DOI NOTE: We were supposed to sell our copies of our Year End Awards, but due to the printer screwing everything up, we will not be able to afford to print out new copies of our awards. The printer's mistakes is our website gain, as we are giving you our entire issue layout and analysis on our awards for absolutely free. We hope you enjoy our awards. Our printer finally gave us back our Year End Awards, so look for pictures of the winners with their awards soon.

WRESTLER OF THE YEAR:
Jay Lethal
Jay Lethal may be the Dean Malenko choice, but there is no way you can scoff at the accomplishments and accolades of Jay Lethal. JAPW was the top promotion in 2004 in our eyes, and Jay Lethal was the top wrestler in JAPW, making Lethal and JAPW going hand-in-hand in earning their awards this year. 2004 was a banner year for Jay Lethal, and the scary part is that Jay Lethal hasn’t even scratched the surface yet. In 2004, Jay Lethal won the following titles: JAPW Light Heavyweight, AWA Heavyweight, AWA Light Heavyweight, UCW Heavyweight, & the IHPW United States Championship. Jay also was awarded the PW Elite Interstate Championship. This 2003 JCW J-Cup winner, went on to win some tournaments in 2004, as he won the IHPW Diamond Cup Championship as well as the NWA Upstate Tag Tournament (With Azraiel.) Jay Lethal this year also broke away from Special K in ROH, and had many memorable matches in ROH. Lethal also main evented a few JAPW shows, making the Light Heavyweight Title seem more prestigious than the JAPW Heavyweight Championship. Jay Lethal did not have one bad match this year. He makes his peers better in the ring, and is able to adapt to any style. Jay Lethal also showed charisma this year, as he let his character come out. Lethal turned heel for the first time in AWA and is successful in his first heel turn. Jay Lethal worked all over the Indy scene, as he also competed in CZW, PWU, Fusion, SSCW, NYWC, CCW and other promotions. Jay Lethal also won more number 1 Ranking Spots, during the DOI year, than any other wrestler, and was involved in more Matches of the Week than any other wrestler. Take no tice of Jay Lethal, because he is the real deal.

RUNNERS UP

Samoa Joe — Ring of Honor champion dominated another year in one of the top feds in the country. Could have won this award if he worked more throughout the Northeast.

Homicide— Could have easily won this award for the 2nd year in a row. Never has a bad match. Carries most of his opponents. Amazing talent who did work in ROH, CZW, USA PW, JAPW as well as other promotions.

CM Punk — Major force in Ring of Honor and 2004 was a major breakout year for CM Punk. Had a great year in IWA Mid South.

Christopher Daniels — The 1st man to win the ECWA Super 8 Tournament TWICE! Lack of work in the Northeast prevented him from winning this award. Won the 3PW Heavyweight Championship in September.

PROMOTION OF THE YEAR:
Jersey All Pro Wrestling (JAPW)
JAPW, arguably, had the most successful year, in their 7 year history, in 2004. While others might consider ROH the top promotion, it is our opinion that ROH did not improve itself from where it was a year ago. JAPW improved itself in every area. JAPW saw crowd attendance boom to record breaking numbers, cracking 700 fans on a few occasions. JAPW also put on some of the best shows of the year, and have been able to find a steady of mix of all styles of wrestling. Some may miss the old hardcore days of JAPW, but there is no denying the success JAPW had this year. JAPW is the hottest promotion in the Northeast. Many big name Indy wrestlers have their best matches in JAPW. JAPW also brought in Big Van Vader and Mike Awesome this year, making JAPW the only American promotion that Vader and Awesome worked for. JAPW has also been getting a huge buzz during the feud between The Strong Style Thugs vs Teddy Hart/Jack Evans, which even saw the SST hijack Teddy Hart’s Air Jordans!

 RUNNERS UP

1.       Ring of Honor (ROH) - Great promotion hurt by bad publicity brought down from management. And that’s straight from the fans.

2.       Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) - Made a comeback this year after looking like things were not going so well.

3.       IWA Mid-South Hardcore Wrestling (IWA-MS) - Made some very good moves this past year and offered a different type of product.

4.       USA Pro Wrestling (USA PW) - Could still be the best but the stuff that holds USAPW down still exists and will never go away.

5.       3PW (Pro Pain Pro Wrestling) - A resurgence of sorts by 3PW in 2004. Good booking and nice blend in the locker room.

FEUD OF THE YEAR:

Homicide vs Teddy Hart

There is no other feud on the independent wrestling circuit that received as much press and fan interest than Teddy Hart vs Homicide. This feud started in the beginning of 2004 in JAPW and as 2004 closed the books, it was as hot as ever in JAPW. This feud was talked about by everyone, and a lot of people thought Teddy Hart was trying to avoid Homicide, especially in CZW and NWA Florida.  These two put each other through a lot of grueling matches, as Homicide vs Teddy Hart I was a story and a half. This feud also splintered factions for both groups in JAPW, as Homicide created his Strong Style Thugs to combat Teddy’s Team Canada. This feud even saw Teddy Hart have his shoes hijacked by Homicide and his SST, in one of the best angles all year.

