awards, so it would make sense that most of these awards will acknowledge what goes on in the top fed in the northeast (attendance wise & show quality wise) JAPW. I plan on writing a future column about this, but I thought 2007 wasn't that great of an indy year. Maybe it's hard for me to get excited about some places, but I went to alot of shows that made me want to pull a Heath Ledger (Is that joke too early yet?) when it was over.

With not a strong field like last year, there were so many candidates/nominees for awards. Awards are all based on opinions and you could literally make a case for any wrestler in any award category this year, as not too many people had a clear-cut killer year. Please realize that these awards are our opinion only and are being done to recoginize the accomplishments of the hardest working men & women in indy wrestling today.

These awards were compiled by myself, but I also had several people in the wrestling business interject opinion with these awards. Several DOI staff members also voiced their opinions on these awards. Everything typed in this column was typed by myself, hopefully Mike Zevon, as he only can, will bring the "Unofficial" DOI Year-End Awards like years previous.

With that said, enjoy these awards!!!!

Note, for those wondering, here are our previous Year End Awards:

2002
2003
2004
2005
2006

WRESTLER OF THE YEAR
WINNER: LOW KI
Low Ki wins this award for the second time in the six-year history of these awards. Low Ki dominated JAPW and held the JAPW Heavyweight title for most of the year. Low Ki, as JAPW Champion, was involved in big time matches against big time opponents, such as Samoa Joe, Homicide, AJ Styles, Necro Butcher, Rhino, Teddy Hart & many others. Away from JAPW, Low Ki remained on TNA television, where he was misutilized and wasted. Low Ki also did various indy shows, such as IWA DS, IWA MS, PWG, WSU, PWS and other promotions.

Low Ki, known for his no-nonsese style, is the emobodiment of what a pro wrestler should be in the ring, as he focuses all of his energies on his career. Pro wrestling is a job & a career for Low Ki, as he's the complete opposite of many kids in shorts and T-Shirts who parade around the indy scene and call themselves "pro" wrestlers.

Low Ki joins Homicide as the only 2-time winner of this award. Previous winners also include Jay Lethal & Rhino. With indy wrestling have a down year in 2007, Low Ki was able to dominate the northeast's biggest company, hence being on top here.

Runner-Ups
1. Homicide- busy schedule kept him out of the northeast a bit. Had a brief reign as JAPW Heavyweight champion. Current JAPW tag champion with Hernandez. LAX is super over, but when will TNA ever realize it?

2. American Dragon- Yes, I know we aren't putting much emphasis on ROH here, but it is kinda hard to ignore one of the best pure wrestlers today. Dragon battled injuries and held the ROH title in 2007.

3. Claudio Castagnoli- maybe one of the best big men wrestlers today. Claudio had a successful 2007. Often a subject of many TNA and WWE rumors.

4. Jay Lethal- a former winner of this award, the native of NJ keeps on getting better and better every year. Focused most of his northeast energies as Black Machismo, a comedy gimmick. Continues to team with Azraiel in JAPW, where they held the JAPW tag titles.

5. Samoa Joe- a perennial runner-up in these awards, Joe keeps doing his thing. Doesn't really have a northeast home-fed right now, as he's become one of TNA's biggest stars, despite bad booking.

Replace the word "third" with "fourth" and that summarizes this year again. Like mentioned above, there isn't that much competition anymore. Outside of JAPW, there isn't really too many places for smart mark wrestlers to go. NY is dead and full of student promotions. PWS is young, and presents itself as JAPW-lite. There's no more CSWF, JCW, SSCW, IHPW and other flash in the pan companies. UXW is a spot show promotion in Florida. PWU had a lot turmoil. CZW had a shaky 2007, before rebounding a bit towards the end of the year. JAPW has kept on top and celebrated their 10th anniversary. Arguably JAPW's biggest peak was in 2004, creatively, but in 2008 they peaked attendance-wise, with a crowd of over 1200 in October.

JAPW, in the DOI's opinion, is the top northeast promotion. It is the indy home-fed for guys like Low Ki, Homicide & Jay Lethal. It continues to create new stars and bring different elements to their shows. JAPW's 2007 was better than their 2006. The end of 2007 made it seem like JAPW would keep going strong for another 10 years. JAPW deserves this award, but it's not like they are really being challenged that much either.

