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The Katz Files – Arnie Katz
The 2010 Arnie Awards
The Kingfish Arnie Katz unveils his 2010 Arnie Awards, his picks for the outstanding wrestlers of the year for 2009.

All awards, from the Oscars to the science fiction Hugos, are corrupt. The longer they continue, the more likely that irrelevant factors will decide who wins and loses.

Awards in pro wrestling are as corrupt as many – and more corrupt than most. In a way, that’s comforting, because you knowing going in that wrestling awards are totally bogus. They can, and do, pick anyone they want to pick and that’s the whole story.

This is the first year for the Arnie Awards, so I haven’t had the opportunity to sell out. My guess is that, since the Arnie Awards represent nothing more substantial than my personal choices for the year just ended, no one will even think it’s worth bribing me.

So with clean hands and a satisfied conscience, let me present the best of 2009, the 2010 Arnie Awards…

My Favorite Rookie of 2998: Desmond Wolfe
No one made a bigger impact than Desmond Wolfe. So even though he debuted fairly late in the year, he’s my selection for the best rookie of ’09. Injury concerns hover around this dynamic heel, but he is a blue chip main eventer if he stays healthy.
Honorable Mentions: Drew McIntyre, Hamada

My Favorite Female Wrestler of 2009: ODB
The queen of TNA’s “Knocked Up” Division is the Queen of the Trailer Parks. They don’t often say what those initials mean, but the fans know that she is one outrageous female wrestling personality. Her edge is that she can also work a very entertaining match.
Honorable Mentions: Melina, Tara

My Favorite Announcer of 2009: Michael Cole
The play-b-play caller for RAW finally emerged from beneath the imposing shadow of Jim Ross to stake a claim as the voice of WWE on television. He is not as flamboyant as Good Ole JR, but he has a distinctive style and knows how to pull the fans into a match.
Honorable Mentions: Matt Stryker, Jim Ross

My Favorite Non-Wrestler of 2009: Mr. McMahon
This is a triumph of quality over quantity. His fake death kept him off-camera for a wile, but he is magnetic every time he clumps down the ramp on those stiff knees.
Honorable Mention: Jeremy Borash

My Favorite Tag Team of 2009: Beer Money
TNA’s greatest homegrown tag team since America’s Most Wanted has the skills, both in and out of the ring, to stay at the top without the title. They turned babyface this year and now the fans are solidly behind them. I was sorry to see Miss Jackie leave the act, but James Storm and Robert Roode didn’t miss a beat.
Honorable Mentions: Motor City Machine Guns, Legacy

My Favorite Comedy Character of 2009: Santino Morella
Who could have known, when Santino stepped into the ring during a WWE euro-tour, that he would develop into the Clown Prince of Pro Wrestling? Even if you don’t like cheap drag queen humor, Santino did more than enough last year to deserve this honor. He is one of the only people in either WWE or TNA who should even attempt to be funny.
Honorable Mention: Mick Foley

My Favorite Pro Wrestler of 2009: Kurt Angle
Intensity is one of Kurt Angle’s most important qualities as a main event wrestler. He talks like he means it on the mic and acts like it’s all on the line during a match. He can work with such dissimilar wrestlers as AJ Styles and Desmond Wolfe and unfailingly do his part to entertain the fans.
Honorable Mentions: John Cena, AJ Styles, Randy Orton

That’s all for today, but I’ll be back Thursday with another installment of the Internet’s fastest-rising pro wrestling column. I hope you’ll come back then and, please, tell your friends about the column, too.

— Arnie Katz
Executive Editor
[email protected]
(1/12/10)