For a complete history of past winners (since 2001), visit the SoCal Wrestling Wiki (direct link: SoCal Year End Awards).
Promotion of the Year
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla
-Runner-up: Insane Wrestling League
For the 9th year in a row, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla is the number one promotion in Southern California. This is a first-time appearance for runner-up Insane Wrestling League.
IWL won our web poll (taking almost a third of the total votes), while PWG remained the committee’s overwhelming favorite. Tied for a very close third was Championship Wrestling from Hollywood (previously NWA Hollywood) and the now defunct New Wave Pro Wrestling. Both CWFH and NWPW did better than IWL with our committee, but the overwhelming web poll victory (worth 35% of the vote) was enough to push IWL into the runner-up position.
Wrestler of the Year
Kevin Steen
-Runner-up: Scorpio Sky
This is Kevin Steen’s second Wrestler of the Year nod (he won in 2005). Scorpio Sky was runner-up in 2008.
Adam Pearce tied Steen in our web poll, with each taking about 25% of the vote. Willie Mack, last year’s winner, and Tommy Wilson also had strong showings.
Most Outstanding Wrestler
Scorpio Sky
-Runner-up: Akira Tozawa
This is Scorpio Sky’s first Outstanding Wrestler win, and he won with more than 60% of the comittee vote. Akira Tozawa, the runner-up, was last year’s winner.
Both Taylor Bateman and Famous B beat Scorpio Sky in our web poll.
Tag Team of the Year
RockNES Monsters
-Runner-up: The Young Bucks
In our closest race, RockNES Monsters are once again the Tag Team of the Year. SoCal’s most dominant tag team, The Young Bucks, have won or been runner-up in the Tag Team of the Year category for the last five years running (they won in 2007, 2008, and 2009).
The Young Bucks also participated in 2011’s Match of the Year.
Rookie of the Year
Duke
-Runner-up: Angel Lopez
This race was a blowout. Duke won both the web poll and the committee vote.
Runner-up Angel Lopez finished fourth in the web poll, behind Brian Weston and Chris Ellis, but had a stronger showing with the committee.
Match of the Year
Super Dragon & Kevin Steen vs. The Young Bucks – PWG – 12/10/11
-Runner-up: Adam Pearce vs. Colt Cabana – NWA Hollywood – 03/06/11
In what will be no surprise to the naysayers, Super Dragon’s return was named the 2011 Match of the Year. Championship Wrestling from Hollywood’s NWA Heavyweight Title match was a close runner-up.
Super Dragon is a SoCal Hall of Famer, a three-time Wrestler of the Year, and is making his 9th appearance in this category (he last appeared in this category in 2006). Kevin Steen is a two-time Wrestler of the Year, this is his first Match of the Year win. Three-time Tag Team of the Year winners, The Young Bucks, also get their first Match of the Year nod.
B-Boy vs. Brandon Parker vs. TJ Perkins vs. Scorpio Sky from New Wave Pro Wrestling’s March 26th show tied for third in the voting with B-Boy vs Johnny Yuma from NWPW’s June 18th show.