RUNNERS UP

1.       Samoa Joe vs Homicide—Brutal match up whenever they step in the ring together.

2.       Jay Lethal vs Azraiel—Amazing feud is far from over.

3.       Maff/Whitmer vs Second City Saints—Ring of Honor feud never seems to end.

4.       Rottweillers vs ROH– The Rottweilers took ROH by storm and has declared war on everyone in ROH.

5.       Generation Next vs Second City Saints– This feud got so nasty that Ricky Steamboat even had to get involved. This feud dominated a lot of ROH shows this year.

TAG TEAM OF THE YEAR

The Solution: (Papadon/Havok)

The Solution dominated the Northeast area due to their experience, skill and lack of competition. The Indy tag team scene is dry and not too many teams can match the Solutions size or ability. The Solution had a career year, winning the JAPW, USA PW and SSCW Tag Team Titles. The Solution also picked up a win over the ECWA Tag Team Champions, The Valedictorians. However, the biggest match came in CSWF, where The Solution defeated former NWA TNA Tag Team Champions, Americas Most Wanted. Solution also worked for NYWC, Fusion, ROH, World 1, NMW, and other promotions. The Solution were able to rise to the top in every promotion they worked for fulltime this year, but it seems that they may have to branch out to other territories, as there is nothing left to accomplish in the Northeast. The Solution showed signs of a gimmick overhaul towards the end of 2004.

  RUNNERS UP

1.       Second City Saints (CM Punk/Colt Cabana/Ace Steele)- This team might’ve been our number one choice if it was just two wrestlers. As a trio, the SCS won the ROH Tag Team Titles and had many great matches throughout the year, including our Tag Team match of the year.

2.       Christopher Street Connection– the most homosexual tag team on the indies had a career year winning the JAPW and USA PW Tag Team championships. The CSC feuded with the Solution for most of the year, as both teams traded championships. The CSC are still one of the top babyface teams today.

3.       Havana Pitbulls– The ROH tag team champions had a good year having good matches throughout the land. As single wrestlers, both members competed in the Super 8, where they were eliminated in the first round.

4.       Dan Maff/BJ Whitmer– Won the ROH tag team titles briefly this year. Had strong matches with the SCS as well as the Carnage Crew in ROH.

5.       The Briscoe Brothers– probably would’ve won this award if it wasn’t for inactivity, as well as both wrestlers wrestling in a lot of singles matches. Held the ROH Tag Team titles earlier this year.

WOMAN OF THE YEAR

April Hunter

What hasn’t April Hunter won in the Northeast? April had another solid year, as she wins this award for the second straight year. After winning practically everything in 2003, April went on to win the CSWF, USA PW, and JCW Woman Titles. With Slyck Wagner Brown, April won the 3PW and JAPW Tag Team Titles. April also wrestled internationally this year, in Mexico and Japan. In addition, April wrestled for CCW, NWS, WXW and more. Perhaps her biggest American Indy women match this year took place in CSWF, where she beat Trinity and Traci Brooks of TNA, as well as Ariel, in four corner match. April has dominated the woman division of the Indies, and has nothing left to accomplish. 2005 will be an interesting year for April Hunter, as it looked like she would be wrestling a lot of men this year.

  RUNNERS UP

1.       Alicia– Alicia had a career year picking up the SSCW, IHPW and AWA Womens titles. Feuded with Tara Charisma and ALF for the majority of the year. Made her JAPW debut in September.

2.       Ariel– Worked for USA PW, SSCW, AWA and other promotions. Debuted in Mexico and Japan and looking to go back.

3.       Alere Little Feather– won the prestigious WXW Womens Elite 8 Tournament. Picked up the SSCW Womens title in September from Alicia.

4.       Cindy Rogers– Had another solid year. Spent most of her time in WXW. Won some gold in UWA. Also worked for USA PW and CCW.

5.       Talia– this WXW Womens Champion certainly put a lot of asses in the seats. Held the WXW Womens title for most of the year. Became an important part of 3PW as Tod Gordon’s accomplice.

MOST POPULAR WRESTLER OF THE YEAR

Samoa Joe

No one was more popular than Samoa Joe this year. Samoa Joe was ROH this year and kept his ROH Championship around his waist during 2004. The fans love Samoa Joe and have created many chants for him during his ROH matches. Even his theme music, which starts off with “The Champ Is Here”, is chanted at non-ROH shows that Joe wrestles on. While Samoa Joe may not be the most typical babyface in wrestling, he was definitely one of the most over wrestlers of the year.

