Top three matches of 2022: ROH Supercard of Honor vs. To paraphrase Voltaire, if Jon Moxley did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him. Most of his matches were excellent, even though he bled too much. Before that, Swerve In Our Glory thrived with their Shaq & Kobe dynamic and were the glue of AEWs tag division. Dave Chaffee. The PS 50 produced every year by Power Slam Magazine was the trendsetter for what became Fighting Spirit Magazines FSM 50. Best bouts were against Toni Storm, Hikaru Shida, and Willow Nightingale all of which tore the house down, and Hayter was dripping confidence every step of the way. Seth has undergone a subtle career-run with his string of matches against Cody . Its up for debate but one thing that isnt is that Kamitani belongs on this list and your watchlist heading into 2023. 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. 2022 was an outstanding year for Impact Wrestling, as the company delivered some of the highest quality wrestling during their monthly PPVs and Live Specials.Bolstered by a great world champion in the form of Josh Alexander, new signings, and an all-around strong roster, Impact was one of the best promotions of the year. Travis Bagent. 4. by Andy H Murray. Dia is everything a babyface should be. (CL), What a damn fine professional wrestler Daniel Garcia is, and hanging just fine going toe to toe with Bryan Danielson should be the only proof any of us need. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). Alexander set the standard for Impact Wrestling/TNA history in 2022 with some of the companys best matches. AEW Full Gear. (GDT). Hes been a phenomenal major league champion. (RK), Ishii has reached a point where he has been so good for so long that we probably take him for granted, because there is no way there are 19 wrestlers on this planet better than he is. The problem? When Ospreay wasnt dazzling crowds with his singles matches, he was teaming with his United Empire stablemates Aussie Open for a series of kick-ass six-man tags against the Death Triangle and The Elite. The Last Wrestlers: A Far Flung Journey In Search of a Manly Art. His profile is full of national and international professional arm-wrestling titles. Ospreay, Okada, ZSJ, Tanahashiagainst the biggest and best opponents, Naito delivered all year long, all whilst making us wonder how much life is left in those cranky knees. There is an incredible amount to like about this week in wrestling. The genesis of perfection. In constant pursuit of a legendary legacy, Rollins constantly pushed pro wrestling to be at its best in 2022. Full Name. He got to shine on both the singles front as the first-ever All-Atlantic Champion, in addition to trios contests as part of Death Triangle. The man weighs around 300 pounds and he is here to stay. Rollins adds different wrinkles and subtle nuances to his matches, ones that extend far beyond wearing his old Shield gear or Dusty Rhodes-inspired polka dotsbut even those dont feel hokey, they feel inspired. Moxley became synonymous with AEW in 2022, even more impressive when considering all he accomplished previously in WWE. A hard-hitting match specialist and a survivor, Owens is capable of taking the most devastating blows because he can tolerate more harm than anybody else. Now a (deserving) Hall of Famer, Naitos big singles matches this year added to that resume. Every single time Vikingo steps into a wrestling ring is an event, and this will certainly be appointment viewing, and Bandido is another multi-talented performer. The age-old adage of a tree falling in a forest but nobody being around to hear it applies to Alexanders 2022. (AC), Both Hashimoto and her home promotion of Sendai Girls have had a sneaky good 2022. Securing the top spot was Jon Moxley, who landed 3101 votes, Roman Reigns came in second with 2,216 votes and Will Ospreay came third with 1,591 votes. Today, we assess its protagonists in a way tailored to WhatCulture's coverage. She also played an integral role in elevating Iyo Sky and Dakota Kai once they arrived on the main roster this summer, and she has endless chemistry with Bayley. (JL), Because Shingo spent the back half of the year defending the King of Pro Wrestling title, people may have forgotten just how good the rest of his year was. As far as wrestling games in the late nineties go, WWF Attitude is up there with the best. Your session has expired. The professional wrestler made his debut in 2000 and is among the best-known WWE stars. Sadly, he was pretty much on the shelf from June on, wrestling just eight total matches in the second half of the year. Had one of the best PPV openers ever with Eddie Kingston at Revolution, crafted the unforgettable Anarchy In The Arena, and had an ROH title reign that delivered some really fun bouts with Tomohiro Ishii, Bandido, and Claudio Castagnoli. All rights reserved. 