by Rick Scaia
OnlineOnslaught.com

The Online Onslaught Year in Review is one of the few documents that I generate that I actually go back and find myself re-reading with regularity.  The full spectrum of backstage news, onscreen storyline coverage, and even particularly amusing or insightful OO quotes represent one of the most complete pictures of a given Wrestling Year that I think you'll find anyway.  Even a few years after the fact, I start to forget stuff, so I'm doing this as much for me and my personal reference as I am for you people!

Anyway, little has changed from last year's format, in no small part because little has changed in the wrestling world.  Hopefully you'll enjoy this year's installment as much as years' past...

The Extras

The OO Awardies: Our Consensus Best of 2003
Nine OO columnists voted for their top choices in 30 categories... and now, we stand ready to reveal just who has won the prestigious, first-ever, OO Awardies!  No longer are OO's year-end awards the province of one man passing off his opinion as fact: this year, it's a consensus of some of the internet's only level-headed and intelligent wrestling fans-turned-borderline-famous-personalities!

Battle of the Brands Year in Review
Over the last 7 months of the year, OO's staff has weekly rated RAW and SD! to see which deserved to come out on top.  At the same time, we also kept track of who Mr. Nielsen said came out on top.  Now, at year's end, we can combine and compare all the data to determine which RAW or SmackDown! is the superior brand.  Also included: OO's weekly honor roll winners from the past 52 weeks have been compiled, and a BotB MVP has been named based on those weekly awards.

2003 Overview: The Faces of Death
Before you embark upon the 12 page month-by-month fly-by of 2003, get yourself oriented with this overview, including some "big picture" notes on ratings, title changes, and general trends, as well as a summary overview of a year that, sadly, was defined more by its shocking wrestling deaths than by the on-screen product...

Month-by-Month Details

January 2003
With the flop of Scott Steiner and the embarrassing RAW-X special, WWE most certainly started the year off with a whimper, not a bang

February 2003
Following his sloppy departure and an 8 month hiatus, Steve Austin made his much-anticipated WWE return; also, Curt Hennig became the first of far too many wrestling deaths in 2003

March 2003
Kurt Angle's injured neck was central to a ton of drama: would he make WrestleMania? Was his career over? And what of this new doctor and his miracle procedure?

April 2003
Goldberg, absent from TV since six months prior to the end of WCW, made his much heralded WWE debut, and immediately targeted the Rock

May 2003
In one of the year's saddest stories, the "Lovely Miss" Elizabeth Huelette passed away, and Lex Luger was arrested on non-related drug charges in the aftermath

June 2003
After countless teases over the past half-decade WWE finally unmasked Kane... the spectacle soon gave way to outrageous stunts and skits against mostly non-wrestler opponents like the McMahons and Jim Ross

July 2003
Even OO could not resist using the headline "HHHurt Again!" when Triple H went down with another serious injury in July, one that would limit him throughout the rest of 2003 and put a damper on several PPV main events

August 2003
WWE tried to turn Eddie Guerrero into a heel, but the fans stood up and said, "No thanks."  Eddie had a break-out month in August, including a return to his home town of El Paso, TX

September 2003
Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar's storied feud reached its apex on a free Thursday night show, as the two (in roles opposite the ones the played at WM19) conducted an amazing 60 Minue IronMan Match for the WWE Title

October 2003
Hulk Hogan's post-WWE agenda (in Japan and TNA) stole some headlines in October, but the deaths of Road Warrior Hawk and Stu Hart in the same week are what most will remember vividly from the month

November 2003
Even relegated to a non-wrestling role, Steve Austin was a key contributor to RAW's successes in 2003... at least, until he was written out following Team Austin's loss at Survivor Series

December 2003
There was little time to rest or celebrate the holidays for some SD! superstars, who not only did a tour of Asia in December, but who also provided one of the most unique 2 hours of TV in the history of the business when they taped SD! in an active war zone in Iraq

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