Lucha Central has revealed their complete list of 2019 Year-End Award Winners, their second annual awards ceremony acknowledging the best in lucha libre wrestling. Check out some of the winners below:
Surprise of the Year
Cain Velasquez signs to compete at Triplemania XXVII: 28.1% (WINNER!)
Kenny Omega becomes AAA Mega Champion: 18.8%
LA Park and Rush join forces in AAA: 16.3%
Bandido returns to CMLL: 14.5%
The Young Bucks invade AAA and win Tag Team Titles: 11.4%
AAA forms partnership with AEW: 10.8%
Best Use of Luchadores By A Non-Lucha Promotion
Major League Wrestling: 24.4% (WINNER!)
All Elite Wrestling: 22.5%
Impact Wrestling: 21.4%
Pro Wrestling Guerilla: 16%
Ring of Honor: 15.7%
Show of the Year
AAA Triplemania XXVII: 33.2% (WINNER!)
CMLL Super Viernes, Jushin Thunder Liger Farewell Show: 25.1%
AAA Invading NY: 16.6%
AAA Guerra de Titanes: 14.9%
AAA Conquista Total Gira (Tepic): 10.3%
Match of the Year
Bandido, Flamita and Rey Horus vs. Black Taurus, Laredo Kid and Puma King: 22.3% (WINNER!)
Blue Demon Jr. vs. Dr. Wagner Jr.: 21%
Big Mami vs. Lady Maravilla: 19.8%
Rey Fenix vs. Kenny Omega: 14.8%
Hijo del Vikingo vs. Laredo Kid: 13%
Metálico vs. Virus: 9%
Rookie of the Year
(*1st year as a luchador OR 1st year in major promotion)
El Cucuy: 29.4% (WINNER!)
Mr. Iguana: 22.7%
LA Park Jr.: 17.5%
Dulce Gardenia: 16.3%
Atlantis Jr.: 14.1%
Most Spectacular Luchador
Rey Fenix: 26.8% (WINNER!)
Hijo del Vikingo: 22.1%
Laredo Kid: 22%
Bandido: 19.6%
Star Jr.: 9.5%
Trio of the Year
Los Jinetes del Aire (Hijo del Vikingo, Myzteziz Jr. and Octagón Jr./Laredo Kid): 32.2% (WINNERS!)
La Familia Real (Hijo de LA Park, LA Park, LA Park Jr.): 24.2%
Nuevo Generacion Dinamitas (Cuatrero, Forastero and Sansón): 19.5%
Poder del Norte (Carta Brava Jr., Mocho Cota Jr. and Tito Santana): 12.1%
Los Guerreros Laguneros (Euforia, Gran Guerrero and Último Guerrero): 11.9%
Tag Team of the Year
Lucha Brothers (Pentagon Jr. and Rey Fenix): 38.1% (WINNERS!)
Los Traumas (Trauma I and Trauma II): 20%
Carístico & Mistico: 19.6%
Big Mami & Niño Hamburguesa: 12%
Los Mercenarios (Rey Escorpión & Texano Jr.): 10.3%
Luchadora of the Year
Lady Shani: 31.4% (WINNER!)
Taya Valkyrie: 28.1%
Lady Maravilla: 15.8%
Tessa Blanchard: 15.5%
Big Mami: 9.2%
Luchador of the Year
Dragón Lee: 27.3% (WINNER!)
Laredo Kid: 24.2%
Pentagon Jr./Penta El Zero M: 23.2%
Bandido: 16.4%
Rush: 8.9%
For a Full breakdowns on each winner and more award winners like best promotion, best photographer, technico and rudo of the year and more, visit the official results page here.
Lucha Central is Masked Republic’s exclusive website covering all of the latest news and updates in the world of lucha libre wrestling.
Masked Republic was also featured in Wrestlezone’s “Best For The Business ’19” feature that highlights some of the most influential people, promotions and brands that changed the wrestling business in a positive way in the past year. The Masked Republic entry is below; click here to see the full list.
Masked Republic
Masked Republic is one of the premier brands in Lucha libre merchandise and looks to make the Mexican wrestling culture more accessible to fans in the United States.
Co-founder Kevin Kleinrock has been part of the wrestling world for more than 20 years and alongside Ruben Zamora and their team, Masked Republic has brought the Lucha libre culture to the United States and made it more accessible than ever before. MR is headquartered in San Diego, CA but they also have offices in San Francisco, Mexico City and London and have a hand in creating live events, merchandise and content distribution deals.
Kleinrock has said Masked Republic wants to bridge the gap with their brands, not only entering a market that’s lacking in products but to help the wrestlers navigate the business world themselves. The company represents a number of Lucha libre’s top names like the Lucha Bros, Rey Mysterio, Tinieblas Jr and Blue Demon Jr, helping them create officially licensed products and navigate the business side of professional wrestling branding. In addition, MR has created their own intellectual property brands like The Luchaverse (comic books), Lucha Loot (merchandise crates), Lucha Central (Lucha Libre news) and Saints & Rudos Streetwear.
Masked Republic launched a number of new products in 2019, and previewed some more things to come like their new Legends of Lucha Libre action figure line from Boss Fight Studio. Three waves of the highly-detailed figures and accessories are already confirmed, and in what will be their third year this August, Expo Lucha is set to visit Philadelphia for their fan festival highlighting Lucha’s past and present. After two successful events in Las Vegas in 2018 and San Diego in 2019, Expo Lucha makes the journey to the famed 2300 (ECW) Arena, celebrating the 25th anniversary of the arrival of the luchadores in ECW back in 1995.
Read More: Best For The Business: 2019’s Most Influential People, Promotions and Brands In Pro Wrestling
