Regardless of skill, a wrestler can't enter the WOTY conversation if they aren't regularly producing WOTY-level work. He became a white-hot rookie in Japan before being shipped off to Mexico and seamlessly transitioning to the lucha scene. The American Dragon has faced a wide variety of opponents in his time in AEW, but it still feels like there is so much fresh ground for him to cover in 2023. A promo by Moxley is an intense, imaginative scene. For me, that was a gateway into Japanese wrestling 20 years ago. Im still holding out hope that someone from Death Triangle gets the series-ending win. Top three matches of 2022: Elimination Chamber match; WrestleMania 38 vs. Becky Lynch; Crown Jewel vs. Bayley. Date of birth. Roman Reigns Tops the PWI 500 List for 2022, Top 20 Wrestlers Revealed. MJF spent some time off TV, but returned and became AEW World Champion after defeating Jon Moxley at Full Gear 2022. Every time Vikingo wrestles is a roller coaster of emotions. Platform (s): PlayStation, Nintendo 64, Dreamcast & Game Boy. In fact, you can even make an argument that he was the best technical wrestler in the world in 2022. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). Big E has wrestled big names in the WWE industry like Big show, Great Khali, and Mark Henry. He restored honor to a vacant world title on two separate occasions, beginning with a classic against Hiroshi Tanahashi at Forbidden Door in June. Who possibly could have imagined that 2022 would be the year Vince McMahon stepped down from power? (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. Her feud throughout the year with Giulia was one of the very best in wrestling, with their match on the final night of the 5STAR Grand Prix being the perfect way to top it off. Open The Voice Gate - Looking ahead to Champion Gate, Rey de Parejas and More! Dia is everything a babyface should be. 4. (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. We hope to not only provide a credible ranking but also to expose readers to some new wrestling. Top three matches of 2021: SmackDown vs. Roman Reigns; Dynamite "Grand Slam" vs. Kenny Omega; Dynamite "Winter is Coming" vs. "Hangman" Adam Page. Top three matches of 2022: Beyond Wrestling Munky Business vs. AC Price; GCW Maniac vs. Mike Bailey; Bound for Glory vs. Jordynne Grace. Brief runs with the OTT tag titles and the first NJPW STRONG tag champions were the precursor to them hitting New Japan proper in November, followed by being agonizingly close to winning the World Tag League in December. His series with Wheeler Yuta for the ROH Pure Title were captivating watches, and being a key figure in the chaotic Anarchy in the Arena match ticks another box that warrants his inclusion on this list. 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. He is a retired professional wrestler, television star, and actor. The 2022 PWI Top 500 Wrestlers is a list of the Top 500 wrestlers according to the magazine Pro Wrestling Illustrated. Josh Alexander should be a lot higher on this list. Sitting next to his billionaire boss, CM Punk burned the entire world down. Top three matches of 2022: Beyond Wrestling Munky Business vs. AC Price; GCW Maniac vs. Mike Bailey; Bound for Glory vs. Jordynne Grace. A year spent in many places not normally on the wider radar, but a year that rarely disappointed when you sought him out. 10. This year, without the title, Skywalker turned into a deranged psychopath who blended interesting character work with top-level matches better than anyone in the world. The breakout star of the year, Jamie Hayter feels like an overnight sensation in AEW. Travis Bagent. She delivered breathtaking moments at WrestleMania and SummerSlam against Lynch, and there was genuine uncertainty as to whether she was going over against Bliss at the end of Elimination Chamber. 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. Mandy Rose. January 5 vs. Will Ospreay and August 18 vs. Will Ospreay. The match that will ultimately define Higushis championship run was his title defense against Konosuke Takeshita, a bout that will no doubt rack up some points in the MOTY race. Wrestlers' importance to their home promotions and the business as a whole also factored, as well as their significance to the year's wider wrestling discussions. 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. WWE has aggressively bought competitors throughout its history to maintain its position as the world's largest wrestling company. The best female arm wrestler in the world in 2022 was Barbora Bajciova. Ospreay, for instance, consistently works spectacular matches, but Reigns is in an entirely different position. Top 10 WWE Wrestlers Who Died in 2022 || WWE Superstars Deaths 2022#WWE #Wrestlers#Top10#WWESuperstars#Superstars#WWEWrestlers #.Matilda The Hun Died: Janua. All of that brings us to the years Top 10, a chance to highlight those whose work particularly resonated in 2022. 