Of those 33 singles matches, 2828!currently have a 7+ rating on Cagematch.net. But despite the aimless booking at times, Aoyagi continued to be a part of some strong tag matches. Fortunately, though, All Elite Wrestling, Impact and New Japan Pro-Wrestling offer a great alternative for viewers who love the time-honored tradition. by Andy H Murray. Nor is her powerhouse style with technical elements, which isnt as flashy as others in STARDOM. Hence becoming one of the richest wrestlers in 2022. Vince McMaho. 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. (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. (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. 4. 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. (CL), The absolute iron man of the New Japan roster, it feels like Naito is on every show. 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. He accumulated his net worth thanks to his professional wrestling, podcasts, rock concerts. Fujiwara had a rookie year that should be compared with the likes of Jun Akiyama and Kurt Angle. MJF spent some time off TV, but returned and became AEW World Champion after defeating Jon Moxley at Full Gear 2022. To put Ospreays year into proper context, our #2 finisher, Kazuchika Okada, had two matches finish with a 9+ rating on Cagematch.net. 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. He did everything in the ring youd want for the promotions champion. Belair is a rare talent, a complete total package who can convincingly work a wide range of opponents and cut outstanding promos. Internationally Acclaimed Broadcast Journalist As Heard On BBC Radio. 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. Ospreay looked like a star, which he undoubtedly is, and he also made Finlay look like a beast (which he is). (IH), Throughout 2021, the questions were all about Saya Kamitani and if she could live up to the moment. The biggest obstacle in her way is just how big a star Rossy Ogawa and Bushiroad think she can be. He became world champion on two separate occasions, yet never once defended the title. Once the company pulls the trigger on Reigns' betrayal of Sami, Zayn will be the most white-hot face in the business, bar none. Strickland is great, and he wrestles like a guy who knows it. The one spot reserved exclusively for . Ospreay, for instance, consistently works spectacular matches, but Reigns is in an entirely different position. His defense of the junior title in the Tokyo Dome against fellow junior mainstay Hiromu Takahashi started the year on a good note. 8. (AC), It could have gone so differently. Of those 33 singles matches, 2828!currently have a 7+ rating on Cagematch.net. Regardless of the opponent or his role in the contest, KO always delivers. He first came to the WWF in 1990 as Ted DiBiase's mystery partner at The Survivor Series (1990). In Conclusion. Rampage Brown. Posted by Alan4L | Jan 9, 2023 | The FSM 50. 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. 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. 100-91. 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. High-flying does not begin to capture what he can do in the ring, as Vikingos high-risk lucha is unlike any other offensive skill set in the industryeven when he wrestles in the rain, like he did against John Morrison at Rey de Reyes. The problem? In September, he became the promotions first champion by defeating Flamita in one of the best world title matches of the year. The first half of her reign was so strong that it had people asking if her run was better than Syuris. Like us on Facebook to see similar stories Please give an overall site rating . Big E has wrestled big names in the WWE industry like Big show, Great Khali, and Mark Henry. The WWE is currently the largest wrestling organization, the market share of competing models is so small that one can speak of an economic monopoly. Kenny Omega is returning to New Japan Pro-Wrestling for its signature Wrestle Kingdom event next week at the Tokyo Dome, and WWE is even allowing Shinsuke Nakamura the opportunity to wrestle the Great Muta at NOAHs The New Year event on Jan. 1. This list is based on a wrestlers work in the ring, the attention their work generated, and overall impact. There is also a must-see match at AAAs Noche de Campeones, which also takes place later tonight. 90-81. Best known as "The Undertaker" from World Wrestling Entertainment. He first came to the WWF in 1990 as Ted DiBiase's mystery partner at The Survivor Series (1990). Travis Bagent is a well-known name in the arm wrestling world. One of the beauties of the list in previous years was being able to highlight names that a reader may not be aware of. 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 . Rich keeps an eye on the full world of wrestling with an emphasis on America and Japan. 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. Pro wrestling is a unique blend of sport and entertainment, one where your opponent is necessary in order for you to shine. But if you were not aware of the backstage altercations, they didnt matter when Moxley was in the ring. Their match against Aussie Open at New Japans Royal Quest II was outrageously good. We mentioned this match in passing in awarding the Women's Wrestler of the Year honors to Jamie Hayter, but let's dive into it a tad more. Best British Wrestlers in the world. 