2025 Wrestling Observer Awards

[Blazehausen]

The 2025 Wrestling Observer Awards have been released

Spoiler

Wrestler of The Year: Mistico

Women's MVP of The Year: Saya Kamitani

Tag Team of The Year: The Young Bucks

Rookie of The Year: Seri Yamaoka

Best Non Wrestler of The Year: Don Callis

Match of The Year: Kenny Omega vs Gabe Kidd at Wrestle Dynasty

Worst Match of The Year: Cody Rhodes vs John Cena at WrestleMania 41

Most Outstanding Wrestler of The Year: Konosuke Takeshita

Most Underrated Wrestler of The Year: The Beast Mortos

Most Overrated Wrestler of The Year: Main Event Jey Uso

Gimmick of The Year: Timeless Toni Storm

Worst Gimmick of The Year: Last Real Champion John Cena

Most Improved Wrestler of The Year: Harley Cameron

Brawler of The Year: Jon Moxley

Technical Wrestler of The Year: Zack Sabre Jr

High Flyer of The Year: Mascara Dorada

United States/Canada MVP of The Year: Jon Moxley

Mexico MVP of The Year: Mistico

Europe MVP of The Year: Michael Oku

Most Charismatic Wrestler of The Year: John Cena

Move of The Year: Hangman Page's Buckshot Lariat

Feud of The Year: Hangman Page vs Jon Moxley

Worst Feud of The Year: Max Caster vs Anthony Bowens

Show of The Year: All In Texas

Worst Show of The Year: Wrestlepalooza

Promotion of The Year: CMLL

Worst Promotion of The Year: WWE

Best Announcer of The Year: Bryan Danielson

Worst Announcer of The Year: Booker T

Best Weekly Show of The Year: Dynamite

Worst Weekly Show of The Year: NXT

Booker of The Year: Tony Khan

Promoter of The Year: Salvador Lutteroth

Most Disgusting Promotional Tactic of The Year: WWE brings back Brock Lesnar after Janel Grant allegations

 

[Skyefire]

There are three I want to strongly disagree with. One being Bryan Danielson as best announcer. He's good, he's improving, he could someday be the best but he's not the best now. I think he's still kinda green. Another one, is WWE as Worst Promotion. For starters, I hate the idea of giving out "worst" awards for any category. That being said, I would say WWE has been better than NWA, MLW, and maybe even TNA. The other one I disagree with is NXT as the worst show. Again I point to NWA Powerrr as being worse, but also I wouldn't even say that NXT is the worst in WWE. It's not all talk like Raw and it's a lot better than Evolve.

 

[Tommy Shelby]

Hangman was outstanding wrestler of the year and I don’t hear the crowd noise for Takeshita like Hanger . No slight at Takeshita is brilliant and I think NJPW See him as the future star like okada was and Tanahashi

 

[Tommy Shelby]

Worst weekly show nxt How Dare they slight my favourite programme. I can think of a lot worse .

 

[Tommy Shelby]

There are three I want to strongly disagree with. One being Bryan Danielson as best announcer. He's good, he's improving, he could someday be the best but he's not the best now. I think he's still kinda green. Another one, is WWE as Worst Promotion. For starters, I hate the idea of giving out "worst" awards for any category. That being said, I would say WWE has been better than NWA, MLW, and maybe even TNA. The other one I disagree with is NXT as the worst show. Again I point to NWA Powerrr as being worse, but also I wouldn't even say that NXT is the worst in WWE. It's not all talk like Raw and it's a lot better than Evolve.

I couldn’t agree with you more. But it’s biased toward WWE but that’s ok. As it’s all there to see with this.

Cody v Cena is far from the worst. What about actual garbage on NWA There’s a lot on .

 

[Hoss]

Shit that no one watches isn't going to win these awards. That's all it boils down to. Of course there are worse shows than NXT and worse feuds than Caster vs. Bowens and worse matches than Cody vs. Cena (maybe) but if no one sees them or talks about them... what do you really expect?

 

[Chris]

Yeah that hinders worst awards a lot more. If any big company is viewed as bad, people still hate watch but the actual worst probably isn't watched.

It skews the best too but I think people are just more inclined to accept those awards going to the best of the more popular than an actual best, Stardom fans are mad every year about them still tho lol

Alvarez was ranting hard about why people didn't vote butter bean vs Suzuki as worst match bc him and Dave said it was the worst match ever, it's like one of the lowest ever on cage match but the answer is just that even observer voters don't have time to listen to Bryan and Dave anymore lol 10 years ago them ranting about a match that bad would have easily secured it as worst but in 2026 it's been 9 months since it happened and no one remembered it

 

[Barry Poppins]

They might as well just separate them into categories. "Best Major Company" "Worst Major Company" Yada Yada yada.

 

[Big Jean Studd]

Worst weekly show nxt How Dare they slight my favourite programme. I can think of a lot worse .

One year it was rampage I'm pretty sure despite the show being good and ROH existing lol

 

[Big Jean Studd]

There are three I want to strongly disagree with. One being Bryan Danielson as best announcer. He's good, he's improving, he could someday be the best but he's not the best now. I think he's still kinda green. Another one, is WWE as Worst Promotion. For starters, I hate the idea of giving out "worst" awards for any category. That being said, I would say WWE has been better than NWA, MLW, and maybe even TNA. The other one I disagree with is NXT as the worst show. Again I point to NWA Powerrr as being worse, but also I wouldn't even say that NXT is the worst in WWE. It's not all talk like Raw and it's a lot better than Evolve.

Smackdown is objectively worse than NXT imo

 

[Roy Mustang]

There are three I want to strongly disagree with. One being Bryan Danielson as best announcer. He's good, he's improving, he could someday be the best but he's not the best now. I think he's still kinda green. Another one, is WWE as Worst Promotion. For starters, I hate the idea of giving out "worst" awards for any category. That being said, I would say WWE has been better than NWA, MLW, and maybe even TNA. The other one I disagree with is NXT as the worst show. Again I point to NWA Powerrr as being worse, but also I wouldn't even say that NXT is the worst in WWE. It's not all talk like Raw and it's a lot better than Evolve.

Nah MLW easily beats 2025 WWE even at it's weakest. 2026 Battle Riott for example I enjoyed more than the men's rumble and the talent pool was a lot weaker in battle riott. Also on the biased against WWE thing, if they hated WWE so much WWE doesn't win the award is has the last couple of years