Tokyo Sports Puroresu Awards

The Tokyo Sports Puroresu Awards (東京スポーツプロレス大賞, Tōkyō Supōtsu Puroresu Taishō) are Japanese professional wrestling, or puroresu, awards that have been handed out by the Tokyo Sports magazine annually since 1974. The most publicized awards in Japanese professional wrestling,[1] they are recognized by all the major promotions in the country, including All Japan Pro Wrestling,[2] New Japan Pro-Wrestling,[3] and Pro Wrestling Noah.[4]

The awards are voted for by a committee made up of people involved with Japanese professional wrestling, including reporters and photographers. After the winners are announced in the middle of December, an award ceremony is held in Tokyo in January.[5] Voting takes place in rounds.[6] In landslide cases, the winner can be determined in a single round of voting,[7] however, if no wrestler gets enough votes, the award can be left blank and not given out that year.[8] Most notably, the award for female wrestler of the year was not given out between 2004 and 2008 and again in 2014, when the committee felt that no wrestler had the necessary qualifications.[9]

The awards have been described as "legit to a degree", but also to spread them among different major promotions. For example, the award for the best technical wrestler may not be given to someone considered the best technical wrestler in puroresu, but to a top wrestler from a promotion that has not gotten any of the other awards.[10] There are currently ten active awards given out by Tokyo Sports, including one dedicated to sport wrestling.

  1. ^ Meltzer, Dave (December 20, 2004). "Wrestling Observer Newsletter". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Campbell, California. p. 3. ISSN 1083-9593.
  2. ^ 諏訪魔選手、石川修司選手が2017年度 東京スポーツ新聞社制定「プロレス大賞」最優秀タッグチーム賞 受賞!!. All Japan Pro Wrestling (in Japanese). December 14, 2017. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  3. ^ 「2017年も、我々が様々な話題を提供します！」“MVP”内藤哲也が東京スポーツ『プロレス大賞』受賞式で、さらなるL・I・J旋風を宣言！【報告】. New Japan Pro-Wrestling (in Japanese). January 19, 2017. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  4. ^ 東京スポーツ新聞社制定　2011年「プロレス大賞」受賞に際し各選手コメント. Pro Wrestling Noah (in Japanese). December 14, 2011. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  5. ^ 東京スポーツ　プロレス大賞. Tokyo Sports (in Japanese). Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  6. ^ 【プロレス大賞】創設以来初の「新人賞該当者なし」. Tokyo Sports (in Japanese). December 8, 2015. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  7. ^ 【プロレス大賞】ＭＶＰ内藤　ベストバウト級の好試合を連発した“新日プロの救世主”. Tokyo Sports (in Japanese). December 14, 2016. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  8. ^ Meltzer, Dave (December 15, 2014). "Dec. 15, 2014 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: CM Punk to UFC 181, Tokyo Sports Awards, Jimmy Del Ray bio and much more". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Campbell, California. p. 18. ISSN 1083-9593.
  9. ^ 女子プロレス大賞 ６年ぶり該当者なし. Tokyo Sports (in Japanese). December 9, 2014. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  10. ^ Meltzer, Dave (December 18, 2017). "December 18, 2017 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: The metamorphosis of Chris Jericho, GSP vacates title, more". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Campbell, California. p. 10. ISSN 1083-9593.