(IH), Another year where Mayu Iwatani deserves her flowers. He has harnessed his gift at cutting promos, and he is currently one of the best in the world at the craft. 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. His All-Atlantic title win in a Dynamite main event was a really cool moment in AEWs year. Lynn's wrestling training began in 2017 and made her debut . Michael Hitt 7. (GDT), One step forward, one step back for the breakout British star? 9. 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. Top 10 Greatest Wrestlers in History - Best Wrestlers of all time include the most popular WWE superstars in the history of the sports. 2023 ABG-SI LLC. While this is always going to be a fun debate, most people within the wrestling community can agree that Omega and Okada had arguably . 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. 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 . Joe Lanza: The King Of Banter. This statement contains no hyperbole or exaggeration; you will not find any wrestler in history with the vast catalog of great matches that Ospreay produced in 2022. 10. (AC), Jay & Mark have now been having genuinely great tag team matches for 20 years. Nobody has ever given as much consistent effort in their matches as Ospreay did in 2022. by Andy H Murray. (AC), With OC its always been about finding the right balance with his gimmick, and in 2022, he achieved perfection with that. (SE), Quite possibly the most confident and self-assured wrestler in the world, and with good reason. 18. 60-51. The age-old adage of a tree falling in a forest but nobody being around to hear it applies to Alexanders 2022. Like all forms of entertainment, it is necessary that wrestling follows some sort of script. Big E is one of the strongest wrestlers of this ongoing era. (AC), Hopefully, every year-end poll accurately reflects that the Young Bucks were once again the best tag team in the world. (AC), It could have gone so differently. 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. All rights reserved. Sasha Banks. Your session has expired. Vince McMaho. The smoothest high-flier in history, Fenixs effortless gliding and maneuvering through the air makes the otherwise impossible look routine. (GDT), In addition to being one-half of the best tag team in the world and being one-fourth of the three best tag matches of the year, FTR Bald padded his resume with rock-solid singles matches against the likes of CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, Claudio Castagnoli, Cash Wheeler, and Will Ospreay. 22 of them have an 8+ rating and 10 have a 9+ rating. In 2022, there were no more questions. (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. 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. Gerard Di Trolio: Co-host of The Emerald Flowshow specializing in NOAH and All Japan. 70-61. Net Worth: $18 Million. He always wrestles like Jon Moxley SHOULD wrestle, and thats a rare enough attribute these days. Chances are if you watched Will Ospreay at any point in the year 2022, you saw a great match. Since 1958 six honbasho have been held every year, giving wrestlers from the modern era more opportunities to accumulate championships and wins. An element of Rollins transcendent 2022 was his ability to shine while putting others over. Of those 33 singles matches, 2828!currently have a 7+ rating on Cagematch.net. 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. (CL), The absolute iron man of the New Japan roster, it feels like Naito is on every show. Knows the Japanese scene inside out. Taking the mold War Zone presented just a . 1. Securing the top spot was Jon Moxley, who landed 3101 votes, Roman Reigns came in second with 2,216 votes and Will Ospreay came third with 1,591 votes. Josh Alexander. Once Kenny Omega returned to the picture, The Elite reestablished themselves as, for lack of a better term, an elite trio. 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. 55 Darby Allin. Kevin Palko 6. 2. Top three matches of 2022: ROH Supercard of Honor vs. Katsuyori Shibata fought several times. Belair is a rare talent, a complete total package who can convincingly work a wide range of opponents and cut outstanding promos. Since his release from WWE developmental in 2011, he has been a consistent name in the UK wrestling scene. Best AEW Women's Match of 2022: Toni Storm vs. Jamie Hayter, Full Gear. As far as wrestling games in the late nineties go, WWF Attitude is up there with the best. Brock Lesnar. Braun Strowman - $1.2 million WWE . She stands out amongst various wrestlers while performing. Jon Moxley was the best AEW wrestler of 2022 for several reasons. His work as both Brave Gate and Twin Gate Champion this year was superb. (JL), Youd be forgiven for forgetting that the diminutive mascot is only a year into his Dragongate career. His defense of the junior title in the Tokyo Dome against fellow junior mainstay Hiromu Takahashi started the year on a good note. He did everything in the ring youd want for the promotions champion. 10 women's wrestlers to look out for in 2022. Travis Bagent. The Leader Of The Hardcore Wrestling Intelligentsia. Top three matches of 2022: Forbidden Door vs. Orange Cassidy; G1 Climax vs. Kazuchika Okada; NJPW Burning Spirit vs. David Finlay. Will Ospreays 2022 is the most outstanding individual year for any pro wrestler in history. 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. Consistently elevating your opponent was an element factored into this list, as were match quality and the stage on which it took place. Trust me, there were plenty of healthy disagreements and debate along the way, which only strengthens a list like this. His flying looks smooth and effortless. (AC). She is undoubtedly the best powerhouse in all of womens wrestling. 2022 also saw Knight debut for PROGRESS and win the Natural PROGRESSion Series tournament in November. He signed and joined the World Wrestling Federation in 1983. Fortunately, it appears he will make a full recovery. For the first time in over a year, John Cena makes his in-ring return for WWE this Friday on SmackDown. 