As the year dwindles down and with award season back underway in the world of entertainment, it is time to start looking at the best moments of WWE in 2023. 2023 has been a memorable year for WWE, both good and bad, with exciting moments, questionable booking decisions and even a selling of the company.
The 2022 Awards were tough to decide from, and this year’s edition was even harder. So, without further ado, here are my 2023 WWE Awards!
Male Superstar of the Year:
The Nominees:
- Cody Rhodes
- Gunther
- Jey Uso
- Roman Reigns
- Seth “Freakin” Rollins
The Winner: Gunther. It’s a tough decision this year. Rhodes has been consistently on TV and winning most of his matches, though the booking off his WrestleMania match and him not becoming WWE Champion is a massive thumbs down. Jey Uso has been hot in the second-half of the year, Rollins was the first and still is the World Heavyweight Champion, and Roman Reigns title reign has been non-existent. So, that leaves Gunther. He became the longest reigning WWE Intercontinental Champion this year and is still the titleholder. He has produced great matches all year long, with the likes of Sheamus, Drew McIntyre, Bronson Reed, and Chad Gable, to name a few. Hopefully, 2024 treats him just as well, with a world title run instead in his grasp by years’ end,
Female Superstar of the Year:
The Nominees:
- Becky Lynch
- Bianca Belair
- Iyo Sky
- Rhea Ripley
- Tiffany Stratton
The Winner: Rhea Ripley. This is an obvious choice. She has dominated throughout the year. She is, at the very least in my eyes, the leader of The Judgment Day. She’s been in many storylines, arguably more with the men than the women, and has been the Women’s World Champion for more than a half of 2023. Everyones loves her and she has cemented herself as the top dog in the women’s division.
Overall Superstar of the Year:
It’s a tough decision, as this is now between Gunther and Ripley. However, very narrowly I’m going to give this award to Gunther. Just his consistency, his historic reign, the matches being at the very least decent at worst. Just overall, Gunther has been WWE’s sure fire must-see act in my eyes. Want to see a good match? Watch Gunther…you won’t be disappointed.
Tag Team/Faction of the Year:
The Nominees:
- Chase University
- Damage CTRL
- Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
- The Judgment Day
- The Usos
The Winner: The Judgment Day. This was a close call as well. It was ultimately between The Judgment Day and Owens/Zayn. In the end, while The Judgment Day’s schtick gets tiresome, their overall presence on Raw and how they have dominated the year with titles and TV main events, they just barely beat KO and Sami. Owens and Sami are great. The moment of them winning the tag titles will be mentioned later on, but unfortunately their title reign wasn’t particularly great.
Breakout Star of the Year:
The Nominees:
- Chelsea Green
- Dragon Lee
- LA Knight
- Trick Williams
- Zoey Stark
The Winner: LA Knight. Yeah! This came out of nowhere huh? Nobody expected Knight to become this massive of a babyface star. But here we are. His character has been so dynamic and organic, to the point where creative just HAD to give him a push due to the fan support. Hopefully a United States Champion win at WrestleMania 40 against Logan Paul follows him.
Match of the Year:
The Nominees:
- 30-Man Royal Rumble
- Roman Reigns vs. Sami Zayn for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at Elimination Chamber
- Charlotte Flair vs. Rhea Ripley for the SmackDown Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 39 (Night One)
- The Usos vs. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship at WrestleMania 39 (Night One)
- Gunther vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus for the WWE Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 39 (Night Two)
- Bad Bunny vs. Damian Priest in a San Juan Street Fight at Backlash
The Winner: The Usos vs. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn at WrestleMania 39. There are so many options here that are worthy of winning this award. Ultimately, this moment was just awesome. The crowd was beyond pumped. This felt like a main event worthy match. The story leaning into this was FANTASTIC and everything in the match was done perfectly to a T. Hats off to all four of these guys for this WWE Award!
Rivalry of the Year:
The Nominees:
- Becky Lynch vs. Trish Stratus
- Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns
- Dominik Mysterio vs. Rey Mysterio
- Seth Rollins vs.Shinsuke Nakamura
- The Bloodline vs. Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens
The Winner: The Bloodline vs. Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens. As mentioned before, the story leaning up to all these sets of matches was fantastic and definitely the best thing WWE did all year. Zayn turned on Reigns, The Usos going against Zayn, Zayn facing Reigns in Montreal, Zayn and Owens winning the tag titles at WrestleMania. So many things happened, all great things, with this one rivalry. Excellent stuff by all parties involved, and deserving of all and any of WWE awards.
