Category Archives: Gooker Winner Inductions

The very worst of the very worst – your choices for the worst of the year in pro wrestling!

Induction: NXT 2.0 – The 2021 Gooker Award Winner

53 Submitted by on Thu, 27 January 2022, 20:00
As a brand dedicated to developing wrestling talent, there’s more than a little irony in NXT itself evolving and flourishing beyond all expectations, only to be punished for it. Premiering in 2010 as a hybrid wrestling/reality game show for aspiring Superstars, the original NXT soon devolved into a farce that announcers openly mocked, and that SyFy booted off television. After Continue Reading...
Read more

Congrats to our 2021 Gooker Winner: NXT 2.0!

19 Submitted by on Thu, 20 January 2022, 14:52
Out with the old (which was good), in with the new (not so much)! All herald our 2021 Gooker Award winner, the transition from the black and gold heaven that was NXT to the multi-colored rainbow nightmare NXT 2.0.  There was a worthy crew of competitors, but in the end, Vince’s Frankenstein took the “prize”. There is sooooo much to Continue Reading...
Read more

Gooker 2021: Vote for the Very Worst of the Year in Our Legendary Poll!

81 Submitted by on Thu, 06 January 2022, 20:00
Another year come and gone…and is often the case, it was chock full of some of the worst pro wrestling has ever seen!  The real question, though is this: what was the very worst of the very worst? What deserves the legendary WrestleCrap Gooker Award? Using the same creeky old poll mechanism we’ve used since 2003(!!!!!), we present to you Continue Reading...
Read more

Induction: RETRIBUTION – The 2020 Gooker Award winner

60 Submitted by on Thu, 04 February 2021, 20:00
RETRIBUTION was a faction that could only have emerged in 2020. For one thing, it was that summer that saw historic unrest in American cities, sparked by numerous deaths of African-Americans at the hands of police. Coast-to-coast Black Lives Matter protests, violence between Antifa and right-wing groups, destructive anarchist riots, often-brutal reprisals by law enforcement – these events would fundamentally Continue Reading...
Read more

Gooker 2020 – Vote for the Very Worst in Wrestling!

118 Submitted by on Thu, 07 January 2021, 19:57
There’s no need to recap why 2020 was such a messed-up year, and there was certainly enough awful stuff happening off-screen that could qualify as “the worst in wrestling”. This past year was no doubt the strangest in wrestling history, with wrestling promotions having to figure out ways to run shows without a live audience. Some of their ideas were Continue Reading...
Read more

INDUCTION: Seth vs. Fiend Hell in a Cell – 2019 Gooker Award Winner

69 Submitted by on Thu, 16 January 2020, 20:00
WWE – 2019 Gooker Award Winner It was close. It was very close. This year, I decided to eyeball the Gooker voting from start to finish.  I generally don’t do that, but there was a morbid curiosity as to what was going to take the feathery crown.  Confession time: I will admit some years there are “filler” nominees – stuff that was Continue Reading...
Read more

Induction: WWE Crown Jewel – The 2018 Gooker Award Winner

86 Submitted by on Thu, 31 January 2019, 20:00
Simply put, WWE Crown Jewel was a bad idea from day one. The event, part of a 10-year, twenty-show deal with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, was under fire from the get-go for serving as propaganda for the totalitarian state, its new crown prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS), and his modernization campaign dubbed, “Saudi Vision 2030”.  One can’t discuss Crown Continue Reading...
Read more

Induction: Jinder Mahal, WWE Champion – The 2017 Gooker Award Winner (for real this time)

92 Submitted by on Thu, 18 January 2018, 20:00
It may have been the strangest long-term booking decision in WWE history. Jinder Mahal, career-long underneath guy, would win the WWE’s oldest and most prestigious title and hold it for nearly half a year. Jinder Mahal, who had never once wrestled for any WWE title. Jinder Mahal, who had never once won a match on pay-per-view. Jinder Mahal, who once Continue Reading...
Read more

