Do wrestlers really care when they're given an award?  Hmm... That could be a tough question in many different ways. Its hard to say, really. But I want to take a step back and look at this from a few different viewpoints for you.

It's very hard to take anything too seriously in a business where the results are pre-drtermined. Especially, on the independent level. In WWE or TNA, the entire world views awards and championships differently than the indies because they're on a worldwide stage. Not just the local level.  Locally though, it's a bit of a different story.

On a local level, awards could mean something special on one hand and mean nothing special on the other.  What I mean by that is this - people actually voting you a winner in a category is something that is meaningful.  For the fans and other wrestlers to actually vote you a winner in a special category should mean something to you.  Look at it this way, the wrestlers look up to you and the fans admire you.  That's a good thing.  But on the other hand, the actual award doesn't matter.  

RasslinRiotOnline has been doing an award ballot for the last two years.  It's fun to see who's nominated each year and who is voted what... but the actual awards or being handed a certificate - who cares?  Most guys look at it as it's fun and some guys look at it for what it is - a popularity contest.  Taking it too seriously would be a mistake on anyone's part. 

I've actually heard of guys trying to cheat their votes to win categories.  You have to love that.  To me, if I'm voted good enough in a poll I'd like to know that I won it because people look up to me.  Not because I signed on with many different names and made myself win.  You know what I mean? 

With that said, the photo you're looking at is me accepting the RRO Horizon Star of the Year Award just last week in Ripley, TN.  This was the first year RRO has done an award ceremony at one of the wrestling shows.  What's a little strange about it is I have won the same award two years in a row.  So, for two years now I was voted as the number one wrestler in the area that should be moving on to bigger and better things - WWE or TNA.  It hasn't happened yet, but I'm honored to be viewed in that type of light.  On the other hand that I talk about - I don't even know where that award I'm holding is right now.  I didn't bring it home.  I sat it down and jumped in the band with White Noise and sang "Paranoid".  

I don't want anyone to get upset about me leaving the award at the show but it is what it is.  I didn't do it on purpose.  But a wooden frame isn't that big of a deal to me.  The voting was nice and I smile a little brighter knowing the fans and other wrestlers think that I'm good enough and entertaining enough to be on a grander stage... but I guess I don't need proof.  I have a few banners on my homepage that will commemorate the occasion. 

Awards and winning Championship belts are two different things.  We'll get into titles in the next blog.  But awards are fun and have a little truth and meaning behind them, but they probably don't mean as much to the wrestlers as the fans actually think.