Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
Dave Meltzer well known wrestling journalist created Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards.
Current awards
Lou Thesz/Ric Flair Award (Wrestler of the Year)
Ric Flair is an eight-time winner and co-namesake of the category
| Year | Wrestler | Promotion(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Harley Race | National Wrestling Alliance |
| 1981 | ||
| 1982 | Ric Flair | |
| 1983 | ||
| 1984 | ||
| 1985 | Jim Crockett Promotions | |
| 1986 | ||
| 1987 | Riki Choshu | All Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1988 | Akira Maeda | Universal Wrestling Federation |
| 1989 | Ric Flair | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1990 | ||
| 1991 | Jumbo Tsuruta | All Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1992 | Ric Flair | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1993 | Big Van Vader | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1994 | Toshiaki Kawada | All Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1995 | Mitsuharu Misawa | |
| 1996 | Kenta Kobashi | |
| 1997 | Mitsuharu Misawa | |
| 1998 | Stone Cold Steve Austin | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1999 | Mitsuharu Misawa | All Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 2000 | Triple H | World Wrestling Federation |
| 2001 | Keiji Mutoh | New Japan Pro-Wrestling All Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 2002 | Kurt Angle | World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment |
| 2003 | Kenta Kobashi | Pro Wrestling Noah |
| 2004 | ||
| 2005 | ||
| 2006 | Místico | Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre |
| 2007 | John Cena | World Wrestling Entertainment |
| 2008 | Chris Jericho | |
| 2009 | ||
| 2010 | John Cena | |
| 2011 | Hiroshi Tanahashi | New Japan Pro-Wrestling |
| 2012 | ||
| 2013 | ||
| 2014 | Shinsuke Nakamura | |
| 2015 | A.J. Styles | New Japan Pro-Wrestling Ring of Honor |
| 2016 | New Japan Pro-Wrestling WWE | |
| 2017 | Kazuchika Okada | New Japan Pro-Wrestling |
| 2018 | Kenny Omega | New Japan Pro-Wrestling Ring of Honor |
| 2019 | Chris Jericho | New Japan Pro-Wrestling All Elite Wrestling |
| 2020 | Jon Moxley | |
| 2021 | Kenny Omega | All Elite Wrestling Impact Wrestling |
Mixed Martial Arts Most Valuable
Brock Lesnar is a three-time winner of the category
| Year | Fighter | Promotion(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Randy Couture | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
| 2008 | Brock Lesnar | |
| 2009 | ||
| 2010 | ||
| 2011 | Georges St-Pierre | |
| 2012 | Anderson Silva | |
| 2013 | Georges St-Pierre | |
| 2014 | Ronda Rousey | |
| 2015 | ||
| 2016 | Conor McGregor | |
| 2017 | Georges St-Pierre | |
| 2018 | Conor McGregor | |
| 2019 | Jorge Masvidal | |
| 2020 | Khabib Nurmagomedov | |
| 2021 | Kamaru Usman |
Most Outstanding Wrestler
Manami Toyota is the only female winner of the category
| Year | Wrestler | Promotion |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Ric Flair | Jim Crockett Promotions |
| 1987 | ||
| 1988 | Tatsumi Fujinami | New Japan Pro-Wrestling |
| 1989 | Ric Flair | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1990 | Jushin Thunder Liger | New Japan Pro-Wrestling |
| 1991 | New Japan Pro-Wrestling World Championship Wrestling | |
| 1992 | ||
| 1993 | Kenta Kobashi | All Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1994 | ||
| 1995 | Manami Toyota | All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling |
| 1996 | Rey Misterio Jr. | Extreme Championship Wrestling World Championship Wrestling |
| 1997 | Mitsuharu Misawa | All Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1998 | Koji Kanemoto | New Japan Pro-Wrestling |
| 1999 | Mitsuharu Misawa | All Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 2000 | Chris Benoit | World Championship Wrestling World Wrestling Federation |
| 2001 | Kurt Angle | World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment |
| 2002 | ||
| 2003 | ||
| 2004 | Chris Benoit | |
| 2005 | Samoa Joe | Ring of Honor Total Nonstop Action Wrestling |
| 2006 | Bryan Danielson/Daniel Bryan | Ring of Honor |
| 2007 | ||
| 2008 | ||
| 2009 | Ring of Honor Dragon Gate USA | |
| 2010 | World Wrestling Entertainment Evolve Dragon Gate USA Chikara | |
| 2011 | Davey Richards | Ring of Honor Pro Wrestling Guerrilla |
| 2012 | Hiroshi Tanahashi | New Japan Pro-Wrestling |
| 2013 | ||
| 2014 | A.J. Styles | New Japan Pro-Wrestling Ring of Honor |
| 2015 | ||
| 2016 | New Japan Pro-Wrestling WWE | |
| 2017 | Kazuchika Okada | New Japan Pro-Wrestling |
| 2018 | Kenny Omega | |
| 2019 | Will Ospreay | |
| 2020 | Kenny Omega | All Elite Wrestling Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide |
| 2021 | Shingo Takagi | New Japan Pro-Wrestling |
Most Outstanding Fighter of the Year
Georges St-Pierre is a three-time winner of the category
| Year | Fighter | Promotion(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Maurice Smith | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
| 1998 | Frank Shamrock | |
| 1999 | ||
| 2000 | Kazushi Sakuraba | Pride Fighting Championships |
| 2001 | Wanderlei Silva | |
| 2002 | Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira | |
| 2003 | Randy Couture | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
| 2004 | Wanderlei Silva | Pride Fighting Championships |
| 2005 | Fedor Emelianenko | |
| 2006 | Mirko Filipović | |
| 2007 | Quinton Jackson | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
| 2008 | Georges St-Pierre | |
| 2009 | ||
| 2010 | ||
| 2011 | Jon Jones | |
| 2012 | Anderson Silva | |
| 2013 | Cain Velasquez | |
| 2014 | Ronda Rousey | |
| 2015 | Conor McGregor | |
| 2016 | ||
| 2017 | Demetrious Johnson | |
| 2018 | Daniel Cormier | |
| 2019 | Khabib Nurmagomedov | |
| 2020 | ||
| 2021 | Kamaru Usman |
Best Box Office Draw
Before 2021, this was a single award. Starting in 2021, separate awards for MMA and pro wrestling were introduced.
The Rock is a three-time winner of this category
| Year | Performer | Promotion(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Hulk Hogan | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1998 | Stone Cold Steve Austin | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1999 | ||
| 2000 | The Rock | |
| 2001 | Kazushi Sakuraba | Pride Fighting Championships |
| 2002 | Bob Sapp | K-1 Pride Fighting Championships New Japan Pro-Wrestling |
| 2003 | ||
| 2004 | Kenta Kobashi | Pro Wrestling Noah |
| 2005 | ||
| 2006 | Místico | Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre |
| 2007 | John Cena | World Wrestling Entertainment |
| 2008 | Brock Lesnar | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
| 2009 | ||
| 2010 | ||
| 2011 | The Rock | WWE |
| 2012 | ||
| 2013 | Georges St-Pierre | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
| 2014 | Ronda Rousey | |
| 2015 | ||
| 2016 | Conor McGregor | |
| 2017 | ||
| 2018 | ||
| 2019 | Chris Jericho | All Elite Wrestling New Japan Pro-Wrestling |
| 2020 | Conor McGregor | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
| 2021 | MMA: Conor McGregor | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
| Pro wrestling: CM Punk | All Elite Wrestling |
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