Jim Cornette names who is deserving of the accolade of wrestler of the year.
With 2023 coming to a close, many in the wrestling world are looking at the past year to decide which wrestler is deserving of the accolade. As 2023 has been a very strong year in-ring, the decision is not as straightforward as prior years.
On a recent episode of the Drive-Thru, Jim Cornette was asked who he would pick as his wrestler of the year based on the nominees listed from Pro Wrestling Illustrated. The nominees are Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, Jon Moxley, Athena, Kenny Omega, Will Ospreay, El Hijo del Vikingo, Bryan Danielson, Rhea Ripley, Josh Alexander, Jake Lee, Bianca Belair, Gunther, Titan, Mike Bailey, Masha Slamovich and Shigehiro Irie.
Looking back at the year, Cornette’s choice was none of the names listed above and was the WWE Superstar who has been on a meteoric rise in 2023, LA Knight. Cornette’s reasoning for the choice was due to the fact that Knight has managed to bounce back from a doomed persona to maintaining an international show in the space of a year:
Even if you don’t want to go with the obvious that is Roman Reigns. Would you then have to go with, because Roman, I will say it’s obvious for the people that might not know because he’s on top of the biggest company in the world and the biggest shows he’s on top of are all better than the ones he’s not on. But then also, you have to be realistic. At this point, would that not be the LA Knight Award?
If Cody was inspirational because he came back from his injury, he’s the most popular babyface in the business. Is not the wrestler of the year the guy who is now the second most popular babyface in the business? And this time last year, or maybe more recently, was a goddamn joke manager of a modelling agency. What kind of turnaround, how has that ever happened before this quickly in the wrestling industry?
You go from you hate the gimmick you’re doing, everyone else hates the gimmick that you’re doing and you’re not doing it very well and they are about to fire you to you’re a goddamn superstar and you’re the main event of a $50 million show in Saudi Arabia in 9 months.
It was then pitched to Cornette that the WWE star should perhaps be considered for most improved as opposed to wrestler of the year. Cornette countered by stating that Knight did not improve as he had always been this great, he just wasn’t allowed to express it:
Here’s the thing, he didn’t improve because he was always that good. He overcame bad booking and made them use him, I say that’s wrestler of the year. Yeah!
Jim Cornette Blasts AEW Wrestlers
Following on from Full Gear, it is unlikely that Cornette will be nominating Adam Page or Swerve Strickland for match of the year. When reviewing their Texas Death Match, Jim Cornette believes that the AEW match could have repercussions in regard to network deals.
If you use any quotes from this article please credit Jim Cornette’s Drive-Thru and leave a h/t to Inside The Ropes.