RUNNERS UP

1.       Teddy Hart– either you love Teddy or you hate him, hence him winning the number 1 runner-u spots in both categories. Definitely a wrestler that made an impact this year.

2.       Jack Evans– you won’t find too many fans who hate Jack Evans, because he is one of the most loved wrestlers today for all his insane matches.

3.       Dan Maff– the JAPW Heavyweight Champion became very well liked again after leaving La Familia earlier this year. Was also very popular in ROH.

4.       Striker– 3PW Striker might be the best thing to hit the ECW Arena since ECW. Striker blends solid wrestling with pure entertainment.

5.       Slyck Wagner Brown- SThe CSWF Heavyweight Champion worked all over the indies and had a huge fan base following him.

MOST HATED WRESTLER OF THE YEAR

Low-Ki'

Who thought Low Ki would be winning this award at the start of 2004? Low Ki turned heel during ROH’s 7/17 show, and became heel everywhere else he worked. Not too many wrestlers do that, but Low Ki did, and was successful in it. Low Ki worked for USA PW, 3PW, JAPW, and in other promotions this year. As a Rottweiller in ROH, Low Ki has been taking on all comers. In 3PW he aligned with SWB and is feuding with AJ Styles and Chris Daniels. As a member of the SST in JAPW, Low Ki has been involved in some humorous skits, as well as some intense matches. No other heel incited as much hatred as Low Ki did this year.  

RUNNERS UP

1.       Teddy Hart– For as many fans that loved Teddy Hart there were many fans who hated him for his controversial actions.

2.       CM Punk– hated by many earlier this year, Punk received fan support due to his matches with Samoa Joe. Was a big heel in a lot of other promotions.

3.       Skinhead Ivan– Last years winner Ivan kept fans hating him due to his racist comments. Ivan worked all over the indies from WXW to USA PW.

4.       Kevin Matthews– hated more for his actions outside the ring than insie the ring, Kevin had a solid year in many promotions.

5.       Generation Next– hated by ROH fans for their brash actions and disrespect for wrestling legends.

MANAGER OF THE YEAR

”The Sure Thing” John Shane

John Shane picks this award up for the second straight year, as he had another solid year under his belt. John managed The Solution to USA PW and SSCW Tag Team Gold. He also managed Mike Tobin to CSWF Internet Gold. With Solution and Tobin, John Shane hooked up with Simon Diamond, to create the Hardline in USA PW. John Shane also wrestled against Tara Charisma in CSWF, after a long and heated feud. John also worked for NYWC and WXW. John Shane continues to be the best at the lost art of managing. John Shane is as old school as it gets, which helps him, but hurts him from working in smarky promotions.

  RUNNERS UP

1.       J-Train/Julius Smokes– Even though he is a wrestler, J-Train was on fire as the manager for the Rottweilers. No manager today has riled up the fans like J-Train in ROH.

2.       Peter Van Orton– From promoter to manager, PVO has been a staple of AWA shows this past year. PVO also managed for IHPW.

3.       Allison Danger– Cut some great promos in ROH, in addition to Wrestling this year.

4.       Rob Dimension– managed The Ivy League in WXW and had many fans wanting his head on a stick.

5.       Johnny D.– managed The Solution to the JAPW Tag Team Championships and united Justice Pain with them in the D-Factor.

INSPIRATIONAL WRESTLER OF THE YEAR

Samoa Joe

Samoa Joe was pro wrestling in 2004, as he took the ROH promotion and the ROH World Heavyweight championship to new levels. Faced with adversity during March, due to Feinsteingate, Joe ignored the crap that was going on in ROH, and wrestled in a Match of the Year candidate with Jay Briscoe.  Samoa Joe is what a true champion is all about. With wrestling on national television not being so hot, Samoa Joe has taken the ball and has put all fans eyes on him. Samoa Joe rarely has a bad match and is able to make people around him, and the sport of pro wrestling, better because of his work ethic. No other Indy heavyweight champion did what Samoa Joe did for ROH, as Samoa Joe has stuck with ROH during the bad times, as well as the good times.

 RUNNERS UP

1.       Chris Candido– Chris Candido really did a 180 in his life and has been having great matches all over the place.

2.       EC Negro– with his partner injured, EC Negro took control of his Career and wound up winning the JCW Heavyweight title.

3.       Mike Tobin– had a good year winning the CSWF Internet Championship, as well as debuting in ECWA.

4.       Sonjay Dutt-won Best of the Best IV this year, and came back from a bad elbow injury.

5.       Tyler Payne– after accepting a job with the NYPD, Tyler scaled his back his NYWC work, but still wound up wining the NYWC Tag Team Titles.

