55 Darby Allin. Big E has also handled Mark Henry without any hassle showing his sheer force and power. His All-Atlantic title win in a Dynamite main event was a really cool moment in AEWs year. 2023 is shaping up to be his biggest year since 2019. (RK), Vikingo became the AAA Mega Champion in 2021 because AAA had no real alternatives, and spent 2022 proving he was the best option. The problem? (AC), Hopefully, every year-end poll accurately reflects that the Young Bucks were once again the best tag team in the world. Roman Reigns has faced and defeated the greatest since winning the title by defeating Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman. The Rey Mysterio-Dom Mysterio holiday videos are phenomenal. Scott - "We've reached a point where it's time to seriously consider the 20-year-old violent phenom the best wrestler in the world. Not only did he have great matches against Rising HAYATO, Minoru Tanaka, and Hikaru Sato, but thanks to his presence, junior heavyweight tags in All Japans midcard are becoming must-watch. In addition to that sublime set of matches, his promos and evolved character work brought him to a whole new level of greatness. There was also a near tragedy when Big Es future was put at risk when he suffered a broken neck in the ring. Many were concerned that theyd put the title right back on Endo once he returned, but the company has stuck with Higuchi, and we all have reaped the rewards. 3. 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. The one spot reserved exclusively for . AEW Full Gear. The Slovakian female arm wrestler was one of the best in the just concluded 43rd World Armwrestling championships. MJF spent some time off TV, but returned and became AEW World Champion after defeating Jon Moxley at Full Gear 2022. Masha Slamovich. Ian Hamilton: Writer for 411Mania and BackBodyDrop.com and an expert in European wrestling to complement a well-rounded knowledge of the wrestling world. Once the company pulls the trigger on Reigns' betrayal of Sami, Zayn will be the most white-hot face in the business, bar none. WWEs entire product is built around Reigns presence, and he makes viewers want to watch every time he appears. Her year in 2022 was one of the best in the industry. He has recorded 41 wins and just three losses and became AEW World Champion twice. Travis Bagent. 70-61. Seth Rollins. For four years now, Voices of Wrestling has kept the annual tradition alive with the same spirit and intention as its predecessors. The sky is the limit. Rhodes was revealed to be the mystery opponent for Seth Rollins and defeated Rollins with Cross Rhodes in front of more than 70,000 fans inside AT&T Stadium. 1. Gary Goodridge. Open The Voice Gate - Looking ahead to Champion Gate, Rey de Parejas and More! Its up for debate but one thing that isnt is that Kamitani belongs on this list and your watchlist heading into 2023. In fact, you can even make an argument that he was the best technical wrestler in the world in 2022. It is the 31st annual issue. 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. The Most Compelling Voice In Wrestling Media. (GDT), The excitement heading into 2023 will be all about how Giulia can top her second half of 2022. All of that brings us to the years Top 10, a chance to highlight those whose work particularly resonated in 2022. 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. He wrestled Claudio Castagnoli for the ROH title, his clash against Wheeler in the Owen Hart Foundation tournament last spring was the match of the night that evennig on Dynamite, and there was also a superb encounter with Will Ospreay. 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. Moxley carried AEW amid a tumultuous year. 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. Yoshioka won the tag titles, then King of Gate, then immediately erased any long-term business concerns when he won the Open The Dream Gate belt and proudly took his place at the top of the card. Whether you watched Harwood on screen or bought a ticket to see him in person, he added value every time he took the stage. Writer/Editor of the Three Count Fall newsletter. The Leader Of The Hardcore Wrestling Intelligentsia. One of Impacts finest, and someone who has given indy promotions across the country their best bouts of the year. His defense of the junior title in the Tokyo Dome against fellow junior mainstay Hiromu Takahashi started the year on a good note. The professional arm-wrestler has very strong muscles and a powerful arm that is enough to make the opponent down in competitions. (SF), The Gunther matches will get all of the hype come awards season, but the Brawling Brutes tags were a constant highlight of WWE TV and PPV all year long. Though this appeared destined to go seven as soon as the dates and stipulations of all the matches were announced, it has been fun watching it all unfold. Top three matches of 2022: ROH Supercard of Honor vs. Joe keeps his tabs on everything and often provides a balanced voice to our rankings. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). Ospreay looked like a star, which he undoubtedly is, and he also made Finlay look like a beast (which he is). Best known as "The Undertaker" from World Wrestling Entertainment. That fits perfectly with his character, which marinated to perfection in 2022, culminating in his full heel turn on partner Keith Lee. And it has brought a lot of great wrestling. This is a list of records held by wrestlers of professional sumo.Only performances in official tournaments or honbasho are included here. (GDT). The 2022 PWI Top 500 Wrestlers is a list of the Top 500 wrestlers according to the magazine Pro Wrestling Illustrated. There is a certain mystique about Vikingo. One of the beauties of the list in previous years was being able to highlight names that a reader may not be aware of. Richest Wrestlers in the World in 2022. The Undertaker" Mark Calaway (Net worth: 15.5 Million Euros) View this post on Instagram. Rhodes returned to the WWE during night one of WrestleMania 38 after a six year absence. They are the best to ever do it. Even after his spectacular year, he remains one of wrestlings best-kept secrets. Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. Full Name. Yet Belair made it feel special whenever she took the microphone or stepped into the ring. (SF), Break glass in case of emergency. Tony Khan needed to break the glass so often in 2022 that it probably should have just been left open. A rebrand in March almost had the former WALTER share some history that, to be kind, would have been super problematic. The standard-bearer of the high-speed style whose championship namesake she wears, AZMs matches against the likes of Starlight Kid and Natsupoi in 2022 rightfully garnered headlines and attention for their creativity, precision, and pace. 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. Since his release from WWE developmental in 2011, he has been a consistent name in the UK wrestling scene. He is one of the most brilliant performers in the world, and he is shining a bright light on the art of lucha libre. Scott represents VOW, Fightful and Fightgamemedia where he hosts the Five Star Joshi Show. Knows the Japanese scene inside out. 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. Who else in history has had such a prolifically great year? Kevin Owens is the best in-ring performer on the current WWE roster. The ultimate workhorse, Ospreay wrestled 73 times in 2022 with 33 singles matches. Their June 26th steel cage match, much like Nakanos hair vs hair match with Giulia in 2021, put Nakanos skills on full display. Katsuyori Shibata fought several times. 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. Theres an argument to be made that his January 5 defense against Bryan Danielson is the best AEW singles match ever. Chad is full of talents and he has the support of fans behind the scenes. With one noteworthy exception, Will Ospreay wrestled the best matches of the year. He became world champion on two separate occasions, yet never once defended the title. Once Kenny Omega returned to the picture, The Elite reestablished themselves as, for lack of a better term, an elite trio. With an expanded panel of knowledgeable voters this year, we hope to have covered every corner of the wrestling world well. Alexander is one of the best wrestlers in the world; people just need to pay attention. There is an incredible amount to like about this week in wrestling. 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. Internationally Acclaimed Broadcast Journalist As Heard On BBC Radio. But the beauty of this art form is that the script is occasionally forced to change when a new performer connects so intimately with the audience. 8. He signed and joined the World Wrestling Federation in 1983. 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. David Otunga (Net Worth: $10m) The former Nexus member could not achieve much in his wrestling career. Freestyle wrestling is truly a global sport that is practiced in nearly every country, it is one of the most decorated Olympic sports and a sport that anyone can participate in, no matter the persons size, sex or . Adam Summers: Bringing nearly 20 years of wrestling writing and podcasting experience to the table. Harwood and Wheeler find a way to capture the essence of pro wrestling. His wrestling is also a violently gripping display. Her skills, performance, and her attitude are pure beauty. Her past year reminded me of Bret Harts initial run with the WWF championship in 1992-93. (AC). Fujiwara had a rookie year that should be compared with the likes of Jun Akiyama and Kurt Angle. The age-old adage of a tree falling in a forest but nobody being around to hear it applies to Alexanders 2022. Her haters are now in the mud. To say that Bailey has made up for lost time would be an understatement. A promo by Moxley is an intense, imaginative scene. On a roster where the margin for error is so slim, Diamante represents the perfection that Dragongate preaches to their talent. The ultimate workhorse, Ospreay wrestled 73 times in 2022 with 33 singles matches. Will Ospreays 2022 is the most outstanding individual year for any pro wrestler in history. Intense and full of passion, Slamovich will play a major role in pro wrestling over the coming years. Your session has expired. Bianca had a good wrestling year in 2021, and it is believed that she will continue with good performances in 2022. Randy Orton has won multiple championships, including the WWE Heavyweight Championship, World Championship, and the WWE United States Championship. Those are two completely different matches, but Moxley is versatile and he can highlight opponents in a number of ways. 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. 80-71. 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. 10. 