2025 Black Girl Wrestling Awards
When 2025 kicked off with an early MOTY Candidate between Gabe Kidd and Kenny Omega in the first week of the year, it set the tone for a wild year that generated memorable moments that will stick with us for years to come. Over the course of 2025, we laughed at Gedo’s booking, mocked Travis Scott at Wrestlemania, and cried when Hangman won his world title. In late November, we asked our followers to weigh in and to nominate their favorite matches and performers for the 2025 Black Girl Wrestling awards. We’ve heard you loud and clear, gathered your thoughts and opinions, and added our own two cents for fun.
So, with just hours left in the year, and seeing as I literally could not procrastinate any longer, here are the winners of the most important accolades in the sport: The BGW Awards.
Match of the Year
The People’s Vote:
Mariah May vs. Toni Storm “Hollywood Ending” at AEW Revolution
Although this feud might feel like it took place a lifetime ago, it actually reached its conclusion at AEW Revolution in March. May and Storm put together a bitter feud with a fitting payoff that would satisfy even the most bloodthirsty wrestling fans. Following a storyline build that felt like it had seen it all, including love triangles and May slapping her own mother, the expectations for this match were incredibly high. The “Hollywood Ending” was everything it was billed to be, one that absolutely deserved to main event.
Dani’s Choice:
Konosuke Takeshita vs. Bandido at Ring of Honor’s SuperCard of Honor
Let me start off by acknowledging that I am 100% aware of my bias towards this match. It included two of my favorite performers and, I was lucky enough to see it in person. With that being said, these two put on an absolute bell-to-bell masterclass. Takeshita and Bandido both had incredible 2025’s, each with strong cases for wrestler of the year. Every second of this match is action-packed, and the last 5 minutes are what make this match an absolute instant classic.
Other Notable Nominations Included:
Goto vs. ZSJ at New Japan Pro Wrestling’s New Beginning in Osaka
Mistico vs. MJF at CMLL Aniversario 92
Hangman Adam Page vs. Jon Moxley at All Elite Wrestling’s Y’all In Texas
Hangman Adam Page vs. Will Ospreay at All Elite Wrestling’s Double Or Nothing
Mercedes Mone vs. Athena at All Elite Wrestling’s Spring Break Through
Meiko Satomura & Manami vs. Aja Kong & Chihiro Hashimoto at Sendai Girls Mieko Satomura The Final
Toni Storm vs. Mercedes Mone at All Elite Wrestling’s Y’all In Texas
Athena vs. Toni Storm at All Elite Wrestling’s Forbidden Door
Kazuchika Okada vs. Konosuke Takeshita vs. Mascara Dorada at All Elite Wrestling’s All Out
Call Your Girl
Here at Black Girl Wrestling, we do the real journalism that others aren’t willing or able to do. The inaugural Call Your Girl award is meant to serve as a compliment to a performer. It’s merely meant as an acknowledgement and appreciation for a particularly fine individual. When you, as a 2, see this man, a 10, on your screen, you should call your girl and let her know you love her & appreciate her.
The People’s Choice +Dani’s Choice: Hangman Adam Page
It seems inevitable that Hangman Adam Page will collect this accolade for many years to come. Hangman’s charm and depth of character set him apart from other performers is his depth. He has suffered, committed heinous sins, and been redeemed a million times over, and yet he never. As one voter put it, “what sets Hangman apart is that he’s as realistic of a character as you’ll ever find. He’s a good person who sometimes makes bad decisions based on jealousy, rage, and low self-esteem, much like many of us. Despite how deep he gets in the dark, he still tries to choose the light, and sometimes he succeeds, sometimes he doesn’t but it’s the effort & internal struggle that makes him relatable. Add in being an excellent in-ring storyteller with a willingness to be vocal about social issues during one of the darkest times in our nation’s history, he’s truly 1 of 1.”
Hater of the Year:
The People’s Choice + Dani’s Choice: Kazuchika Okada
Kazuchika Okada spent the bulk of the year 2025 doing his best to get on everyone’s nerves. He toed the line between teasing and terror, adjusting his style and demeanor to fit the feud and to meet the moment. An esteemed BGW voter said, “ Okada this year rightfully deserves hater of the year. I think he demands your attention every time he steps in the ring and steps on the mic. I think this character work this year has been out of this world, like we say it all the time, Okada ain’t nobody friend, he will backstab you with a smile on his face and everyone will laugh while he does it. I think the less serious parts of him have really shined this year even when he’s in the ring with Kenny or plotting on Takeshita’s downfall, he’s having fun while putting on 5 star matches regularly because he’s Okada and has nothing to prove to anyone in 2026.”
