2009 Austin Lane Highlight Awards

Even though we are all egotistical...I left myself and Nikki off of these.  And they are my opinion and only my opinion.  I am also putting more than one winner on most. I feel that there is more than one winner.  Also if you aren't on here, I probaly just didn't see enough of you over the year.

Wrestler Of The Year-Derrick King and Alan Steele

MVP Performer-Pokerface, Eric Wayne, and Stan Lee

Horizon-Dustin Starr, Jon Michael, and Eric Wayne

Tag Team Of The Year-Natural Born Playas, Picture Perfect, and CM2

MVP Tag Team-Midnight Gold, Dynasty, and Asylum

Female Performer-Jazz and Tasha Simone

Manager Of The Year-Hollywood Jimmy and Brian Thompson

Most Underrated-Justin Smart, Tommy Wayne, and Shawn Reed

Most Underrated Tag Team-LSD and SNS

Best BIG Man-Kid Nickels and Idol Bane

Best High Flyer-Ray Ray and Kid Krazzy

Rookie Of The Year-JD Kerry

Promotion Of The Year-NEW and NBW

Drawing Show Of The Year-ASWF Family Fun  Fest

Best Show Of The Year-NEW Annivesary Show

Booker Of The Year-NEW Committee, Rodney Mack, and IWA Committee

Gimmick Of The Year-Baron Malkovain and Precious

Match Of The Year-Tatu Vs. Baron Malkovain

Most Entertaining Mic Skills-Kevin Charles

Most Charisma-Matt Justice

Referee Of The Year-Downtown Bruno and Chuck Poe

Commish Of The Year-Reno Diamond

Comeback Of The Year-Jason Reed

Best Wrestling Owner-Jeremy Moore

Hardcore Wrestler-Motley Cruz and Psycho

Hardcore Tag Team-Devil Rejects and Asylum

 Let me start off by saying that even though I write a wrestling column, this is not a column about wrestling.  This is a column about life.  This is my heart given to you via this media.  So I hope you enjoy this and take it for what it is.  This is my story.  My trials and tribulations leading to the biggest moment of my life.  Or so I thought.

My name is Bryan Underwood.  However to millions of people around the world, I am Austin Lane.  I am a professional wrestler.  Along with that I am a father, husband, son, grandson, brother, and so on and so forth.  For every professional wrestler the dream and goal is the same.  The goal is to work for the "Grandest Stage of Them All," the World Wrestling Entertainment or WWE.  Every one of us who laces up our boots and put our bodies through the punishment that we do dream of stepping out in front of millions on Monday Night Raw.  Monday Night Raw is the flagship program for the WWE and the longest running program in the history of television.  I have wrestled for ten years waiting for that moment to reach the "promised land."  On Tuesday, September 15, 2009 I recieved that phone call.  It was Kristen from Talent Relations of the WWE.  She called to book me for the next Monday night in Little Rock, AR and Tuesday night in Tulsa, OK.  This was it.  I was going to the WWE.  Monday Night Raw.  In Little Rock, AR at that.  This made me think of my long road that got me to where I am at.

