It's time for the fifth annual Strong Style Spirit site awards! Each year, visitors of the site get to vote on several categories relating to the year's events in New Japan. The
2002,
2003,
2004, and
2005 awards all helped determine who was hot and who was not in New Japan in those years among English-speaking fans, and I'm hoping for the same this year. Unlike previous years though, I'm not offering "incentives" for voting this time. I considered this a lot, but whenever I do this, a lot of people seem to send "template" ballots in without any thought, which kind of waters down the awards. By not offering free DVDs or the like, I feel that while the turnout may be much smaller, people who really follow the product will be the ones who vote. Depending on the popularity of the awards without incentives offered, I will consider whether to keep the awards going next year.
Instead of a "Young Lion Prize" this year, I've decided to instead introduce a "New Wave Award" as there are only a few wrestlers who are truly young lions at the moment. This award covers newcomers, but not strictly young lions. Additionally, I've scrapped the "Foreign MVP" category and will include any relevant foreigners in other awards. Please send at least a top five (in order of preference) for each category, as that makes it easier for me to tally the votes then (I use a points system). If there is any award you don't feel you can compile a top five for, just skip them, as I need five (not four or three) to properly count the votes. All submissions should be sent to me by email, with the deadline being 1/2/07. The results will be announced shortly after. If you still have footage to watch, there is no hurry, just remember the deadline. Unlike recent years, there is a change to the voting calendar. The timeframe for voting this year is December, 2005 to November, 2006. Below are the categories.
- Heavyweight MVP (the best heavyweight of the year, in terms of talent, success, and contributions to New Japan)
- Junior Heavyweight MVP (the best junior heavyweight of the year, in terms of talent, success, and contributions to New Japan)
- Tag Team MVP (the best tag team of the year, in terms of talent, success, and contributions to New Japan)
- Singles Best Bout (the singles match you enjoyed the most)
- Tag Team Best Bout (the tag match you enjoyed the most)
- New Wave Award (the newcomer who made the biggest impression on you)
- Technique Award (the best technician of the year; consider their mat wrestling and ability to piece a match together)
- Fighting Spirit Award (the wrestler who showed the most energy and spirit in matches)
- Image Award (the wrestler with the best character or look)
Below is a list of candidates for each award (but there are more, so if you find your choice missing and he is eligible, feel free to vote for him!). Non-contracted wrestlers are allowed in many cases, but only if they have spent a significant amount of time on New Japan tours (examples being Shiro Koshinaka and Akebono).
Note: These are only suggested candidates for each award. If you want to vote someone/something not on the list, by all means feel free!
Note: LOCK UP and WRESTLE LAND matches may be voted for in the "Singles Best Bout" and "Tag Best Bout" awards.
Heavyweight MVP:
- Hiroshi Tanahashi
- Riki Choshu
- Yuji Nagata
- Manabu Nakanishi
- Takashi Iizuka
- Naofumi Yamamoto
- Hiroyoshi Tenzan
- Togi Makabe
- Masahiro Chono
- Shinsuke Nakamura
- Giant Bernard
- Brock Lesnar
- Akebono
2002 winner: Yuji Nagata
2003 winner: Hiroyoshi Tenzan
2004 winner: Hiroyoshi Tenzan
2005 winner: Shinsuke Nakamura
Junior Heavyweight MVP:
- Koji Kanemoto
- Tiger Mask
- El Samurai
- Wataru Inoue
- Ryusuke Taguchi
- Jushin Thunder Liger
- Minoru
- Jado
- Gedo
- Milano Collection AT
- Black Tiger
- Hirooki Goto
- Prince Devitt
2002 winner: Koji Kanemoto
2003 winner: Tiger Mask
2004 winner: Heat/Minoru Tanaka
2005 winner: Tiger Mask
Tag Team MVP:
- Hiroshi Tanahashi & Koji Kanemoto
- Yuji Nagata & Naofumi Yamamoto
- Manabu Nakanishi & Takao Omori
- Riki Choshu & Akebono
- Masahiro Chono & Hiroyoshi Tenzan
- Masahiro Chono & Shinsuke Nakamura
- Giant Bernard & Travis Tomko
- Togi Makabe & Shiro Koshinaka
- Toru Yano & Tomohiro Ishii
- Koji Kanemoto & Wataru Inoue
- El Samurai & Ryusuke Taguchi
- Minoru & Hirooki Goto
- Jado & Gedo
2002 winner: Masahiro Chono & Hiroyoshi Tenzan
2003 winner: Jushin Thunder Liger & Koji Kanemoto
2004 winner: Yoshihiro Takayama & Minoru Suzuki
2005 winner: Shinsuke Nakamura & Hiroshi Tanahashi
Singles Best Bout:
- Manabu Nakanishi vs. Brock Lesnar (12/10/05)
- Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Minoru (12/11/05)
- Yuji Nagata vs. Brock Lesnar (12/11/05)
- Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Naofumi Yamamoto (12/25/05)
- Yuji Nagata vs. Kazunari Murakami (1/4)
- Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Katsuyori Shibata (1/4)