MOST IMPROVED WRESTLER OF THE YEAR

Jay Lethal

2004 was a great year for Jay Lethal. Jay Lethal went from a decent NJ wrestler, to being one of the top wrestlers on the Indy scene. Jay Lethal’s accomplishments, which are recapped in his Wrestler of the Year Award are simply amazing. Jay Lethal added a lot of muscle to his frame, and added charisma to his ever-growing wrestling ability. No other wrestler improved in 2004 as much as Jay Lethal did.

 RUNNERS UP

1.       Grim Reefer—Reefer was always good. Now people now about it. Had great matches in JAP, USAPW, ROH, NYWC and many more.

2.       EC Negro—Lost his partner but found a singles career. Got into shape and showed off some pretty good wrestling skills in the process.

3.       Pinkie Sanchez—Hit the scene and impressed a lot of people early in his career. Has charisma, heart and a great future.

4.       Archadia - Has come on strong at the end of 2004 and should have a solid 2005

5.       Bison Bravado—Finally getting some respect after years of being labeled a hardcore wrestler only. Has gotten nice pushes in WXW and AWA,. Had a tag team match in Ring of Honor as well.

MOST IMPROVED TAG TEAM OF THE YEAR

All Money Is Legal

K-Murda and K-Pusha aka Kash and Kaos, had the best year in their career in 2004. AMIL won the WXW, CCW, and AWA Tag Team Titles. AMIL also worked for JAPW and CZW, where the fans quickly responded to them. AMIL has been able to combine flashy tag team wrestling with high impact moves. AMIL had many good matches this year, and have went from a minor Indy tag team to one of the top teams out there today.

  RUNNERS UP

1.       Outcast Killahz– worked for WXW, USA PW, ROH, CCW and other promotions. 2005 looks like it could be a big year for them.

2.       Elm Street Kids– had one of the best years in their short careers, ESK won AWA Tag gold near the end of 20-04.

3.       Valedictorians– had a strong run as the ECWA Tag Team Champions, defeating everyone In their path.

4.       Corvis Fear/Rush Margera–had solid matches in SSCW, AWA and JAPW as h2o/New Reality.

5.       Christopher Street Connection- For the first time in their careers, this long time duo won two major tag championships In JAPW and USA PW and had the fans louder than ever before.

GENERAL ADMISSION'S THINGS TO WATCH IN 2005

1. The beginning of UXW (USA Xtreme Wrestling).
USA Pro Wrestling has a new name, but what does this name change truly mean? Will this be a totally new fed? Or will it be more of the same, with 6-hour extravaganzas with ticket sellers mixed in? And what exactly will make this fed Xtreme? We shall see in 2005…

2. The return of TNA contracted wrestlers to ROH….
It was just announced that AJ Styles is coming back to ROH for one match. Traci Brooks has also recently returned. Alex Shelley has been allowed to work non-conflicting ROH dates. Will one of the biggest downers in ROH history be a thing of the past?

3. Samoa Joe's ROH Title Reign….
It’s almost been two full years since Joe has been the champion. Joe has successfully made the ROH World title the most meaningful belt in the country. Joe’s beaten everybody thrown at him, but when will it end? How much longer will we be saying, “the champ is here?”

4. Shoot Interviews….
From The Mountie to The Midnight Express, both ROH and RF Video have done shoot interviews with almost every possible wrestler with name recognition in 2004. Who’s left to interview? Will we finally see a Hulk Hogan or Macho Man shoot? Or will we be seeing shoot interviews of Koko B. Ware and Iron Mike Sharp on sale?

5. TNA….
It’s literally “do or die” time for TNA. They’ve done a lot of things lately to try to improve their overall image and product, but they still have a long way to go. TNA also needs to make things right with the smarts and internet fans that generally want little or nothing to do with them. Will 2005 be the year that TNA takes the next step? Will the staple northeast “Fuck TNA” chants continue?

6. The Macho Man/Hogan War….
They’ve battled many times over the years in both WWF and WCW, but this time it’s different. Personal problems amongst other things have caused the former Mega Powers to truly explode. They’ve both made several challenges to each other, but who’s going to “be a man” and step up?

7. Legends on the Indies….
2004 saw an influx of former wrestling “legends” make a return to appear at shows across the country. We have seen the reunion of the Midnight Express, the return of Ricky Steamboat and the return of Vader and Jushin “Thunder” Liger to the U.S. Will this trend continue in 2005? Do indy feds really need legends to draw crowds? Or should they build their foundation on the future of professional wrestling?

8. Released WWE wrestlers on the Indies….
With all the cuts made by the WWE, which recently released WWE wrestler will have an impact on indy wrestling in 2005? Will it be Rikishi? James Gibson? Test? Jazz? Billy Gunn? Chuck Palumbo? Or someone else?

