Rant Sports’ WWE 2012 Awards

Rant Sports' WWE 2012 Awards

With the year of 2012 officially at an end it is only fitting to review the year that was and to show some love to those who shined like a bright star. In the past year we saw some MVP like performances and breakout performances as well. We saw many new faces with most of them making an immediate and impressive impact. Continuing, despite the lack of managers we saw some standout performances giving the the future a little bit of optimism.

In 2012 we saw the likes of The Rock versus John Cena and HHH versus The Undertaker. We also saw Dolph Ziggler win the Money In The Bank briefcase he still holds while C.M. Punk dropped a massive pipe bomb on the world of professional wrestling. In 2012 we also saw the return of Brock Lesnar while newcomers like Damien Sandow, Ryback and Antonio Cesaro made bold statements. Guys like Wade Barrett evolved themselves for the better while rivals Daniel Bryan and Kane formed a polarizing tag team.

All-in-all we will honor the men and women of the WWE who managed to put a smile on the faces of the many die-hard followers of the sport entertainment empire known as the WWE.

Here are the following categories for Rant Sports’ WWE 2012 Awards:

WWE MVP

Diva of the Year

Tag Team of the Year

Breakout Star of the Year

Newcomer of the Year

Comeback of the Year

Brawler of the Year

Highflyer of the Year

Technician of the Year

Personality (character) of the Year

Manager of the Year

WWE MVP: C.M. Punk

This one was a no-brainer! Punk was consistently making noise starting with his great feudwith Chris Jericho and eventually followed by the pipe bomb heard all around the world. Subsequently, he won the WWE Championship in his hometown of Chicago. Until this day he still holds that title which is a testament to his worth within the WWE right now.

Diva of the Year: Eve Torres

Despite the fact that A.J. Lee has been a focal point among the divas let alone the entire WWE roster speaks volumes of her bright future. However, we hardly saw her as an in-ring competitor in 2012. Meanwhile, Eve Torres is your current Diva's Champion and has shown enough progress in a lackluster division. Expect Tamina, Natalia, Lee and other talents to make some noise in 2013.

Tag Team of the Year: Team Hell No

No particular tag team stood out consistently throughout the year other than the odd pairing of Bryan and Kane. Team Hell No isn't your typical tag team but they have produced some entertaining television and some quality matches. There were a few teams such as the Prime Time Players who showed promise this year. Expect them to step it up next year.

Breakout Star of the Year: Dolph Ziggler

The easy and obvious choice for everyone has been Ryback and no doubt he makes a very solid case for breakout performer. However, his contributions were only for half the year while Ziggler consistently delivered for the entire year. From the time he won Money In The bank until his recent big win against John Cena at TLC, Ziggler has elevated himself as a main event player who can deliver in the ring and on the mic. His support is evident as his associations with Vicky Guerrero and Lee have proven.

Newcomer of the Year: Antonio Cesaro

A similar argument can be made here as the previous category for Ryback. However, the big man hasn't had the opportunity to show the same consistency that Cesaro has shown us over the past year. While Ryback has been squashing opponents or chasing around The Shield, Cesaro has been displaying his impressive in-ring abilities and showing equal talent on the mic. He's a refreshing in the WWE Universe. From his walk to his talk Cesaro is a very refreshing talent among the WWE roster.

Comeback of the Year: Brock Lesnar

With respects to Jerry Lawler, the in-ring comeback of the year goes to Brock Lesnar. He is the biggest cross over superstar in decades besides The Rock. His post-WrestleMania return along with his subsequent matches with Cena and HHH made a lot of noise within the WWE and out of the WWE as well.

Brawler of the Year: Sheamus

The Great White has been a dominant force within the WWE since his debut and he hasn't slowed down since. His success in 2012 is proof of that with a World Heavyweight Championship win at WrestleMania 28. He respectably held that title for a lengthy period and only recently lost to Big Show. His success can be credited too many things from dedicated training to his passion for pro wrestling.

However, there's no denying that the Belfast native's brawler style is a key reason. Not only does Sheamus oversize the majority of his opponents but he also packs a stronger punch than most as well. From his Brogue Kick to his 10 Forearms, his moveset has favored him in the ring and won the cheers of many fans.

Highflyer of the Year: Kofi Kingston

Not to discredit Kofi Kingston's talents but the competition wasn't really there for him in 2012 among the highflyers. Rey Mysterio, Sin Cara and Evan Bourne have all spent time on the sidelines while Justin Gabriel has lost a lot of momentum from his Nexus days. Let's not forget that the cruiserweight division doesn't have the same depth it use to. Not only does that put Kingston at the forefront but his in-ring work has improved greatly giving him the credibility he deserves as well.

Technician of the Year: Daniel Bryan

You have to keep in mind that the TV style of wrestling within the WWE doesn't favor mat technicians. There's a limited amount of standout technicians and among most of them the focus is primarily on character development, promos and meeting that aforementioned style of adjustment.

Quality technicians like Tyson Kidd, William Regal and some of then new faces within the WWE either didn't have the ring time or right opportunities to show case their skills the the fullest. Bryan and Punk have managed well respectably with the nod going to Bryan who uses a variety of moves from his arsenal on the regular that could fall under the technical category. His moves are fluid, crisp and truly an art form in its own.

Personality (character) of the Year: A.J. Lee

Although guys like Sandow and Bryan showcased a ton of personality in the ring and on the mic within 2012, it truly was Lee who capitalized best outside the ring. Her psychotic personality has been a a focal point of many televised episodes and pay per views. Let's not forget that she has been profiled in main event slots with main event players like Cena, Punk, Bryan, Kane and Ziggler. Lee managed to capture the interest of many fans consistently throughout the year and it doesn't look like she's ready to slow down any time soon. If this slowly turns into more ring action for her as well the future looks very promising for the young diva.

Manager of the Year: Paul Heyman

Managers among the WWE were thin in 2012 just like recent years. However, in 2012 we were fortunate enough to get some quality in return for the lack of quantity. The likes of Guerrero, Lee and Paul Heyman have all been standout managers who can hold their own and even shine brighter than some of the premier talents they stand besides or across from.

None can be truer than his the evil genius himself who aligned himself with Lesnar and Punk in 2012. In both cases he contributed significantly in prime storylines that received a lot of media coverage. In the end, Heyman was able to draw strong reactions from the WWE Universe and told compelling stories. A well earned spot for the man.