Top Heel
Whether you you like him or not, no one can deny the impact Kevin Heat has had on NLW over the years. Almost immediately upon the reopening of the company Heat made it clear he was no longer going to be playing to the fans, setting the roof of the arena on fire, accosting the NLW staff and his various activities with The Black Phoenix. Others may have had more success in 2008, but none managed to rile people up quite like heat did.
Top Face
Much like Heat, Draco made it his mission most of the year to try to get people riled up, but the differences in targets are what made him the top fan favorite in 2008. Between his Complaint Department segments, his rivalry with The Phoenix and his constant attempts to piss off Jack Sullivan, the fans couldn't get enough of Draco's antics, and that's what got him this award.
2009 Breakout Competitor
They say slow and steady wins the race, and The Phoenix seems to be following that path to the NLW Championship. He appeared on the very first Uprising of 2008, competing in the Anarchy X Championship match. While he lost that match, The Phoenix began a slow build, earning the respect of his peers and the fans before finally announcing his intentions to claim the NLW Championship in 2009. As it currently stands, not too many people are betting against him accomplishing just that.
2008 OOC Person of the Year
No image here, just a lot of praise for Duane. if not for his hard work and dedication to the fed, NLW probably would've long since closed and I would've gone insane under the stress. Running an efed is a lot of work, and Duane's contributions in match-writing and grading have gone a long way to both protecting my sanity and keeping a lot of people entertained, and he deserves a great deal of kudos for that.
Match of the Year
It was an absolute war, with 8 hungry competitors looking to gain gold in one of the most dangerous matches ever devised. The Hazardous ladder Match at Uprising 10 between Southern Comfort, The Phoenix/The Ice Man, Draco/Aphrodisia Jordan, and the eventual winners Society lived up to its billing, with bodies flying everywhere as competitors looked to take stupid risks to become the NLW Tag Team Champions. Blood was spilled and trips to the hospital happened after the fact, but long after Society had their arms raised with the belts we all knew who the real winners were: the fans.
Moment of the Year
It was a situation that has been attempted in the past but almost never successfully pulled off. An interpromotional war? It had trouble written all over it and history was calling for the failure of it when Prez CJ and the OWF roster appeared on Uprising 18, but by the time Collision Course ended months later we all knew something special had occurred, and that's why the opening shot on NLW television wins the Moment of the Year.
Champion of the Year
This was one of only two "no brainer" awards given out for this show, as Fusion did everything you could possibly ask of champions. They defended several times against top tier talent (after defeating Society for the belts they defended successfully against the likes of the OWF Tag Team Champions El Plaga, High Impact, former NLW Champions Aphrodisia Jordan and The Ice Man, Souther Comfort, the list goes on), they held onto their titles, setting a record for longest reigning champions, and they've never backed down from a challenge. With the amount of title turnover there is in NLW, they've been pillars of consistency.
Wrestler of the Year
This was easily the most difficult award to decide based on the sheer number of potential candidates. Several people held the NLW Championship, several people won special events, and several people were Uprising Standouts multiple times. In the end though, The Ice Man won out because he did something no one else was able to do: successfully defend the NLW Championship. He started off the year hot, winning the Anarchy X Championship. He then competed in the Match of the Year before dethroning Aphrodisia Jordan to become NLW Champion. This set him into a feud with Society, which was at the time led by the #1 Contender Vincent Kane. The Ice Man managed to defeat Kane in a Freezer match, forcing him out of the company. Aphrodisia Jordan was able to capitalize on the war between the group and Ice Man, however, reclaiming the gold. After losing the belt Ice Man turned his back on the fans, reclaiming the Anarchy X Championship for a record setting third time and joining the FTF. During that time frame The Ice Man was also Uprising Standout twice, signifying his contributions on those shows. 2008 truly was a breakout year for The ice Man, and it earned him this award.