January 21, 2008 Observer Newsletter: 2007 Observer Awards issue
Last year’s race was historical, and this year’s was predictable. The usual rule of thumb for this award is that the winner is a world champion who is a top draw and a good worker. Last year saw Mistico become the first non-heavyweight to win, and first Luchador to win, in a year where eight of the top 12 finishers were non-heavyweights. This year, of the 15 top finishers, 12 are heavyweights (although Shawn Michaels would be considered a heavyweight and Bryan Danielson is booked like a promotion would book a heavyweight with Mistico as the other). It’s a different race when you take the MMA fighters who are generally non-heavies, out of the mix.
Every year has a theme, and for the awards, this was a year of landslides. Nearly every category was predictable, and results weren’t close. Part of the reason is that in most categories, for a number of reasons, there were so few true candidates.
Subscribers can read this issue here.
Dave Meltzer is the founder and lead writer on the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the weekly constant when it comes to news and reviews in pro wrestling and mixed martial arts for more than 40 years. Dave also co-hosts Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and had had bylines for The National, Yahoo Sports, MMA Fighting and others.