2014 WON Hall of Fame ballot

[Warner2BruceTD]

Here is the VOW HOF folder with all of our content. Articles, podcasts breaking down each region w/guest experts, candidate breakdowns or Akira Taue, CM Punk, Brock Lesnar, Yuji Nagata, a guest piece by ex-WWE creative team member Kevin Marshall, and more.

We're adding more audio (Japan, Historical U.S., mookie with STATS!) this week, along with more from Kevin Marshall, and more.

http://www.voicesofwrestling.com/category/2014-wrestling-observer-hall-of-fame/

Here's the direct link to three hours of audio breaking down the US/Canada region (Sting, Punk, Warrior, Lesnar, Rock & Roll Express, Ken Patera, JYD, etc) with me, Rich, & Dylan "Waco" Hales: http://www.voicesofwrestling.com/201...s-dylan-hales/

Here is the Japan region podcast with Alan Counihan (Alan4L) http://www.voicesofwrestling.com/201...alan-counihan/

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

Big fan of JoeMLanza being ALL IN on King Kong Czaja but after listening to the first podcast...he doesn't even get his name right.



CM Punk is a Hall of Fame level worker. If you don't think so

Since his career began, no one was a bigger big match wrestler than Punk in North America (Tanahashi is the world's best "big match wrestler", IMO, FWIW). His top five matches are better than anyone else's five matches, including Danielson, who is a shoe-in workrate candidate. I'd also say, he was the most consistent performer over his 8 year career the WWE had seen since Michaels. This is a guy that has taken JOHN CENA(!!) to a five-star classic. He has taken Cena to another ****3/4 performance ON A RAW. He got a Match of the Year Contender out of the fucking Undertaker who could barely move. His match against Lesnar, too, was a MotYC. This was in his last two years alone. I would wager from 2011-2013, no one in the WWE was a better worker, including Danielson, despite his Observer Awards based on rep. That, nevermind taking his work all of the way back to OVW where he was wrestling Brent Albright that was pushing for feud of the year based primarily on the work they were putting in in the ring as well as his strong work all of the way up the card with an array of different talents. The man got the best match out of Mark Henry in his career.

This is not even talking about his Indie run where he's got another five star classic under his belt as well a litany of matches that would qualify as four-stars or better against one of the most eclectic array of talents you'll see.

While he wasn't a pure Hall of Fame level draw, he drew a lot of money in both the WWE as well as on the Indy scene. I wouldn't say he "checks the box" but as I've always called him...a "mild draw" it does not hurt him and only adds to his case that he did draw money.

Influence is undeniable.

I really have no idea why you wouldn't vote for Punk unless its under the guise of 'well, we're going to let it play out'...but then again, I think if a guy is a Hall of Famer, why wait...and considering you aren't using all of your slots...ehhhhhhh...fucking vote him in. You voted for Tanahashi last year on the first ballot.

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I love Minoru Suzuki. Might be one of my favorite wrestlers of recent vintage. I'd love to hear a legit Hall of Fame case for him...I'd love to see him get in...I just don't know if he has a case outside of A) he can be really really fucking awesome whenever he wants and B) has the best theme music on planet earth. Does he get the Pancrase bump?

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Y U NO VOAT MEXICO?

[Warner2BruceTD]

I never vote Mexico. I'm a casual viewer at best and have gone through periods where I don't watch it at all. I prefer to stay in my lane.

If anybody in the "etcetera" region had a real chance besides Colon, i'd stay out of that too. As it is, I don't think my no votes are hurting anybody. If he gets in this year or ends up off the ballot, i'll abstain from that again.

Somebody on another board found a new 80,000+ gate for Czaja from a show in India. He's probably the best draw on the ballot even if some of it is inflated (likely). Since i'm voting for Colon, I might as well toss him a vote, if for nothing else to help him get over 10% so he stays on next year.