RUNNER-UPS
1. Full Impact Pro Wrestling (FIP)- FIP gets consideration again on these awards, due to their champion defending on northeast shows. Also, the rest of the northeast isn't that hot, so it would be ignorant to ignore this company, which makes most of their money on DVDs. FIP had a rough end of 2007, with the passing of Tammy Hamaoui (promoter Sal Hamaoui's wife), but FIP will be back in 2008. The most consistent & organized promotion in Florida.

2. IWA Mid-South Wrestling (IWA-MS)- Whoever thought P-Diddy would sum up IWA-MS, when he said "Mo Money, Mo Problems"? Despite financial trouble, IWA put on some pretty decent shows. Using tournaments to draw interest & to sell DVDs, IWA had another solid year.

3. Pro Wrestling Guerilla (PWG)- California's top reigning indy promotion gets some notice here, due to the lack of strong promotions up here. Most California talent that you see in the northeast came from PWG, such as B-Boy, Tornado, Super Dragon & others.

4. National Wrestling Superstars (NWS)- Relaxed their schedule a bit. NWS is a successful indy promotion, but if you've seen one show, you've seen them all- ticket sellers, big name promo into a heel attack, match before intermission with babyface making the save, birthday party for the kids at intermission with Tom Brandi selling $1000 of gimmicks, and the babyface going over in the main event. Their tournaments have been successful smart mark shows though.

5. Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW)- the "CZW IS GOING TO DIE!!!!1111" rumors started up again, but by the summer everyone was stoked again. Perhaps there is too much focus on Maven Bentley, but CZW was able to bring back crowds. The return of Kingston and the debut of Devon Moore should keep the CZW is going out of biz rumors quiet for 2008.

RUNNER-UPS
1. LAX (Homicide & Hernandez)- won the JAPW tag team titles from Lethal/Azraiel. Both also made runs at the JAPW Heavyweight title too. One of the best teams in all of wrestling today.

2. BLKOUT (Sabian & Ruckus)- While known as part of the BLKOUT faction, Sabian & Ruckus are still stealing shows wherever they show up.

3. Jay Lethal & Azraiel- once heated enemies, these two have joined forces and won the JAPW tag titles together.

4. Motor City Machine Guns (Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley)- it seems like they are everybodies new favorite team. A fluid & exciting team to watch.

5. The SAT's (Jose & Joel Maximo)- still around after all these years. Still waiting for that big break. They always have the crowd in palm of their hands.

Alicia started the year off in JAPW, picking up wins in good matches against Sara Del Ray, Nikki Roxx and others. WSU debuted in March of 07 and Alicia and the WSU championship was a custom fit. Alicia helped carry WSU to a higher level and as its first champion (Holding the belt for most of the year) had great matches with Luna Vachon, Nikki Roxx, Becky Bayless, Alexa Thatcher and countless others. Alicia even took the WSU championship on the road, defending at NWS, PWS, WUW and at other shows. Alicia would also go on to make her ROH & Shimmer debut in 2007.

On 12/22 Alicia retired in front of her new home promotion of WSU. Let's hope that this isn't the last time we write about Alicia in the DOI Year End Awards.

RUNNER-UPS
1. Sara Del Rey- won the Shimmer championship in a two-day tournament. Moved to the northeast, where she wrestled for JAPW & Chikara. Defends the Shimmer championship on ROH shows.

2. Nikki Roxx- still one of the best all around female wrestlers today. Competes mostly in New England, but became a WSU regular. Also wrestled for JAPW. Wasted by TNA under the "Roxxy Leaveaux" gimmick.

3. Cindy Rogers- "The Definition of Technician" picked up the PWU womens championship this year. Had a heated feud with Allison Danger in Shimmer. Hard to match ring skills with her.

4. Alexa Thatcher- had an excellent 2007, as predicted in my Break-Out Stars column. Won the WSU championship, albeit for one day. Also held the ACE Womens Championship. Debuted in ROH & for Shimmer. Recently re-debuted in JAPW, replacing Alicia in the D-Factor.

5. "Pryme Tyme" Amy Lee- one of wrestling's under-appreciated people. Known mostly for her hardcore stuff, as that's what the fans want, Lee can also wrestle. Won the PWU Womens Championship several times. A fixture in WSU. Her most talked about moment of the year was teaming with Luna Vachon, kicking the piss out of the Diva Killaz. One of the most enteraining people to see live today.

