Im still holding out hope that someone from Death Triangle gets the series-ending win. Every time Vikingo wrestles is a roller coaster of emotions. (GDT), Diamante is far more than a nice little wrestler. The best base in the world has transformed into an elite talent who Dragongate trusts with their greenest wrestlers. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two. This is a list of records held by wrestlers of professional sumo.Only performances in official tournaments or honbasho are included here. Perhaps most sensational was the manner in which Rollins made people believe that, no matter when or where they wrestle, he has Roman Reigns number. New Japans 50th anniversary was built around Okada. (SF), If there is anyone on this list who should be climbing up in 2023, it will be Starlight Kid. 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. 2. Those two matches? Dylan - "There can not be a Top Joshi . Former professional wrestler Vince has made a name for himself in a variety of different fields. 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. That fits perfectly with his character, which marinated to perfection in 2022, culminating in his full heel turn on partner Keith Lee. 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. Owens has worked the majority of his house show matches over the last month, and a tag team title bout against The Usos at WrestleMania 39 would make a lot of sense. He is a retired professional wrestler, television star, and actor. Despy always delivers. Roman Reigns, CM Punk, Jon Moxley, Bianca Belair, MJF. (AC), The Seth Rollins series was arguably the best overall work of Codys career, but dont forget the January ladder match against Sammy Guevara. Who Is The Best Wrestler In The World In 2022? That's why it is considered that it is high time to strike while the iron is hot. Hes been a phenomenal major league champion. To say that Bailey has made up for lost time would be an understatement. Thanks to her beauty, she had chance to make her modeling debut at New York Fashion Week with Naomi. He is popularly known as The Beast Incarnate and was majorly marketed for his intimidating physique and ability to be dramatic. (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? The highlight of his year happened outside the walls of NJPW, at the aptly named TAKATaichiDespeMania (TAKA Michinoku 30th Anniversary show), against Jun Kasai in a wild affair that made you clamor to see more of that style from Desperado. 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. However, she has proven to be a dependable workhorse and was one of the most unexpected highlights of STARDOM in 2022 including winning the Cinderella Tournament. Since then, shes taken more international bookings in Europe and North America, raising her stock globally. Who else in history has had such a prolifically great year? Bryan Danielson put together one of . 1. That star power placed him on this list. 9. Expect him to be a name on this list every year going forward. 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. The American wrestler, Sasha Banks, is one of the most decorated top female wrestlers. In every emergency, Jon Moxley was there, and he delivered. The Villain Marty Scurll. (JL), Youd be forgiven for forgetting that the diminutive mascot is only a year into his Dragongate career. Now more than ever, there is endless reason for optimism. Your session has expired. 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. Whether its a Brave Gate challenge against Dragon Dia, a Korakuen singles bout with Diamante or even mixing it up with Microman, Takuma tackles every new challenge with enthusiasm and confidence. Rich Kraetsch: Co-host of the long-running Flagship Podcast on Voices of Wrestling, editor of VoicesofWrestling.com and one-half of FlagshipPatreon.com. Firstly, he worked hard all year to entertain the fans, even when he was out of contract, because the company needed him. Every single time Vikingo steps into a wrestling ring is an event, and this will certainly be appointment viewing, and Bandido is another multi-talented performer. That was the case in their tag bout against the Rock n Roll Express earlier this year for Big Time Wrestlings show in Spartanburg, South Carolina, when they had Bret Hart in their corner in Webster, Massachusetts against Brian Pillman Jr. and Brock Anderson (who had Arn Anderson in their corner), as well as their six-man tag last month with Ricky Steamboat. This dude ruled the world of WWE, having had a successful career in different sports such as martial arts, football, and professional wrestling. Alexanders November match with Mike Bailey went nearly 60 minutes and was one of the best television matches of the year. In September, he became the promotions first champion by defeating Flamita in one of the best world title matches of the year. 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. Abdulrashid Sadulaev. Similar to prior years, one spot was reserved exclusively for a talent primarily working the indies. 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. The WWE's CEO and majority owner, Vince McMahon, has total authority over the top position. Aleksandr Medved. He became world champion on two separate occasions, yet never once defended the title. Nor is her powerhouse style with technical elements, which isnt as flashy as others in STARDOM. 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. Writer/Editor of the Three Count Fall newsletter. 10. Being honest, he has every right to be in there, and weve done him dirty, no question. Below are biographies of the final 10 wrestlers in the countdown with information about their careers and why they made the list. Instead of a litany of matches against the industrys top stars, Hart wrestled a very different roster from what he initially expected. The Iwate-born prodigy had barely wrestled ten matches when last years list came out. Please log in again. 30. The match will co-main event the show, along with what has the potential to be a superb Kaito Kiyomiya-Kenoh GHC heavyweight championship bout, at Tokyos historic Nippon Budokan venue. Knows the Japanese scene inside out. Consistently elevating your opponent was an element factored into this list, as were match quality and the stage on which it took place. Top three matches of 2022: Royal Rumble vs. Roman Reigns; WrestleMania Backlash vs. Cody Rhodes; Elimination Chamber vs. Matt Riddle. While he did solid work in both New Japan junior tournaments this year, his best work was in GLEAT. Date of Birth. His All-Atlantic title win in a Dynamite main event was a really cool moment in AEWs year. 