CM Punks 2022 will always be more about what he did outside of the ring, with the fallout and ripple effects of the aptly named Brawl Out likely permeating wrestling discourse for years to come. Stick around, however, for a list of honourable mentions that should plug any major gaps and cover notable omissions. A natural in every aspect of being a pro wrestler, Hayters performances won her a groundswell of support from fans this year. With a drive to . To say that Bailey has made up for lost time would be an understatement. 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. 11. Consistently elevating your opponent was an element factored into this list, as were match quality and the stage on which it took place. 8. Jericho has won 30 championships in the WWE, ECW, and WCW. Of those 33 singles matches, 2828!currently have a 7+ rating on Cagematch.net. Ivan Yarygin. They are routinely the most entertaining wrestlers on American TV, and no one delivers in a big match better than they do. Also, Dwayne Johnson is an actor who is ranked by Forbes in the list of the highest-paid actors in 2022. 6. 4. She won the 2021 Royal Rumble match and became the first-ever black superstar to hold the title in WWE. 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. Then, on New Years Day, Shinsuke Nakamura steps outside the walls of WWE to wrestle at NOAHs The New Year against the Great Muta. Feb. 2023 1 Bryan Danielson + More Championship Rate (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. She works best as a heel, and when she is motivated, you can expect a human highlight reel of moves. Being honest, he has every right to be in there, and weve done him dirty, no question. Her skills, performance, and her attitude are pure beauty. Fujiwara had a rookie year that should be compared with the likes of Jun Akiyama and Kurt Angle. A rebrand in March almost had the former WALTER share some history that, to be kind, would have been super problematic. Joe keeps his tabs on everything and often provides a balanced voice to our rankings. Today, we assess its protagonists in a way tailored to WhatCulture's coverage. Seth has undergone a subtle career-run with his string of matches against Cody . His time in AEW has elevated his profile and toolbox massively, proving he can deliver in long main event epics back home as a main eventer in DDT or in 10-minute edge-of-the-seat U.S. TV sprints. His new high-flying style has been helped by a new look and increased charisma. (AC), It could have gone so differently. Last weeks Jamie Hayter-Hikaru Shida bout was hard-hitting, violent, and an incredible display of the craft. For better and worse, this past year was unforgettable. The PS 50 produced every year by Power Slam Magazine was the trendsetter for what became Fighting Spirit Magazines FSM 50. Its up for debate but one thing that isnt is that Kamitani belongs on this list and your watchlist heading into 2023. 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. 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. Travis Bagent is a well-known name in the arm wrestling world. Ospreay, for instance, consistently works spectacular matches, but Reigns is in an entirely different position. Sarah Flannery: One-quarter of the Journey Through Guerrilla Island PWG history podcast, Sarah specializes in NJPW, Joshi, AEW and DDT. She delivered breathtaking moments at WrestleMania and SummerSlam against Lynch, and there was genuine uncertainty as to whether she was going over against Bliss at the end of Elimination Chamber. Session expired. 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. His piece in the trilogy against Mark and Jay Briscoe this year made ROH feel relevant again, and not merely an extension of AEW. 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. Knows the Japanese scene inside out. 50-41. At first, he was a heel, but later turned face, around WrestleMania VIII (1992). Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns has been ranked #1 on the annual PWI 500 list. (AS), Starting the year by dropping the PWA tag titles to the VeloCities, Dunkzilla Mark Davis and Kyle Fletcher went nomadic, wrestling all over the globe. Despy always delivers. He is one of the best and greatest arm wrestlers in history. Roman Reigns, CM Punk, Jon Moxley, Bianca Belair, MJF. 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! 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. He ended the year by winning the Jr. Battle of Glory tournament as the Jr. champion and looks to continue his dominance of the division in 2023. His profile is full of national and international professional arm-wrestling titles. 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. Joshi fans will argue that Stardom and Sendai Girls are on par, having the two best women's wrestling promotions in Japan. Sadly, he rarely, if ever, is. Zayn, of course, would make perfect sense for a partner, and that would be an emotionally-charged match. A hard-hitting match specialist and a survivor, Owens is capable of taking the most devastating blows because he can tolerate more harm than anybody else. 9. He became a white-hot rookie in Japan before being shipped off to Mexico and seamlessly transitioning to the lucha scene. He did everything in the ring youd want for the promotions champion. (AC), Jay & Mark have now been having genuinely great tag team matches for 20 years. 