Hes been a phenomenal major league champion. He did everything in the ring youd want for the promotions champion. Most of his matches were excellent, even though he bled too much. And it has brought a lot of great wrestling. There is an incredible amount to like about this week in wrestling. (SE), Quite possibly the most confident and self-assured wrestler in the world, and with good reason. Denis Cyplenkov. Zayn, of course, would make perfect sense for a partner, and that would be an emotionally-charged match. The breakout star of the year, Jamie Hayter feels like an overnight sensation in AEW. Seth has undergone a subtle career-run with his string of matches against Cody . As the inaugural G-REX Champion, Lindaman has racked up tremendous matches against his Stronghearts partners Shigehiro Irie and T-Hawk, as well as the likes of DOUKI, Tetsuya Izuchi, and Takanori Ito. Solely because of the nature of the business, which is constantly moving on to the next match and next show, Moxley does not receive nearly enough credit for the way he helped set up MJF to succeed as champ. The best thing about Moxleys in-ring performance from the moment he steps through the curtain is how uncompromising he is with his character. (JL), Is it out of the question to say that 52-year-old Chris Jericho just had the best in-ring year of his career? (AC), Last year as Dragongates top champion, Shun Skywalker finished 11 in our poll. Sitting next to his billionaire boss, CM Punk burned the entire world down. The Most Compelling Voice In Wrestling Media. Chad is full of talents and he has the support of fans behind the scenes. Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. This would not be happening if Vince McMahon were still overseeing the WWE product, but the modus operandi has changed under the leadership of Paul Triple H Levesque. But he did make use of it to push himself into Hollywood. World Cup MBTI K-Pop LOL Influencer Food Anime Sports Gaming Crypto Entertainment Music Movies NSFW Leaderboards . He restored honor to a vacant world title on two separate occasions, beginning with a classic against Hiroshi Tanahashi at Forbidden Door in June. (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. Case Lowe: Co-host of Open The Voice Gate, lucharesu historian with a wide-ranging wrestling knowledge that defies his years. 70-61. 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. His animalistic side came out in full at Anarchy In The Arena, but we saw his technical prowess throughout the year also most notably against Daniel Garcia and Matt Sydal. Joe keeps his tabs on everything and often provides a balanced voice to our rankings. Strickland is great, and he wrestles like a guy who knows it. Chances are if you watched Will Ospreay at any point in the year 2022, you saw a great match. Her haters are now in the mud. Who else in history has had such a prolifically great year? The United States of America, Iran, Turkey, Hungary, and Sweden have also have made it to the top ten bagging 237, 172, 172, 123 and 116 medals respectively. His wrestling is also a violently gripping display. Regardless of the opponent or his role in the contest, KO always delivers. While she is far from the most athletic wrestler in STARDOM, her ability to both draw fans into what she is doing and draw something more emotional out of her opponents is unique in the current scene. At first, he was a heel, but later turned face, . 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). There is a certain mystique about Vikingo. Alexanders November match with Mike Bailey went nearly 60 minutes and was one of the best television matches of the year. (JL), Youd be forgiven for forgetting that the diminutive mascot is only a year into his Dragongate career. After Punk was no longer part of AEW, Moxley won the belt back again, setting up MJF for his chance to be atop the company. With 47 matches under his belt for AEW in 2022, Mox was one of the promotions hardest workers. This dude ruled the world of WWE, having had a successful career in different sports such as martial arts, football, and professional wrestling. 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. This is a list of records held by wrestlers of professional sumo.Only performances in official tournaments or honbasho are included here. 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. His new high-flying style has been helped by a new look and increased charisma. This list is based on a wrestlers work in the ring, the attention their work generated, and overall impact. (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. A couple examples of his best work from throughout the year are the Wheeler Yuta match on Rampage and the Windy City Riot match against Will Ospreay. Platform (s): PlayStation, Nintendo 64, Dreamcast & Game Boy. 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. Date of Birth. Since his release from WWE developmental in 2011, he has been a consistent name in the UK wrestling scene. . Best known as "The Undertaker" from World Wrestling Entertainment. The WWE's CEO and majority owner, Vince McMahon, has total authority over the top position. Expect him to be a name on this list every year going forward. Dont let her underwhelming match with Thunder Rosa in AEW deter you from seeking out her other stuff if youve never seen her before. Nobody has ever given as much consistent effort in their matches as Ospreay did in 2022. Names like Sasha Banks, Kenny Omega, Becky Lynch, and AJ Styles, all of whom are amongst this generation's finest, didn't make the cut, despite their highs. Her year in 2022 was one of the best in the industry. That's why it is considered that it is high time to strike while the iron is hot. This list is typically comprised of singles wrestlers, but an exception needed to be made with FTRs Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood. All of that brings us to the years Top 10, a chance to highlight those whose work particularly resonated in 2022. Japans still not the same, but as youll see from the list, many wrestlers were able to rise above the less-than-ideal situation over there. (JL), 2022 marks a big change to the FSM 50 as its the first year without The Ace. 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. A natural pro wrestler who has taken what could have been a career-killer gimmick and made it special. 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. 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. Dax Harwood plays a vital role in FTR, but his singles work is also solid. Brock Lesnar. The first half of her reign was so strong that it had people asking if her run was better than Syuris. Born on March 24, 1965. (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. 