. 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. A rebrand in March almost had the former WALTER share some history that, to be kind, would have been super problematic. Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns has been ranked #1 on the annual PWI 500 list. 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. In fact, you can even make an argument that he was the best technical wrestler in the world in 2022. 2022 was good for Giulia, but 2023 will be special for the Donna del Mondo leader. Instead of a litany of matches against the industrys top stars, Hart wrestled a very different roster from what he initially expected. Putting Roman Reigns fourth on this list, especially ahead of Will Ospreay, was the single hardest decision in the top 10. Ospreay, for instance, consistently works spectacular matches, but Reigns is in an entirely different position. The STARDOM Icon had yet another impressive year, with the ultimate highlight being her loss in the main event of Historic X-Over against KAIRI for the vacant IWGP Womens Championship. Their New Japan arrival has been worth the wait, and theyve only just gotten started. Dave Chaffee is the next strong man on the list of best arm-wrestlers. Best AEW Women's Match of 2022: Toni Storm vs. Jamie Hayter, Full Gear. Shes become undeniable and one of STARDOMs true greats with this title reign being the exclamation point. Those two matches? Co-host of the Adam & Mike Big Audio Nightmare and [emailprotected] podcasts. Fortunately, though, All Elite Wrestling, Impact and New Japan Pro-Wrestling offer a great alternative for viewers who love the time-honored tradition. Abdulrashid Sadulaev. My personal favorite match from 2022 was his Burning Spirit encounter in New Japan against David Finlay. Considering hes one of the heartbeats of the promotion its easy to do so. Adam Summers: Bringing nearly 20 years of wrestling writing and podcasting experience to the table. Richest Wrestlers in the World in 2022. Emerald FlowShow #31: The GOAT Does It Again, Super J-Cast The Return of NJPW & CMLL Fantasticamania. The Most Compelling Voice In Wrestling Media. There is an incredible amount to like about this week in wrestling. Best known as "The Undertaker" from World Wrestling Entertainment. (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. American professional wrestler, promoter, and actor Cody Rhodes has been ranked 11th in the PWI 2020 Top 500 professional wrestlers in the world. 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. 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. (AC), The Seth Rollins series was arguably the best overall work of Codys career, but dont forget the January ladder match against Sammy Guevara. His piece in the trilogy against Mark and Jay Briscoe this year made ROH feel relevant again, and not merely an extension of AEW. The Slovakian female arm wrestler was one of the best in the just concluded 43rd World Armwrestling championships. Let's take a look at the 10 best tag teams . (JL), One of the only good things about the US indie scene this year was that they helped shine a spotlight on Komander. Stew Commonly Eaten in Vast Quantity by Sumo Wrestlers (Harpsichord Version) Check Price on Amazon. The problem? He is one of the most brilliant performers in the world, and he is shining a bright light on the art of lucha libre. There is also a must-see match at AAAs Noche de Campeones, which also takes place later tonight. Another earth-shattering saga was the rise and fall of CM Punk in AEW. The 2018 World Wrestling Championship will be held in Budapest, Hungary from October 22 - 28. But without looking too far ahead, it will be fun to see Cena back in a WWE ring. 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. Sadly, he was pretty much on the shelf from June on, wrestling just eight total matches in the second half of the year. 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. With one noteworthy exception, Will Ospreay wrestled the best matches of the year. 10. He began his professional wrestling career in 1992 on the independent circuit, competing in organizations like Smoky Mountain Wrestling and the United . November 19, 2022. The company which was founded 3 years ago has seen a lot of growth this year, especially after the purchase of beloved indie wrestling promotion Ring of Honor, and of course all the drama that came after the company's All Out pay . January 5 vs. Will Ospreay and August 18 vs. Will Ospreay. 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. 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. (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. (IH). All Top Ten Lists Miscellaneous Pro Wrestling Top 10 Best AEW Wrestlers of 2022 2022 was one wild year for professional wrestling, especially in All Elite Wrestling. Be sure to watch her matches against ASUKA and her tag team with Yuu, Team 200KG. (CL), The absolute iron man of the New Japan roster, it feels like Naito is on every show. Her ability to think on her feet and adapt, saving sequences and matches from otherwise falling apart, is also very impressive, even moreso given that she is a seven-year veteran at just 20 years old. Check Price on Amazon. He is one of the best and greatest arm wrestlers in history. 2023 ABG-SI LLC. Amanda Rose Saccomanno. This list is based on a wrestlers work in the ring, the attention their work generated, and overall impact. July 18, 1990. (AC), With OC its always been about finding the right balance with his gimmick, and in 2022, he achieved perfection with that. We hope you enjoy this breakdown of all 50 wrestlers (and some honorable mentions) with some short blurbs about each of their years. WWE. Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. Even if you took away every match Ishii wrestled in Japan in 2022, hed still easily be a Top 50 worldwide wrestler based on his AEW, Impact, and U.S.-based New Japan work alone. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. (SE), Quite possibly the most confident and self-assured wrestler in the world, and with good reason. (GDT), One step forward, one step back for the breakout British star? (JL), For many years, Higuchi flew under the radar in DDT, all whilst consistently delivering good performances, be it as part of Eruption or as a solo. (RK), Vikingo became the AAA Mega Champion in 2021 because AAA had no real alternatives, and spent 2022 proving he was the best option. It gets tougher each year to find the positives, but there was a glaring one in 2022 Speedball engaging in a hugely impressive tour de force. The WWE's CEO and majority owner, Vince McMahon, has total authority over the top position. MJF was the best AEW wrestler in terms of mic work and character work, but he . His work as both Brave Gate and Twin Gate Champion this year was superb. More than that, Ospreay accomplished this against a variety of opponents spread across several companies and countries. She also kicked off 2022 with a killer 30-minute draw against Mayu Iwatani and her first title challenge against Syuri. The English pro wrestler born as Zack Sabre Jr, is currently signed to NJPW and one-half of the IWGP Tag Team Champions alongside fellow Suzuki-gun stablemate Taichi. One of the beauties of the list in previous years was being able to highlight names that a reader may not be aware of. But if you were around he did make a sound. FTR was also closely aligned with CM Punk, which led to some great content that, unfortunately, ended far too early. Roman Reigns has faced and defeated the greatest since winning the title by defeating Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman. Yet Belair made it feel special whenever she took the microphone or stepped into the ring. The goal of the list is to be as well-informed and wide-ranging as possible. His All-Atlantic title win in a Dynamite main event was a really cool moment in AEWs year. 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. Yamashita has also been a part of some great tag matches with partner Maki Itoh as 121000000. His singles matches earlier in the year against Dax Harwood, Hangman Page, and Dustin Rhodes were high-level. Trust me, there were plenty of healthy disagreements and debate along the way, which only strengthens a list like this. 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. (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. 8. Honorable mention: Kazuchika Okada; Chris Jericho; Saya Kamitani; Gunther; Mandy Rose; Josh Alexander; Mike Bailey; Jimmy Uso; Jey Uso; Penta El Zero Miedo. Alexander is one of the best wrestlers in the world; people just need to pay attention. Posted by Alan4L | Jan 9, 2023 | The FSM 50. 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. He did everything in the ring youd want for the promotions champion. That's why it is considered that it is high time to strike while the iron is hot. 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. 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. 100-91. At first, he was a heel, but later turned face, . He is also the reigning AEW TNT Champion. However, with the new regime behind him and a new slimmed-down frame, Gunther produced his typical great in-ring, highlighted by the violent Clash at the Castle win over Sheamus. 18. (AS), In his first year without a mask, Dragon Dia has become Dragongates next great white-meat babyface. Bryan Danielson put together one of . 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. 248 Super J-Cast The Return of Fantasticamania. (AC), Jay & Mark have now been having genuinely great tag team matches for 20 years. They are routinely the most entertaining wrestlers on American TV, and no one delivers in a big match better than they do. Unfortunately, 2022 is yet another year that feels the effect of the pandemic. I have been a vocal supporter of Lindaman since his first match, and 2022 was, without a doubt, the best year of his career. 2. Bruce Baumgartner. 10. His 30-minute draw with Hideki Suzuki on August 19th as part of the N-1 Victory tournament was one of the most unique and thrilling singles matches of 2022. The genesis of perfection. 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. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. That star power placed him on this list. She is a throwback to a rougher Joshi style that we last got in the 1990s on any big stage. 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. Maybe its because her look isnt what STARDOM has been going for lately. Taking the mold War Zone presented just a . Buvaisar Saitiev. The ultimate workhorse, Ospreay wrestled 73 times in 2022 with 33 singles matches. I know its tempting to skip straight to the list, but there are some sneaky match recommendations and other pearls of wisdom youll miss out on, so do so at your peril! December 4th, 2022. Roman Gromov 2. Fortunately, it appears he will make a full recovery. While she did not work an abundance of matches this year, her overall impact secured this spot. Cody Rhodes believes he is the best wrestler in the world. The beauties of the pandemic matches of the promotion its easy to do so Adam & Mike Audio! Later tonight, in his first year without a mask, Dragon Dia has become Dragongates next great white-meat.! Work and character work, but Reigns is in an entirely different position on. Best tag teams known as & quot ; the Undertaker & quot ; from world Wrestling Championship will be for... 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