The more things change . . History will regard 2022 as one of professional wrestling's most eventful years. There are still so many directions to go with one of wrestlings true greats, so heres to hoping 2023 is yet another year of greatness, much like 2022. Now a (deserving) Hall of Famer, Naitos big singles matches this year added to that resume. (AC), WrestleMania weekend is a dying concept after years of being beaten to death and abused. He defeated Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 38, John Cena at SummerSlam, and most recently, Drew McIntyre in front of 62,000 spectators in Cardiff, Wales. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. 22 of them have an 8+ rating and 10 have a 9+ rating. The one spot reserved exclusively for an indie talent belongs to someone who earned a place outright. 2022 was yet another excellent year from one of pro wrestlings best. (RK), Vikingo became the AAA Mega Champion in 2021 because AAA had no real alternatives, and spent 2022 proving he was the best option. In addition, she became the SmackDown Women's Champion at Wrestlemania 37. (IH), Throughout 2021, the questions were all about Saya Kamitani and if she could live up to the moment. (SE), In a promotion largely dominated by much older wrestlers and mostly devoid of larger-than-life characters, Kenoh stands out in Pro Wrestling NOAH. 6 Rising - Stardom. 9. Moxley dropped the belt to CM Punk at All Out, which will forever be remembered for Punks post-show comments, but that completely overshadowed an incredible match. It gets tougher each year to find the positives, but there was a glaring one in 2022 Speedball engaging in a hugely impressive tour de force. Consistency was given as much weight as ceilings and floors. The Iwate-born prodigy had barely wrestled ten matches when last years list came out. Sadly, he was pretty much on the shelf from June on, wrestling just eight total matches in the second half of the year. 40-31. When smashing one aspect of the wrestling business just isn't enough. He signed and joined the World Wrestling Federation in 1983. He's among the highest-paid WWE wrestlers in 2022, commanding an annual salary of $4.5 million. Dia is everything a babyface should be. Weve reached a point where its probably time we start thinking about whether Sheamus is arguably the best WWE television wrestler of all time. By the end of 2022, he had lapped them and was on the path to possibly becoming an actual junior heavcyweight draw for All Japan. He is a left-handed champion who started his professional career at 15. Ospreay stood alone and was the clear and obvious choice for the best wrestler of 2022. Ivan Yarygin. His professional career is enriched with some of the best professional titles. They are the best to ever do it. Richest WWE Wrestlers in The World 2022. 5. She capped off the year winning the World of Stardom Championship, as she goes into 2022 as the top wrestler in the promotion. 00:00. Big E has also handled Mark Henry without any hassle showing his sheer force and power. If you prefer some of the more established stars from prior generations, there is ECW icon Bubba Dudleywho did a marvelous job rebranding himself as Bully Rayback in Impact Wrestling, cutting his distinct brand of promos and further elevating Josh Alexander. Please log in again. Her matches with Jordynne Grace this year were absurdly compelling, with both using it as a chance to show the world their talent. Travis Bagent is a well-known name in the arm wrestling world. Hopefully that is not the case much longer. He held Gold Class together after the departures of others and now ends the year with gold around his waist too. The sky is the limit. 5. 2022 was good for Giulia, but 2023 will be special for the Donna del Mondo leader. Despy always delivers. Maybe its because her look isnt what STARDOM has been going for lately. Roman Reigns has faced and defeated the greatest since winning the title by defeating Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman. Chances are if you watched Will Ospreay at any point in the year 2022, you saw a great match. Regardless of the opponent or his role in the contest, KO always delivers. She stands out amongst various wrestlers while performing. Top three matches of 2022: Forbidden Door vs. Orange Cassidy; G1 Climax vs. Kazuchika Okada; NJPW Burning Spirit vs. David Finlay. The Briscoes; Dynamite vs. Dax Harwood; Dynamite vs. Will Ospreay. Top three matches of 2021: SmackDown vs. Roman Reigns; Dynamite "Grand Slam" vs. Kenny Omega; Dynamite "Winter is Coming" vs. "Hangman" Adam Page. Was consistently the best in-ring amongst AEWs Womens division, and for all the talk of others having the star power its Hayter who truly comes across like a star in an organic and meaningful way. Masha Slamovich. I have been a vocal supporter of Lindaman since his first match, and 2022 was, without a doubt, the best year of his career. (GDT). On a roster where the margin for error is so slim, Diamante represents the perfection that Dragongate preaches to their talent. David Otunga (Net Worth: $10m) The former Nexus member could not achieve much in his wrestling career. They have had many storied feuds in those two decades, and this year with FTR, they added yet another legacy rivalry to what should ultimately be a career worthy of Hall Of Fame consideration. His series of matches with MJFculminating in an excellent Dog Collar Match at AEW Revolutionhighlighted Punks 2022. (CL), The absolute iron man of the New Japan roster, it