6 Rising - Stardom. When Rhodes was severely limited in their Hell in a Cell bout inside the cage, Rollins made viewers forget about limitations and instead focus on all Rhodes was capable of in spite of the gruesome injury. Weve reached a point where its probably time we start thinking about whether Sheamus is arguably the best WWE television wrestler of all time. 10. Every time Vikingo wrestles is a roller coaster of emotions. Of course, that all depends on how you value and rate the past year in wrestling. Lost the Rev Pro tag titles in January, then started an on again, off again feud with Will Ospreay that culminated in Knight finally unseating Ospreay for the Rev Pro title in Augustonly to lose the title (via proxy, with his brother Zak replacing him due to a broken wrist) in December to Great O-Khan. When smashing one aspect of the wrestling business just isn't enough. 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. He made a loud and resounding sound in 2022. For whatever reason, MIRAI has gotten a baffling amount of derision since her jump from TJPW to STARDOM. Travis Bagent. Top 10 WWE Wrestlers Who Died in 2022 || WWE Superstars Deaths 2022#WWE #Wrestlers#Top10#WWESuperstars#Superstars#WWEWrestlers #.Matilda The Hun Died: Janua. Those are two completely different matches, but Moxley is versatile and he can highlight opponents in a number of ways. He brings significant in-ring value, and he is an athletic marvel that has no limitations in between the ropes. Ospreay stood alone and was the clear and obvious choice for the best wrestler of 2022. In addition, she became the SmackDown Women's Champion at Wrestlemania 37. Bianca Belair hoisted the womens division on her shoulders in 2022. 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. 10 women's wrestlers to look out for in 2022. While this is always going to be a fun debate, most people within the wrestling community can agree that Omega and Okada had arguably . Top three matches of 2022: Beyond Wrestling Munky Business vs. AC Price; GCW Maniac vs. Mike Bailey; Bound for Glory vs. Jordynne Grace. 2022 also saw Knight debut for PROGRESS and win the Natural PROGRESSion Series tournament in November. Roman Reigns has faced and defeated the greatest since winning the title by defeating Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman. 3. 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. Joshi fans will argue that Stardom and Sendai Girls are on par, having the two best women's wrestling promotions in Japan. (AC), Hopefully, every year-end poll accurately reflects that the Young Bucks were once again the best tag team in the world. As 2022 winds down, Sports Illustrated is looking back at the themes and teams, storylines and throughlines that shaped the year. Fans of British Wrestling over the past 10 years will know the name Rampage Brown. 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. No world champion was able to touch her greatness this year. 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. Hopefully that is not the case much longer. Roman Gromov 2. Slamovichs matches are a violent sprint. 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. It just feels right to have John Cena back in WWE. Leave your outdated and ignorant criticisms of his working style at the door. 22 of them have an 8+ rating and 10 have a 9+ rating. Rubie's Daddy's Li'l Girl Inflatable Adult Costume, As Shown, One Size. Rhodes returned to the WWE during night one of WrestleMania 38 after a six year absence. 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. 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. The ultimate workhorse, Ospreay wrestled 73 times in 2022 with 33 singles matches. Top three matches of 2022: Royal Rumble vs. Roman Reigns; WrestleMania Backlash vs. Cody Rhodes; Elimination Chamber vs. Matt Riddle. 8. The Most Compelling Voice In Wrestling Media. (AC), The Seth Rollins series was arguably the best overall work of Codys career, but dont forget the January ladder match against Sammy Guevara. New Japans 50th anniversary was built around Okada. The more things change . 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. 6. Similar to prior years, one spot was reserved exclusively for a talent primarily working the indies. Who else in history has had such a prolifically great year? The Villain Marty Scurll. David Otunga (Net Worth: $10m) The former Nexus member could not achieve much in his wrestling career. He did everything within his bodily power to ensure that Cody Rhodes return at WrestleMania was viewed as a legitimately jaw-dropping, iconic moment, which it wasthen followed that up with an even better match with Rhodes at WrestleMania Backlash. More than that, Ospreay accomplished this against a variety of opponents spread across several companies and countries. While she did not work an abundance of matches this year, her overall impact secured this spot. 70-61. And without a doubt, the undisputed best wrestler of 2022 has to go to Seth 'Freakin' Rollins. A true legend who may never make the list again, but if he does, would you be surprised? There is something for everyone in pro wrestling, and with 2022 as an indication, it is a great time to be a fan. (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. The one knock against Aoyagi is that the company seemed to have nothing for him during the second half of the year. Elsewhere we were treated to a full 12 months of normal feeling wrestling, and it was certainly very welcome for fans. This is a list of records held by wrestlers of professional sumo.Only performances in official tournaments or honbasho are included here. 