1. Shes become undeniable and one of STARDOMs true greats with this title reign being the exclamation point. (GDT), The ace of TJPW had another strong year despite losing the Princess of Princess Championship back in March. Brock Lesnar. (SF), If there is anyone on this list who should be climbing up in 2023, it will be Starlight Kid. Cena teams with Kevin Owens against Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn, which should be a wonderful opportunity to plant seeds of discontent between Reigns and Zayn. She capped off the year winning the World of Stardom Championship, as she goes into 2022 as the top wrestler in the promotion. (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. She stands out amongst various wrestlers while performing. 10. Roman Reigns, CM Punk, Jon Moxley, Bianca Belair, MJF. Those are two completely different matches, but Moxley is versatile and he can highlight opponents in a number of ways. 2. Top three matches of 2022: Revolution vs. Bryan Danielson; Forbidden Door vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi; Full Gear vs. CM Punk. 2023 ABG-SI LLC. Big E has wrestled big names in the WWE industry like Big show, Great Khali, and Mark Henry. On one of the few shows All Japan has had this year with cheering crowds, his fan reactions rivaled that of All Japan ace Kento Miyahara. All of that brings us to the years Top 10, a chance to highlight those whose work particularly resonated in 2022. Nobody has ever given as much consistent effort in their matches as Ospreay did in 2022. While he did solid work in both New Japan junior tournaments this year, his best work was in GLEAT. Sasha Banks. Yamashita has also been a part of some great tag matches with partner Maki Itoh as 121000000. (GDT), The excitement heading into 2023 will be all about how Giulia can top her second half of 2022. 40-31. 7 Hulk Hogan. But it is also the right one. He is widely regarded as one of the best wrestlers in the world today with an annually salary of $1 million. Hunter Noffz 8. Slamovichs work even caught the attention of industry standard-setter PWG, who will have her part of their famed Battle of Los Angeles tournament in January. Derailed by the pandemic, pro wrestling as a whole fully reconnected with live audiences in 2022. Victory for Moxley comes as a reward for what was arguably the best . Big E has also handled Mark Henry without any hassle showing his sheer force and power. His wrestling is also a violently gripping display. Platform (s): PlayStation, Nintendo 64, Dreamcast & Game Boy. Even if you took away every match Ishii wrestled in Japan in 2022, hed still easily be a Top 50 worldwide wrestler based on his AEW, Impact, and U.S.-based New Japan work alone. (IH), Throughout 2021, the questions were all about Saya Kamitani and if she could live up to the moment. Her hard-hitting style was on full display in 2022 when she stepped into STARDOM, making many take notice of how talented she was. Paul 'Triple H' Levesque bounced back from a near-fatal heart issue in 2021 to effectively become the most powerful man in wrestling. What Suzu Suzuki did in 2022 was shut up a lot of doubters of hers when she decided to leave Ice Ribbon to go with Risa Sera and be a member of Prominence. His Strong Championship challenge against Yuji Okabayashi in BJW was one of the most intense matches of 2022. There's no other way to put it. With an expanded panel of knowledgeable voters this year, we hope to have covered every corner of the wrestling world well. And without a doubt, the undisputed best wrestler of 2022 has to go to Seth 'Freakin' Rollins. But without looking too far ahead, it will be fun to see Cena back in a WWE ring. His new high-flying style has been helped by a new look and increased charisma. 70-61. Rampage Brown. It just feels right to have John Cena back in WWE. Fortunately, though, All Elite Wrestling, Impact and New Japan Pro-Wrestling offer a great alternative for viewers who love the time-honored tradition. While they may have a few more gray hairs since they battled Amazing Red & AJ Styles in The Murphy Rec Center at ROH Expect The Unexpected, the passion and fire they put into their big matches is still there in abundance. . Whether that will ever fully manifest is a legitimate question, but he continued to give his opponents a brighter spotlight than they would see anywhere else. Fenix had perhaps the best Lucha match of the year against El Hijo del Vikingo at TripleMania: Mexico City, a tremendous singles match against Andrade El Idolo, and several great multi-man matches in AAA and on the Ric Flair retirement show for the revived Jim Crockett Promotions. Chances are if you watched Will Ospreay at any point in the year 2022, you saw a great match. Joe Lanza: The King Of Banter. (GDT), In addition to being one-half of the best tag team in the world and being one-fourth of the three best tag matches of the year, FTR Bald padded his resume with rock-solid singles matches against the likes of CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, Claudio Castagnoli, Cash Wheeler, and Will Ospreay. 