9. Which Indy fed will shine/Which Indy fed will fall under….
With the wrestling business being so down lately, indy feds can both benefit and suffer from this trend. With so many feds out there, which one will step it up like JAPW did in 2004? Which one will dissolve like we saw MLW do? Will it be UXW? Fusion? CSWF? Pro Wrestling Unplugged? Or some other fed?

10. Rob Feinstein's wrestling comeback….
After almost a full year of not promoting any events, will 2005 be the year that RF tries to start a new promotion? Will the RF/ROH war simmer down or will the competition increase?

MATCH OF THE YEAR

For the ROH Heavyweight Title
CM Punk vs Samoa Joe II, from Chicago, IL (10/16) ROH

This match was the second part of a three match series pitting two of the top Ring of Honor stars head to head. This match received a lot of 5 star ratings from a lot of the top wrestling critics, as well as some of the top wrestlers in the wrestling business today.  This match  was the second match between these two to go to a 60 minute draw, all in the name of the ROH title. If there is one match to prove how important and valuable the Ring of Honor World Heavyweight Championship is, then this is your match.

  RUNNERS UP

1.       CM Punk vs Samoa Joe I, from Dayton, Ohio (6/12) ROH

2.       Homicide vs Teddy Hart I, from Rahway, NJ (2/28) JAPW

3.       Jay Lethal vs Azraiel, Ladder Match, from Rahway, NJ (9/17) JAPW

4.       Samoa Joe vs Jay Briscoe, from Elizabeth, NJ (3/13) ROH

5.       Jay Lethal vs Sonjay Dutt vs Amazing Red vs Deranged, from Long Island, NY (6/24) USA Pro Wrestling

TAG TEAM MATCH OF THE YEAR

CM Punk/Ace Steele vs Dan Maff/BJ Whitmer (ROH 7/24)

This was by far, easily the best tag team match of the year. These 4 men killed each other for 30 minutes, all in the name of the ROH Tag Team Titles. Both teams viciously went at each other, and lots of blood was shed. This match even had a pure ECW moment, as fans threw their chairs into the ring. Barbed wire, tables, chairs and four talented men delivered here and showed the importance of competition in Ring of Honor.  

RUNNERS UP

1.       Solution vs America’s Most Wanted (CSWF 2/21)

2.       Colt Cabana/Ace Steele vs Dan Maff/BJ Whitmer (ROH 7/17)

3.       Homicide/B-Boy vs Teddy Hart/Jack Evans (JAPW 10/30)

4.       CM Punk/Colt Cabana vs The Briscoe Brothers (ROH 7/23)

5.       The Havana Pitbulls vs CM Punk/Colt Cabana (ROH 8/7)

CRUISERWEIGHT OF THE YEAR

Grim Reefer

The Grim Reefer had another stellar year under his belt and the only thing that halted him was injuries. Grim Reefer became the first Light Heavyweight to win the NYWC Heavyweight Championship. Reefer also picked up the Light Heavyweight and Stengel Cup championships in NYWC. Outside of NYWC, Reefer won SSCW’s Cruiser Combat, which was considered SSCW’s best match of the year. Reefer was also a finalist in JAPW’s Best of the Light Heavyweights VII, which he eventually lost to Jack Evans. Reefer also competed for AWA, ROH, IHPW, USA PW as well.  

RUNNERS UP

1.       Jack Evans– shocked Indy fans all year long with his insane style of wrestling. Would’ve won this award if he was more of a wrestler and not a gymnast. Regardless, Jack was the best high flyer of the year, while Reefer was the top cruiserweight wrestler.

2.       Deranged– had a ho-hum year, but still looked great in matches in JAPW, USA PW, PWU, AWA and in other promotions. The former winner of this award seemed to be hurt by not having big time matches.

3.       Sonjay Dutt– won CZW’s Best of the Best IV, as well as the CZW Junior Heavyweight Championship. Also was featured on National PPV for NWA TNA.

4.       Dan Barry- this NYWC standout made his JAPW debut in September. Worked for USA PW, NECW, CCW and in other promotions as well.

5.       Azraiel– won the JAPW and AWA Light Heavyweight Titles. Had a great series of matches with Jay Lethal all over the indies.

MOST UNDER RATED WRESTLER OF THE YEAR

Azraiel

Is it possible for someone to win this award two years in a row? Obviously we here at the DOI think so, as Azraiel wins this award for the second straight year. While Jay Lethal was the Wrestler of the Year and JAPW was the promotion of the year, those two might have not won those awards if it wasn’t for Azraiel. Jay Lethal had a huge year, largely due to his feud with Azraiel. These guys wrestled all over the place and stole many shows. Azraiel was also involved in a MOTYC with Jay Lethal in JAPW. The end of 2004 looked very bright for Azraiel as Azraiel looked to be on the verge of a singles push in ROH, in addition to getting a push in FIP. Azraiel had a great year in 2004, but a lot of it went unnoticed due to his opponents getting a bigger rub off of him. Don’t look for Azraiel to win this award next year, because it looks like Azraiel will make a claim as the top cruiserweight wrestler on the Indies in 2005.

