The WWE had a really strong year in 2023. It was not that long ago that I had really cut back on my WWE intake, skipping Smackdown most weeks and feeling more disappointment than enjoyment.

Then, things changed. Vince McMahon stepped down and HHH took over creative. Sure, Vince still had his dirty hands in the product, but it was better. Then, the purchase of WWE by Endeavor led to Vince’s total removal and the product became even better yet.

So some of these choices were difficult this year. I should say that I do not watch AEW or other wrestling promotions. I have nothing against any of them, but I just feel like a WWE guy. 

Male Wrestler of the Year: Gunther. A tough choice, but Gunther has been WWE Intercontinental champion all year and defended it regularly against all kinds of types of challengers. Runners-Up: Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, LA Knight

Female Wrestler of the Year: Rhea Ripley. She won the title at Wrestlemania 39 and has been the main star of the female division on RAW since. As a member of the Judgment Day, Rhea has been dominant. I would have liked more matches from her though. Runners-Up: Becky Lynch, Iyo Sky, Bianca Belair, Asuka, Charlotte Flair

Tag Team of the Year: Kevin Owens/Sami Zayn. One of the best storylines climaxed at Wrestlemania 39 when Owens/Zayn won the Undisputed Tag Team titles from the Usos. While their title reign was not as epic as their chase, Owens and Zayn were the best tag team for quite a while in 2023. Runners-Up: The Usos, Judgment Day, Pretty Deadly, The Creeds, the Brawling Brutes.

Manager of the Year: Paul Heyman. Or should I say ‘Wise Man’ of the year? Paul Heyman is the cornerstone of the Bloodline and the storylines. Runners-Up: MVP, Robert Stone

On the Mike: Cody Rhodes. So, what do you want to talk about? Cody did an amazing job telling his story on the microphone. Specifically, his work with Paul Heyman was special. Runners-Up: Paul Heyman, Roman Reigns, Sami Zayn, Becky Lynch, Kevin Owens, LA Knight

Feud of the Year: Ilja Dragunov vs. Carmelo Hayes. Three amazing matches from these two NXT stars over the NXT Championship. It lasted longer than some of the other feuds which is why it gets the nod. Runners-Up: Bloodline vs. Sami/KO, Judgment Day vs. Cody Rhodes, Drew McIntyre vs. Seth Rollins, Seth Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura, Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar.

Underused Performer: Tazawa. Tazawa has just started to get a little TV time as a part of the Alpha Academy. He is really a stronger wrestler than he gets credit for. Runners-Up: Apollo Crews, Tegan Nox, Dexter Loomis, Xia Li.

Comeback of the Year: CM Punk. Geez, this was an easy one. His return at the Survivor Series was completely epic and shocking. Hell had to freeze over because this was never supposed to happen. Runners-Up: Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, The Rock, John Cena.

Celebrity of the Year: Logan Paul. Logan Paul became the US Champion and had a great match every time he stepped into the squared circle. He truly exceeded the idea of a celebrity in the WWE. Runners-Up: Bad Bunny, Pat McAfee, Snoop Dogg.

Heel of the Year: Dominik Mysterio. No one has more heat than Dominik Mysterio. When the crowd boos Dom, they mean it. And he can barely be heard. It never gets old. Runners-Up: Roman Reigns, the Judgment Day, Gunther, Solo Sikoa, Jimmy Uso.

Face of the Year: Cody Rhodes. Cody is the perfect face and he has been treated like one since his return to the WWE. Runners-Up: Sami Zayn, Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, Rey Mysterio, Becky Lynch, LA Knight.

Show of the Year: Smackdown. With the Bloodline drama, Smackdown was must see TV every week. While it has come down a bit since the peak around Wrestlemania, it is still the most compelling show on WWE. Runners-Up: RAW, NXT

Entrance Song: Seth Rollins. His song basically turned Seth face. The fans love to sing Seth’s song. Runners-Up: CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, LA Knight, Roman Reigns, Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens.

Storyline of the Year: Bloodline/Bloodline Civil War. Still the standout of WWE TV. Honestly, it gave us Emmy worthy work on a weekly basis, touching us in our tum-tums. Runners-Up: Cody’s story, Nakamura’s heel turn, Cracks in the Judgment Day.

Best Broadcaster: Wade Barrett.  He was so good that they promoted him from NXT to Smackdown. Wade is funny and enthusiastic. He is really excellent. Runners-Up: Corey Graves, Michael Cole, Pat McAfee.

Breakout Star: LA Knight. Yeah! He came from nowhere, via organic crowd support to a place where he is firmly entrenched in the main event scene. Runners-Up: The Creeds, Ilja Dragunov, Jey Uso.

Shock of the Year: CM Punk returns at Survivor Series. Nothing else comes close. There were rumors, but no one really believe it would happen. The internet was just getting ready to be angry over the no show, when “Cult of Personality” hit and the Chicago crowd, and everyone else lost their minds. 

Faction of the Year: The Judgment Day. The Judgment Day runs RAW. That is pretty much true as the storylines have completely centered around them for most of the year. Runners-Up: Bloodline, Damage Control, Team Cody.

NXT Wrestler of the Year: Ilja Dragunov. Dragunov never had a bad match. He is so real. You can never go wrong with Dragunov. He may be the best seller in WWE. Runners-Up: Carmelo Hayes, the Creeds, Bron Breakker, Wes Lee, Dominik Mysterio.

Saddest moment: Bray Wyatt dies. Bray was out most of the year with an undisclosed injury. It was a horrendous loss when we heard that he had passed away. He is missed.