2020 CBS Sports Wrestling Awards: Drew McIntyre stands out as a fighter of the year

There has never been a year in the professional struggle like 2020, and it probably never will be again (assuming COVID-19 vaccines put the pandemic under control). However, the fight progressed, creating another year of great moments and memories for the fans.

WWE is giving WrestleMania two nights from an empty performance center, to the creation of ThunderDome, until AEW continues to form its image, while NJPW and other Japanese promotions find their way through difficult times, there is a lot of talk pro 2020 to talk about.

CBS Sports experts sat down to vote for 13 awards in honor of the best and worst of this special year of fighting, recognizing not only the WWE, but the excellent efforts of the stars who represent the rising AEW. You can see the full list of awards below.

2020 CBS Sports Wrestling Awards

Fighter of the Year – Drew McIntyre (WWE): Despite considering huge finalists such as names like Roman Reigns, Randy Orton, Sasha Banks, Bayley and Jon Moxley, McIntyre was a clear choice as to why it was. Brock Lesnar pushed hard at WrestleMania 36 before he was finally defeated, making McIntyre the WWE who had always hoped Reigns would become a strong and established babyface. He put the WWE on his back with the company’s face and being the main male star in a constant global pandemic on television, and he also gave wonderful matches. The Wrestler of the Year was worth considering, but McIntyre stood out from the rest. – Adam Silverstein

Match of the year – WALTER vs. Ilja Dragunov (NXT UK): There were many valuable opportunities in the world of wrestling, including the absolutely wonderful match between Tetsuya Naito and Kazuchika Okada on the 2nd night of the Wrestling Kingdom. But WALTER vs Dragunov was more than a step away. This was also a rare match that benefited from the lack of live crowds, splitting things up to pure savagery among old opponents. The match was given a good time to develop without prolonging the welcome. Strange match, almost everything was perfect. – Brent Brookhouse

Annual event – Royal Rumble (WWE): This was an unprecedented winner considering a number of high-quality wrestling events, including Wrestle Kingdom 15, NXT TakeOvers and AEW Multi-Pay Multiple Payments. However, despite the fact that they were able to win in terms of work rate and match quality, the Royal Rumble stood out from the rest because it was the culmination of everything that happened on the show, including the return of Edge, one of the most reserved and fun Royal. Rumble games in history (if not the best), Becky Lynch vs. Asuka and “The Fiend” vs. Daniel Bryan. McIntyre really started his rise as the main face of the WWE men in the main event. – Silverstein

Tag Team of the Year – Sasha Banks and Bayley (WWE): Banks and Bayley performed full shows with their band. At a time when the WWE only broke other teams before the team broke or before the team dropped to second, this pair of stars cared about the opponents who had caught their attention. The breakup was inevitable, but it was delayed because their race was very good, which says something. – Brookhouse

The best time of the year – Edge Returns Royal Rumble Return (WWE): Although there were rumors that Edge was looking at the return of the ring, he denied these reports significantly to question whether the return was on the cards. In the end, even though some thought he could return to the WWE, the company did a tremendous job of hiding in the Royal Rumble. Given Edge’s wonderful level of popularity, the severity of what was thought to be end-of-career injuries and his unexpected return were unexpected. In addition, the moment itself – and Edge’s emotional reaction to people’s response and the severity of his return – really put him on top. – Silverstein

Worst time of the year – Matt Hardy vs. Sammy Guevara at Out Out (AEW): There were a lot of horrible moments this year, but the complete failure of everyone involved in this one prevails. Clearly, Hardy was in a bad way after his head hit the concrete, instead of stopping the game, he took a quick look and immediately sent him to another high-risk place. It was a life-threatening decision that shouldn’t have happened in 2020. – Brookhouse

Worst event of the year – Super ShowDown (WWE): If you made a list of the worst games of 2020, two finalists would come from this show: “The Fiend” vs. Goldberg and Brock Lesnar vs. Ricochet. That also didn’t take into account that the rest of the show was horrible (aside from the surprise of Mansoor vs. Dolph Ziggler) or the ensuing discussion. WWE’s events in Saudi Arabia have been disappointing, largely regardless of the circumstances surrounding their deal, but this one took the cake as the worst – and it wasn’t even a harsh call. Never watch this show and you better get to it. – Silverstein

Comeback fighter of the year – MVP (WWE): Although Edge’s return was the main deal, the MVP had a consistent presence throughout the year. The Hurt Business became a key part of the weekly TV show, and the MVP is committed to helping the boys get over it and has done a better job than most of the company. There is a lot to be said for bringing presence and consistency to the table. – Brookhouse

Annual Smack Talker – Eddie Kingston (AEW): From being an independent favorite to Kingston’s main event in AEW it was horrible, and it all happened through his mouth. He was given the opportunity to appear on AEW Dynamite as Kingston won himself a contract largely because of the promotion he cut that night. Then he finished so much that he worked on the main PPV event against AEW champion Jon Moxley, as Kingston’s promotional chops only made for a brighter glow. Although he did not have a special promotion of the year (followed in more depth), in 2020 his microphone work was not unparalleled. – Silverstein

Rookie of the Year – Eddie Kingston (AEW): That sounds weird that Kingston is a longtime veteran, but listen to me. According to the award criteria used each year, Kingston qualifies. The award is given based on the first year of a major promotion. Kingston welcomed AEW, announced himself when it could be a one-off match with Cody Rhodes, got a contract and went on to a great program of major events with Jon Moxley. It’s a little weird, but it’s also a nice feeling to be rewarding someone who deserves a long-awaited opportunity in 2020. – Brookhouse

Annual promotion – Edge warns Randy Orton (WWE): WWE rarely gives its stars a white card to cut promotions without a script, but its veterans are much longer. In the huge back-and-forth promotions between Edge and Orton, this one took the cake. Nearly 6 minutes Edge, unedited, cuts a high-level promotion inside a practice ring in a dark room. He was passionate, emotional, raw and layered. Kingston-Moxley may provide more juice on the go before his title game, but we think it’s hard to cut a promo like this without being able to play another person with the overall quality and difficulty. Just look there. – Silverstein

Commentator of the Year – Samoa Joe (WWE Raw): Comment is one of the hardest jobs to fight for and it’s something that sets fans apart from what seems simple. There were some valid opportunities here, but Joe stands out for having a unique presence in a difficult promotion and having someone with your ear in the direction of your work. – Brookhouse

Annual Feud – Roman Reigns vs. Jey Usage (WWE SmackDown): There were so many great finalists for this category, but Reigns and Uso took the honor, in large part, because of the raw, personal, and familiar nature of the feud. Not only that, it was completely unexpected – due to Reigns ’return and the amazing turn of the heel – it was constantly delivered to the microphone and the ring too much to the point where the WWE spread the pillow about the feud. more months than initially planned. Dealing with their family history and Reigns ’real-life obstacles, the fight was successful and entertaining as well as the miles it took to establish Reigns’ new character in a way that would not have resulted in a fight against someone else. In addition, Uso, a career team fighter, became a consistent main event. In fact, even though Reigns and Uso are on the same side of the story as 2020 ends, the conflict remains on Uso’s side. He’s a long-term storyteller at his best, something that WWE hasn’t been successful in recent years. – Silverstein