Tokyo Sports 2009 Award Results

[Stuart]

2009 Tokyo Sports Awards:

MVP: Hiroshi Tanahashi (New Japan)
Best Bout: Ryuji Ito vs. Jun Kasai (Big Japan 11/20)
Best Tag: Akebono & Ryota Hama (Free + All Japan)
Distinguished Service: Takashi Sugiura (Pro Wrestling NOAH)
Fighting Spirit: Togi Makabe (New Japan)
Technique Prize: Kota Ibushi (DDT)
Rookie of the Year: Ryota Hama (All Japan)
Special Service Prize: Mitsuharu Misawa (Pro Wrestling NOAH)
Service Prize: Ted Tanabe (Osaka Pro)
Service Prize: Matsunaga (ex-All Japan Women's chairman)
Joshi MVP: Emi Sakura

* Tanahashi is the first New Japan wrestler since Muto in 2001 and the first post-3rd generation member to become MVP.
* Ito vs. Kasai is the first real "garbage wrestling" match to win best bout since Onita vs. Goto in 1990.

[Lasakon]

Congrats to Hama, he's insanely good for a guy his size and that has barely been wrestling for one year.

[NewJapanAllJapanfan84]

Well congratulations to everyone. Tanahashi deserved it and got it, if anything I would say this is 2 years in the making as I think this should've happened in 2007.

Ryota Hama definately earned Rookie of the Year, not sure about Tag Team of the year since maybe Suzuki and Kea should've won that one given their dominace of the Unified Tag Team Championships and getting the longivity record after breaking Misawa and Kobashi's 15 year record.

I must say though I don't New Japan was really overlooked outside of 2002 and 2007. I do agree, Nagata probably should've won in 2002 and Tanahashi in 2007 but other than that New Japan didn't really have anyone dominate in 2003-2006 as their titles were treated like hot potatoes all the while All Japan in that time had Kawada, Kojima, & Kea while NOAH had Kobashi. I definately think New Japan screwed up in 2008 as Nakamura had a great chance to win it but they blew it by giving it the title to Mutoh.

[DJ.]

Holy shit, Ito/Kasai? Man, good going for BJW.

[Eivion Thanatos]

Isn't it also the first time in years joshi was represented?

I'm shocked Kasai/Ito won Best Bout.

Kea and Suzuki were robbed of the tag team award.

Cool to see Hama take rookie of the year though there are a fair share of better rookies running around right now.

[d232009]

Makabe won the Fighting Spirit Award.

[AKINAN]

...Wow, BJW got the best bout award...That is buzzing.

I have to agree with Tanahashi and Sugy getting MVP and DS awards. They really deserved them. Hama getting rookie of the year is cool, i like him....Though i think Minoru Suzuki & Taiyo Kea should have won the best tag team.

[Stuart]

Good to see Makabe got an award, that wasn't posted in the original list I got via Tokyo Sports mobile.

[batze22]

Why are Akebono & Ryota Hama Tag Team of the Year ? In my eyes Kensuke Sasaki & Takeshi Morishima are the tag team of the Year

[AKINAN]

Why are Akebono & Ryota Hama Tag Team of the Year ? In my eyes Kensuke Sasaki & Takeshi Morishima are the tag team of the Year

Unless you're being funny then how the hell can Sasaki & Morishima be TTOTY when they only became a team in like...August.

[manjiimortal]

I'm surprised by their choice of Match of the Year, BJW had some much better matches this year.
Good thing Tana won, he rightly deserved it, and Sugiura also worked his ass off this year. Maybe this'll help his reign.

[batze22]

Why are Akebono & Ryota Hama Tag Team of the Year ? In my eyes Kensuke Sasaki & Takeshi Morishima are the tag team of the Year

Unless you're being funny then how the hell can Sasaki & Morishima be TTOTY when they only became a team in like...August.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrjwaqZfjIY

They started to team up in april Global Tag League 2009

[The Diamondhead]

...Wow, BJW got the best bout award...That is buzzing.

Yeah, it's very untypical of Tokyo Sports to say the least.

[Stuart]

They have a totally different way of viewing and judging many matches over there. For example, if I read right, Tanahashi vs. Nakanishi (one of their matches, I'd guess Nakanishi's win) came within an inch - one vote - of winning the Best Bout award, when I don't think many here would rank it as their favourite NJ match of 2009.

[L.G Rod]

Ugh.