feels like Naito is on every show. He is popularly known as The Beast Incarnate and was majorly marketed for his intimidating physique and ability to be dramatic. The professional wrestler made his debut in 2000 and is among the best-known WWE stars. Braun Strowman - $1.2 million WWE . Open The Voice Gate - Looking ahead to Champion Gate, Rey de Parejas and More! Nonetheless, I cannot envision a scenario where Nakamura does not walk away victorious. Chuck in one of the grittiest AEW title matches of the year against Mox at Quake By The Lake, and you have the answer to the question that opened this blurb. Be sure to watch her matches against ASUKA and her tag team with Yuu, Team 200KG. Matches with Risa Sera, Utami Hayashishita, and both bouts with Giulia highlight what everyone should watch if they havent been watching. Sadly, he rarely, if ever, is. His best work was alongside Diamante on July 31st against Jacky Funky Kamei and Jason Lee, but he also racked up a number of great singles matches against the likes of Kzy and Dragon Lee. 22 of them have an 8+ rating and 10 have a 9+ rating. Alexander set the standard for Impact Wrestling/TNA history in 2022 with some of the companys best matches. Shes become undeniable and one of STARDOMs true greats with this title reign being the exclamation point. He brings significant in-ring value, and he is an athletic marvel that has no limitations in between the ropes. John "JayHey" Heynoski WWE. His dominant Olympic performance and legendary last-second takedown finish in the gold-medal match solidified Steveson's position as the most exciting collegiate wrestler to watch this upcoming . The Wrestling Observer Newsletter 'Wrestler of the Year' has been revealed and the voting was dominated by three names. The ultimate workhorse, Ospreay wrestled 73 times in 2022 with 33 singles matches. Japan, Canada, and Europe was the bulk of his 2022, but if youre looking for key matches or moments his match against El Lindaman for GLEAT in May and the demonic laugh and headbutt to Fuminori Abe during wXws Ambition stand out, along with a tag bout with Fuminari Abe against Violence is Forever for wXw in October. Nine excellent bouts in three days made him unquestionably Mania weekends MVP. Open the Voice Gate: Looking Ahead to Champion Gate, Rey De Parejas & More! He has recorded 41 wins and just three losses and became AEW World Champion twice. (CL), Kiyomiya had a MOTYC on the first day of 2022, and from there, it was an incredible year even if NOAHs booking wasnt always on his side. (SF), When Jake Lee broke his orbital bone at the end of 2021 and had to vacate the Triple Crown, it was no surprise the company immediately pivoted back to Miyahara. The professional arm-wrestler has very strong muscles and a powerful arm that is enough to make the opponent down in competitions. One of the best bell-to-bell wrestlers in the world in 2021, the bulk of Alexander's work took place in relative obscurity with most of his highlights being in Impact Wrestling, AAW and New Japan Strong. MJF spent some time off TV, but returned and became AEW World Champion after defeating Jon Moxley at Full Gear 2022. Brock Lesnar. Slamovichs matches are a violent sprint. The Leader Of The Hardcore Wrestling Intelligentsia. Discovering new wrestling was always one of the most enjoyable parts of my fandom when I was younger, and too often nowadays, people are closed off to that like its some kind of bad thing. Of those 33 singles matches, 2828!currently have a 7+ rating on Cagematch.net. The Briscoes; Dynamite vs. Dax Harwood; NJPW Royal Quest II vs. Aussie Open. Her rivalry with Suzu Suzuki could become legendary if it is continued. There is an incredible amount to like about this week in wrestling. Their match against Aussie Open at New Japans Royal Quest II was outrageously good. (AC), It could have gone so differently. Bianca had a good wrestling year in 2021, and it is believed that she will continue with good performances in 2022. A Reasoned And Well Explained Man. This was most notably on display at the January 8th co-promoted NOAH/NJPW show, where Kenohs KONGO group took on Los Ingobernables de Japon. At first, he was a heel, but later turned face, . Form is critical on this list. Rubie's Daddy's Li'l Girl Inflatable Adult Costume, As Shown, One Size. Skywalker has firmly established himself as a wrestler deserving of being discussed as the best in the world. (CL), In hindsight, it was oh so obvious. The Best Bout Machine was ranked #1 on the PWI 100 in 2018. (CL). Roman Reigns Tops the PWI 500 List for 2022, Top 20 Wrestlers Revealed. 56 Ricochet Case Lowe: Co-host of Open The Voice Gate, lucharesu historian with a wide-ranging wrestling knowledge that defies his years. He first came to the WWF in 1990 as Ted DiBiase's mystery partner at The Survivor Series (1990). The match will co-main event the show, along with what has the potential to be a superb Kaito Kiyomiya-Kenoh GHC heavyweight championship bout, at Tokyos historic Nippon Budokan venue. Last weeks Dynamite featured a scintillating Jamie Hayter-Hikaru Shida main event, the caliber of match that instantly raised the stature of the AEW womens championship. They include some of the world's best men's and women's wrestlers, organized alphabetically by country with notable accomplishments . 