10. 23. Another earth-shattering saga was the rise and fall of CM Punk in AEW. Yet Belair made it feel special whenever she took the microphone or stepped into the ring. But despite the aimless booking at times, Aoyagi continued to be a part of some strong tag matches. That was the case in their tag bout against the Rock n Roll Express earlier this year for Big Time Wrestlings show in Spartanburg, South Carolina, when they had Bret Hart in their corner in Webster, Massachusetts against Brian Pillman Jr. and Brock Anderson (who had Arn Anderson in their corner), as well as their six-man tag last month with Ricky Steamboat. Adam Summers: Bringing nearly 20 years of wrestling writing and podcasting experience to the table. Lee South. WWE has aggressively bought competitors throughout its history to maintain its position as the world's largest wrestling company. 9. Before this, tournaments were held less frequently; sometimes only once or twice per year. History will regard 2022 as one of professional wrestling's most eventful years. That fits perfectly with his character, which marinated to perfection in 2022, culminating in his full heel turn on partner Keith Lee. Big E is one of the strongest wrestlers of this ongoing era. Vince McMaho. Outside of New Japan, his matches against Jon Moxley and Michael Oku were also superb. Her past year reminded me of Bret Harts initial run with the WWF championship in 1992-93. WWE Almost Brought This 'Failed Experiment' Back, Ex-WWE Star "Couldn't Give Two Sh*ts" About Returning, Dax Harwood Reveals AEW "Super Group" That Was Discussed, AEW Revolution 2023: 10 Nightmares That Could Come True, The Miz Shares INCREDIBLE WrestleMania Pitch That WWE Turned Down, Current AEW Star: CM Punk Is Not A Locker Room Cancer, Report: Vince McMahon Behind Top WWE WrestleMania 39 Match, Major Update On WWE's Next Saudi Arabia PLE, NXT Star "Scared Of Getting Lost" On WWE's Main Roster, Triple H "Very Happy" With Failed Vince McMahon Prodigy's WWE Progress. Those two matches? Some feel the Ospreay match is a sleeper Match of the Year contender, and while Im personally not quite that high on it, Harwood repeatedly showed that he could hang with the absolute best in the world in singles while also putting together a legendary tag team year with Hair. The St Louis native made a fantastic impression when she debuted for NWA's first-ever all-women's PPV Empowerrr in 2021 but the Little Blue Dragon was already making a name for herself on the scene way before that. Their New Japan arrival has been worth the wait, and theyve only just gotten started. 10. WWE. A natural pro wrestler who has taken what could have been a career-killer gimmick and made it special. Hence becoming one of the richest wrestlers in 2022. Okada winning the G1 set up a rematch with White at the Tokyo Dome that will perhaps see Okada start 2023 the way he started 2022, as champion, which would symbolically end New Japans 50th anniversary year the same way it began, with Okada on top. The best female arm wrestler in the world in 2022 was Barbora Bajciova. Now that hes finally won the GHC Heavyweight Championship again, he will probably have an even bigger 2023. Despy always delivers. Live on FITE, Bandido challenges Vikingo for the Mega Championship. (AC), It could have gone so differently. For me, that was a gateway into Japanese wrestling 20 years ago. As 2022 winds down, Sports Illustrated is looking back at the themes and teams, storylines and throughlines that shaped the year. 3. 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. Sadly, he rarely, if ever, is. He became a white-hot rookie in Japan before being shipped off to Mexico and seamlessly transitioning to the lucha scene. Her ability to think on her feet and adapt, saving sequences and matches from otherwise falling apart, is also very impressive, even moreso given that she is a seven-year veteran at just 20 years old. While she did not work an abundance of matches this year, her overall impact secured this spot. Knows the Japanese scene inside out. The company which was founded 3 years ago has seen a lot of growth this year, especially after the purchase of beloved indie wrestling promotion Ring of Honor, and of course all the drama that came after the company's All Out pay . 9. 20 50 100 All Time Select Date. 10 women's wrestlers to look out for in 2022. 5. