Correct The Award: PWI Editor's Award

[The Brain]

This is the final installment of the PWI Award series. Thanks to all who participated. This is the Stanley Weston Editor’s Award. It is meant to be a lifetime achievement award. It is also the only award the fans did not vote for. It was decided by the editors of PWI, hence the term Editor’s Award.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PWI_Stanley_Weston_Award

I hate to disagree with someone who gets a lifetime achievement award, but 1988 stands out to me. Bruiser Brody and Adrian Adonis were both good wrestlers, but I don’t think they are the type of guys this award was meant for. The truth is these guys got the award because they happened to die that year. While it’s sad that any human dies so young I don’t feel it automatically gets them a lifetime achievement award. If both guys just decided to retire that year there’s no way they would ever even be considered for the award. I think Stu Hart should have gotten the award. He had many contributions to professional wrestling. He may be best known as the father of Bret and Owen Hart, but Stu trained countless wrestlers in his infamous dungeon. He also owned and operated Stampede Wrestling for years. Guys like Bret and Owen Hart, Davey Boy Smith, Dynamite Kid, Brian Pillman, and many others got their start there. Stampede made the faster catch as catch can style that we’re familiar with today popular. Stu's influence is still felt today and his legacy will live on forever. So no disrespect to those who lost their lives, but I don’t think dying young should earn you this award.

I hope you’ve all enjoyed this series.

 

[Dum Dum Dudley]

Hmmmm. Definitely the hardest one to pick, mainly because so many people deserve recognition for their work in the business and the fact that it isn't restricted to a time-frame; you can argue the point for any professional wreslter/manager/valet/announcer from any period. With this in mind, i am going to rob Jim Ross of his spot in 2002 and give it to Wahoo McDaniel. I use the word 'rob' because whose to say JR hasn't contributed significantly to professional wrestling but i feel that in 2002, McDaniel should have been rewarded for his career.

A multiple time world champion who had some great matches with Ric Flair, McDaniel also passed away in April '02 so i think being post-humously inducted that year would have been a fitting tribute to a huge star of the territories. With many stars such as Andre, Eddie and Owen being inducted post-humously, i think Wahoo McDaniel should have been given the same honour. He was post-humously inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame in '02 and the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame Museum in this year so i think he should have been given this award by now, preferably in 2002.

 

[Tastycles]

1985. It's true Bruiser Brody and Adrian Adonis were the benefactors of dying, but David Von Erich was this even more so. There is some inconclusiveness surrounding his death as it is, but even if it was a natural and unavoidable tragedy, truth be told someone who's greatest achievement was starting a feud with Ric Flair and who died aged 25 probably shouldn't have been given a lifetime achievement award, and it set the precedent for 25 years of giving this award to dead people.

As for a worthy winner? Well, most of the old timers who won it subsequently spring to mind, but if you want someone who has never won it, then what about Sam Muchnick. The man had guided the NWA through its first 30 years, establishing wrestling on a national scale, and by this point was 80 odd and had retired, making him old enough to get the award, but young enough to be able to accept the award as a living person.

 

[Whatsinaname696]

I have 2, one's kind of a cheat though, so I'll go with the other first, I have nothing at all against Pat Patterson... and the fact that there is only one a year is... well as long as PWI is around for centuries no problem I guess, but yeah... Sorry Pat but I would give your Spot to Hulk Hogan, who to me tied with Andre for defining "lifetime achievement" How he isn't already on the list is... well, insane to me, although I'm sure he WILL be, but by the time Pat made it to the list there was absolutely no doubt Hogan had done WAY more than enough to get his spot, nothing against Pat, that's just bizarre to me, though....

Cheating choice would be Arn Anderson... cuz all I would have done is add Ole and the only real Anderson, Gene (they had two one year, f it, go for 3 heh)