McPinions
By: Sean “The MiC” McCaffrey

Like I said above, our Year End Award Winners have been decided already. There is only limited space in the newsletter for awards, so here are some of my awards, for people who deserve recoginition for their year in, year out contributions to the sport of pro wrestling. These awards cover categories that the DOI does not cover in the DOI Year End Award Issue.

Referee of the Year
WINNER: Ref Gary Moorere
Ref Garry was a senior official for many wrestling promotions such as SSCW, ECPW and others. Garry also reffed some big time main events in ROH, such as Liger's tag match, The brutal Chicago Street Fight Tag Match and others. In addition, Garry reffed for JAPW, JCW, IHPW, AWA and many more promotions. Garry had a good year in the ring, and off the top of my head as I'm writing this, I don't remember him messing up one spot in front of my eyes. Garry keeps the heat on the wrestlers in the ring, and never brings attention to himself. It takes two to wrestle, but it takes three to tango in a wrestling match, and as the silent third member of a wrestling match, Ref Garry was great all year round.

Commentating Team Of The Year
Marc Clemson & Da Bald Guy
I get to watch alot of wrestling tapes from all over the independent scene. There is no duo on the independent circuit, in my opinion, that matches Clemson and Da Bald Guy. While DBG had some time off from some JAPW shows this year, Clemson was able to keep the team alive with great commentating partners such as KC Blade and Monsta Mack. Over in WXW, with Clemson gone, Da Bald Guy worked with Doc Daniels, but the chemistry wasn't there, like it was when DBG was teamed with Clemson. Together as a duo for several years now, working for WXW and JAPW, Clemson/DBG have traded quips and barbs and has done a great job of describing the action in the ring and putting over various stories. Clemson and Da Bald Guy can make bad wrestling sound good and make good wrestling sound better. No duo matched the chemistry that these two have together when talking about wrestling.

Production Team of the Year
Modtrom Video
No other production company puts the time and effort into their product like Modtrom Video. While other companies such as RF Video, ROH, Smart Mark Video and others, rush to put out as many tapes as possible, Modtrom Video puts hours upon hours into their work. While their competition has larger libraries, their competition focuses on putting out titles quickly, and not too much into production. For anyone who has watched a JAPW or CSWF tape produced by Modtrom Video, you know why everyone across the indies are saying "Modtrom Rulz." No one has the promos, nor match histories, on their tapes, like a Modtrom Tape. Modtrom might be the smallest of the video distributing outfits, but they are certainly not small when it comes to production and quality.

Ring Announcer of the Year
Steve D'Angelis
Horseshack aka Steve D'Angelis, was the voice of ROH for most of the year. Why ROH decided to can him for no reason is a question that still hasn't been answered to this day. In addition to ROH, Steve worked for JAPW, USA PW, NMW, Fusion and others. Steve never misses a name, like some of his peers do, and does a great job of bringing emotion into the microphone. Steve was a big voice at many indy shows this year.

Clutch Wrestler Of The Year
Jay Lethal
Remember the name Jay Lethal, because he was all over our Year End Award Issue this year. The Clutch Wrestler of The Year award is being handed to Jay Lethal, because whenever a show sucked or had a dry spot, Jay Lethal would have his match and be able to save any given show. Lethal became like Derek Jeter this year, as when he was needed in a big time spot, Lethal delivered. From his excellent feud with Azraiel in JAPW, to headlining the NBC in AWA, Lethal was able to stand up and hit a homerun in any spot he was in.

With those awards out of the way, here are some awards not awarding positive contributions. For the record, the DOI Year End Award Issue does not have any negative awards. Everyone who has won an award this year is being awarded for their brilliance, positive contributions and hard work. The DOI does not want to give awards celebrating moronic behavior. Here are my quick awards on some of the boneheaded people of the 2004 year, and this is the only place you will find these people getting any award recoginition.

Worst Wrestler of the Year
Helter Skelter
The "legend" of Helter Skelter is very well known. He pays wrestlers in advance, and in return he gets to pin them in matches. Helter even has done this practice internationally. In the long haul, Helter is bumping off trained indy wrestlers off of shows, and costing wrestlers a chance (and honor) to wrestle internationally, because Helter flies himself free from America all over the world. Helter has disgraced this business alot in 2004, and if the indy scene wasn't as money depleted as it was, he would never get booked.

Worst Female of The Year
Dana Dameson
Luckily, this is an award Dana won't win twice, as she quit/kind of forced out of the wrestling business as 2004 closed. Dana offended people left and right. For someone who was working in the biggest promotions of NY, NJ and PA (USA PW, JAPW and ROH) Dana quickly burned those bridges as fast as possible. Dana continued lighting fires at the bridges of AWA, BWO, JCW and other promotions. In fact the only promotion who would book her was SSCW, who also books 15 year old wrestlers in Rey Misterio masks, which tells you something. It is great to say good bye and good riddance to the unprofessional who called herself Dana Dameson.

Worst Promotion of the Year
SSCW
SSCW shows aren't that bad. The reason they are winning (or losing) this award is because of promoting. The award goes to the worst PROMOTION and is not a reflection of the people who work for them. With Al Snow, Justin Credible, Simon Diamond and a strong independent roster, SSCW drew 5 people paid (27 total) to their May show. The show even went on fire which was just God's way of telling SSCW to stop. SSCW had low crowd numbers all over the scene, which is directly because of their promoters phobia. Promoting is not getting done. With Simon Diamond there, the promotion does have life and a chance to make positive contributions to the wrestling business, but year in, year out, SSCW has cancelled shows, put 15 year old wrestlers on their shows and has gotten involved in wars they shouldn't of. SSCW does have light at the tunnel, due to Simon's involvement, but it is up to Carmine Sabia to put the wrestling figures down and finally take and make, SSCW serious.

Worst Message Board of The Year
DOI's Message Board
Time and time again, I have heard, "The DOI is great, but their message board is awful." The DOI message board is not a great reflection of the website. Where it is a great place to get dirt, it also sometimes affects people's personal life. The message board will change in 2005. While it won't be a complete 180, some changes to the board will be made, in an attempt to keep the mud slinging kept to a low, and for the message board not to affect anyone's personal life. You will still be able to practice McCarthyism, accuse people of Witchcraft or whatever, but the days of having the board being used to ruin someone's personal life will end. I still encourage the goofy names such as Fecal Threats, Jumpin Joe Jowalski and the other cast of "gimmick" names to do their thing, but I do want the message board to reflect the site positively. I know it will take time, but it is something we will work at, as well as keeping up our job as the Number 1 Indy Website Today.

I hope everyone enjoyed this column, and everyone look for the Official DOI 2005 Year End Awards on January 1st.

Happy New Year.

Sean "The MiC" McCaffrey
BULLSMC@aol.com