8. But it is also the right one. Yet Belair made it feel special whenever she took the microphone or stepped into the ring. 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. Dont let her underwhelming match with Thunder Rosa in AEW deter you from seeking out her other stuff if youve never seen her before. (GDT). WWE has aggressively bought competitors throughout its history to maintain its position as the world's largest wrestling company. Kevin Owens is the best in-ring performer on the current WWE roster. Top three matches of 2022: Beyond Wrestling Munky Business vs. AC Price; GCW Maniac vs. Mike Bailey; Bound for Glory vs. Jordynne Grace. Vince McMahon resigned. Of course, that all depends on how you value and rate the past year in wrestling. (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. 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. Instead of a litany of matches against the industrys top stars, Hart wrestled a very different roster from what he initially expected. 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. He is popularly known as The Beast Incarnate and was majorly marketed for his intimidating physique and ability to be dramatic. 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. 11 / 20. (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. But without looking too far ahead, it will be fun to see Cena back in a WWE ring. 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 . Buvaisar Saitiev. 100-91. For me, that was a gateway into Japanese wrestling 20 years ago. Less is more in his role as the face of WWE, where he served as the industrys most prominent superstar in 2022and delivered when he was called upon in big-time matches. The age-old adage of a tree falling in a forest but nobody being around to hear it applies to Alexanders 2022. 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. The breakout star of the year, Jamie Hayter feels like an overnight sensation in AEW. A true legend who may never make the list again, but if he does, would you be surprised? Alexander set the standard for Impact Wrestling/TNA history in 2022 with some of the companys best matches. He accumulated his net worth thanks to his professional wrestling, podcasts, rock concerts. Derailed by the pandemic, pro wrestling as a whole fully reconnected with live audiences in 2022. Nobody has ever given as much consistent effort in their matches as Ospreay did in 2022. Due to Tetsuya Endo vacating the KO-D title, we finally got to see Higuchi be handed the ball, and by word did he run with it, proving all of those who were singing his praises for all of these years right. A true master of the craft, Rollins is a throwback who could thrive in any era, and he is a joy to watch on a weekly basis. A promo by Moxley is an intense, imaginative scene. The goal of the list is to be as well-informed and wide-ranging as possible. (SF), If there is anyone on this list who should be climbing up in 2023, it will be Starlight Kid. Consistency was given as much weight as ceilings and floors. mixed martial arts, Belgrade, wrestling, Serbia | 956 views, 24 likes, 3 loves, 3 comments, 13 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from IMMAF - International Mixed Martial Arts Federation: Which submission. (RK), Vikingo became the AAA Mega Champion in 2021 because AAA had no real alternatives, and spent 2022 proving he was the best option. 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. (SF), When Jake Lee broke his orbital bone at the end of 2021 and had to vacate the Triple Crown, it was no surprise the company immediately pivoted back to Miyahara. Another earth-shattering saga was the rise and fall of CM Punk in AEW. Intense and full of passion, Slamovich will play a major role in pro wrestling over the coming years. Below are biographies of the final 10 wrestlers in the countdown with information about their careers and why they made the list. No world champion was able to touch her greatness this year. (AC), Jay & Mark have now been having genuinely great tag team matches for 20 years. Moxley carried AEW amid a tumultuous year. November 19, 2022. Braun Strowman - $1.2 million WWE . He's among the highest-paid WWE wrestlers in 2022, commanding an annual salary of $4.5 million. Hes still waiting to go fishing with Egotistico Fantastico. Best known as "The Undertaker" from World Wrestling Entertainment. 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. 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. . Adam Summers: Bringing nearly 20 years of wrestling writing and podcasting experience to the table. 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. Let's take a look at the 10 best tag teams . Now more than ever, there is endless reason for optimism. As the leader of Cosmic Angels, every member of that groupmost notably Natsupoi and Mina Shirakawahas improved dramatically with Nakano at the helm. Tag team of the year: The Usos - 50% The Usos established themselves as the best duo in all of wrestling in 2022. It just feels right to have John Cena back in WWE. 10 women's wrestlers to look out for in 2022. Nine excellent bouts in three days made him unquestionably Mania weekends MVP. The American wrestler, Sasha Banks, is one of the most decorated top female wrestlers. There is an incredible amount to like about this week in wrestling. His matches always tell a story, and he is versatile in his offense, which also includes more traditional aggression. In between, Ospreay had standout performances against the likes of Tetsuya Naito, Zack Sabre Jr., Shingo Takagi, Michael Oku, Orange Cassidy, Nick Wayne, Ricky Knight Jr., Mike Bailey, Jon Moxley, Blake Christian, Dax Harwood, and Titus Alexander among others. Hogan is the most versatile wrestling star worldwide and one of the most successful wrestlers in the 1980s. (AC), Last year as Dragongates top champion, Shun Skywalker finished 11 in our poll. Josh Alexander should be a lot higher on this list. Of those 33 singles matches, 2828!currently have a 7+ rating on Cagematch.net. 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. Top 25 Best Bollywood Films of 2022 a list of 25 titles 25 Best Dancers of Indian Cinema a list of 25 people . Rich Kraetsch: Co-host of the long-running Flagship Podcast on Voices of Wrestling, editor of VoicesofWrestling.com and one-half of FlagshipPatreon.com. Top three matches of 2022: Revolution vs. Bryan Danielson; Forbidden Door vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi; Full Gear vs. CM Punk. On the first Korakuen Hall shows of the year, Dragongate established that this year was going to be all about Yuki Yoshioka and his foe-turned-friend Dragon Dia. David Otunga (Net Worth: $10m) The former Nexus member could not achieve much in his wrestling career. Since then, shes taken more international bookings in Europe and North America, raising her stock globally. 