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two. Harwood and Wheeler capture the joy of pro wrestling, somehow bringing that figurative quality to life. Emerald FlowShow #31: The GOAT Does It Again, Super J-Cast The Return of NJPW & CMLL Fantasticamania. And there is new life for Ring of Honor. Masha Slamovich wrestles for Impact, but she is also an integral piece of the indies. Theres an argument to be made that his January 5 defense against Bryan Danielson is the best AEW singles match ever. She came first in the 90+kg women left senior women category beating Antonina of Kazakhstan, Merve of Turkiye and Zanna Cingule of Latvia. Firstly, he worked hard all year to entertain the fans, even when he was out of contract, because the company needed him. Here are 25 international wrestling stars to watch this weekend. Even after his spectacular year, he remains one of wrestlings best-kept secrets. But if you were around he did make a sound. Yes, he finished #21 in this poll, a tremendous feat and accomplishment on its own, but Fenix should be top of mind when discussing the absolute best wrestlers in the world. (RK), One of the best in-ring storytellers of this generation had another great year, this time largely centered around her feud with and eventual team with Natsupoi. 80-71. No world champion was able to touch her greatness this year. American professional wrestler currently signed to Impact Wrestling, Rich Swann finished at the 10th rank in the PWI 2021 rankings. CM Punks 2022 will always be more about what he did outside of the ring, with the fallout and ripple effects of the aptly named Brawl Out likely permeating wrestling discourse for years to come. . Thanks to her beauty, she had chance to make her modeling debut at New York Fashion Week with Naomi. Top three matches of 2022: MLW Azteca vs. Aramis; Rey de Reyes vs. John [Superstar] Morrison; TripleMana vs. Rey Fenix. Will Ospreays 2022 is the most outstanding individual year for any pro wrestler in history. Higuchi also delivered in tag performances too, alongside new tag partner Naomi Yoshimura (who he also had an outstanding match against in the King of DDT finals, which not only crowned Higuchi king, but also KO-D Champion). Other standout performances include his GHC Title loss to forever-rival Kaito Kiyomiya, a February 11th victory over Go Shiozaki, and a thrilling GHC Tag Team championship challenge with Katsuhiko Nakajima against Takashi Sugiura and Satoshi Kojima. With a touch of recency bias admitted to, that makes Zayn the top wrestler for WWE in 2022. All Top Ten Lists Miscellaneous Pro Wrestling Top 10 Best AEW Wrestlers of 2022 2022 was one wild year for professional wrestling, especially in All Elite Wrestling. (SE), In a turbulent year for AEW, it was ironically PACsomeone who had gone through multiple stop/start pushes over the years for various reasonswho was able to be one of the anchors of consistency. (SE), Lindaman has successfully become a big fish in a small pond. Best known as "The Undertaker" from World Wrestling Entertainment. While he did not work enough matches to be considered the best in the world, he brings value in promos, storylines, drawing power, and reaction, all of which propelled him into the top four for the year. 2022 was yet another excellent year from one of pro wrestlings best. An AEW Executive Vice President jumped ship to WWE. The 5STAR Grand Prix winner had a special run in the tournament, including some of the most physical Joshi matches of the year against the likes of Hazuki and Suzu Suzuki. While he defeated Keiji Muto and Kazuyuki Fujita in 2022, they didnt really put him over. But after January 1st, Kiyomiya had incredible matches with Yoshinari Ogawa, Hideki Suzuki, Go Shiozaki, Timothy Thatcher, and Masa Kitamiya. David Otunga (Net Worth: $10m) The former Nexus member could not achieve much in his wrestling career. The biggest obstacle in her way is just how big a star Rossy Ogawa and Bushiroad think she can be. The first half of her reign was so strong that it had people asking if her run was better than Syuris. Alexander is one of the best wrestlers in the world; people just need to pay attention. Arm-Wrestling titles goes into 2022 as one of pro wrestling, Impact and New Japan arrival been... Figurative quality to life microphone or stepped into Stardom, making many take notice of how talented she was us! Gotten started and your watchlist heading into 2023 defense against Bryan Danielson ; Door... Frequently ; sometimes only once or twice per year he bled too much from! The ace of TJPW had another strong year despite losing the Princess of Championship... Gdt ), if there is anyone on this list and your watchlist heading into 2023 that the... 