  RUNNERS UP

1.       Sonjay Dutt– despite being very popular, Sonjay is still underrated by fans. The man never has a bad match and constantly makes his opponents look good.

2.       Dan Barry– for a guy as talented as Dan Barry, he’s not booked all over the place like wrestlers who are not as good as him. With a proper push in the right promotion, Barry could be a force to be reckoned with.

3.       EC Negro– mostly known for his comedy, Negro had a great series of matches as a singles wrestler this year, as he wrestled Homicide, Jay Lethal and SWB.

4.       Neeno Capone- won the AWA Light Heavyweight Title and branched out to WXW towards the end of the year. Look for Neeno to make moves in 2005.

5. Deranged- despite his popularity, Deranged doesn’t get as much credit as he deserves. 2004 seemed to be an off year for Deranged, but look for him to rebound in 2005.

HARDCORE WRESTLER OF THE YEAR

New Jack

Who was more hardcore than New Jack this year? New Jack was involved in what he called “Mass Transit” and called the incident where he stabbed a wrestler 14 times, 10 times worse than the Mass Transit incident. New Jack was even jailed for his actions in the match! Now that’s hardcore.  New Jack also wrestled for USA PW, CZW, Fusion, FIP and many other promotions. New Jack continues to get huge pops across the Indy scene.

  RUNNERS UP

1.       Corporal Robinson

2.       Necro Butcher

3.       Balls Mahoney

4.       Ian Rotten

5.       Low Life Louie Ramos

STORY OF THE YEAR

FeinsteinGate

Everyone knows the stories, the sub stories and the sub-sub stories concerning Feinsteingate, and it would take a lot of pages to recap everything, but there was no other story that shocked the wrestling world in 2004 like Feinsteingate.  Feinsteingate led to a lot of changes in ROH and scarred Rob Feinstein’s personal life forever. This story later led to the RF Video vs ROH “Cold War”, where both sides took numerous pot shots and have been trying to up each other ever since the incident. No matter what your opinion is on Rob Feinstein, ROH, or RF Video, no other story this year was as big and caused as many ramifications and reactions as Feinsteingate did this year.  

RUNNERS UP

1.       Over saturation of Wrestling in NJ– what is small and fights over 80 fans? The answer about 30 promotions in NJ. The amount of wrestling in NJ is incredible and only 3 promotions out of the 30 are making any money.

2.        Teddy Hart vs Homicide Feud– the feud of the year sparked much debate and interest around Indy fans all over the East coast.

3.       TNA Pulls Wrestlers out of ROH– losing AJ Styles and Chris Daniels were big blows to ROH and eventually ROH recovered from it. AJ Styles is booked to return to ROH in 2005.

4.       Jushin Liger Wrestles for ROH– after landing the Great Muta last year, ROH scored a huge name with Jushin Thunder Liger in November of 2004.

5.       World 1 Shuts Down after 6 Shows– in what once looked to be a promising fed, World 1 seemed to be “Corinoized” and died after 6 shows.

BREAKOUT WRESTLER OF THE YEAR

Jay Lethal

No other wrestler broke out and hit the Indy scene by storm like Jay Lethal. Jay Lethal won many championships and tournaments in 2004 and quickly is making a rise as a huge fan favorite in ROH. The end of 2003 saw a bright future for Jay Lethal, and Jay Lethal capitalized on all opportunities given to him and had a career year.  In addition to being such a breakout force on the scene, Jay Lethal was able to make all his opponents look good, as Lethal hardly had a bad match this year. Look for another big year from Jay Lethal in 2005.

RUNNERS UP

1.       Alex Shelley– had a huge year in ROH, IWA MS and TNA. As a member of Generation Next, Shelley has been dominating ROH shows for most of the second half of 2004.

2.       Austin Aries– his performance in the Super 8 landed Aries a full-time spot in ROH, and as 2004 closed, Aries was main eventing ROH shows.

3.       Jack Evans– had a huge year and broke out of Teddy Hart’s shadow. Worked for PWU, CZW, JAPW, USA PW, ROH and in other promotions. Stole shows all over the east coast.

4.       Havana Pitbulls– after wrestling at the Super 8, The Havana Pitbulls debuted in ROH, where they won the ROH Tag Team Titles.

5.       Jimmy Rave– after having a disappointing 2003, Rave bounced back and had good matches in CZW. Rave also has shined under Prince Nana’s tutelage in ROH.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Jim Kettner

What makes Jim Kettner so special and unique in the crazy world of independent wrestling is that he balances sound fiscal responsiblity with a heart.