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. There is also a must-see match at AAAs Noche de Campeones, which also takes place later tonight. Whether you watched Harwood on screen or bought a ticket to see him in person, he added value every time he took the stage. Harwood and Wheeler find a way to capture the essence of pro wrestling. Putting Roman Reigns fourth on this list, especially ahead of Will Ospreay, was the single hardest decision in the top 10. The unsung hero of pro wrestling in 2022. Hes been a phenomenal major league champion. Im still holding out hope that someone from Death Triangle gets the series-ending win. PWI 500 2022 Top 128 Wrestlers Who is the best wrestler or 2022 ? 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. 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. In constant pursuit of a legendary legacy, Rollins constantly pushed pro wrestling to be at its best 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 . Travis Bagent. John Smith. Richest Wrestlers in the World in 2022. He became a white-hot rookie in Japan before being shipped off to Mexico and seamlessly transitioning to the lucha scene. 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. January 5 vs. Will Ospreay and August 18 vs. Will Ospreay. 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. This is a list of records held by wrestlers of professional sumo.Only performances in official tournaments or honbasho are included here. He takes a beating, he fights back, and on his best nights, hes able to win big matches. 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. 12. (JL). During MIyaharas reign, AJPW immediately saw an increase in business and produced many more great singles matches versus the two previous years, during which the company seemed hesitant to put the Triple Crown back on him while Jake Lee got his chance to run with the ball. Gary Goodridge. 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. 00:00. (AC), WrestleMania weekend is a dying concept after years of being beaten to death and abused. The genesis of perfection. The Golden Phoenix captivated audiences with her stunning aerial offense and fantastic run as the Wonder of STARDOM Champion. Hunter Noffz 8. Dax Harwood plays a vital role in FTR, but his singles work is also solid. He always wrestles like Jon Moxley SHOULD wrestle, and thats a rare enough attribute these days. (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. Michael Hitt 7. Apr 2, 2022; Arlington, TX, USA; Becky Lynch (black attire) and Bianca Belair (red/black attire) wrestle during the Raw Women's Championship match during WrestleMania at AT&T Stadium. 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. Incredibly, Slamovich worked for 48 different promotions in 2022. He should win the Triple Crown in 2023. 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. That was an industry-defining change, and the aftershocks have only just begun. 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. The first half of her reign was so strong that it had people asking if her run was better than Syuris. Top three matches of 2022: Forbidden Door vs. Orange Cassidy; G1 Climax vs. Kazuchika Okada; NJPW Burning Spirit vs. David Finlay. Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns has been ranked #1 on the annual PWI 500 list. 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. Most of his matches were excellent, even though he bled too much. July 18, 1990. by Andy H Murray. The Rey Mysterio-Dom Mysterio holiday videos are phenomenal. Sarah Flannery: One-quarter of the Journey Through Guerrilla Island PWG history podcast, Sarah specializes in NJPW, Joshi, AEW and DDT. Date of Birth. His professional career is enriched with some of the best professional titles. 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. Austin has won two World Wrestling Federation Intercontinental Championships, six World . 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. (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. Former professional wrestler Vince has made a name for himself in a variety of different fields. 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. Her haters are now in the mud. Maybe its because her look isnt what STARDOM has been going for lately. There is something for everyone in pro wrestling, and with 2022 as an indication, it is a great time to be a fan. Katsuyori Shibata fought several times. He is also the reigning AEW TNT Champion. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. (AC), Irie gets around. 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. He is a retired professional wrestler, television star, and actor. For whatever reason, MIRAI has gotten a baffling amount of derision since her jump from TJPW to STARDOM. Top three matches of 2022: Royal Rumble vs. Seth Rollins; SummerSlam vs. Brock Lesnar; Crown Jewel vs. Logan Paul. At first, he was a heel, but later turned face, around WrestleMania VIII (1992). 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. He did it in Impact Wrestling, where, in its current state, its near-impossible to generate buzz or attention. Platform (s): PlayStation, Nintendo 64, Dreamcast & Game Boy. (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. Please log in again. Before that, Swerve In Our Glory thrived with their Shaq & Kobe dynamic and were the glue of AEWs tag division. 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. Shes become undeniable and one of STARDOMs true greats with this title reign being the exclamation point. Now firmly entrenched in the fabric of pro wrestling, FTRs signature year in 2022 brought them to new heights. There is a certain mystique about Vikingo. 02:55:00. Top 10 Wealthiest/Richest Wrestlers And Their Networth In The World. His wrestling is also a violently gripping display. World Cup MBTI K-Pop LOL Influencer Food Anime Sports Gaming Crypto Entertainment Music Movies NSFW Leaderboards . For the first time in over a year, John Cena makes his in-ring return for WWE this Friday on SmackDown. 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. who wins Wrestler of the Year? Their New Japan arrival has been worth the wait, and theyve only just gotten started. Dave Chaffee. Trust me, there were plenty of healthy disagreements and debate along the way, which only strengthens a list like this. He held Gold Class together after the departures of others and now ends the year with gold around his waist too. Josh Alexander. 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