PGWA 2023 ROOKIE OF THE YEAR ANNOUNCED!
 

2023 ROOKIE OF THE YEAR ANNOUNCEMENT CAUSES CONTROVERSY AND CONFRONTATION!

April 4 - The PGWA has announced its 2023 Rookie of the Year.  The award is 
being presented to Savannah Sweet in recognition of her ring work over the 
last year.

Making the presentation of the award at an NWF training event in Ohio was 
the 2022 ROTY recipient, Riley Matthews...albeit reluctantly.  Riley had 
agreed to make the presentation prior to learning who the winner would be.  
She in fact did not discover it was Savannah until she stepped into the 
ring and saw the award plaque for the first time.  Riley's antipathy at 
having to hand the award to Savannah was obvious, and not at all surprising, 
considering the longtime and frequently extremely violent rivalry the 
two have shared.

Stepping into the ring amid a chorus of boos from various other wrestlers 
at the session, Savannah accepted the award and said, "Finally, the PGWA is 
recognizing real talent!"... an obvious dig at Riley.  She then announced 
that she is exercising the right to the guaranteed title shot which the 
ROTY award provides, and she formally challenged PGWA Champion Kasey Fox 
to a match for the belt at "Revolution Rising II: Queens of the Midwest" 
joint NWF/PGWA live event, to be held in Covington, Kentucky on Saturday,
 May 27.

This sparked a protest from Riley, who said that she has not yet had the 
opportunity to exercise her own guaranteed title shot, and that she intends 
to be the wrestler who next faces Kasey for the championship.  However, 
briefly speaking to a LadySports reporter after the presentation, Savannah 
said, "She can squawk about getting a title shot all she wants, but the fact 
is that I was the first to publicly claim my contractual right to a 
championship match, and so legally I get to face Fox before she does.  And 
if Riley Matthews, or Kasey Fox, or the PGWA doesn't like it, they can 
talk to my lawyers."

Controversy aside, LadySports congratulates Savannah Fox on being the 
2023 Rookie of the Year!

1994-Molly McShane
1995-Regina Hale
1996-Joanie Lauer/Lee (AKA Chyna)
1997-Brandi "Babydoll" Collins
1998-Strawberry Fields
1999-Sweet Destiny (AKA Little Jeanne)
2000-Amber Holly (AKA Amber O'Neil)
2001-Mia Martinez
2002-Christie Ricci
2003-Venus
RotY award retired

2019-Nikki Victory (RotY award revived)
2020-Elizabeth (AKA Ella)
2021-Kasey Fox
2022-Riley Matthews
2023-Savannah Sweet