Welcome everyone to the 2023 Impact Asylum Year-End Awards. We are bringing this tradition back after a one-year break last year. The readers of this site spent the majority of December making their votes on categories such as Match of the Year, Most Memorable Moment, Knockout of the Year and more.
I want to apologize for any notable omissions that were left off of voting. It was never intentional but I recognized it after enough people had voted.
These awards will be split over two articles. The first five category winners will be announced today, while the other five will be announced tomorrow.
I want to apologize for any notable omissions that were left off of voting. It was never intentional but I recognized it after enough people had voted.
These awards will be split over two articles. The first five category winners will be announced today, while the other five will be announced tomorrow.
Best of the X
Winner: Chris Sabin (42%)
Honorable Mentions: Mike Bailey (28%); Trey Miguel (17%), Lio Rush (12%)
The Best of the X category recognizes the best X Division Wrestler of the year. While there were plenty of standout wrestlers this year, the Impact Asylum readers voted and gave it to one half of the Motor City Machine Guns, Chris Sabin. Sabin won the X Division Championship on two different occasions this year, first by dethroning Trey Miguel then by recapturing it in a Match of the Year Contender at Impact 1000 against Lio Rush. Chris Sabin has divided his attention between the X Division, tag division and his friendship with Alex Shelley. Sabin even closed the regular season of 2023 with a big title defense against Kenta at Bound for Glory. The 10-time record breaking X Division Champion will be entering 2023 as a target.
Honorable Mentions: Mike Bailey (28%); Trey Miguel (17%), Lio Rush (12%)
The Best of the X category recognizes the best X Division Wrestler of the year. While there were plenty of standout wrestlers this year, the Impact Asylum readers voted and gave it to one half of the Motor City Machine Guns, Chris Sabin. Sabin won the X Division Championship on two different occasions this year, first by dethroning Trey Miguel then by recapturing it in a Match of the Year Contender at Impact 1000 against Lio Rush. Chris Sabin has divided his attention between the X Division, tag division and his friendship with Alex Shelley. Sabin even closed the regular season of 2023 with a big title defense against Kenta at Bound for Glory. The 10-time record breaking X Division Champion will be entering 2023 as a target.
BreakOUT Star
Winner: MKUltra (32%)
Honorable Mentions: Jake Something (29%), Joe Hendry (20%), KiLynn King (9%)
Honorable Mentions: Jake Something (29%), Joe Hendry (20%), KiLynn King (9%)
It should be noted that KiLynn King was one the named omitted from this category and enough of you wrote her in that she made quite the gain. Our winners, MKUltra weren't even a team entering this year. They were opponents leading into Hardcore War at Rebellion earlier this year. The two ladies went at in later in a Dog Collar Match before showing a "connection" and being the sexiest tag team in Impact Wrestling, quickly winning the tag titles and the hearts of dudes across the internet. While Jake Something, Joe Hendry and KiLynn King broke out of their shells, they didn't form the "bond" that Killer Kelly and Masha Slamovich did this year.
Show of the Year
Winner: Bound for Glory (39%)
Honorable Mentions: Impact 1000 (36%), Slammiversary (18%), Hard to Kill (6%)
Honorable Mentions: Impact 1000 (36%), Slammiversary (18%), Hard to Kill (6%)
There were a number of great contenders for this category. The show started strong with an intense Hard to Kill PPV, continued in strong form with Rebellion, had a great Slammiversary show and moved on into the Summer. While I personally voted for Impact 1000 due to how well-rounded those shows were with such a great representation of Impact's history, I understand it not winning.
Bound for Glory is the crown-jewel of Impact PPVs and for the first time in many years, it was arguably the best show of the year. We could talk about the fun Sabin vs Kenta opener, the tag title change, the chaotic Monster's Ball Match, or even the best Call Your Shot Gauntlet Battle Royal, but that's not what set the show apart. The main event of Josh Alexander vs Alex Shelley for the World Title had a surprising finish but was an excellent match. It was only overshadowed by the absolutely phenomenal Mike Bailey vs Will Ospreay Match.