What can every promoter learn from Jim Kettner? He figures his expenses down to the penny and then trends that information against what shows have done in similar months in past years. If he can afford to spend, he will and if he can't, he doesn't. It's not a complicated formula but if you stick with it, Jim Kettner and his near 40 years are proof that it works.

What else can everyone, whether in wrestling or not, learn from Jim Kettner? That family and friends matter and no matter how many times they hurt you, you forgive them and move on, knowing that deep down they are what are important. Everyone who walks into an ECWA locker room is instant family and you will always be family, even if you aren't booked there.

Speaking of heart, one other thing that makes Jim so special is his sense of history and a place for everyone that has ever appeared in an ECWA event. From time to time, nostalgia gets a hold of Jim and he dusts off some of the older generation of ECWA stars for a memory-filled Battle Royal. Check out the ECWA website (ecwaprowrestling.com) and you will read about history and how important it is to Jim.

When I was inducted into the ECWA Hall of Fame in 2002, I was part of a Hall of Fame that dated back 20 years, with names I had never heard of but was interested in learning about. The best would be when some of those Hall of Fame names would pop into the dressing room from time to time and we instantly shared a common bond, a link in the ECWA chain of history.

Jim Kettner deserves to be honored and I am proud to say that he is my friend and always will be.

BY KEVIN KELLY

SHOW OF THE YEAR

Jersey All Pro Wrestling- Rahway, NJ, 9/18 “7Th Anniversary Show”

If there was a show this year that personified how great Indy wrestling can be, then this show was it. No other show told as many stories and ended as many stories as this show did. Headlined with an incredible ladder match between Jay Lethal vs Azraiel, this show also featured the following matches: Homicide vs Hart II (Led to the formation of the SST); Low Ki vs B-Boy; Dan Maff vs Trent Acid; Jack Evans vs El Generico vs Chasyn Rance vs Grim Reefer; Kevin Steen vs Excess 69; The Solution vs AMIL vs H20 vs H-Effect and many more matches. The show was heavily attended and was easily the best show to ever be produced by JAPW. If there is one show you see this year, let it be this one.  

RUNNERS UP

1.       Ring of Honor- Death Before Dishonor II Part 1- Wauwatosa, WI 7/23/04

2.       Ring of Honor Death Before Dishonor II Part 2- Chicago Ridge, IL 7/24/04

3.       Jersey All Pro Wrestling- Rahway, NJ, 2/28, Homicide vs Teddy Hart I

4.       Combat Zone Wrestling- Philly, PA, 7/10, Best of the Best IV

FACTION OF THE YEAR

The Rottweillers (Homicide, Low Ki, Havana Pitbulls and J-Train)

Ever since turning heel in ROH, Homicide took his manager J-Train and united with a new tag team in ROH, The Havana Pitbulls. Low Ki joined the group on 7/17 in of the most shocking moments in ROH history, as Low Ki turned heel, spit on the ROH Championship Belt, and aligned with his trainer Homicide and his Rottweillers. The Rottweilers have been creating havoc and chaos in ROH ever since. The Havana Pitbulls picked up the ROH tag team titles since joining the Rottweillers and Homicide won a match against Samoa Joe and CM Punk, labeling Homicide as the Icon of ROH.

 RUNNERS UP

1.       Strong Style Thugs (Homicide/Low Ki/B-Boy)

2.       2nd City Saints (CM Punk, Ace Steel, Colt Cabana)

3.       Generation Next (Austin Aries, Alex Shelley, Jack Evans, Roderick Strong)

4.       The Embassy (Jimmy Rave, Outcast Killahz, Prince Nana, Angel Williams)

5.       The Blkout (Ruckus, Sabian, Maven Bentley, King, Robby Mireno)

MOUTH OF THE YEAR

Dan Maff

Dan Maff is one of the best wrestlers today when it comes to the art of cutting a promo. Whether he is a heel or a face, Maff makes you feel the importance of his words. As the JAPW Heavyweight Champion, Maff delivered some great promos. Nobody can do the serious facial expressions that Maff does when talking in wrestling today.  Maff worked for CZW, JAPW, USA PW, ROH, AWA and other promotions this year.

