The first annual EuroGraps.com Awards looks to recognise the very best in European Wrestling. We put our survey out to a carefully selected panel of journalists and fans from all across Europe to select their top three in a number of categories. 2018’s panel was @MikeKilby, @NordieByNature, @Spoilex16, @GaryOnGraps, @ArnoldFurious, @SarahFlann, @JPJipeee, @marv2punkt0, @ManuRomeroGraps, @TheKingofBoom, @RealPhillipDohm and @theianhamilton. Points were awarded with a first choice receiving 5 points, a second choice receiving  3 points and a third choice receiving 1 point. Not every person surveyed voted on every category.

Import of the Year:

=1. Meiko Satomura & Tomohiro Ishii – 17pts

3. David Starr – 16pts

4. Speedball Mike Bailey – 11pts

5. Timothy Thatcher – 10pts

=6. Jonathan Gresham & Minoru Suzuki – 8pts

The Import of the Year award presented our first tie – with Japanese icons Meiko Satomura and Tomohiro Ishii sharing the top spot. Both performers saw out the year holding the top titles in their respective British home promotions whilst also defending the belts outside of Europe. Satomura – once a rarity outside of Japan – was one of the main success stories in Fight Club: Pro this year with her being the main foil to the Schadenfreude stable once she snatched the belt off Chris Brookes in March. Satomura also had outings in Ireland and Germany – with OTT and wXw – as well as putting on a clinic vs. Kay Lee Ray in Pro Wrestling EVE’s Wrestle Queendom show.

Ishii was a regular visitor to these shores in 2018 as a part of the NJPW/Rev Pro relationship. After securing the British Heavyweight Championship from Zack Sabre Jr. in New Orleans, Ishii defended against Keith Lee in a hotly anticipated rematch from 2017 before dropping the belt to compatriot Minoru Suzuki in Manchester. After pushing WALTER aside, Ishii took back control of the title from Suzuki a day after he had beaten KUSHIDA in Dublin for OTT. Ishii finished the year in the UK with a closely fought bout with David Starr in the York Hall – capping off a consistent run.

Both Starr and Timothy Thatcher gained a lot of votes in this despite being marginal in terms of being imports – with Starr moving to the UK full time in the autumn and Thatcher spending half the year in wXw’s Academy in Essen.  However, the two wrestled pretty much anywhere that would have them this year and invariably they tended to tear the house down.

✏️ @MikeKilby