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. Outside of MJF, though, there was a lot to love about Punks year. Consistently elevating your opponent was an element factored into this list, as were match quality and the stage on which it took place. (CL), Another wrestler that continues the theme of confidence separating the wheat from the chaff in modern wrestling. Bryan Danielson put together one of . 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. Taking the mold War Zone presented just a . Sasha Banks. The highlight of his year happened outside the walls of NJPW, at the aptly named TAKATaichiDespeMania (TAKA Michinoku 30th Anniversary show), against Jun Kasai in a wild affair that made you clamor to see more of that style from Desperado. 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. His defense of the junior title in the Tokyo Dome against fellow junior mainstay Hiromu Takahashi started the year on a good note. Open the Voice Gate: Looking Ahead to Champion Gate, Rey De Parejas & More! His professional career is enriched with some of the best professional titles. Oh and check out her match against Miu Watanabe in the Tokyo Princess Cup. 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. Whether you watched Harwood on screen or bought a ticket to see him in person, he added value every time he took the stage. That's why it is considered that it is high time to strike while the iron is hot. 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. 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. Hulk Hogan, is one of the greatest wrestlers the world has ever seen. Roman Reigns has faced and defeated the greatest since winning the title by defeating Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman. In every emergency, Jon Moxley was there, and he delivered. November 19, 2022. Their tag title win against ASUKA and MAO is worth the watch. There's no other way to put it. 5. Whether it was AAA, Big Lucha, or lesser US indie promotions, the 24-year-old routinely pumped out gif-worthy spots en route to great matches. Harwood and Wheeler capture the joy of pro wrestling, somehow bringing that figurative quality to life. (JL), Youd be forgiven for forgetting that the diminutive mascot is only a year into his Dragongate career. Incredibly, Slamovich worked for 48 different promotions in 2022. Nobody has ever given as much consistent effort in their matches as Ospreay did in 2022. Ivan Yarygin. Please log in again. (SF), A 10-year veteran and multiple-time world champion, or maybe a young up-and-comer depending on who you talk to, Konosuke had a proper breakout year. Slamovichs matches are a violent sprint. He brings significant in-ring value, and he is an athletic marvel that has no limitations in between the ropes. (IH), Another year where Mayu Iwatani deserves her flowers. Roman Reigns, CM Punk, Jon Moxley, Bianca Belair, MJF. But it is also the right one. 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. In between, Alexander had tremendous singles matches against Alex Shelley, Eddie Edwards, Tomohiro Ishii, Eric Young, Frankie Kazarian, and Moose. 5. The first time I saw the names KENTA, CIMA, and Naomichi Marufuji was in the PS 50, and I was encouraged by it to seek them out. Those are two completely different matches, but Moxley is versatile and he can highlight opponents in a number of ways. Mandy Rose via Instagram. Hence becoming one of the richest wrestlers in 2022. Now a (deserving) Hall of Famer, Naitos big singles matches this year added to that resume. The ultimate workhorse, Ospreay wrestled 73 times in 2022 with 33 singles matches. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY . His Strong Championship challenge against Yuji Okabayashi in BJW was one of the most intense matches of 2022. He is one of the most brilliant performers in the world, and he is shining a bright light on the art of lucha libre. Davit Stepanyan 3. He is popularly known as The Beast Incarnate and was majorly marketed for his intimidating physique and ability to be dramatic. Braun Strowman - $1.2 million WWE . Most of those bouts were hard-fought tussles in the 15-minute range or higher with the AEW world title on the line, so its not like he had a bunch of padded filler on the resume. My personal favorite match from 2022 was his Burning Spirit encounter in New Japan against David Finlay. He held Gold Class together after the departures of others and now ends the year with gold around his waist too. 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. The unsung hero of pro wrestling in 2022. 248 Super J-Cast The Return of Fantasticamania. 2023 is shaping up to be his biggest year since 2019. 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. But without looking too far ahead, it will be fun to see Cena back in a WWE ring. Richest Wrestlers in the World in 2022. (IH), Throughout 2021, the questions were all about Saya Kamitani and if she could live up to the moment. Brock Lesnar. There was also a near tragedy when Big Es future was put at risk when he suffered a broken neck in the ring. 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