 RUNNERS UP:

1.       CM Punk—Mic skills are 2nd to none…except this year!

2.       Colt Cabana—Excellent showman and knows how to work the crowd

3.       Teddy Hart—He’s drawn so much attention and one of the main reasons is his mouth.

4.       Matt Striker—Always has been a good microphone guy.

5.       EC Negro—Has some of the best promos in the business.

2003 WINNERS

Independent Wrestler of the Year – Homicide
Promotion of the Year— Ring of Honor
Independent Tag Team of the Year—The Dirty Rotten Scoundrelz
Indy Match of the Year – Low-Ki’ vs. Paul London vs. A.J. Styles
Independent Tag Team Match of the Year—A.J. Styles & Red vs. The Briscoe Brothers
Independent Feud of the Year - Homicide vs. Steve Corino
Independent Female Wrestler/Valet of the Year – April Hunter
Lightweight Independent Wrestler of the Year - Deranged
Most Improved Independent Wrestler of the Year – Dan Maff
Most Improved Independent Tag Team of the Year— The Dirty Rotten Scoundrelz
Most Popular Independent Wrestler of the Year - Raven
Most Hated Independent Wrestler of the Year – Skinhead Ivan
Hardcore Wrestler of the Year—Low Life Louie
Up and Coming Wrestler of the Year— John Walters
Faction of the Year—Knightlife (Mike Tobin, Danny Drake, Striker, Billy Reil, Simon Diamond, Becky Bayless)
Manager of the Year— John Shane
Most Underrated Wrestler of the Year—Azrieal
Best Mic Skills of the Year— CM Punk
Lifetime Achievement Award – Afa Anoai

2002 WINNERS

Independent Wrestler of the Year – Low-Ki’
Independent Tag Team of the Year – Da Hit Squad
Indy Match of the Year – Low-Ki’ vs. Christopher Daniels vs. Spanky vs. Doug Williams
Independent Feud of the Year - Low-Ki’ vs. Christopher Daniels
Independent Female Wrestler/Valet of the Year – Tie: Becky Bayless & April Hunter
Lightweight Independent Wrestler of the Year - Tie: Red and Deranged
Most Improved Independent Wrestler of the Year – Deranged
Most Popular Independent Wrestler of the Year - Low-Ki’
Most Hated Independent Wrestler of the Year – Skinhead Ivan
Lifetime Achievement Award – Bobby Lombardi

GENERAL ADMISSION'S WRESTLERS TO WATCH IN 2005

1. Jay Lethal
Jay Lethal was the hottest commodity on the indies in 2004. Will his rise to superstardom continue in 2005? Or will he choke under the spotlight?

2. Azrieal
Azrieal has been up and down the coast in several promotions but he never seems to get the respect that he deserves. He’s had several great matches in 2004, but he still hasn’t gotten the attention that one would expect. Will 2005 be his year to be recognized?

3. Jack Evans
One year ago, Jack Evans was known as the crazy spot monkey guy that Teddy Hart tagged with in the first Scramble Cage. For most of 2004, he was known as the insane guy who does things that you can’t even describe. Evans has slowly been improving his ring psychology and wrestling ability. If he gets those items down, how far will Jack Evans go?

4. Matt Striker
This guy has entertained fans up and down the east coast. From a closet homosexual to a gimmick-borrowing wrestler, Matt Striker has truly found the right mix of sports entertainment and technical prowess. Now recently on his first tour in Japan, will this overlooked indy star finally get his big break in 2005?

5. “Mr. Wrestling” Kevin Steen
This young Canadian star has been making his rounds across the big U.S. promotions as of late. He’s had some really strong matches that have gotten him the right kind of attention. If he gets in better shape and gets some decent ring gear, will “Mr. Wrestling” earn his name?

6. Chris Candido
Finding a way to fight his “demons”, Chris Candido has found a rejuvenated love for wrestling. Whether it is in front of 50 or 1,050 fans, Chris Candido has shown that he has a lot left in the tank to put on a great performance. Will his efforts finally lead him back to Titan Towers in 2005?

7. Trent Acid
2004 saw Trent Acid go at it alone in singles competition. His singles success can be looked at as a mixed bag. Will Trent step it up big in 2005? Or will he need to tag in his partner Johnny Kashmere to help him out?

8. Petey Williams
In early 2004, Williams showed up as a part of Team Canada on a Wednesday night TNA event. Nobody knew much about him. By the start of the Summer, everyone had heard of Petey Williams and his awesome Canadian Destroyer. After a dominant year in TNA, will Petey Williams see success in other promotions?

9. Sexxxy Eddie
Sexxxy Eddie has entertained fans in every promotion he has appeared in. He has a great gimmick and knows how to work it. He also has the wrestling ability to back it up. Eddie is multi-faceted as he can do it light heavyweight style, or take it hardcore, like we saw in CZW’s Tournament of Death this year. Will he be making more noise in 2005?

10. Jimmy Rave
For a long time most wrestling fans seemed to take pleasure in totally shitting on everything that Rave did. Everything changed for Rave once he became the crown jewel of Prince Nana’s Embassy. A new attitude sparked a whole new Jimmy Rave. Rave may be the ROH Pure Champion by the time this sees press, but that could only be the first step for Jimmy Rave and the Embassy.