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. Maybe its because her look isnt what STARDOM has been going for lately. The Best Bout Machine was ranked #1 on the PWI 100 in 2018. Like her nickname, "The Boss," she is the boss during her match in the ring. Will it all lead to a father-son match at WrestleMania? The Golden Phoenix captivated audiences with her stunning aerial offense and fantastic run as the Wonder of STARDOM Champion. Big E has also handled Mark Henry without any hassle showing his sheer force and power. Tootie Lynn. Ian Hamilton: Writer for 411Mania and BackBodyDrop.com and an expert in European wrestling to complement a well-rounded knowledge of the wrestling world. 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. An element of Rollins transcendent 2022 was his ability to shine while putting others over. 10. Also heard and read on FlagshipPatreon.com. 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 . 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. (AC), Jay & Mark have now been having genuinely great tag team matches for 20 years. Open the Voice Gate: Looking Ahead to Champion Gate, Rey De Parejas & More! Matches with Risa Sera, Utami Hayashishita, and both bouts with Giulia highlight what everyone should watch if they havent been watching. Consistency was given as much weight as ceilings and floors. 2022 in professional wrestling describes the year's events in the world of professional wrestling.. Beginning in March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic severely affected the professional wrestling industry worldwide, with many promotions presenting shows behind closed doors.Some events were canceled while others were rescheduled to occur in 2021 and then some in 2022. 56 Ricochet 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. Hunter Noffz 8. (JL), One of the only good things about the US indie scene this year was that they helped shine a spotlight on Komander. Pro Wrestling Illustrated - November 2022 Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 2022 Open The Voice Gate - Looking ahead to Champion Gate, Rey de Parejas and More! Her past year reminded me of Bret Harts initial run with the WWF championship in 1992-93. His Strong Championship challenge against Yuji Okabayashi in BJW was one of the most intense matches of 2022. (CL), Syuri has been the standard when it comes to world champions in 2022. 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. (AC), Both Hashimoto and her home promotion of Sendai Girls have had a sneaky good 2022. 10. December 4th, 2022. We hope to not only provide a credible ranking but also to expose readers to some new wrestling. Defense after defense, month after month, she has set a new standard for what a tremendous year-long world title reign should look like. Chad is full of talents and he has the support of fans behind the scenes. As recently as early 2021, he seemed to lag behind his Dojo classmates Hokuto Omori and Dan Tamura. 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. Top three matches of 2021: SmackDown vs. Roman Reigns; Dynamite "Grand Slam" vs. Kenny Omega; Dynamite "Winter is Coming" vs. "Hangman" Adam Page. Hes still at the stage in his career where he gives 110% even on small shows and can have a great match against any type of style, including juniors, shooters, and technical types. Hes truly made a name for himself in AEW with impressive showcases against the likes of Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, and Eddie Kingston. Her skills, performance, and her attitude are pure beauty. Known for his appearances in World Wrestling Network promotions, Allin is currently signed to AEW. Her rivalry with Suzu Suzuki could become legendary if it is continued. 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. 5. (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. 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. (AC). Throughout their program, Rollins made you believe that Matt Riddle was a main event talent. He has held the WWF World . Dylan - "There can not be a Top Joshi . Theres an argument to be made that his January 5 defense against Bryan Danielson is the best AEW singles match ever. 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. Its up for debate but one thing that isnt is that Kamitani belongs on this list and your watchlist heading into 2023. The high-flier continued to dazzle audiences worldwide in 2022 with standout matches alongside his brother and tag partner Penta El Zero Miedo and his Death Triangle stablemate PAC. 