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. Ospreay will continue to be tested on the mic in the coming year, but there is absolutely no doubt about his performance in the ring. Together, they make magic. Nine excellent bouts in three days made him unquestionably Mania weekends MVP. His time in AEW has elevated his profile and toolbox massively, proving he can deliver in long main event epics back home as a main eventer in DDT or in 10-minute edge-of-the-seat U.S. TV sprints. With apologies to The Usos, who are phenomenally talented, FTR was the single most important tag team in 2022. 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. One of Impacts finest, and someone who has given indy promotions across the country their best bouts of the year. Top three matches of 2022: MLW Azteca vs. Aramis; Rey de Reyes vs. John [Superstar] Morrison; TripleMana vs. Rey Fenix. But if you were not aware of the backstage altercations, they didnt matter when Moxley was in the ring. David Daniel Otunga. (AC), Jay & Mark have now been having genuinely great tag team matches for 20 years. Jon Moxley was the best AEW wrestler of 2022 for several reasons. More than that, Ospreay accomplished this against a variety of opponents spread across several companies and countries. He became a white-hot rookie in Japan before being shipped off to Mexico and seamlessly transitioning to the lucha scene. Joe Gagne: Wrestling podcast OG and trivia master! The Last Wrestlers: A Far Flung Journey In Search of a Manly Art. Tag team wrestling across the globe had a banner year in 2022, but no team . Be sure to watch her matches against ASUKA and her tag team with Yuu, Team 200KG. Dylan Burns 5. Best known as "The Undertaker" from World Wrestling Entertainment. 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. 11 / 20. Hopefully that is not the case much longer. Top three matches of 2022: ROH Supercard of Honor vs. 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. Wheeler is often overshadowed by Harwood, but he is a vital part of FTR. (SE), Followed up his MOTYC with Hangman Page by engaging in a nasty feud with Jon Moxley before the pair came together under the stewardship of William Regal. Instead of a litany of matches against the industrys top stars, Hart wrestled a very different roster from what he initially expected. Pro Wrestling Illustrated - November 2022 Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 2022 Whether you watched Harwood on screen or bought a ticket to see him in person, he added value every time he took the stage. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter 'Wrestler of the Year' has been revealed and the voting was dominated by three names. 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. Form is critical on this list. Also, Dwayne Johnson is an actor who is ranked by Forbes in the list of the highest-paid actors in 2022. While he did solid work in both New Japan junior tournaments this year, his best work was in GLEAT. They are the best to ever do it. 23. She works best as a heel, and when she is motivated, you can expect a human highlight reel of moves. (RK), The breakout star of the year for CMLL had a great summer run capped off by a thrilling mask vs mask match victory over Stuka Jr, which was one of the must-watch matches of 2022. This statement contains no hyperbole or exaggeration; you will not find any wrestler in history with the vast catalog of great matches that Ospreay produced in 2022. An AEW Executive Vice President jumped ship to WWE. MJF spent some time off TV, but returned and became AEW World Champion after defeating Jon Moxley at Full Gear 2022. Her skills, performance, and her attitude are pure beauty. She capped off the year winning the World of Stardom Championship, as she goes into 2022 as the top wrestler in the promotion. Top 10 Wealthiest/Richest Wrestlers And Their Networth In The World. Braun Strowman - $1.2 million WWE . The Best Bout Machine was ranked #1 on the PWI 100 in 2018. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. 5. Roman Reigns Tops the PWI 500 List for 2022, Top 20 Wrestlers Revealed. The problem? Rich Kraetsch: Co-host of the long-running Flagship Podcast on Voices of Wrestling, editor of VoicesofWrestling.com and one-half of FlagshipPatreon.com. Owens has worked the majority of his house show matches over the last month, and a tag team title bout against The Usos at WrestleMania 39 would make a lot of sense. (RK), Vikingo became the AAA Mega Champion in 2021 because AAA had no real alternatives, and spent 2022 proving he was the best option. John Smith. Every time Vikingo wrestles is a roller coaster of emotions. 10. Add in her Catch The Wave and Regina Di Wave Championship win, and youll understand how this is only the beginning for her on this and many other future lists. Below are biographies of the final 10 wrestlers in the countdown with information about their careers and why they made the list. All told, an impressive resume in the United States alone before even mentioning his match-of-the-year contender in his home promotion DDT against Kazusada Higuchi. Chris Jericho is a Canadian-American professional wrestler and musician who is best known for his appearances in WWE between 1999 and 2018. Rampage Brown. Outside of AEWs walls, running the BOLA bracket in impressive fashion before winning the PWG title from Bandido, and then delivering great defenses against the likes of Konosuke Takeshita, shows this is just the start for Daniel Garcia, and Ive no doubt well see him jump up many places on this list in 2023. 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. Nonetheless, I cannot envision a scenario where Nakamura does not walk away victorious. Your session has expired. He first came to the WWF in 1990 as Ted DiBiase's mystery partner at The Survivor Series (1990). Beating Shingo for the IWGP World title on the first night of WrestleKingdom suggested thatd be the case, while incredible defenses over Will Ospreay, Zack Sabre Jr., and perennial rival Tetsuya Naito teased us into thinking that itd be a straightforward year of Okada dominanceuntil Jay White shockingly dethroned him at Dominion. (IH), Another year where Mayu Iwatani deserves her flowers. With an expanded panel of knowledgeable voters this year, we hope to have covered every corner of the wrestling world well. This was similar for Belair, who dealt with a roster that for parts of the year was missing Sasha Banks, Charlotte Flair, Bayley, Becky Lynch, Naomi, and Alexa Bliss. Masha Slamovich wrestles for Impact, but she is also an integral piece of the indies. The smoothest high-flier in history, Fenixs effortless gliding and maneuvering through the air makes the otherwise impossible look routine. He is a retired professional wrestler, television star, and actor. Since 1958 six honbasho have been held every year, giving wrestlers from the modern era more opportunities to accumulate championships and wins. 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. Being honest, he has every right to be in there, and weve done him dirty, no question. Done him dirty, no question, lucharesu historian with a wide-ranging wrestling knowledge that defies his.. 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