2016 Lou Thesz/Ric Flair Award (Wrestler of the Year)
2016 Lou Thesz/Ric Flair Award (Wrestler of the Year)
As we reach the midpoint of 2016, I'm curious to know what people's feelings are about the Wrestler of the Year. Who's owned this half-year?
I'm not looking for a prediction; just a taking of the temperature. Kota Ibushi was injured around this time last year after he seemed like the easy choice for a chunk of 2015. Plenty of time left for anyone to get hot or cold. But if you had to vote tomorrow, who would you choose?
With Ospreay winning the BOSJ, he feels like the choice to me. Dallas made 2016 his breakout year, but this New Japan run has given it some real resume-style heft. It feels like his half-year.
I'm not looking for a prediction; just a taking of the temperature. Kota Ibushi was injured around this time last year after he seemed like the easy choice for a chunk of 2015. Plenty of time left for anyone to get hot or cold. But if you had to vote tomorrow, who would you choose?
With Ospreay winning the BOSJ, he feels like the choice to me. Dallas made 2016 his breakout year, but this New Japan run has given it some real resume-style heft. It feels like his half-year.
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2016 Lou Thesz/Ric Flair Award (Wrestler of the Year)
1 and 2 are Styles and Naito easily for me.
Re: 2016 Lou Thesz/Ric Flair Award (Wrestler of the Year)
Yeah, Ospreay for me. He kicked off the year with my current MOTY against Scrull and then he had an awesome Dallas weekend, a great NJPW debut against KUSHIDA and now a really good BOSJ run.
- Lawsoncomedy
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Re: 2016 Lou Thesz/Ric Flair Award (Wrestler of the Year)
3. Styles
2. Naito
1. Ospreay
2. Naito
1. Ospreay
- Shining Wiz
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Re: 2016 Lou Thesz/Ric Flair Award (Wrestler of the Year)
1. Styles
2. Naito
3. Kushida
4. Ospreay
2. Naito
3. Kushida
4. Ospreay
- mprentice84
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2016 Lou Thesz/Ric Flair Award (Wrestler of the Year)
AJ Styles or KUSHIDA. Could make a very strong argument for either
Re: 2016 Lou Thesz/Ric Flair Award (Wrestler of the Year)
Updating this to :
1.Naito
2.Shingo
3.Miyahara
1.Naito
2.Shingo
3.Miyahara
Last edited by ayaashm on Mon Dec 26, 2016 5:41 am, edited 3 times in total.
Re: 2016 Lou Thesz/Ric Flair Award (Wrestler of the Year)
If someone wanted to vote an indie guy like Hero or Ospreay, with the way the landscape is today that wouldn't sound crazy to me at all. Would still vote for Naito #1 at this point, but I think those two are above AJ at least and I love AJ as much as anyone.
Could easily be talked into AJ's main event status in the top two companies being significant enough to be the top vote though.
Could easily be talked into AJ's main event status in the top two companies being significant enough to be the top vote though.
- Lawsoncomedy
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Re: 2016 Lou Thesz/Ric Flair Award (Wrestler of the Year)
It is kind of incredible that Naito, yes Tetsuya Naito, is probably the favorite to win this thing at the end of this year. You truly can never write anybody off.
- Buzz Sawyer
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Re: 2016 Lou Thesz/Ric Flair Award (Wrestler of the Year)
1. Heath Slater: easily the MVP of the WWE
2. Will Ferrara: The glue of ROH
3. Captain New Japan: When you are such a legend as the good Captain, you have to let others get the limelight.
2. Will Ferrara: The glue of ROH
3. Captain New Japan: When you are such a legend as the good Captain, you have to let others get the limelight.
Who's Rob Viper ?
- King Of Indy Style
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Re: 2016 Lou Thesz/Ric Flair Award (Wrestler of the Year)
1. Ospreay
2. Naito
3. KUSHIDA
They've all been consistently great-fantastic this year. But Ospreay gets the nod for me.
2. Naito
3. KUSHIDA
They've all been consistently great-fantastic this year. But Ospreay gets the nod for me.

- Napalm Death
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Re: 2016 Lou Thesz/Ric Flair Award (Wrestler of the Year)
1 AJ Styles
2 Naito
3 Zach Sabre Junior
2 Naito
3 Zach Sabre Junior
- Grammarian
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Re: 2016 Lou Thesz/Ric Flair Award (Wrestler of the Year)
Ospreay is having an amazing year. I might be leaning toward him for the Most Outstanding award.
Naito and Styles have a case for Thesz/Flair.
Naito and Styles have a case for Thesz/Flair.
twitter me @ItsGrammarian
Re: 2016 Lou Thesz/Ric Flair Award (Wrestler of the Year)
I think at this point, it's hard to not make the case for AJ. Semi main evented Wrestle Kingdom. Came into WWE and in less than half of a year became a main eventer and is feuding with the biggest star in the company. He's also the first guy in quite a long time to debut on the main roster without a stint in NXT first. Anderson did it shortly thereafter, but in a clearly lesser role.
Naito stepping up to the main event level and being one of the most compelling characters out there would make him my number 2.
I'd probably go with either Ospreay or Ishii as third best. Ospreay is obviously the breakout star of the industry this year, but I don't think Ishii is getting enough credit for the great stuff he's done all year long.
Naito stepping up to the main event level and being one of the most compelling characters out there would make him my number 2.
I'd probably go with either Ospreay or Ishii as third best. Ospreay is obviously the breakout star of the industry this year, but I don't think Ishii is getting enough credit for the great stuff he's done all year long.
- Edu_Tessis
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Re: 2016 Lou Thesz/Ric Flair Award (Wrestler of the Year)
1 - Naito
2 - Styles
3 - Ishii
If we're talking Juniors, then Ospreay and KUSHIDA have to be in the list as well, but for how over Naito is right now, and how consistently good his matches have been, I gotta give it to him, although Styles isn't far behind and Ishii is having a sneaky excellent year, with the Shibata feud and both his matches against Naito at the Cup and at Dontaku.
2 - Styles
3 - Ishii
If we're talking Juniors, then Ospreay and KUSHIDA have to be in the list as well, but for how over Naito is right now, and how consistently good his matches have been, I gotta give it to him, although Styles isn't far behind and Ishii is having a sneaky excellent year, with the Shibata feud and both his matches against Naito at the Cup and at Dontaku.