Best Jobber to the Stars

To be given to the "Superstar" who has no problem defeating "real" jobbers,
but for some reason can't score the victory when facing comparable opposition.
This award should recognise performers who manage to look good both in 
victory AND defeat, as well as helping their opponents look good while
jobbing, and may or may not represent a wrestler deserving of a push (that is
better reflected in the "Most Underrated" category).

  1998: Chris Benoit

**1999**: Al Snow

327 first place votes
311 second place votes
295 third place votes

 67 23 24  452   Al Snow
 15 18 18  165   Norman Smiley
 19 15 11  162   Taka Michinoku
 15 14 11  139   La Parka
 14 14  8  128   Kaz Hayashi
 12 12 10  116   Blitzkrieg
  9 12 12  105   Jerry Lynn
 11 10  8  101   Psychosis
  9 14  7  101   Kanyon
 13  5 10  100   Gillberg
 10 10  7   94   Curt Hennig
  9  7 10   86   Steve Blackman
  5 12 12   85   Vampiro
  6 13  6   81   Gangrel
  7  6  5   63   Chris Benoit
  6  5  9   63   Christian
  4  8  8   60   Brad Armstrong
  5  4  5   47   Test
  5  5  3   46   Eddie Guerrero
  3  8  3   45   Steve Corino
  5  0  7   39   Papi Chulo
  0  5 12   39   Joey Abs
  4  4  3   38   Steve Regal
  5  3  1   36   Chris Jericho
  1  8  1   31   Mr. Ass
  3  1  6   30   Lash LeRoux
  3  2  4   29   Silver King
  4  0  3   26   Mankind
  3  1  4   26   Big Show
  2  3  3   25   Diamond Dallas Page
  1  4  4   25   Lodi
  3  1  3   24   D'Lo Brown
  3  1  1   20   Blue Meanie
  2  2  2   20   Stevie Richards
  3  0  2   19   X-Pac
  3  1  0   18   Rock
  2  2  1   18   Ric Flair
  1  3  2   18   Juventud Guerrera
  1  1  4   16   Rhino
  2  1  1   15   Kane
  2  1  1   15   Buff Bagwell
  1  3  0   14   Val Venis
  1  1  3   14   Edge
  2  1  0   13   Mikey Whipwreck
  1  2  1   13   Yuji Nagata
  1  2  1   13   Sean Stasiak
  1  2  1   13   Disco Inferno
  0  3  3   13   Hardcore Holly
  2  0  1   12   Vince McMahon
  2  0  1   12   Triple H
  1  1  2   12   Spike Dudley
  0  2  3   12   Jerry Flynn
  0  3  1   11   Funaki
  2  0  0   10   Taz
  2  0  0   10   Sting
  1  1  1   10   Mideon
  1  1  1   10   Barry Darsow
  1  0  2    9   Grandmaster Sexy
  0  3  0    9   Sid Vicious
  0  3  0    9   Perry Saturn
  1  1  0    8   Lenny
  0  2  1    8   Dean Malenko
  0  1  2    7   Bossman
  0  2  0    6   Scotty Riggs
  1  0  0    5   Raven
  1  0  0    5   Nova
  1  0  0    5   Mona
  1  0  0    5   Mike Enos
  1  0  0    5   Mark Henry
  1  0  0    5   Horace
  1  0  0    5   Hardy Boyz
  1  0  0    5   El Samurai
  1  0  0    5   Al Green
  0  1  1    5   Scott Hall
  0  1  1    5   Ken Shamrock
  0  1  1    5   Jeff Jarrett
  0  1  1    5   Evan Karagias
  0  1  1    5   Brian Adams
  0  1  1    5   Big Bossman
  0  0  2    4   Godfather
  0  1  0    3   Tommy Dreamer
  0  1  0    3   Steve Austin
  0  1  0    3   Spanish Announcers' Table
  0  1  0    3   Roadkill
  0  1  0    3   Road Dogg
  0  1  0    3   Luna
  0  1  0    3   Koko B. Ware
  0  1  0    3   David Taylor
  0  1  0    3   Crash Holly
  0  1  0    3   Chavo Guerrero
  0  1  0    3   Cat
  0  1  0    3   Axl Rotten
  0  0  1    2   Viscera
  0  0  1    2   Steve Armstrong
  0  0  1    2   Owen Hart
  0  0  1    2   Minoru Tanaka
  0  0  1    2   Masato Tanaka
  0  0  1    2   Lance Storm
  0  0  1    2   Fit Finlay
  0  0  1    2   David Flair
  0  0  1    2   Dave Taylor
  0  0  1    2   Booker T
  0  0  1    2   Bobby Duncum Jr.

CHRIS BIRD: Brad Armstrong is a JTTS to his fingertips, even if he could
become the "Brad Dogg" when he got desperate enough. Blitzkrieg and
Blackman both made their opponents look good.

CYBERAL33: WOW! It's a shame these guys are just jobbers to the stars as
they could be so much more. I'm the world's biggest Kaz mark, so I have to
pick him first. He actually had a few great matches this year and carried
Lenny Lane to the best match of his career. TAKA Michinoku has had an off
year, but still managed so good ECW matches and made Super Astros worth
waking up for.  Third would have to be Joey Abbs who has been completly
wasted in his current gimmick.

GENE MOORE: Honorable Mention to DDP for jobbing to the younger stars that
are deserving of a push.