RUNNER-UPS
1. Devon Moore- won the PWU Heavyweight championship several times, despite being a cruiserweight. A fixture of the Crazy 8 match. Also won championships in WXW. Stole a WSU show, teaming with Drew Blood against BLKOUT.

2. Azraiel- returned to ROH, although not full-time. A main-stay of JAPW, where he's won the Jersey State & Tag Team Titles. Often compared to Low Ki.

3. Frankie Kazarian- while not a true cruiserweight, he held JAPW's Jersey championship, which was called the JAPW Light Heavyweight title when he won it. Finally was ridded of his stupid TNA gimmick and he ran with the ball.

4. Sonjay Dutt- despite being booked as a stereotype in TNA, Sonjay continues to impress on the indies. Returned to JAPW. Known for his work in CZW.

5. Archadia- battled injuries & medical problems in the beginning of 2007, but by the end of 2007 he was entrenched in a feud with Reefer, where he won the JAPW Jersey Championship. The first ever DWI champion. Also competes for ECPW. Needs a new look to reflect his new heel persona in JAPW.

RUNNER-UPS
1. Johnny D.- The brains behind the D-Factor. Led Alicia & Rhino to several big wins. Revamped his gang for 2008.

2. Dave Prazak- toned down his schedule a bit to focus on his promoting. Works for AAW & FIP.

3. "The Sure Thing" Mr. Big- with UXW out of NY, Big tried filling the void by promoting his own show, where he managed. Also worked for the Mambo King (Fake La Parka).

4. Prince Nana- when he's not disappearing, Nana shows up from time to time on the indy scene. Worked for WSU. Returned to ECWA recently.

5. Royce Profit- also known as Tom Cusati, Royce is an NWS fixture and largely known to take the brunt of the Patriot's attack at the end of all NWS shows.

RUNNER-UPS
1. Drew Blood- always in the shadow of Devon Moore, Blood has found success with Teddy Fine as "The Bosom Buddies." Can hold his own in single matches too.

2. Nick Berk- after being used alot by the WWE, Berk slowed up a bit in 2007. Returned to CZW. Also uses the Nicky Benz character. Berk is a great talent for any show because he can do anything- wrestle, comedy, heel, face or whatever a promoter needs.

3. Havok- returned to JAPW this year, reforming his old championship winning team with Monsta Mack. Is a solid old school wrestler, although some of the old school promotions have over looked him. Recently debuted in ECPW.

4. Gavin Quest- even though he started in JAPW, like Rodney Dangerfield, he gets no respect. Had a series of great matches with Deranged that no smart mark saw, which is a shame.

5. Roxxie Cotton- after "feverishly" toiling around, Roxxie underwent a gimmick change for the best. Added new moves to her repoirtoire. More comfortable in front of a crowd and showing off her character.

HARDCORE WRESTLER OF THE YEAR
WINNER: BRAIN DAMAGE
A first time winner of this award. Brain Damage has helped bring up CZW's crowds. Wrestled Low Ki at IWA DS. Not afraid to mix it up with anyone. Throws some of the stiffest punches around.

RUNNER-UPS
1. Necro Butcher- a former winner of this award, Necro still is a fixture in CZW. Also wrestled for JAPW, JCW, PWS and for other promotions. A true old school wrestler who will bring the fight to anyone. Known for taking some of the sickest moves around and for his bar stool brawls.

2. Corporal Robinson- one of JCW's biggest stars, where he's won several championships. Former PWU Hardcore Champion. Still wrestles for IWA MS. One of the toughest guys in all of pro wrestling today.

3. Toby Klein- Known for his tag team work too, Klein also wrestled for CZW, outside of JCW. Had a wicked fight with Brain Damage at CZW.

4. Mad Man Pondo- another JCW regular, Pondo competes occassionally in the northeast. Showed up at Gung Ho Wrestling.

5. New Jack- a true hardcore wrestler, New Jack continued to do his thing in 2007. Recently opened up his own promotion.

RUNNER-UPS
1. "Black Machismo" Jay Lethal- the new Black Machismo gimmick has reinvented the Jay Lethal character. Fans who didn't know Lethal before Machismo sure know him now. Has a sure fire gimmick maker with this character.