Return of the Year:
- Carlito
- CM Punk
- Kairi Sane
- Randy Orton
- Savio Vega
- Trish Stratus
The Winner: CM Punk. Duh. No disrespect to Orton, which is great that he is back in the mix and healthy. That’s great of course. But…it’s Punk’s award to win here. Regardless of Punk’s actions in the past, seeing Punk back in WWE, with the crowd going nuts and just the amount of excitement that people have about this, pushes his return over the edge as the best of the year.
Moment of the Year:
- CM Punk returns at Survivor Series: War Games
- Gunther becoming the longest reigning WWE Intercontinental Champion of all-time
- Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn win the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship in the main event of WrestleMania Night One
- Randy Orton returns at Survivor Series: War Games
- Sami Zayn turning on Roman Reigns and The Bloodline at Royal Rumble
The Winner: It’s between Punk and Owens/Zayn. I almost want to give it a tie but if I had to pick, I think Owens and Zayn winning the tag titles was the most raw and emotional moment of the year (outside of Bray Wyatt). You could tell by the look of their faces that this win in the main event meant so much to them. It was so well deserved and a major highlight in WWE galore for years to come. The WWE awards are the least I could give them.
There you have it folks! Who do you think had a great 2023? What or who else should’ve been mentioned? Let us know by leaving a comment down below!
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As the year comes to a close, it’s time to reflect on the best moments of WWE in 2023. This year has been filled with both memorable and controversial moments, from exciting matches to questionable booking decisions. Let’s take a look at the 2023 WWE Awards and celebrate the standout performers and moments of the year.
The Male Superstar of the Year category features some of the top talents in WWE. The nominees include Cody Rhodes, Gunther, Jey Uso, Roman Reigns, and Seth Rollins. After careful consideration, Gunther emerges as the winner. With his historic reign as the longest-reigning WWE Intercontinental Champion and his impressive matches against top competitors, Gunther has proven himself as a must-see superstar.
In the Female Superstar of the Year category, the nominees are Becky Lynch, Bianca Belair, Iyo Sky, Rhea Ripley, and Tiffany Stratton. Rhea Ripley takes home the award for her dominant performances throughout the year. As the Women’s World Champion for more than half of 2023 and her involvement in compelling storylines, Ripley has solidified herself as the top female talent in WWE.
For the Overall Superstar of the Year award, Gunther and Rhea Ripley are the top contenders. Ultimately, Gunther takes home the honor due to his consistency, historic reign, and ability to deliver great matches consistently.
The Tag Team/Faction of the Year category showcases Chase University, Damage CTRL, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, The Judgment Day, and The Usos. The Judgment Day emerges as the winner for their dominant presence on Raw, numerous title wins, and main event status.
The Breakout Star of the Year category includes Chelsea Green, Dragon Lee, LA Knight, Trick Williams, and Zoey Stark. LA Knight surprises everyone by winning this award. His dynamic character and organic connection with the fans have propelled him to become a massive babyface star.
The Match of the Year category features some incredible bouts, including the 30-Man Royal Rumble, Roman Reigns vs. Sami Zayn for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at Elimination Chamber, and Gunther vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus for the WWE Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 39. However, The Usos vs. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn at WrestleMania 39 takes home the award. This match had an electric atmosphere, a compelling story, and showcased the talents of all four competitors.
The Rivalry of the Year category includes Becky Lynch vs. Trish Stratus, Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns, Dominik Mysterio vs. Rey Mysterio, Seth Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura, and The Bloodline vs. Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens. The Bloodline vs. Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens wins this award for their captivating storyline and memorable moments throughout the year.
In the Return of the Year category, Carlito, CM Punk, Kairi Sane, Randy Orton, Savio Vega, and Trish Stratus are nominated. CM Punk’s return to WWE stands out as the winner due to the immense excitement and fan support surrounding his comeback.
Finally, the Moment of the Year category includes CM Punk’s return at Survivor Series: War Games, Gunther becoming the longest-reigning WWE Intercontinental Champion of all time, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn winning the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship in the main event of WrestleMania Night One, Randy Orton’s return at Survivor Series: War Games, and Sami Zayn turning on Roman Reigns and The Bloodline at Royal Rumble. The emotional moment of Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn winning the tag titles at WrestleMania 39 takes home the award for its raw and genuine impact.
Overall, 2023 has been a year filled with memorable moments, outstanding performances, and exciting storylines in WWE. These awards celebrate the achievements of the superstars who have entertained fans throughout the year.