40-31. The Golden Phoenix captivated audiences with her stunning aerial offense and fantastic run as the Wonder of STARDOM Champion. WhatCulture is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. 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. Punks performance at the press conference following All Out was an incredible sequel to his podcast interview with Colt Cabana in 2014 where he set the industry aflame. In September, he became the promotions first champion by defeating Flamita in one of the best world title matches of the year. . Her haters are now in the mud. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. 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. 12. Top three matches of 2022: Revolution vs. Bryan Danielson; Forbidden Door vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi; Full Gear vs. CM Punk. The 2022 PWI Top 500 Wrestlers is a list of the Top 500 wrestlers according to the magazine Pro Wrestling Illustrated. Brock Lesnar. Nonetheless, I cannot envision a scenario where Nakamura does not walk away victorious. Mandy Rose via Instagram. Masha Slamovich wrestles for Impact, but she is also an integral piece of the indies. No world champion was able to touch her greatness this year. Open The Voice Gate - Looking ahead to Champion Gate, Rey de Parejas and More! Their New Japan arrival has been worth the wait, and theyve only just gotten started. Those two matches? By Tornad0 Ranking 20. There is also a must-see match at AAAs Noche de Campeones, which also takes place later tonight. Dwayne Johnson (The Rock) is the richest WWE wrestler in 2022, with an approximate net worth of $381 million. In every emergency, Jon Moxley was there, and he delivered. Putting Roman Reigns fourth on this list, especially ahead of Will Ospreay, was the single hardest decision in the top 10. The 2018 World Wrestling Championship will be held in Budapest, Hungary from October 22 - 28. Jericho has won 30 championships in the WWE, ECW, and WCW. Ospreay stood alone and was the clear and obvious choice for the best wrestler of 2022. (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. Fortunately, though, All Elite Wrestling, Impact and New Japan Pro-Wrestling offer a great alternative for viewers who love the time-honored tradition. 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. 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. 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. To paraphrase Voltaire, if Jon Moxley did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him. Beating Shingo for the IWGP World title on the first night of WrestleKingdom suggested thatd be the case, while incredible defenses over Will Ospreay, Zack Sabre Jr., and perennial rival Tetsuya Naito teased us into thinking that itd be a straightforward year of Okada dominanceuntil Jay White shockingly dethroned him at Dominion. 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. Check Price on Amazon. And thats a real shame as Alexander did everything in his power to scream from the mountaintop and get eyeballs on the product. Similar to prior years, one spot was reserved exclusively for a talent primarily working the indies. Before this, tournaments were held less frequently; sometimes only once or twice per year. The Last Wrestlers: A Far Flung Journey In Search of a Manly Art. 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. Alexander is one of the best wrestlers in the world; people just need to pay attention. He became world champion on two separate occasions, yet never once defended the title. A natural pro wrestler who has taken what could have been a career-killer gimmick and made it special. Since then, shes taken more international bookings in Europe and North America, raising her stock globally. The goal of the list is to be as well-informed and wide-ranging as possible. Then, on New Years Day, Shinsuke Nakamura steps outside the walls of WWE to wrestle at NOAHs The New Year against the Great Muta. Victory for Moxley comes as a reward for what was arguably the best . We predict the 10 best wrestlers in the world, 5 years in the future.For more awesome content, check out: http://whatculture.com/w. In addition, she became the SmackDown Women's Champion at Wrestlemania 37. The United States of America, Iran, Turkey, Hungary, and Sweden have also have made it to the top ten bagging 237, 172, 172, 123 and 116 medals respectively. (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. The Villain makes for compelling entertainment just . He became a white-hot rookie in Japan before being shipped off to Mexico and seamlessly transitioning to the lucha scene. Tag team of the year: The Usos - 50% The Usos established themselves as the best duo in all of wrestling in 2022. (JL), 2022 marks a big change to the FSM 50 as its the first year without The Ace. Alexanders November match with Mike Bailey went nearly 60 minutes and was one of the best television matches of the year. Dax Harwood plays a vital role in FTR, but his singles work is also solid. (AC). 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. Harwood and Wheeler find a way to capture the essence of pro wrestling. 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This site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of use and Privacy Policy have now been having genuinely great team. Vs. Orange Cassidy ; G1 Climax vs. Kazuchika Okada ; NJPW Burning Spirit vs. David Finlay best wrestlers of ongoing... Taken what could have gone so differently very different roster from what he expected. On two separate occasions, yet never once defended the title through air! Been having genuinely great tag team matches for 20 years a Full recovery an Elite trio Dragongate career separate,. Youd be forgiven for forgetting that the diminutive mascot is only a year, John Cena makes his return! The essence of pro wrestling Illustrated s Champion at Wrestlemania 37 honbasho have been a consistent name the! He signed and joined the world ; people just need to pay attention # x27 ; s Champion Wrestlemania... Great match with Mike Bailey went nearly 60 minutes and was one of the best television matches of 2022 Revolution! 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