2. LAX- one of the most over tag teams in all of pro wrestling today. At one point, was selling more merchandise than anyone else in TNA, before TNA dropped the ball with them. Won the JAPW tag belts.

3. Samoa Joe- despite being booked like a moron on TNA, Joe is super over with the fans. Wrestling all over the country, and despite battling many injuries, is constantly involved in many matches of the night.

4. Necro Butcher- wherever this wild man goes, Necro is loved by fans. Battled Low Ki several times in JAPW.

5. The Patriot- the most over wrestler in the history of NWS, but that and 50 cents will get you coffee. However, Patriot makes more money than 99% of all indy wrestlers today, as his gimmick is super marketable.

RUNNER-UPS
1. Adam Flash- the whole PWU commissioner idol fiasco left a bad taste in everyone's mouth.

2. Niles Young- constantly quitting promotions and writing MySpace blogs about every waking moment.

3. Rockin Rebel- while known for his heel work, smart fans have finally woken up and get a kick out of his awesome promos.

4. Danny Demanto- just hated by alot of people, despite being one of JAPW's bigger faces. Usually heels it up against whatever 80's wrestler NWS dusts off for the night.

5. Teddy Hart- Hated by many but he's also loved by many too. Returned to JAPW after another brief WWE stint.

MOST IMPROVED WRESTLER OF THE YEAR
WINNER: JASON STATIC
After battling a major injury in the beginning of 2007, Static returned and brought a personality with him. Known for being a jacked up guy, Static has improved his mat game. Static also drastically improved his mic skills, and has become VPW's top heel, even winning their Heavyweight Championship. Starting to become a complete total package.

RUNNER-UPS
1. Danny Demanto- from the fat kid falling off ladder to the fat kid falling down and dropping ice cream on Bob Magee, Danny has slimmed down and has become a player in two top promotions, in JAPW & CZW. Won the CZW Tag Team Titles with John Dahmer. Would've probably won this award if stopped diving through chairs in apartment buildings. Maybe will win this next year!

2. Bandido Jr.- from working his father's UWA shows, Bandido has found himself a full-time spot in JAPW, where he's starting to pick up some big wins.

3. Jorge Santi- a WUW wrestler, Santi showed up at this year's J-Cup and impressed. Had strong showings at NWS and won championships in WUW.

4. Minyon- has beefed up his look a bit. Originally from WUW, Minyon branched out a bit. Still needs to get more work outside of WUW.

5. Becky Bayless- returned to wrestling in March and started a 9 month feud with Alicia. Also returned to JAPW for a cup of coffee. Has improved leaps & bounds from that match with Alexis Laree 5 years ago. Still one of the most charismatic women talents around.

RUNNER-UPS
1. Teddy Hart- Love him or hate him, when Teddy talks, people listen.

2. Steve Corino- a former multiple time winner of this award, Corino wasn't on the scene that much. Recently announced retirement, but look for a Mr. Wrestling 3 show at show near you. Now if Corino can come up with another gimmick, like The Executioner or Conquistador, he can get the "Tom Brandi Triple Payday (Registered Trademark)".

3. Homicide- no matter where he's at, makes every promo sound realistic and with real emotion behind it.

4. Amy Lee- can match 4 letter words with anyone. Can scare the ever living shit out of you.

5. Jay Lethal- his Black Machismo promos have been very entertaining.

RUNNER-UPS
1. CZW vs PWU- who's jumping where? Who's bad mouthing who? Who's outdrawing who? Who can book each other's referees first? CZW vs PWU is a feud that can make easy money if booked properly, if their 2007 business decisions are any indication.
2. Homicide vs Teddy Hart- this feud, that has won before, started all over again at JAPW's 10th anniversary show, when Hart cost Homicide the JAPW title. These two natural rivals can always make money together, and it shouldn't be too long before they go one on one again.
3. Alicia vs Becky Bayless- after nearly a 2 year abscence, Becky returned to the wrestling business, which pissed off Alicia. The two then feuded for 9 months, before swerving everyone as partners. Their feud saw a brutal hardcore match and one of the few Last Women Standing matches in history.
4. Archadia vs Grim Reefer- these two, who've wrestled before, turned it up in the second half of 2007, where they feuded over the JAPW Jersey Championship. The feud is still raging into 2008.
5. Vinny The Guido vs Common Sense- McSecret: The only reason I print his columns is to show everyone the stuff I have to deal with on a daily basis when dealing with these people. Vinny, no one thinks your columns mean half a dog shit.

