The 2015 J\/\/ Awards

2015 has come and gone. A year of ups and downs, I think that we can all look forward to new hope in 2016. This year, we close out the blog with the sixth annual J\/\/ Awards. As always, the awards celebrate the best in wrestling memorabilia and memories over the past twelve months. As has also become a beloved tradition, "The Joshie" award itself has made its annual change. It has been classy, common, and a real American hero. This year, with a lot of wrestling-related sadness, it felt like it was time to just clown around a bit...and maybe become a bit freaky in the process!

 2015 Best Figure

Mattel's WWE Defining Moments Sting wins "The Joshie" for 2015 Best Figure. In the year that saw his debut WWE matches, Sting also received his first WWE-branded action figures. The first figure was based on his iconic "Crow" look from the late 1990's during his battles with the nWo. Two other Sting figures were released during 2015, but this "Defining Moments" entry lived up to the grandiose packaging and price tag and beat out the Elite Rusev figure for the ultimate honor.

 2015 Best Buy (Non-Figure)

Pro Wrestling Illustrated wins "The Joshie" for 2015 Best Buy. Pro Wrestling Illustrated returns to pick up another "Joshie!" The publication which has been the standard bearer for wrestling magazines since 1979 is now, by and large, the sole survivor. By reducing page count by just a bit, PWI has sliced their cover price down to $6.99. It's much more affordable than $9.99 and lets more of us enjoy such standards as the PWI 500 and the PWI Female 50. Fans and collectors alike need PWI to remain on the newsstand. An era without a wrestling magazine isn't somewhere that I want to be...

 2015 Best Product Line

Mattel wins "The Joshie" for 2015 Best Product Line. Superstars! Divas! Legends! NXT! Mattel once again took it to the mat with their WWE line in 2015. When the line began, I never would have been convinced that we would be celebrating the products at some point, but here we are. There truly is something for everyone as Mattel continually covers all bases with variety and selection. Are there still hiccups? Of course, but that goes for all product lines of all genres. As good as 2015 was for Mattel, 2016 may be even better. Why? Four words. Renee Young's debut figure. Nuff said!

 2015 Future Holy Grail

NXT Merchandise wins "The Joshie" for 2015 Future Holy Grail. NXT truly has taken over. It's a futuristic throwback. The kind of wrestling that might be standard mainstream fare today had sports entertainment not become the norm. It took awhile, but it's here. Wrestling as it should be. Fears that it will get "too big" are probably warranted, but I wouldn't worry just yet. If you got in on the ground floor of the merchandising, consider yourself lucky. The action figures and cards are great, but I'm looking at shirts, programs, and other merch featuring many stars who are already making an impact on the main WWE roster. It's repeated over and over, but the future is indeed now.

 2015 Thanks For The Memories Award

2015 Thanks For The Memories Honoree(s):  Dusty Rhodes & Rowdy Roddy Piper. When this award was introduced last year, it was not intended to become a memorial despite the first recipient being the Ultimate Warrior. Here we are in 2015 and another two of the most memorable icons of wrestling are unexpectedly gone. There are still times when I don't immediately remember that Dusty Rhodes and Rowdy Roddy Piper have passed away. They were both so full of life. Their actions and personalities WERE the wrestling that so many of us grew up on. May their souls rest in peace but their characters live forever.

That wraps it up for another round of J\/\/ Awards and another year. I thank you all for following the blog for yet another fifty-two weeks. The knowledge that you give me and the blog a few minutes of your time each week completely honors me. As always, the best is yet to come. Happy New Year!