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. This year, without the title, Skywalker turned into a deranged psychopath who blended interesting character work with top-level matches better than anyone in the world. Sitting next to his billionaire boss, CM Punk burned the entire world down. Throughout their program, Rollins made you believe that Matt Riddle was a main event talent. Yamashita has also been a part of some great tag matches with partner Maki Itoh as 121000000. His work as both Brave Gate and Twin Gate Champion this year was superb. The best female arm wrestler in the world in 2022 was Barbora Bajciova. 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. Ospreay has a perfect home in New Japan, a product entirely built around its wrestling. One of Impacts finest, and someone who has given indy promotions across the country their best bouts of the year. John Smith. December 4th, 2022. Stick around, however, for a list of honourable mentions that should plug any major gaps and cover notable omissions. When smashing one aspect of the wrestling business just isn't enough. Also heard and read on FlagshipPatreon.com. 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. (AC), Irie gets around. Her matches with Jordynne Grace this year were absurdly compelling, with both using it as a chance to show the world their talent. 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. He has recorded 41 wins and just three losses and became AEW World Champion twice. Cody Rhodes believes he is the best wrestler in the world. 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. (RK), The breakout star of the year for CMLL had a great summer run capped off by a thrilling mask vs mask match victory over Stuka Jr, which was one of the must-watch matches of 2022. PWI 500 2022 Top 128 Wrestlers Who is the best wrestler or 2022 ? Before that, Swerve In Our Glory thrived with their Shaq & Kobe dynamic and were the glue of AEWs tag division. Ian Hamilton: Writer for 411Mania and BackBodyDrop.com and an expert in European wrestling to complement a well-rounded knowledge of the wrestling world. She stands out amongst various wrestlers while performing. Her hard-hitting style was on full display in 2022 when she stepped into STARDOM, making many take notice of how talented she was. 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. An element of Rollins transcendent 2022 was his ability to shine while putting others over. The Slovakian female arm wrestler was one of the best in the just concluded 43rd World Armwrestling championships. 55 Darby Allin. A couple examples of his best work from throughout the year are the Wheeler Yuta match on Rampage and the Windy City Riot match against Will Ospreay. The one spot reserved exclusively for an indie talent belongs to someone who earned a place outright. 2023 is shaping up to be his biggest year since 2019. He accumulated his net worth thanks to his professional wrestling, podcasts, rock concerts. His professional career is enriched with some of the best professional titles. He always wrestles like Jon Moxley SHOULD wrestle, and thats a rare enough attribute these days. Josh Alexander should be a lot higher on this list. The one spot reserved exclusively for . 70-61. Slamovichs work even caught the attention of industry standard-setter PWG, who will have her part of their famed Battle of Los Angeles tournament in January. Unfortunately, 2022 is yet another year that feels the effect of the pandemic. Weve reached a point where its probably time we start thinking about whether Sheamus is arguably the best WWE television wrestler of all time. While overshadowed by what followed in the immediate aftermath, Punks AEW Championship victory over Jon Moxley at ALL OUT shouldnt be forgotten as one of the great matches of 2022. There is a certain mystique about Vikingo. Best British Wrestlers in the world. Fans of British Wrestling over the past 10 years will know the name Rampage Brown. World Cup MBTI K-Pop LOL Influencer Food Anime Sports Gaming Crypto Entertainment Music Movies NSFW Leaderboards . 80-71. 9. She is a throwback to a rougher Joshi style that we last got in the 1990s on any big stage. 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. Nakanos Meltear duo with Natsupoi is one of wrestlings biggest success stories, seeing the two main event shows also beginning to break into the mainstream. In addition to the indies, Wheeler worked highly captivating matches in AEW, New Japan, AAA, and Ring of Honor. Kevin Owens. Gary Goodridge. (SE), Dragongates new top man has hit a home run every time hes stepped up to the plate this year. The professional arm-wrestler has very strong muscles and a powerful arm that is enough to make the opponent down in competitions. . Koon did excellent work on his last show with William Regal, which ended with Regal returning to WWE, but this is another great chance to be entertained and learn from one of the best in the business. But the beauty of this art form is that the script is occasionally forced to change when a new performer connects so intimately with the audience. Marty Scurll is one of those rarities; a technical wrestler who also has a well-developed gimmick and persona. Bianca Belair hoisted the womens division on her shoulders in 2022. (IH), Another year where Mayu Iwatani deserves her flowers. 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. 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. He made a loud and resounding sound in 2022. Fenix continues to be one of the most underrated great wrestlers in the world. Be sure to watch her matches against ASUKA and her tag team with Yuu, Team 200KG. In fact, you can even make an argument that he was the best technical wrestler in the world in 2022. Check Price on Amazon. Solely because of the nature of the business, which is constantly moving on to the next match and next show, Moxley does not receive nearly enough credit for the way he helped set up MJF to succeed as champ. In 2022, there were no more questions. Top three matches of 2022: Royal Rumble vs. Seth Rollins; SummerSlam vs. Brock Lesnar; Crown Jewel vs. Logan Paul. Big E is one of the strongest wrestlers of this ongoing era. 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. Nobody has ever given as much consistent effort in their matches as Ospreay did in 2022. 10 women's wrestlers to look out for in 2022. Many fans predict that 2022 will become a breakout year for one of the best WWE wrestlers. 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. Lee South. Check Price on Amazon. (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. WhatCulture is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Chuck in one of the grittiest AEW title matches of the year against Mox at Quake By The Lake, and you have the answer to the question that opened this blurb. Strickland is great, and he wrestles like a guy who knows it. Team with Yuu, team 200KG Sports Gaming Crypto Entertainment Music Movies NSFW Leaderboards thinking about whether Sheamus is the! Title win in a Dynamite main event was a main event talent enriched with of. 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