COMEBACK WRESTLER OF THE YEAR
WINNERS (TIE): CROWBAR & BECKY BAYLESS
Crowbar, who never left the business, decided to limit his schedule to promotions that have the most appreciative audiences. In return, JAPW fans are asking for more Crowbar, a guy who was on every NJ show for a while. Crowbar is looking like the old Devon Storm of old and is going through a career resurgence. It helps that Crowbar is doing well in real-life, where he's able to cut down his schedule a bit, so he can go a million percent all out for the places that he works.

Becky Bayless returned to wrestling after nearly 2 years off. Becky showed that she was more than another pretty face manager, as she carried the top feud in WSU against Alicia. Had some of the best indy women matches in history with Alicia. Returned to ROH & JAPW well. She's definitely brought "Becky Back."

MOST INSPIRATIONAL WRESTLER OF THE YEAR
WINNER: TAMMY "SUNNY" SYTCH
Tammy Sytch had hit rock bottom in the past and had to undergo her biggest loss ever- the tragic & unexpected loss of Chris Candido in 2005. However, in 2007, Tammy 100% rebounded and looks like the Sunny of old. While looks aren't everything, Tammy looks better and is full of life. She gives off positive energy and her demand from indy promoters is at an all time high. She also recently returned to RAW, where she looked excellent at, sparking rumors & fans demanding WWE to hire her back. I don't think the full wrestling story of Tammy has been written yet, as there are still alot of chapters to go. Tammy also won the WSU Womens Championship at the end of the year. It is great to see one of the nicest people in the wrestling business to be back on top again.

STORY OF THE YEAR
WINNER: BENOIT SCANDAL
We all know what happened, and it's something that won't ever be forgotten.

RUNNER-UPS
1. Congress Involved In Wrestling- if it wasn't for the Mitchell report, Wrestling might've suffered a different fate, although I don't think Congress checking out what's going on in wrestling is entirely over.

2. Booker T Goes To TNA- how WWE lets a main event talent like Booker T go is beyond me. In one of the rare WWE releases, this is a huge TNA gain.

3. TNA Gets Two Hours- With two hours, TNA has been able to slow up Impact a bit. It still needs alot more work. More indy wrestlers are now being showcased with the two hours, especially the women wrestlers. Ratings have also gone up as well.

4. ROH on PPV- When it's all said and done, this could be the move that killed ROH. PPVs haven't increased the fan base at all. One day ROH might realize when it comes to attracting new wrestling fans, name talent, not 29939394 neck drops, sell PPVs. Airing a product that only caters to your loyals won't bring in new fans.

5. Wrestler Deaths- we lost alot of people in 2007. From Bam Bam Bigelow to Doug Gentry to Sherri Martel to the Benoit tragedy, wrestling suffered more losses. Sadly, it doesn't look like this "epidemic" will end.

SHOW OF THE YEAR
WINNER: JAPW 10th ANNIVERSARY SHOW
This was a great show from top to bottom. Here's the official run down from JAPW's website of the event:

10/27/2007, Rahway Rec Center, Rahway, NJ
Attendence: 1200+

# B-Boy defeated Sal Rinauro, Seth Delay, Joker, & Matt "M-Dogg20" Cross to win the Best of the Light Heavyweights 10.

# Devon Storm defeated Danny Demanto

# Crime Time defeated the reuniting Dirty Rotten Scoundrelz

# Eddie Kingston defeated Drake Younger

# Frankie Kazarian defeated AJ Styles

# Jay Lethal & Azrieal defeated Ruckus & Sabian of BLKOUT

# Archadia beat Grim Reefer in a ladder match to win the JAPW NJ State Championship

# Homicide forced Low Ki to tap out with an STF to win the JAPW Heavyweight Championship

POST MATCH: The 187 then asked Fat Frank for a match with them next month, Frank then said, why wait lets do it now as the crowd erupted! Frank then added a few stipulations to the match. If 187 was pinned by ANYONE, We would lose the title. If Hernandez was to be pinned they would lose the tag team titles. If any member of BLK OUT was pinned they would have to leave JAPW after just finally arriving there.

During this Brawl the Light's Went Out! When they came back on Homicide's arch enemy for life Teddy Hart was standing in the ring and received a crowd reaction that just can't be explained, peoples ears were ringing as the fans tipped the rector scale that moment.