I remember ten years ago when I stepped into the ring for the first time.  I wrestled a guy named Gene Tracy who beat the crap out of me.  A few months later I worked my first television program for Rampage wrestling.  I remember long road trips with Mike Austin and Gary Diamond.  They always played tricks on the new guy.  The new guy was me.  My mom and dad said I was crazy for wrestling.  They said I would never make it.  Then they saw me wrestle for the first time and realized how much I loved it and have supported me ever since.  In 2000 I wrestled in Batesville, AR and broke my arm in several places and almost gave it up.  There is also where I met my wife Nikki.  I remember her not even knowing my real name until we had dated for a month.  My first big break came a few years later.  I was "given the ball" for a tv program called DCW and I ran with it.  Now this opened the door for people becoming jealous of me and saying that I was egotistical.  I was too young to be given this type of exposure.  I wasn't worthy.  This is what I heard week in and week out.  I never let it get me down though.  I remember weekend long trips with Deadly Dale.  I remember getting home on Sunday, knowing we were broke, and Nikki never saying anything.  During this time I had the first of my two beautiful daughters.  Though I was getting tons of exposure, I still never made a bleep on the WWE radar.  Years passed.  I recieved numerous awards and was considered by many to be one of the if not the best performer in the entire mid south.  I remember wrestling in front of the fans in my hometown for the first time and the response that they gave me.  I still cherish the many times after my matches when the fans would chant... Thank You Austin!  Over the years I found out exactly how many people's lives I touched.  I grew as a wrestler.  I remember watching Alan Steele and Dustin Starr wrestle each other in Millington, TN and being at awe of the talent and crispness that the two showed.  Lately I have been able to call Dustin a friend.  He would be here with me for WWE Raw.  Alan is a guy that I have always respected.  As smart as he was about wrestling and the business, he was ten times smarter about life.  To this day Alan has effected me both inside the ring and out.  Another couple that really taught me alot was Motley Cruz and Tasha Simone.  They taught me the business aspect.  Brandon Baxter taught me more about wrestling than he will ever know.  I can say that he is an awsome friend and person.  Then came two of my absolute best friends in this business.  Jerry Lynn and Justin Smart brought back the love for wrestling to me in a time where I was ready to give up.  For that I am truely thankful.  Rodney Mack and Jazz reached out and challenged me to become a better technician.  And I hope I have made them proud.  From the local guys like X Kaliber, Jamie Jay, Ray Ray, Scott Fury, Tommy Wayne, and countless others to the worldwide superstars I have made some of the greatest friends I could have ever wished for.  Then recently guys like Derrick King, Pokerface, and Tejano really told me to step up or shut up.  My publicist Lily got my name out there.  They gave me the drive to go for that "promise land."  I wrestled the Steiner Brothers in front of thousands and Jimmy Hart told me that I have that "it" factor.  I then started wrestling for New Experience Wrestling and New Blood Wrestling and had to step up my game.  Ken Wayne and Jason Reed both showed me that I had what it took.  Yet still no call.  Then out of nowhere the call came.  I still remember how fast my heart was racing.  I couldn't catch my breath.  So here I am.

It's showtime!  Here I am standing with Cedric The Entertainer and the rest of the WWE talent roster.  They are counting down now.  I was seconds away from being on the longest running tv program in history.  The "Grandest Stage of Them All."  The WWE.  The dream.  The "PROMISE LAND."  At that moment I thought about everything.  My dad was always my hero.  My mom was my best friend growing up.  My grandma for always making me feel special.  My granny for introducing me to wrestling and always being there.  The Newport Independant for giving me the exposure that I am so grateful for.  My friends, fans, and family always supporting me no matter how dumb I look,  My wife for being the greatest friend and mate anyone could ask for.  Magan and Destiny for showing me what love truely is.  They were all there for the ride.  From day one each and every one has stood by my side through all of the ups and downs.  I can see all of there faces smiling and cheering me on.  Here it comes.... the greatest moment in my life.... the exact second that I reach the "Promise Land."  But WAIT... it just hit me like a ton of bricks... I was already there.  All this time I was chasing a dream.  But I never realized that I was living it.  I already reached my "Promise Land."  My "Promise Land" wasn't wrestling for the WWE.  It was my wife and kids.  It was my friends and family.  It was inside of me the whole time.  Here I was on the greatest stage in wrestling, and I have been on the greatest stage in life.  Everyone that I have met over the last ten years have touched me so much and loved and cared for me so much that THEY are my WWE.  A tear rolled down my cheek after our segment on RAW.  And the best part is that you all were here for the ride.  It wasn't about the destination.  It was the journey to get there that means the most.  I realized what was most important in life to me.  You. 

Now don't get me wrong.  If WWE offered me a contract, I would jump on it in a heartbeat.  It is still what every inspiring wrestler shoots for.  I just realized that whether I get offered or not, I doesn't measure the amount of success that I have had.  The people that stood by me through all of this measure my success.  And I feel like the most successful wrestler of all time.  So I hope you have enjoyed this ride as much as I have.  Nobody knows the future.  I may be a WWE superstar, TNA superstar, or ROH superstar.  All I know is I have had a pretty good past so far, and you are the number one reason.  So I say to you all... THANK YOU.

Until next time...thank you for your time.  I will go in detail about lots of subjects.  If you have any questions you want me to address or anything you want me to comment on...email me.  Until then...be true to yourself and always BELIEVE THE HYPE!