After taking a brief sabbatical to presumably train in the art of chair-swinging and smack-talking, the WWE Slammy Awards have bounced back onto the scene, setting up their ring in the illustrious halls of the Philadelphia Convention Center. This grand reunion, reminiscent of a family gathering where everyone’s dressed in spandex and sequins, was brought to life with the help of this year’s dynamic duo, Cathy Kelley of “WWE SmackDown” fame and the ever-charismatic former WWE Champion Big E, who took on the hosting duties. Together, they paraded out a total of 16 shiny accolades, each symbolizing the pinnacle of wrestling excellence as dictated by the fan votes.
In what might seem like a déjà vu from “The Show of Shows,” WWE Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley didn’t just rest on her laurels; she went ahead and snagged the Female Superstar of the Year award, sprinting past the competition that included Bianca Belair, IYO SKY, Bayley, and her WrestleMania nemesis, Becky Lynch. Ripley, however, wasn’t content with just one trophy for her mantle, as she also claimed a share in the Faction and Match of the Year awards, alongside her comrades in The Judgment Day and their WrestleMania 39 bout for the “WWE SmackDown” Women’s Championship. Not to be left out, The Judgment Day’s very own Dominik Mysterio nabbed the title of WWE’s Villain of the Year, proving that every family has its black sheep.
“The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes, not to be outdone, also collected a trio of awards, establishing dominance in the Male Superstar of the Year, Best Entrance of the Year, and Rivalry of the Year categories – the latter shared with his WrestleMania foe, Roman Reigns. In a twist of fate, Rhodes also found himself in the running for the Mic Drop of the Year, a title that ultimately went to Paul Heyman for his memorable quip on “WWE Raw” that Dusty Rhodes fancied Roman Reigns as the son he always wanted.
The awards night saw CM Punk and LA Knight each making room in their trophy cabinets for two Slammys apiece. Punk’s shock return at the 2023 Survivor Series: WarGames event snagged him the Return of the Year and OMG Moment of the Year awards. Knight, on the other hand, charmed his way into winning Breakout Superstar of the Year and Fan Chant of the Year with his catchphrase “Yeah!”
Seth Rollins, WWE’s answer to a charisma bomb, bagged the Rizzie of the Year award. Meanwhile, Drew McIntyre, who’s been stirring the social media pot like it’s his job, was crowned Social Star of the Year. However, Chelsea Green, former WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion, decided to play party pooper by swiping McIntyre’s award.
On the “SmackDown” roster but not forgotten for her “WWE NXT” heroics, Tiffany Stratton was lauded as the “NXT” Superstar of the Year, standing tall among nominees like Ilja Dragunov and Bron Breakker.
Capping off the evening, WWE celebrated Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as the master of mic moments, awarding him the Trash Talker of the Year, because, let’s face it, nobody throws shade quite like The Rock.