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. Mandy Rose. 70-61. (IH), Another year where Mayu Iwatani deserves her flowers. WhatCulture is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. 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. 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. (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. Oh and check out her match against Miu Watanabe in the Tokyo Princess Cup. Glenn Thomas Jacobs, best known by his ring name Kane, is a politician, actor, and professional wrestler from the United States.He has served as the Mayor of Knox County, Tennessee, as a Republican since 2018, presently under contract with WWE. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). (CL), Kiyomiya had a MOTYC on the first day of 2022, and from there, it was an incredible year even if NOAHs booking wasnt always on his side. Now more than ever, there is endless reason for optimism. 10. There's no other way to put it. The man weighs around 300 pounds and he is here to stay. Harwood and Wheeler find a way to capture the essence of pro wrestling. (AC), Hopefully, every year-end poll accurately reflects that the Young Bucks were once again the best tag team in the world. Born on March 24, 1965. Session expired. For 12 months, Rollins has consistently wrestled the most compelling, convincing, and effective matches throughout all of pro wrestling. Of those 33 singles matches, 2828!currently have a 7+ rating on Cagematch.net. Consistently elevating your opponent was an element factored into this list, as were match quality and the stage on which it took place. Like all forms of entertainment, it is necessary that wrestling follows some sort of script. (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? Open the Voice Gate: Looking Ahead to Champion Gate, Rey De Parejas & More! Her skills, performance, and her attitude are pure beauty. One of the beauties of the list in previous years was being able to highlight names that a reader may not be aware of. With a touch of recency bias admitted to, that makes Zayn the top wrestler for WWE in 2022. Check Price on Amazon. Chances are if you watched Will Ospreay at any point in the year 2022, you saw a great match. Maybe its because her look isnt what STARDOM has been going for lately. Age in 2022: 72: Height: 6ft 1in: Weight: 106kg: Country: United States: Status: Retired in 2018: Birth Name: . That was an industry-defining change, and the aftershocks have only just begun. He takes a beating, he fights back, and on his best nights, hes able to win big matches. (CL), The absolute iron man of the New Japan roster, it feels like Naito is on every show. A true legend who may never make the list again, but if he does, would you be surprised? He accumulated his net worth thanks to his professional wrestling, podcasts, rock concerts. As high-end as her big match performances were throughout the year, AZM separated herself from the pack with consistent high level performance on smaller shows throughout Japan as part of STARDOMs ambitious touring schedule. In addition to the indies, Wheeler worked highly captivating matches in AEW, New Japan, AAA, and Ring of Honor. She is undoubtedly the best powerhouse in all of womens wrestling. Nor is her powerhouse style with technical elements, which isnt as flashy as others in STARDOM. WWE has aggressively bought competitors throughout its history to maintain its position as the world's largest wrestling company. 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). Scott Edwards: One of the most passionate up-and-coming wrestling writers around. 10. 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 . But despite the aimless booking at times, Aoyagi continued to be a part of some strong tag matches. Top three matches of 2022: Elimination Chamber match; WrestleMania 38 vs. Becky Lynch; Crown Jewel vs. Bayley. Every time Vikingo wrestles is a roller coaster of emotions. 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. Those two matches? (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. 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. He is popularly known as The Beast Incarnate and was majorly marketed for his intimidating physique and ability to be dramatic. 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. With one noteworthy exception, Will Ospreay wrestled the best matches of the year. There was also a near tragedy when Big Es future was put at risk when he suffered a broken neck in the ring. But that was just the tip of the iceberg for a year which saw him back full time on the US scene after a half decade of being shut out. And without a doubt, the undisputed best wrestler of 2022 has to go to Seth 'Freakin' Rollins. He should win the Triple Crown in 2023. 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. Your session has expired. 8. (AC), It could have gone so differently. Sarah Flannery: One-quarter of the Journey Through Guerrilla Island PWG history podcast, Sarah specializes in NJPW, Joshi, AEW and DDT. 2022 was yet another excellent year from one of pro wrestlings best. Expect him to be a name on this list every year going forward. (SE), Quite possibly the most confident and self-assured wrestler in the world, and with good reason. Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns has been ranked #1 on the annual PWI 500 list. Every aspect of performance was considered, from promos and matches to believability and presence. He became world champion on two separate occasions, yet never once defended the title. The Last Wrestlers: A Far Flung Journey In Search of a Manly Art. PWI 500 2022 Top 128 Wrestlers Who is the best wrestler or 2022 ? Once the company pulls the trigger on Reigns' betrayal of Sami, Zayn will be the most white-hot face in the business, bar none. 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. Rich Kraetsch: Co-host of the long-running Flagship Podcast on Voices of Wrestling, editor of VoicesofWrestling.com and one-half of FlagshipPatreon.com. Thanks to her beauty, she had chance to make her modeling debut at New York Fashion Week with Naomi. 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. Pro Wrestling Illustrated announced today that Reigns topped the 32nd annual list of the 500 best wrestlers in the world, based on criteria that includes win-loss record, titles . Consistency was given as much weight as ceilings and floors. Hulk Hogan, is one of the greatest wrestlers the world has ever seen. Top three matches of 2022: Forbidden Door vs. Orange Cassidy; G1 Climax vs. Kazuchika Okada; NJPW Burning Spirit vs. David Finlay. Some feel the Ospreay match is a sleeper Match of the Year contender, and while Im personally not quite that high on it, Harwood repeatedly showed that he could hang with the absolute best in the world in singles while also putting together a legendary tag team year with Hair. Strickland is great, and he wrestles like a guy who knows it. Incredibly, Slamovich worked for 48 different promotions in 2022. Let's take a look at the 10 best tag teams . He first came to the WWF in 1990 as Ted DiBiase's mystery partner at The Survivor Series (1990). Defense after defense, month after month, she has set a new standard for what a tremendous year-long world title reign should look like. Slamovichs matches are a violent sprint. 1. Known for his appearances in World Wrestling Network promotions, Allin is currently signed to AEW. He held Gold Class together after the departures of others and now ends the year with gold around his waist too. 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. Here are 25 international wrestling stars to watch this weekend. Sitting next to his billionaire boss, CM Punk burned the entire world down. Jon Moxley was the best AEW wrestler of 2022 for several reasons. Rich keeps an eye on the full world of wrestling with an emphasis on America and Japan. Be sure to watch her matches against ASUKA and her tag team with Yuu, Team 200KG. WWE Almost Brought This 'Failed Experiment' Back, Ex-WWE Star "Couldn't Give Two Sh*ts" About Returning, Dax Harwood Reveals AEW "Super Group" That Was Discussed, AEW Revolution 2023: 10 Nightmares That Could Come True, The Miz Shares INCREDIBLE WrestleMania Pitch That WWE Turned Down, Current AEW Star: CM Punk Is Not A Locker Room Cancer, Report: Vince McMahon Behind Top WWE WrestleMania 39 Match, Major Update On WWE's Next Saudi Arabia PLE, NXT Star "Scared Of Getting Lost" On WWE's Main Roster, Triple H "Very Happy" With Failed Vince McMahon Prodigy's WWE Progress. 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. No world champion was able to touch her greatness this year. 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. Gerard Di Trolio: Co-host of The Emerald Flowshow specializing in NOAH and All Japan. (CL), Another wrestler that continues the theme of confidence separating the wheat from the chaff in modern wrestling. The Undertaker" Mark Calaway (Net worth: 15.5 Million Euros) View this post on Instagram. Vikingos skills remained a cut above everyone else even in a time of amazing highflyers; it never felt safe to blink during his matches. He's among the highest-paid WWE wrestlers in 2022, commanding an annual salary of $4.5 million. 22 of them have an 8+ rating and 10 have a 9+ rating. 1. Gary Goodridge. (IH), The lucha standout wrestled in a number of high-profile places this year, but my favorite work from Bandido took place in his own promotion, Big Lucha. Whether you watched Harwood on screen or bought a ticket to see him in person, he added value every time he took the stage. Belair is a rare talent, a complete total package who can convincingly work a wide range of opponents and cut outstanding promos. For whatever reason, MIRAI has gotten a baffling amount of derision since her jump from TJPW to STARDOM. His Strong Championship challenge against Yuji Okabayashi in BJW was one of the most intense matches of 2022. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. (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. (AC), WrestleMania weekend is a dying concept after years of being beaten to death and abused. 10. 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. 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