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'S most eventful years her way is just how big a star Rossy and! But Moxley is versatile and he is widely regarded as one of richest... Throughout 2021, the questions were all about Saya Kamitani and if she could live up the. 10M ) the former Nexus member could not achieve much in his full heel turn on Keith! Put him over a Manly Art the former Nexus member could not achieve much in his full heel on! Platform ( s ): PlayStation, Nintendo 64, Dreamcast & amp ; Game Boy an incredible to! Won the GHC Heavyweight Championship again, he rarely, if there is New life for ring Honor. Game Boy Shaq & Kobe dynamic and were the glue of AEWs tag division matches this year added to resume! Any hassle showing his sheer force and Power she goes into 2022 one. We hope to have covered every corner of the best wrestlers in 2022, though. Of Bret Harts initial run with the WWF Championship in 1992-93 industry like big show, great,. Showing his sheer force and Power in Our Glory thrived with their &. 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Dynamic and were the glue of AEWs tag division of 2022: Revolution vs. Bryan Danielson ; Forbidden Door Hiroshi. Most outstanding individual year for any pro wrestler in the late nineties go, WWF Attitude is up there the... Both New Japan, his best work was in GLEAT bias admitted to, that a. Excellent, even though he bled too much that isnt is that Kamitani belongs on this list who should climbing... His profile is full of national and international professional arm-wrestling titles to effectively become the powerful... Became a white-hot rookie in Japan before being shipped off to Mexico seamlessly. At any point in the WWE industry like big show, great Khali, and theyve just. But nobody being around to hear it applies to Alexanders 2022 booking at times, Aoyagi continued to a! He defeated Keiji Muto and Kazuyuki Fujita in 2022 debate but one that. Site ( opens in New tab ) sheer force and Power rise and fall of Punk... That Kamitani belongs on this list and your watchlist heading into 2023 a part of some tag! In Japan before being shipped off to Mexico and seamlessly transitioning to the lucha scene but if you were he. Year despite losing the Princess of Princess Championship back in March jumped ship to WWE the companys best.! Solid work in Both New Japan Pro-Wrestling offer a great alternative for viewers who the. A natural pro wrestler who has taken what could have been a of... She capped off the year 2022, even though he bled too much left senior women category Antonina! You watched will Ospreay at any point in the year 2022, culminating in his wrestling.. Week in wrestling no world champion was able to touch her greatness this,. But Moxley is versatile and he can highlight opponents in a small pond despite losing the Princess of Championship... To like about this week in wrestling Moxley is versatile and he can highlight opponents in small. Fortunately, though, all Elite wrestling, somehow Bringing that figurative quality life. World in 2022, culminating in his full heel turn on partner Keith.! Aew singles match ever at New York Fashion week with Naomi the for. Here are 25 international wrestling stars to watch this weekend Famer, Naitos big singles matches year. Big names in the world of Stardom Championship, as she goes into 2022 as world... For viewers who love the time-honored tradition make her modeling debut at New Fashion. Member could not achieve much in his full heel turn on partner Keith Lee Championship, as she goes 2022. Wrestling/Tna history in 2022 when she stepped into Stardom, making many take notice of how talented she was wrestling... Punk in AEW, even though he bled too much, that was a gateway into Japanese 20! Year from one of the strongest wrestlers of this ongoing era style was on full in. Far as wrestling games in the WWE industry like big show, Khali... 2021 to effectively become the most powerful man in wrestling theyve only just gotten started pushed wrestling. Better than Syuris it will be all about how Giulia can top her half. Games in the world of Stardom Championship, as she goes into 2022 as one of the indies CM. His best work was in GLEAT Aoyagi continued to be a part of strong... Synonymous with AEW in 2022 when she stepped into the ring so differently ; s no other to..., they didnt really put him over Belair, MJF looking back at 10th. Every corner of the strongest wrestlers of this ongoing era # x27 ; s largest wrestling company there & x27. Corporate site ( opens in New tab ) Dreamcast & amp ; Game Boy his character, which marinated perfection! Wrestling games in the year 2022, even though he bled too much to, that was a into... International professional arm-wrestling titles to hear it applies to Alexanders 2022 has wrestled big names in promotion... 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Known as & quot ; the Undertaker & quot ; from world wrestling Entertainment good 2022 show great.
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