2017 Gooker Award Voting! Pick the Very Worst of the Very Worst!

84 Submitted by on Thu, 04 January 2018, 20:00
2017 is in the books, and thank goodness for that, as it sure did stink! Speaking of reeking, let’s talk for a moment about the least prestigious award in all of professional wrestling: WrestleCrap’s 17th Annual Gooker Award!  Named after the infamous Goobeldy Gooker, this prize goes to the dirt worst storyline, character, or promotional tactic that took place inside or Continue Reading...
Read more

INDUCTION: WrestleMania 32 – 2016 Gooker Award Winner

65 Submitted by on Thu, 26 January 2017, 20:00
WWE, 2016 Many years ago, I more or less had a nervous breakdown.  And many of you reading this today bore witness to it as it happened on air. Prior to a WrestleCrap Radio episode that I wish I could forget (amazingly even more than the others), I was discussing the itinerary with my co-host, Mr. Blade Braxton.  If you’ve Continue Reading...
Read more

And the 2016 Gooker Award Winner Is…

59 Submitted by on Thu, 19 January 2017, 20:00
The votes were counted, tabulated, and all that goofy electoral stuff. Y’all made it very clear what you viewed as the worst of the worst in 2016. And coming on January 26, 2016, we will induct your choice. Ladies and gentlemen, your 2016 Gooker Award Winner is… Ack.  WrestleMania 32.  The show that never, ever, ever ended. Now if you’ll Continue Reading...
Read more

The InVasion: 2001 Gooker Award Winner

31 Submitted by on Fri, 02 September 2016, 00:00
WWF, 2001 When Bryan Alvarez and I decided to write The Death of WCW, he said something that I will never forget. After laughing about all the horrible stuff the company did to cause its own demise, we started to get down to business and really think about the company and its rich history. “You realize,” Bryan told me, “that as Continue Reading...
Read more

Claire Lynch: The 2012 Gooker Award Winner

87 Submitted by on Fri, 03 June 2016, 12:50
TNA-Impact, 2012 It was funny, prior to the Gooker voting this year, the very great Justin Henry and I were discussing the various candidates. Make no mistake, there were some doozies in 2012, from all the goofiness with the Aces & 8’s to AJ Lee’s various lovers to Natalya’s nonstop flatulance. Despite the multitude of choices, he explained to me Continue Reading...
Read more

Induction: The Rusev-Lana-Dolph-Summer Love Trapezoid – The 2015 Gooker Award Winner

61 Submitted by on Thu, 11 February 2016, 20:00
Probably the best thing to come out of the renewed tensions between Russia and the United States* has been the duo of Lana and Rusev. *I can’t think of a second-best thing For a whole year, Rusev and Lana were WWE’s Boris and Natasha, with Rusev as an undefeated, undefeatable, self-styled Hero of the Russian Federation… …and Lana as a Continue Reading...
Read more

And the “Winner” Is…2015 Gooker Announced!

161 Submitted by on Sun, 24 January 2016, 08:00
Gooker voting is complete for 2015!!  And it was exceedingly close.  A look at the percentages showed a tie, but looking at the actual votes does in fact give us a winner…by 17 votes! WOW! As it was so close, we will be inducting both the Divas Revolution (as first runner up) and the Rusev-Lana-Dolph-Summer Love Trapazoid (as the official Continue Reading...
Read more

INDUCTION: Vince McMahon and the Brass Rings – 2014 Gooker Award Co-Winner

95 Submitted by on Thu, 05 February 2015, 20:00
WWE, 2014 Text by RD Reynolds and Art 0Donnell “You have, you know, this is a different group of guys, and gals…its millennials. You know, they’re not as ambitious, quite frankly, and they’re not trepidatious at all.  I just don’t think they want to reach for that brass ring.  The last person to really reach for that brass ring in Continue Reading...
Read more