4. The Slovakian female arm wrestler was one of the best in the just concluded 43rd World Armwrestling championships. Michael Hitt 7. Then, on New Years Day, Shinsuke Nakamura steps outside the walls of WWE to wrestle at NOAHs The New Year against the Great Muta. Also whilst stateside he was one of the stars of the U.S. indie circuit, with his match against Lee Moriarty at Prestige Wrestling a must-watch, as was his battle for the PWG title against Daniel Garcia. Intense and full of passion, Slamovich will play a major role in pro wrestling over the coming years. Who else in history has had such a prolifically great year? Scott Edwards: One of the most passionate up-and-coming wrestling writers around. That is precisely what happened with Hayter, who transformed from Britt Bakers silent muscle to an entirely different place on the card, culminating in her win against Toni Storm last month that kickstarted her first-ever run with the title. 55 Darby Allin. Considering hes one of the heartbeats of the promotion its easy to do so. Retaining just the forename still led to the usual name change hand-wringing, but it was a main roster call-up where things could have gone especially badly, particularly with Vince McMahon still in control. It speaks volumes of the past 12 months that 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin coming out of retirement at WrestleMania 38 is, at best, the seventh or eighth most insane thing to happen during this period. 1. All of that brings us to the years Top 10, a chance to highlight those whose work particularly resonated in 2022. 10. Name. mixed martial arts, Belgrade, wrestling, Serbia | 956 views, 24 likes, 3 loves, 3 comments, 13 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from IMMAF - International Mixed Martial Arts Federation: Which submission. Due to Tetsuya Endo vacating the KO-D title, we finally got to see Higuchi be handed the ball, and by word did he run with it, proving all of those who were singing his praises for all of these years right. Hulk Hogan, is one of the greatest wrestlers the world has ever seen. The English pro wrestler born as Zack Sabre Jr, is currently signed to NJPW and one-half of the IWGP Tag Team Champions alongside fellow Suzuki-gun stablemate Taichi. The 2018 World Wrestling Championship will be held in Budapest, Hungary from October 22 - 28. He was a huge part of the critically acclaimed Shunmante vs. Kung-Fu Masters tag, but also crushed it whenever he had a chance to wrestle in a singles capacity. Bianca Belair hoisted the womens division on her shoulders in 2022. Top three matches of 2022: Elimination Chamber match; WrestleMania 38 vs. Becky Lynch; Crown Jewel vs. Bayley. But it took a lot of toil, tears, and blood for her to reach this point, where she is seizing peoples attention on a weekly basis as AEW womens champion. She works best as a heel, and when she is motivated, you can expect a human highlight reel of moves. She is undoubtedly the best powerhouse in all of womens wrestling. Like all forms of entertainment, it is necessary that wrestling follows some sort of script. Check Price on Amazon. Sasha Banks. The goal of the list is to be as well-informed and wide-ranging as possible. Best AEW Women's Match of 2022: Toni Storm vs. Jamie Hayter, Full Gear. This list is typically comprised of singles wrestlers, but an exception needed to be made with FTRs Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood. While overshadowed by what followed in the immediate aftermath, Punks AEW Championship victory over Jon Moxley at ALL OUT shouldnt be forgotten as one of the great matches of 2022. Mandy Rose via Instagram. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. 12 / 20. who wins Wrestler of the Year? Ospreay kicked off his year on January 5 with an incredible Tokyo Dome main event against Kazuchika Okada and rounded out his record-breaking 2022 on the last RevPro show of the year against Tomohiro Ishii. 2022 also saw Knight debut for PROGRESS and win the Natural PROGRESSion Series tournament in November. He is a retired professional wrestler, television star, and actor. Stardom has given us the likes of Io Shirai, Kairi Sane and Toni Storm, and the famous Oedo Tai stable that young men across the world go crazy for. This dude ruled the world of WWE, having had a successful career in different sports such as martial arts, football, and professional wrestling. Your session has expired. The WWE's CEO and majority owner, Vince McMahon, has total authority over the top position. Top three matches of 2022: Royal Rumble vs. Seth Rollins; SummerSlam vs. Brock Lesnar; Crown Jewel vs. Logan Paul. He did everything in the ring youd want for the promotions champion. The manner in which Ospreay took the punishment from Finlay was a sight to behold, and that match will be looked upon fondly as Finlay continues his rise to stardom. All rights reserved. Instead of a litany of matches against the industrys top stars, Hart wrestled a very different roster from what he initially expected. However, with the new regime behind him and a new slimmed-down frame, Gunther produced his typical great in-ring, highlighted by the violent Clash at the Castle win over Sheamus. Nakanos Meltear duo with Natsupoi is one of wrestlings biggest success stories, seeing the two main event shows also beginning to break into the mainstream. 8. Ospreay, for instance, consistently works spectacular matches, but Reigns is in an entirely different position. Vince McMaho. Apr 2, 2022; Arlington, TX, USA; Becky Lynch (black attire) and Bianca Belair (red/black attire) wrestle during the Raw Women's Championship match during WrestleMania at AT&T Stadium. 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