Teddy then laid the 187 out and hit him with some flipping crazy 350 plus 280 plus 350 elbow slash moonsault etc. BLK OUT MEMBERS then placed Senshi (Low Ki) on top of the 187 for the pin, Senshi had regained the JAPW World Heavyweight Title! Senshi was still hurt an inactive due to his grueling match with Homicide

Overall, this show helped set up JAPW for 2008. It also drew more fans than any other indy show in the NY/NJ/PA area.

MATCH OF THE YEAR
Let me preface this by saying this category & show of the year were by far the hardest categories to put together. This is total opinion and many great matches were considered.

WINNER: HOMICIDE VS LOW KI
JAPW Heavyweight Title Match
From JAPW's 10th Anniversary Show
10/27

There were a million different matches I could've chose for match of the year, but this match overall had the most significance for the company it represented and it was of high quality. This match also featured the return of the controversial Teddy Hart and teased major dissension between SST members Homicide & Low Ki. Definitely worth picking up on DVD if you get a chance.

If anyone deserves to get this award it is Doug. In such a short time period he helped changed indy wrestling in ways no wrestler has ever done. Doug was responsible for getting a lot of the top talent over today and pushed a lot of the top indy guys that are on TV today over the past few years. He gave a lot of people jobs and also gave them exposure to get to the next level, whether it be TNA or WWE. Doug was just an all around great guy and he helped RF VIDEO so much that I can truly say that without Doug we would not be at the level we are at today. He stuck by his true friends no matter what. He was the most loyal person I have ever met in my life. In two weeks we are coming up on his passing. I think about Doug at least five times a day, every day. He will never be forgotten as he has achieved more in his short life than most people ever do. I will never forget the man who could never forget a wrestling date. He knew when and where a show took place even if it was from ten years ago in another country. It is small things like that which cause me to miss Doug the most. Nothing could take the love of wrestling from Doug Gentry, not even his passing. Doug is out there somewhere having a great time marking out for the upcoming Royal Rumble (always one of his favorite shows), being driven crazy by TNA’s booking, and admiring all the young indy talent that is busting their ass each and every day for little to no money. I miss you Doug, and I will never forget you.
Rob Feinstein
With that said, I proudly announce Doug Gentry as our sixth winner of the DOI Lifetime Achievement Award. Doug joins Bobby Lombardi, Afa The Wild Samoan, Jim Kettner, Frank Goodman & Jimmy Hustler as a recepient of this award. It is sad that we have to honor Doug after he passed, but we hope to keep his memory & his positive spirit & attitude alive forever.

Doug was a great guy. He was a loyal friend and would give you the shirt off his back. In a business full of nefarious & shady people, Doug was the one guy who wasn't part of any of that. Doug could talk wrestling until you were red in the ears. He'd also tell you about his dogs, which were like his kids to kim. I still can't believe as I'm writing this, (1/26/08), it's been a year since Doug was taken away from us.

He would've been proud that his funeral sold out and everyone was admiring his old NJ Devil pictures. There's so much to Doug that so many fans didn't know. He was the one who helped get ROH off the ground. He was the one that helped bring alot of international talent into ECW. He was the one who knew the wrestlers he was doing shoot interviews with. He was the guy who gave booking ideas (and got guys booked) for and in various promotions. He helped guys get WWE job spots, just to get them a payday. He'd never ask for anything in return.

There's not much more I can say without rambling and not making any sense, but I just hope that everyone truly knows that Doug just wasn't the camera guy for Feinstein. The guy was an asset to the business and unfortunately for the business & for Doug, we'll never get to see what he could really do. Doug didn't get his chance to peak, but the memory will always remain the same- Doug Gentry, a 100% pure class act. I'd like to think that Doug is getting Jimmy Hustler some bookings where ever they are.

I would like to think that whether it be 10, 15 or 20 years down the line, Doug Gentry would have still received this award. It is posthumously that we honor Doug Gentry for his contributions to independent professional wrestling and to wrestling as a whole. With this award, the DOI remembers Doug Gentry & his contributions forever.

Complete Doug Gentry Funeral Information, Remembering A Best Friend & More
by Rob Feinstein

Sean "The MiC" McCaffrey
BULLSMC@aol.com

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