Induction: Bella vs. Bella – 2014 Gooker Award Co-winner

80 Submitted by on Thu, 05 February 2015, 14:00
WWE, 2014 Note: Due to some suspicious Slammy-esque stuffing of the ballot box in this year’s Gooker Award poll, Wrestlecrap will be awarding the prize to the top two vote-getters. Next week will see the induction of Vince McMahon’s brass-ring fiasco, but this week we present WWE’s Nikki vs. Brie Bella feud, the co-winner of the 2014 Gooker Award. Just Continue Reading...
Read more

And Your 2014 Gooker Winner Is…

272 Submitted by on Tue, 20 January 2015, 19:00
Note from RD: Well, this is a first. What started out as a landslide win for the Bella vs. Bella Feud somehow turned into a second place finish for WWE’s Lack of Brass Rings.  A bit of investigation reveals that SHENANIGANS WERE AFOOT! While we cannot lock down how much ballot stuffing was done for those in favor of brass Continue Reading...
Read more

Gooker 2013 – The Voting is Over!

177 Submitted by on Fri, 10 January 2014, 09:00
And the voting is over!!  Congratulations, Dixie Carter – you are our 2013 Gooker Award Winner!  You will be properly inducted Thursday night, January 30…just in time for Impact!   Despite what Hector Guerrero may tell you, the infamous Gobbeldy Gooker was one of the worst gimmicks ever.  Therefore, back in 2000 when I first started WrestleCrap.com, I knew that Continue Reading...
Read more

All Past Gooker Award Winners Now Online!

0 Submitted by on Thu, 31 January 2013, 21:53
Just a quick note that I’ve posted all the past Gooker Award Winners for your reading “pleasure”.  Check them out from the main menu under the Inductions section or by clicking rightchere!...
Read more

All Things Michael Cole: The 2011 Gooker Award Winner

7 Submitted by on Wed, 26 December 2012, 20:12
WWE, 2011 Text by RD Reynolds I knew it was going to happen. I just knew it. It was never in question, and that, more than anything, made me dread it all the more. Before the Gooker voting even started, I knew that Michael Cole was going to “win”, which meant I was going to lose. And no, I didn’t make Continue Reading...
Read more

Hornswoggle vs. Chavo: 2009 Gooker Award Winner

7 Submitted by on Tue, 31 January 2012, 20:55
WWE, 2009 Text by RD Reynolds with Triple Kelly Note from RD: Hard to believe that we’re already doing our tenth Gooker Award. Harder to believe still that there’s never been a main character that has repeated in the ‘honor’. Even more unfathomable is the fact that unless something changes drastically, there’s a pretty good shot at the guy three-peating at some point. Continue Reading...
Read more

Mike Adamle: 2008 Gooker Award Winner

5 Submitted by on Sun, 30 January 2011, 21:00
WWE, 2008  Text by RD Reynolds Not sure if I’ve ever mentioned it, but it seems that one of Vince McMahon’s lifelong goals is to get rid of your friend and mine, Jim Ross. Oh wait, yeah, I am pretty sure I DID mention that. Three years ago, in fact, when Ross was humiliated in a series of skits that did Continue Reading...
Read more

Vince’s Bastard Son: 2007 Gooker Award Winner

9 Submitted by on Thu, 20 January 2011, 21:11
WWE, 2007 Mega Thanks to Bill Brown for His Assitance with This Induction! It may sound absurd, or more accurately perhaps, pretentious, but I pretty much know every year going into the Gooker Award voting who is going to win. Yes, it’s been up for you, my fellow Crappers, to decide the past few years. And while there have been some suprises Continue Reading...
Read more

Eddiesplotation: 2006 Gooker Award Winner

11 Submitted by on Wed, 19 January 2011, 21:18
WWE, 2006 Odds are that you remember exactly where you were when you heard the news on November 13, 2005. I do. I certainly do. It was a Sunday afternoon, and I hopped on the net to check my mail and see what was going on in the world of wrestling. There was lots of comedy taking place about this Continue Reading...
Read more