A PROMISE MADE, A PROMISE KEPT
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By Shiai Mata To say that the 'Most Promising Wrestler' poll conducted by ProWrestlingDaily.com was a success would be putting it mildly, to say the least. No fewer than 1,006 votes were cast over the fourteen days the poll ran! Do the math, and you realize that's some 72 people (give or take) making the time each and every day to vote. This poll was not without some controversy. Some seemed to find the very title... 'Most Promising'... to be too ambiguous. Others felt it should be limited strictly to rookies. Others still argued it ought to instead have been a 'Wrestler of the Year' contest. All valid points, to be sure. But there really isn't anything arcane about this poll. It is what its name implies... a vote to determine which of the seven wrestlers on the ballot truly excelled in 2006, and will most likely fulfill the promise of their talent in 2007 and reach new heights in the sport. This poll is about looking to the future, now merely celebrating the past. From the moment this poll was announced, predictions were made by some as to the 'inevitable' outcome. Suffice it to say, the end result was predicted by very few... which is surprising, as it was determined by popular vote. One supposes the pundits weren't reading the tea leaves very well. From Day One, the poll was owned by Roxi. The diminutive British spitfire, a favorite among PGWA fans, averaged 26% of the vote total in the opening days. That eventually dipped to some 24% for a spell, with the next-highest vote getter coming within 20 ballots of the Brit, but a surge in the closing days made Roxi's lead unassailable with a commanding 253 votes. Informed of her victory, Roxi had this to say: 'AWESOME!!!! Thank you so much to the people that have voted. I am so happy that the fans have faith in my work, and I hope that this year I will prove to you all exactly why I was voted Most Promising Wrestler!' But perhaps even more surprising than Roxi's dominant win is just who nipped at her heels the entire way: Susan Morton. The Tennessee State Women's Champion claimed the second spot in the poll within the first few days, and never relented in chasing Roxi for the top spot. Her 227 votes is a testament to the faith which fans have in her. LadySports Online did contact Ms. Morton for a quote, but what she told us is entirely unprintable on a family-friendly website. Long story short, she's none too thrilled that she didn't win, and she says that should Roxi ever find herself in Nashville, Susan will be glad beat the... um, promise out of her. Sara del Rey's strong showing in third place was no surprise to anyone who's followed her career. Long considered one of the best ring technicians in the sport, Sara had seemingly been overshadowed and overlooked for too long. But in '06, she started getting the recognition she deserves, and that looks to continue this year. Josie has declared 2007 to be her year, and no doubt she would have liked to have kicked it off with winning this poll. But there's no shame in the fact that she earned 172 votes. And she might have done even better; but as one fan put it, 'I just assumed she's going to have a great year anyway, so I voted for someone else.' A bit of skewed logic there, perhaps, but no doubt there's some truth to it as well. Another surprise was the powerful showing of the Baroness Simone, who in some ways is the least-known woman in the poll. But she clearly has her partisans, and they turned out strong for her. Jennidee and Diana la Cazadora fared perhaps less well than expected. In large part, this is probably because they aren't American wrestlers, and thus most Americans fans don't know enough about them. And it's entirely possible that a number of people who voted for Roxi would have instead cast their ballots for her fellow Englishwoman, Jennidee, were she herself not in the poll. But if more people come away from this poll knowing who Diana and Jennidee are, and having a better grasp of just how talented they are, then it can be said that these two ladies are definitely winners! On behalf of the PGWA and ProWrestlingDaily.com, we would like to thanks each and every fan who took the time to vote. And we would also like to congratulate all seven of the ladies who competed. You're all champions in our book!
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