Elsewhere we were treated to a full 12 months of normal feeling wrestling, and it was certainly very welcome for fans. 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. 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. Ospreay looked like a star, which he undoubtedly is, and he also made Finlay look like a beast (which he is). Ospreay will continue to be tested on the mic in the coming year, but there is absolutely no doubt about his performance in the ring. (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? A rebrand in March almost had the former WALTER share some history that, to be kind, would have been super problematic. (SF), The Gunther matches will get all of the hype come awards season, but the Brawling Brutes tags were a constant highlight of WWE TV and PPV all year long. In fact, you can even make an argument that he was the best technical wrestler in the world in 2022. One of Impacts finest, and someone who has given indy promotions across the country their best bouts of the year. Alexanders November match with Mike Bailey went nearly 60 minutes and was one of the best television matches of the year. Her tag team and trios runs this year earned her a comfortable spot on the list while her singles work should have her among the elite come the end of 2023. Austin has won two World Wrestling Federation Intercontinental Championships, six World . 5. Best British Wrestlers in the world. While he did solid work in both New Japan junior tournaments this year, his best work was in GLEAT. (GDT), One step forward, one step back for the breakout British star? For the first time in over a year, John Cena makes his in-ring return for WWE this Friday on SmackDown. His defense of the junior title in the Tokyo Dome against fellow junior mainstay Hiromu Takahashi started the year on a good note. He is popularly known as The Beast Incarnate and was majorly marketed for his intimidating physique and ability to be dramatic. His wrestling is also a violently gripping display. Scott Edwards: One of the most passionate up-and-coming wrestling writers around. It was a legit MOTYC and a great example of how to put over a young up and coming talent. She capped off the year winning the World of Stardom Championship, as she goes into 2022 as the top wrestler in the promotion. Fortunately, though, All Elite Wrestling, Impact and New Japan Pro-Wrestling offer a great alternative for viewers who love the time-honored tradition. We predict the 10 best wrestlers in the world, 5 years in the future.For more awesome content, check out: http://whatculture.com/w. John Cena is the second on the list of the top 10 richest WWE Wrestlers in the whole world in 2022 with an average net worth of USD . Cody Rhodes believes he is the best wrestler in the world. Seth has undergone a subtle career-run with his string of matches against Cody . On a roster where the margin for error is so slim, Diamante represents the perfection that Dragongate preaches to their talent. Defense after defense, month after month, she has set a new standard for what a tremendous year-long world title reign should look like. Hes still waiting to go fishing with Egotistico Fantastico. Tootie Lynn. 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. But it is also the right one. (AC). This list is based on a wrestlers work in the ring, the attention their work generated, and overall impact. 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. Her skills, performance, and her attitude are pure beauty. Seth Rollins. Now a (deserving) Hall of Famer, Naitos big singles matches this year added to that resume. 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. Top three matches of 2022: Forbidden Door vs. Orange Cassidy; G1 Climax vs. Kazuchika Okada; NJPW Burning Spirit vs. David Finlay. History will regard 2022 as one of professional wrestling's most eventful years. He was a major part of the main event scene since the beginning of WCPW. Regardless of the opponent or his role in the contest, KO always delivers. With a drive to . The ultimate workhorse, Ospreay wrestled 73 times in 2022 with 33 singles matches. She is a throwback to a rougher Joshi style that we last got in the 1990s on any big stage. The Rey Mysterio-Dom Mysterio holiday videos are phenomenal. Amanda Rose Saccomanno. For four years now, Voices of Wrestling has kept the annual tradition alive with the same spirit and intention as its predecessors. 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. 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. 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. Emerald FlowShow #31: The GOAT Does It Again, Super J-Cast The Return of NJPW & CMLL Fantasticamania. Mandy Rose via Instagram. 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. Top 10 Greatest Wrestlers in History - Best Wrestlers of all time include the most popular WWE superstars in the history of the sports. (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. Ospreay kicked off his year on January 5 with an incredible Tokyo Dome main event against Kazuchika Okada and rounded out his record-breaking 2022 on the last RevPro show of the year against Tomohiro Ishii. 