However, that wasn't it as we had an incredibly massive announcement to end this well-rounded show.
Bound for Glory is the crown-jewel of Impact PPVs and for the first time in many years, it was arguably the best show of the year. We could talk about the fun Sabin vs Kenta opener, the tag title change, the chaotic Monster's Ball Match, or even the best Call Your Shot Gauntlet Battle Royal, but that's not what set the show apart. The main event of Josh Alexander vs Alex Shelley for the World Title had a surprising finish but was an excellent match. It was only overshadowed by the absolutely phenomenal Mike Bailey vs Will Ospreay Match.
However, that wasn't it as we had an incredibly massive announcement to end this well-rounded show.
Match of the Year
Winner: Mike Bailey vs Will Ospreay at Bound for Glory (60%)
Honorable Mentions: Mike Bailey vs Kenny King: Pit Fight (6%), Will Ospreay vs Josh Alexander (6%)
Honorable Mentions: Mike Bailey vs Kenny King: Pit Fight (6%), Will Ospreay vs Josh Alexander (6%)
There is 100% a reason that TNA made such a big play for Will Ospreay this year as the dude exudes coolness. I honestly hadn't seen much of the Billy Goat heading into the PPV and was recorded on this site talking about replacing the match with one with more story-context, which was something stupid to say in retrospect. Ospreay had three matches in Impact Wrestling and all three (Bailey, Eddie and Josh) were incredible.
Impact had its fair share of great matches but the BFG contest between Bailey and Ospreay was absolutely incredible. It was back and forth, hooked the fans and then went deeper two more gears. The impressive skills of the two men involved was easily the best match of the year but will likely become one of TNA's greatest matches in history. I am so excited to get another Will Ospreay appearance in 2024. Well deserving!
Impact had its fair share of great matches but the BFG contest between Bailey and Ospreay was absolutely incredible. It was back and forth, hooked the fans and then went deeper two more gears. The impressive skills of the two men involved was easily the best match of the year but will likely become one of TNA's greatest matches in history. I am so excited to get another Will Ospreay appearance in 2024. Well deserving!
Most Memorable Moment
Winner: The Return of TNA is Announced (45%)
Honorable Mentions: Impact Celebrates 1000 Episodes at Impact 1000 (25%), Alex Shelley wins the World Title at Against All Odds (19%)
Honorable Mentions: Impact Celebrates 1000 Episodes at Impact 1000 (25%), Alex Shelley wins the World Title at Against All Odds (19%)
I figured something was up at Bound for Glory when Tom Hannifan told the viewers that there would be an announcement after the main event as they usually do the show announcement before the show. The video that aired was INCREDIBLY well done with a number of TNA Originals walking through the forest and dishing the box out of the lake. The "TNA" whisper gave me chills and the announcement is massive.
Anthem has been building up Impact Wrestling since 2018 after the Global Force fiasco. The company has done a good job (in my opinion) building a brand that you can associate with. When the announcement that TNA was back at Hard to Kill, I honestly questioned it. With that said, the reception to the announcement among websites, fans and the locker room has been incredible. There was a lot of momentum coming out of BFG and the announcement. The company would be getting the much needed coat of paint.
The company seems serious that they want to capture more of the wrestling real estate but 2024 will be a true deciding factor on if they can do that. 2024 is about being bigger and better. This announcement at BFG is well-deserving of Most Memorable Moment as the catalyst to these changes.
Anthem has been building up Impact Wrestling since 2018 after the Global Force fiasco. The company has done a good job (in my opinion) building a brand that you can associate with. When the announcement that TNA was back at Hard to Kill, I honestly questioned it. With that said, the reception to the announcement among websites, fans and the locker room has been incredible. There was a lot of momentum coming out of BFG and the announcement. The company would be getting the much needed coat of paint.
The company seems serious that they want to capture more of the wrestling real estate but 2024 will be a true deciding factor on if they can do that. 2024 is about being bigger and better. This announcement at BFG is well-deserving of Most Memorable Moment as the catalyst to these changes.