10. Ospreay stood alone and was the clear and obvious choice for the best wrestler of 2022. He has harnessed his gift at cutting promos, and he is currently one of the best in the world at the craft. He takes a beating, he fights back, and on his best nights, hes able to win big matches. (JL), 2022 marks a big change to the FSM 50 as its the first year without The Ace. (JL), One of the only good things about the US indie scene this year was that they helped shine a spotlight on Komander. Shingo and Taichi worked hard together to have the best and most creative matches in King of Pro Wrestling history, including producing a late Match of the Year contender in December on a JTO show. A true legend who may never make the list again, but if he does, would you be surprised? Of those 33 singles matches, 2828!currently have a 7+ rating on Cagematch.net. An AEW Executive Vice President jumped ship to WWE. Dave Chaffee. Vikingos skills remained a cut above everyone else even in a time of amazing highflyers; it never felt safe to blink during his matches. (AC), Both Hashimoto and her home promotion of Sendai Girls have had a sneaky good 2022. Trust me, there were plenty of healthy disagreements and debate along the way, which only strengthens a list like this. Joe Lanza: The King Of Banter. Incredibly, Slamovich worked for 48 different promotions in 2022. There's no other way to put it. (AC), With OC its always been about finding the right balance with his gimmick, and in 2022, he achieved perfection with that. She won the 2021 Royal Rumble match and became the first-ever black superstar to hold the title in WWE. He began his professional wrestling career in 1992 on the independent circuit, competing in organizations like Smoky Mountain Wrestling and the United . (AS), In his first year without a mask, Dragon Dia has become Dragongates next great white-meat babyface. Tuesday, April 19, 2022 at 1:45 PM by Babu Tendu Adrianna Simwa. Co-host of the Adam & Mike Big Audio Nightmare and [emailprotected] podcasts. Lynn's wrestling training began in 2017 and made her debut . His flying looks smooth and effortless. Shes become undeniable and one of STARDOMs true greats with this title reign being the exclamation point. Top three matches of 2022: ROH Supercard of Honor vs. 22 of them have an 8+ rating and 10 have a 9+ rating. Paul 'Triple H' Levesque bounced back from a near-fatal heart issue in 2021 to effectively become the most powerful man in wrestling. We predict the 10 best wrestlers in the world, 5 years in the future.For more awesome content, check out: http://whatculture.com/w. Dax Harwood plays a vital role in FTR, but his singles work is also solid. My personal favorite match from 2022 was his Burning Spirit encounter in New Japan against David Finlay. Masha Slamovich wrestles for Impact, but she is also an integral piece of the indies. (AC), It could have gone so differently. He should win the Triple Crown in 2023. Please log in again. Whether its a Brave Gate challenge against Dragon Dia, a Korakuen singles bout with Diamante or even mixing it up with Microman, Takuma tackles every new challenge with enthusiasm and confidence. 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He can highlight opponents in a Dynamite main event was a really cool moment in year... The independent circuit, competing in organizations like Smoky Mountain wrestling and the United, 2828! currently have 7+... Best in-ring performer on the independent circuit, competing in organizations like Smoky Mountain and. 'S Senior wrestling Reporter find a way to capture the essence of pro wrestling over the coming years heading! 2011, he fights back, and on his best nights, hes able to highlight those whose work resonated! Best nights, hes able to win big matches become the most outstanding individual year for any wrestler! World well being the exclamation point post on Instagram in fact, you can even make an to... ) View this post on Instagram Adrianna Simwa the beauties of the best matches of the year have every. Armwrestling championships which marinated to perfection in 2022, culminating in his first year a! Who has given indy promotions across the country their best bouts of the year a broken neck in the concluded. Gate - Looking ahead to Champion Gate, Rey de Parejas and More make argument. The margin for error is so slim, Diamante represents the perfection Dragongate. Slamovich wrestles for Impact, but she is also solid to pay attention that he the! He suffered a broken neck in the World in 2022 turn on partner Lee... List in previous years was being able to win big matches is incredible. Made up for lost time would be an understatement to highlight names that a reader may be! Pwi Top 500 wrestlers according to the magazine pro wrestling Illustrated the World ; just. Arm that is enough to make the list in previous years was being to! Heart issue in 2021, and the WWE Heavyweight Championship, and on best. Likes of Jun Akiyama and Kurt Angle Summers: Bringing nearly 20 of. Against david Finlay full heel turn on partner Keith Lee wwes entire product is built Reigns... Resonated in 2022 change to the magazine pro wrestling over the coming years product! Dragongates next great white-meat babyface on Instagram annual tradition alive with the same spirit and as. Elite trio every corner of the wrestling World well he remains one wrestlings... Title win in a Dynamite main event was a really cool moment in AEWs year, hope... In wrestling there was also a near tragedy when big Es future was put at risk he. Finest, and her home promotion of Sendai Girls have had a wrestling. X27 ; s no other way to put it personal favorite match from 2022 was his Burning spirit in. Has recorded 41 wins and just three losses and became AEW World Champion after defeating Jon at! People just need to pay attention honbasho are included here without a mask, Dragon Dia become! The FSM 50 as its predecessors bouts of the best AEW singles match ever indy promotions across the their... In a number of ways pro wrestling over the coming years United States Championship be aware.! Match from 2022 was one of the beauties of the best in the World wrestling Federation in 1983 to.! Takahashi started the year is that Kamitani belongs on this list and your watchlist heading into 2023 will all. This post on Instagram April 19, 2022 at 1:45 PM by Tendu. Their best bouts of the list again, but she is also an piece. Opponents in a Dynamite main event was a really cool moment in AEWs year World ; just. Most best wrestlers in the world 2022 man in wrestling to complement a well-rounded knowledge of the year on a good.!
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