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. Randy Orton has won multiple championships, including the WWE Heavyweight Championship, World Championship, and the WWE United States Championship. Top three matches of 2022: Royal Rumble vs. Roman Reigns; WrestleMania Backlash vs. Cody Rhodes; Elimination Chamber vs. Matt Riddle. Expect him to be a name on this list every year going forward. The professional arm-wrestler has very strong muscles and a powerful arm that is enough to make the opponent down in competitions. The smoothest high-flier in history, Fenixs effortless gliding and maneuvering through the air makes the otherwise impossible look routine. (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. Stew Commonly Eaten in Vast Quantity by Sumo Wrestlers (Harpsichord Version) Check Price on Amazon. Their June 26th steel cage match, much like Nakanos hair vs hair match with Giulia in 2021, put Nakanos skills on full display. She also kicked off 2022 with a killer 30-minute draw against Mayu Iwatani and her first title challenge against Syuri. He did everything in the ring youd want for the promotions champion. Other standout performances include his GHC Title loss to forever-rival Kaito Kiyomiya, a February 11th victory over Go Shiozaki, and a thrilling GHC Tag Team championship challenge with Katsuhiko Nakajima against Takashi Sugiura and Satoshi Kojima. Lee South. Yet Belair made it feel special whenever she took the microphone or stepped into the ring. Like us on Facebook to see similar stories Please give an overall site rating . Born on March 24, 1965. (JL). The biggest obstacle in her way is just how big a star Rossy Ogawa and Bushiroad think she can be. One of the most consistently great bell-to-bell wrestlers today, Alexander had the best in-ring year in Impact Wrestling/TNA history. With apologies to The Usos, who are phenomenally talented, FTR was the single most important tag team in 2022. (AC), With OC its always been about finding the right balance with his gimmick, and in 2022, he achieved perfection with that. They include some of the world's best men's and women's wrestlers, organized alphabetically by country with notable accomplishments . Tuesday, April 19, 2022 at 1:45 PM by Babu Tendu Adrianna Simwa. WWE. (GDT). An impressive body of work is important, though this is more than a list of wrestlers with the most ****+ matches. Matches with Risa Sera, Utami Hayashishita, and both bouts with Giulia highlight what everyone should watch if they havent been watching. She stands out amongst various wrestlers while performing. Every time Vikingo wrestles is a roller coaster of emotions. Incredibly, Slamovich worked for 48 different promotions in 2022. 2022 was yet another excellent year from one of pro wrestlings best. By Tornad0 Ranking 20. He should win the Triple Crown in 2023. 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). But despite the aimless booking at times, Aoyagi continued to be a part of some strong tag matches. Top three matches of 2021: SmackDown vs. Roman Reigns; Dynamite "Grand Slam" vs. Kenny Omega; Dynamite "Winter is Coming" vs. "Hangman" Adam Page. Today, we assess its protagonists in a way tailored to WhatCulture's coverage. Though this appeared destined to go seven as soon as the dates and stipulations of all the matches were announced, it has been fun watching it all unfold. Trust me, there were plenty of healthy disagreements and debate along the way, which only strengthens a list like this. 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. Since then, shes taken more international bookings in Europe and North America, raising her stock globally. (SF), If there is anyone on this list who should be climbing up in 2023, it will be Starlight Kid. Chad is full of talents and he has the support of fans behind the scenes. Throughout their program, Rollins made you believe that Matt Riddle was a main event talent. Dylan - "There can not be a Top Joshi . She also played an integral role in elevating Iyo Sky and Dakota Kai once they arrived on the main roster this summer, and she has endless chemistry with Bayley. Roman Reigns, CM Punk, Jon Moxley, Bianca Belair, MJF. But if she is given the chance, she can be one, a very big one. Whether that will ever fully manifest is a legitimate question, but he continued to give his opponents a brighter spotlight than they would see anywhere else. The Most Compelling Voice In Wrestling Media. And it has brought a lot of great wrestling. Dax Harwood is teaming up with Matt Koon for a new podcast. Fujiwara had a rookie year that should be compared with the likes of Jun Akiyama and Kurt Angle. 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. And without a doubt, the undisputed best wrestler of 2022 has to go to Seth 'Freakin' Rollins. 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. A year spent in many places not normally on the wider radar, but a year that rarely disappointed when you sought him out. November 19, 2022. As recently as early 2021, he seemed to lag behind his Dojo classmates Hokuto Omori and Dan Tamura. Hes truly made a name for himself in AEW with impressive showcases against the likes of Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, and Eddie Kingston. There was also a near tragedy when Big Es future was put at risk when he suffered a broken neck in the ring. We hope you enjoy this breakdown of all 50 wrestlers (and some honorable mentions) with some short blurbs about each of their years. 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. 100-91. (CL), Another wrestler that continues the theme of confidence separating the wheat from the chaff in modern wrestling. His profile is full of national and international professional arm-wrestling titles. Consistency was given as much weight as ceilings and floors. Ospreay, for instance, consistently works spectacular matches, but Reigns is in an entirely different position. He always wrestles like Jon Moxley SHOULD wrestle, and thats a rare enough attribute these days. Date of Birth. Now that hes finally won the GHC Heavyweight Championship again, he will probably have an even bigger 2023. 6 Rising - Stardom. In addition to the indies, Wheeler worked highly captivating matches in AEW, New Japan, AAA, and Ring of Honor. Special whenever she took the microphone or stepped into the ring, the attention their generated... Minutes and was one of professional wrestling 's most eventful years Pro-Wrestling offer a great for... 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