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. Aleksandr Medved. 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. A post shared by Undertaker (@undertaker) Josh Alexander. Moxley became synonymous with AEW in 2022, even more impressive when considering all he accomplished previously in WWE. Now firmly entrenched in the fabric of pro wrestling, FTRs signature year in 2022 brought them to new heights. He is one of the best and greatest arm wrestlers in history. 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. Top three matches of 2022: MLW Azteca vs. Aramis; Rey de Reyes vs. John [Superstar] Morrison; TripleMana vs. Rey Fenix. Shingo opened the year with a fantastic match against Kazuchika Okada at Wrestle Kingdom, followed by a killer New Japan Cup tournament, before yet another Match of the Year contender against his best opponent, Will Ospreay, smack dab in the middle of another great G1 run. Davit Stepanyan 3. There is an incredible amount to like about this week in wrestling. 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. 2023 ABG-SI LLC. 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. Roman Reigns Tops the PWI 500 List for 2022, Top 20 Wrestlers Revealed. November 19, 2022. That star power placed him on this list. Mandy Rose via Instagram. Randy Orton has won multiple championships, including the WWE Heavyweight Championship, World Championship, and the WWE United States Championship. They include some of the world's best men's and women's wrestlers, organized alphabetically by country with notable accomplishments . 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. Dylan Burns 5. 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. 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. Top three matches of 2022: Battle of the Belts III vs. Thunder Rosa; Full Gear vs. Toni Storm; Dynamite vs. Hikaru Shida. 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. She won the 2021 Royal Rumble match and became the first-ever black superstar to hold the title in WWE. 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. Taking the mold War Zone presented just a . The Last Wrestlers: A Far Flung Journey In Search of a Manly Art. (GDT), One step forward, one step back for the breakout British star? 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. 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. His wrestling is also a violently gripping display. 11 / 20. Chad Gable is a former Olympian, gets a new push, and will try to use its opportunity to the limit. We predict the 10 best wrestlers in the world, 5 years in the future.For more awesome content, check out: http://whatculture.com/w. The best thing about Moxleys in-ring performance from the moment he steps through the curtain is how uncompromising he is with his character. (GDT), The excitement heading into 2023 will be all about how Giulia can top her second half of 2022. Since his release from WWE developmental in 2011, he has been a consistent name in the UK wrestling scene. Shes become undeniable and one of STARDOMs true greats with this title reign being the exclamation point. Chris Jericho is a Canadian-American professional wrestler and musician who is best known for his appearances in WWE between 1999 and 2018. From a battle in the rain against Johnny Mundo, to a five-way in Tijuana, to a state-of-the-art TripleMania match with Fenix, to a battle (nearly) to the death against his closest ally Laredo Kid, Vikingo came through big whenever he had the chance. Sadly, he rarely, if ever, is. Sadly, he was pretty much on the shelf from June on, wrestling just eight total matches in the second half of the year. They are routinely the most entertaining wrestlers on American TV, and no one delivers in a big match better than they do. 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. Top three matches of 2022: Revolution vs. Bryan Danielson; Forbidden Door vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi; Full Gear vs. CM Punk. Despy always delivers. Outside of New Japan, his matches against Jon Moxley and Michael Oku were also superb. She stands out amongst various wrestlers while performing. Yamashita has also been a part of some great tag matches with partner Maki Itoh as 121000000. She capped off the year winning the World of Stardom Championship, as she goes into 2022 as the top wrestler in the promotion. (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? 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. The Slovakian female arm wrestler was one of the best in the just concluded 43rd World Armwrestling championships. Tag team wrestling across the globe had a banner year in 2022, but no team . 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. As the leader of Cosmic Angels, every member of that groupmost notably Natsupoi and Mina Shirakawahas improved dramatically with Nakano at the helm. As far as match quality, she had one of the best matches of the year against Utami in June, and had five matches rated **** or higher by the Wrestling Observer (all singles matches).