- (IWGP U-30) Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Naofumi Yamamoto (2/12)
- Yuji Nagata vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi (2/19)
- (IWGP Jr. & NWA Jr.) Tiger Mask vs. Minoru (3/11)
- Naofumi Yamamoto vs. Ryouji Sai (4/16)
- Yuji Nagata vs. Tomohiro Ishii (4/16)
- Yuji Nagata vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi (4/29)
- (New Japan Cup Final) Yuji Nagata vs. Giant Bernard (4/30)
- (IWGP Jr.) Tiger Mask vs. Koji Kanemoto (5/3)
- Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Minoru (5/28)
- Wataru Inoue vs. Minoru (6/17)
- (Best of the Super Jr. Final) Tiger Mask vs. Minoru (6/18)
- Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Giant Bernard (6/18)
- (IWGP Heavyweight) Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Giant Bernard (7/17)
- Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Satoshi Kojima (8/10)
- Yuji Nagata vs. Koji Kanemoto (8/12)
- Koji Kanemoto vs. Satoshi Kojima (8/13)
- (G1 Climax Final) Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Satoshi Kojima (8/13)
- (IWGP Jr.) Koji Kanemoto vs. Minoru (10/9)
- (IWGP Heavyweight) Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan (10/9)
2002 winner: Masahiro Chono vs. Yoshihiro Takayama (8/11/02)
2003 winner: Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Jun Akiyama (8/17/03)
2004 winner: Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi (8/15/04)
2005 winner: Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Satoshi Kojima (2/20/05)
Tag Team Best Bout:
- (IWGP Tag) Masahiro Chono & Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Shiro Koshinaka & Takao Omori (1/4)
- Yuji Nagata & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Shinsuke Nakamura & Naofumi Yamamoto (2/4)
- (IWGP Jr. Tag) Minoru & Hirooki Goto vs. El Samurai & Ryusuke Taguchi (2/19)
- Brock Lesnar & Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Riki Choshu & Akebono (2/19)
- Yuji Nagata & Naofumi Yamamoto vs. Takashi Iizuka & Tomohiro Ishii (3/6)
- (IWGP Jr. Tag) El Samurai & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Koji Kanemoto & Wataru Inoue (3/19)
- (IWGP Tag) Masahiro Chono & Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Yuji Nagata & Naofumi Yamamoto (3/19)
- (IWGP Jr. Tag) El Samurai & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Jado & Gedo (5/7)
- Naofumi Yamamoto & Yujiro vs. Ryouji Sai & Rikiya Fudo (LOCK UP, 6/25)
- (IWGP Jr. Tag) El Samurai & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Jado & Gedo (7/8)
- Toru Yano & Tomohiro Ishii vs. Shiro Koshinaka & Togi Makabe (LOCK UP, 7/29)
- Jado & Gedo vs. Kintaro Kanemura & Tetsuhiro Kuroda (7/30)
- Minoru & Masaaki Mochizuki vs. Koji Kanemoto & Wataru Inoue (7/30)
- Hiroshi Tanahashi & Tanaka vs. Makai Masked Devilock & Makai Heat (WRESTLE LAND, 9/3)
- Shiro Koshinaka & Togi Makabe vs. Toru Yano & Tomohiro Ishii (9/3)
- Yuji Nagata & Naofumi Yamamoto vs. Yoshihiro Takayama & Minoru Suzuki (10/9)
- Hiroshi Tanahashi & Koji Kanemoto vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Jushin Thunder Liger (10/22)
- Hiroshi Tanahashi & Koji Kanemoto vs. Minoru & Milano Collection AT (10/29)
2002 winner: Masahiro Chono & Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Manabu Nakanishi & Osamu Nishimura (6/5/02)
2003 winner: Yutaka Yoshie & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Jushin Thunder Liger & Koji Kanemoto (8/24/03)
2004 winner: Jado & Gedo vs. American Dragon & Curry Man (3/21/04)
2005 winner: Jado & Gedo vs. Koji Kanemoto & Wataru Inoue (3/4/05)
New Wave Award:
- Yujiro
- Prince Devitt
- Mitsuhide Hirasawa
- Tetsuya Naito
- Takashi Uwano
* Naofumi Yamamoto, Ryusuke Taguchi, and Hirooki Goto are not eligible.
(Previously Young Lion Prize)
2002 winner: Hiroshi Tanahashi
2003 winner: Shinsuke Nakamura
2004 winner: Ryusuke Taguchi
2005 winner: Hirooki Goto
Technique Award:
- Yuji Nagata
- Shinsuke Nakamura
- Takashi Iizuka
- Naofumi Yamamoto
- Koji Kanemoto
- El Samurai
- Wataru Inoue
- Yujiro
- Minoru
- Jushin Thunder Liger
- Milano Collection AT
- Hirooki Goto
- Prince Devitt
2002 winner: Osamu Nishimura
2003 winner: Osamu Nishimura
2004 winner: Osamu Nishimura
2005 winner: Shinsuke Nakamura
Fighting Spirit Award:
- Hiroshi Tanahashi
- Yuji Nagata
- Manabu Nakanishi
- Naofumi Yamamoto
- Shinsuke Nakamura
- Giant Bernard
- Travis Tomko
- Hiroyoshi Tenzan
- Togi Makabe
- Shiro Koshinaka
- Tomohiro Ishii
- Koji Kanemoto
- Wataru Inoue
- Ryusuke Taguchi
- Yujiro
- Takashi Uwano
- Tetsuya Naito
2002 winner: Osamu Nishimura
2003 winner: Hiroyoshi Tenzan
2004 winner: Hiroshi Tanahashi
2005 winner: Masahiro Chono
Image Award:
- Hiroshi Tanahashi
- Riki Choshu
- Masahiro Chono
- Shinsuke Nakamura
- Giant Bernard
- Hiroyoshi Tenzan
- Shiro Koshinaka
- Toru Yano
- Brock Lesnar
- Akebono
- Tiger Mask
- Ryusuke Taguchi
- Jushin Thunder Liger
- Minoru
- Milano Collection AT
- Black Tiger
2003 winner: Hiroshi Tanahashi
2004 winner: Hiroshi Tanahashi
2005 winner: Hiroshi Tanahashi
