Why professional wrestling awards celebrate fiction as if it were absolute reality
In short: Since 1972, Pro Wrestling Illustrated readers have voted on annual awards that treat the sport as a narrative universe. By operating within the fictional realm of wrestling, these honors recognize performance, character arcs, and rivalries, turning scripted drama into a record of cultural impact that transcends the ring's physical reality.
Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) maintains a unique editorial stance: it writes from within the kayfabe of professional wrestling. Unlike other outlets that analyze the industry from an external, journalistic perspective, PWI treats the storylines, hero-villain dynamics, and character motivations as the primary reality. This approach shapes their annual awards, which have been voted on by readers since 1972. Because the magazine embraces the fictional nature of the sport, the awards function as a barometer for how well performers execute their roles within the narrative, rather than just their technical athletic prowess.
The awards cover a vast spectrum of roles, from the prestigious Wrestler of the Year to the Stanley Weston Award, the magazine's highest honor for lifetime achievement. Some categories have evolved alongside the industry. For instance, the Woman of the Year award, originally titled Girl Wrestler of the Year, was discontinued in 1976 before being revived in 2000. It briefly went on hiatus in 2020 when female wrestlers were folded into the general Wrestler of the Year category, only to return in 2021. Similarly, the Faction of the Year award is a relatively recent addition, debuting in 2021 to recognize the dominance of stable-based storytelling.
The records set by these awards highlight the enduring influence of specific performers. Shawn Michaels holds a staggering record of eleven Match of the Year wins, while Ric Flair remains the only wrestler to secure the Wrestler of the Year title six times. The awards also capture the nuances of character perception; for example, while the Most Hated Wrestler of the Year typically honors effective villains, Roman Reigns made history by winning the award while presented as a hero. By documenting these trends, PWI provides a structured history of how wrestling fans have engaged with the sport's evolving myths and personas over five decades.
The criteria for these awards often blend performance with real-world context. The Inspirational Wrestler of the Year, awarded since 1972, recognizes those who overcome significant odds, whether through in-ring success or by navigating genuine personal hardships. This duality—the intersection of scripted drama and the human reality of the performers—is what makes the PWI awards a distinct cultural artifact, reflecting the complex relationship between the audience and the performers they choose to celebrate.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: List of Pro Wrestling Illustrated awards
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