GREG DILLARD: Jobber to the stars can also be called "most promising".  
On that account I'm still waiting for Al Snow to break through.  He has
trained a ton of guys that have climbed above him in terms of credibility.  
Still I have to think his in ring talent along with his self effacing
sense of humor will "click" with the fans sometime.  Close behind Snow is
Vampiro, a guy that has had his future shaken up enough this past year to
force a guy out of the business.  Still he managed to make a good decision
and stay in WCW, and with Russo writing storylines could turn into the
devilish character he was promised to be about two years ago.

SVEN MASCARENHAS: JTTS, on the other hand, was a rich field. I'm giving
them all to WCW: Lash was paid off for all of his good work with a push,
Smiley got over in spite of WCW's idiotic policies, and Dave Taylor is
just a great wrestler who loses every time he shows up on Nitro (or even
Thunder).

DON BECKER: Basically, who makes the stars look good?  TAKA is a bump
machine who could carry an average wrestler to a decent looking match -
no, he's not like Flair during his "broomstick rule" days... Brad
Armstrong is also in a similar position - a solid enough wrestler that if
he had some charisma could get over...but that's been his problem since
the late 80's.  Lash also gets a nod based on his skills.

MAX CHITTISTER: Lots of choices, but not many guys who can consistently
make their opponent look good while they lose.

PAUL SHOCK:  Gangrel wins.  Norman Smiley is second.  Rhino, the "rookie
monster" is third.  Maybe ECW could get this guy over as a monster if he
actually, I don't know...WON MATCHES??!!

BLOB: Why the hell must they job Psychosis all the time? He was a 2 time
CW Champ this year, one for a week, and the other was handed to him! He
was the best CW worker in WCW the entire year and deserved a 4-5 month CW
reign. Vampiro and Kanyon have also been jobbing and making their
opponents look much better in the process.

GEORGE CARTER: Last year I voted for Lenny Lane and he became the
Cruiserweight Champ, I hope that me voting for La Parka will get him more
air-time and victories.  La Parka has already started receiving this, but
at the butt of Russo's jokes, but if having him learn perfect english in 7
days is what it takes for him to get over, then I'm all for it.

JOHN C.:Al Snow has yet to be used right in the WWF and after endless
feuds with Hardcore Holly and the Big Bossman his career didn't progress
much in the past year. Al Snow is too good for this kind of crappy
treatment. Thankfully Benoit won quite a bit this year so I wouldn't
consider him eligible for this category.

JON RICHARDSON: Steve Blackman gets the nod here as I can't remember him
winning a single match the entire year.  The same goes for Kaz Hayashi.  
My third pick is a sentimental one as I've always enjoyed Curt Hennig and
it's clear that he's now willing to put absolutely anybody over as his
career winds down.

JAMES GOWDEY: Triple H: He always beats the mid-carders, but usually uses
a cheap shot to win against the big names...

SEAN FLYNN:  X-Pac has been beaten severely this year, and Benoit has
consistently been on the short end of things.

BEN MILLER:  Benoit, Jericho and Juventud have such amazing potential.  
If any off them were in ECW, they could carry the promotion because Heyman
would use them to their fullest.

KEVIN WONG: I guess it shouldn't be surprising that WCW has the best JTTS
- they hired so many of them!! Although I suppose by next year "Screamin'"
Norman won't be a JTTS, as over as he is right now.

B. SZPAKOWICZ: You mean internet darling Chris Benoit (with miniscule tag,
US and TV title reigns summing about 3 months) gets no nomination, while
2-time WCW champion Diamond Dallas Page does? :) My votes: 1. TAKA
Michinoku, 2. Kaz Hayashi, 3. Al Snow (until the last few weeks of the
voting year, anyway) . All of them are very good wrestlers who should be
doing more than jobbing in meaningless prelim matches (or to the Big
Bossman, whatever the case may be)

RICK SCAIA:  Al Snow's made being a jobber part of his gimmick.  Pin him,
pay him. Just as long as he's on TV and only dropping matches to the
bigger names, I guess it's OK.  Credit also to Steve Corino, who I don't
think has won an important match yet in ECW, but who revels in making his
opponents look like a million bucks and getting them over as huge
babyfaces.  On gimmick alone, Gillberg rounds out this list.

JEREMY SORIA: Never have I seen someone have absolutely more fun with
being a jobber to the stars on national TV than Duane Gill. I think, next
to Barry Horowitz, he is the most celebrated jobber today. The WWF had
tons of fun with him, his entrances, and all, and it was all in good fun;
even Bill Goldberg was amused. As for Lenny and Evan, they still do a lot
of good wrestling, but in the end, they get pinned and they get paid. And
very well, I might add.

JUSTIN JONES: Viva La Parka!

MICHAEL STAKELY: Best Jobber to the Stars Why? Why must the vast majority
of my favorite wrestlers be in this category?  Damn damn damn damn damn
damn damn damn...

HEATM:  The main objective of a JTTS is to maintain some interest in the
match.  Thus, LaParka is my choice for JTTS of the year.  Similarly, Lodi
was always entertaining even if you knew he was bound to get pinned.

MDB: Why is Medusa wrestling for the cruiser title when Kaz is right there
ready to be a star?  Oh yeah, it's WCW.  Poor Vampiro.  For two weeks it
seemed like he might actually get a real shot.