Other Notable Nominations Include:
Stokely Hathaway (who is bald and has no hoes)
Athena
Queen Aminata
Saree
Mariah May
Don Callis
Thekla
Scarf
Best Gear: Mercedes Mone and Bandido
This was another category with clear front-runners. These two winners, Mercedes Mone and Bandido both have several sets of gear nominated for best of 2025, so for the sake of simplicity, I have taken the liberty of narrowing it down to one look each.
When the first few notes of the iconic song Bidi Bidi Bom Bom replaced the familiar thrum of “CEO” chants in Arena Mexico, it was clear that Mercedes Mone was excited about her return to CMLL. Then, she appeared rocking legendary Selena-inspired gear that needed no further explanation. Mercedes is known for her style, and she oozes star power from the minute you catch a glimpse of her gear.
Bandido had that shit on all year. In a world where male wrestlers rarely show much creativity with their gear, he consistently gave us new, memorable looks that paid homage to his culture and went above and beyond what we saw from every other man this year. My personal favorite drip was the AEW Collision Fright Night fit.
Other Notable Nominations Include:
Any and all protopink fits from Kyle Fletcher
SLK White belt gear
Jamie Hayter at Blood & Guts
Riho’s All Out entrance jacket
Best Intro:
A memorable entrance before a match can help build the big match feel more than almost anything else. A good video package or notable pyro budget can make all the difference in making fans invest in the talent and in the storyline.
The People’s Choice:
Kenny Omega at All Elite Wrestling’s Y’all In Texas
Kenny actually had voters split between his Wrestle Dynasty and Y’all In entrances. Ultimately, that should be unsurprising. Kenny has been, and should be presented as an absolute superstar in 2025, and his return to major singles competition is nothing short of miraculous. He’s a big deal, and it’s a big deal that he’s still active, and luckily, his entrances have reflected that sentiment this year.
Dani’s Choice:
Young Bucks at All Elite Wrestling’s Y’all In Texas
The Young Bucks also had an incredible year in 2025. Their EVP gimmick was one of my favorites, and its funniest moment came at Y’all In Texas, complete with a declaration, Founding Fathers fits, and a ship that took them around the stadium. The lengthy, obnoxious entrance was fun, unique, and fitting of the match, given the Young Bucks were putting their EVP titles on the line against Swerve Strickland and Will Ospreay.
Other Notable Nominations Include:
Kenny Omega Wrestle Dynasty
Saya Kamitani Grand Queendom
Best PPV:
The People’s Choice : All Elite Wrestling’s Double or Nothing
I want to start by noting there was a tie at the top between AEW’S Double or Nothing and AEW’s Y’all In Texas. Personally, I do not think these shows are even comparable. I love the anarchy in the arena match and Hangman vs. Ospreay as much as anyone else, I just think it pales in comparison to the Y’all In card. Between the women’s casino gauntlet, Ospreay and Swerve against the Young Bucks, Omega vs.Okada winner takes all, and the iconic Texas death match, there is no competition for show of the year.
Other Notable Nominations Include:
All Elite Wrestling’s Revolution
All Star Grand Queendom
AEW x NJPW x CMLL Forbidden Door
AEW Wrestle Dream
Enemy of the state:
This distinction should only be afforded to the most egregious TV-time terrorists. These people robbed us of our joy and hope in the world and tore tiny pieces of our souls as they did it.
The People’s Choice:
Gedo
A reputable voter told me, “Gedo was my runaway enemy of the state because every time NJPW showed a mere glimmer of hope, he stomped it out like a cockroach. Interested in more character development following a strong New Japan Cup showing? You’ll never get it. Thought certain guys would be rewarded for great G1 performance? Stuck in the Ranbo for WK. Interested in actual nuanced faction wars? House of Torture is all you get. The commitment to giving the fanbase nothing to invest in would be impressive if it wasn’t so downright arrogant and stupid.”
Dani’s Choice:
Baldiglocks
FTR had absolutely no business regaining the AEW World Tag Team titles in 2025. Teams like Jetspeed and Brodido catapulted into the spotlight this year, becoming staples of the division and creating some of the most exciting moments of the year as a result. Giving FTR the belts is perhaps a forgivable sin; however, continually handing the microphone to FTR Bald is a heinous act that Tony Khan and his associates must answer for.
Other Notable Nominations:
Jon Moxley
Adam Copeland
Darby Allin
House of Torture
Triple H
Tweet of Year:
The tweet of the year is perhaps my favorite category. These nominations could include tweets from fans, wrestling media, wrestlers and beyond. I will not be providing context.
The People’s Choice:
MJF’s kill yourself tweet
Dani’s choice:
Kenny Omega doing tricks on it