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. Top 10 WWE Wrestlers Who Died in 2022 || WWE Superstars Deaths 2022#WWE #Wrestlers#Top10#WWESuperstars#Superstars#WWEWrestlers #.Matilda The Hun Died: Janua. He is a retired professional wrestler, television star, and actor. (GDT). Top 10 Greatest Wrestlers in History - Best Wrestlers of all time include the most popular WWE superstars in the history of the sports. Rhodes returned to the WWE during night one of WrestleMania 38 after a six year absence. (GDT), One step forward, one step back for the breakout British star? 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. If you prefer some of the more established stars from prior generations, there is ECW icon Bubba Dudleywho did a marvelous job rebranding himself as Bully Rayback in Impact Wrestling, cutting his distinct brand of promos and further elevating Josh Alexander. 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 Briscoes; Dynamite vs. Dax Harwood; Dynamite vs. Will Ospreay. Top three matches of 2022: ROH Supercard of Honor vs. Chad is full of talents and he has the support of fans behind the scenes. 7 Hulk Hogan. The Iwate-born prodigy had barely wrestled ten matches when last years list came out. Dax Harwood plays a vital role in FTR, but his singles work is also solid. As far as wrestling games in the late nineties go, WWF Attitude is up there with the best. Now a (deserving) Hall of Famer, Naitos big singles matches this year added to that resume. Mandy Rose. Bruce Baumgartner. 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. Their tag title win against ASUKA and MAO is worth the watch. Lynn's wrestling training began in 2017 and made her debut . Expect him to be a name on this list every year going forward. One of the most consistently great bell-to-bell wrestlers today, Alexander had the best in-ring year in Impact Wrestling/TNA history. But despite the aimless booking at times, Aoyagi continued to be a part of some strong tag matches. Those two matches? Her haters are now in the mud. Her matches with Jordynne Grace this year were absurdly compelling, with both using it as a chance to show the world their talent. An element of Rollins transcendent 2022 was his ability to shine while putting others over. Fortunately, it appears he will make a full recovery. (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. Fenix continues to be one of the most underrated great wrestlers in the world. Check Price on Amazon. And it has brought a lot of great wrestling. 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. STARDOMs most popular wrestler is on her way to being one of the very best in the world, as her matches with Giulia and Mayu Iwatani showcased in the 5STAR Grand Prix. Brock Lesnar. Open The Voice Gate - Looking ahead to Champion Gate, Rey de Parejas and More! Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. 23. The one spot reserved exclusively for an indie talent belongs to someone who earned a place outright. Kaori Icho. Chris Jericho is a Canadian-American professional wrestler and musician who is best known for his appearances in WWE between 1999 and 2018. While this is always going to be a fun debate, most people within the wrestling community can agree that Omega and Okada had arguably . Hes still waiting to go fishing with Egotistico Fantastico. Who Is The Best Wrestler In The World In 2022? Consistency was given as much weight as ceilings and floors. He is widely regarded as one of the best wrestlers in the world today with an annually salary of $1 million. But without looking too far ahead, it will be fun to see Cena back in a WWE ring. They are the best to ever do it. (IH). He first came to the WWF in 1990 as Ted DiBiase's mystery partner at The Survivor Series (1990). At first, he was a heel, but later turned face, . 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 Golden Phoenix captivated audiences with her stunning aerial offense and fantastic run as the Wonder of STARDOM Champion. 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. Your session has expired. Also whilst stateside he was one of the stars of the U.S. indie circuit, with his match against Lee Moriarty at Prestige Wrestling a must-watch, as was his battle for the PWG title against Daniel Garcia. In addition to that sublime set of matches, his promos and evolved character work brought him to a whole new level of greatness. (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. 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. 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. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY . The smoothest high-flier in history, Fenixs effortless gliding and maneuvering through the air makes the otherwise impossible look routine. Apr 2, 2022; Arlington, TX, USA; Becky Lynch (black attire) and Bianca Belair (red/black attire) wrestle during the Raw Women's Championship match during WrestleMania at AT&T Stadium. Taking the mold War Zone presented just a . 5. 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. Posted by Alan4L | Jan 9, 2023 | The FSM 50. By Tornad0 Ranking 20. The Most Compelling Voice In Wrestling Media. Of those 33 singles matches, 2828!currently have a 7+ rating on Cagematch.net. Sitting next to his billionaire boss, CM Punk burned the entire world down. But it is also the right one. Weve reached a point where its probably time we start thinking about whether Sheamus is arguably the best WWE television wrestler of all time. The Rey Mysterio-Dom Mysterio holiday videos are phenomenal. 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. Platform (s): PlayStation, Nintendo 64, Dreamcast & Game Boy. 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. 8. 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. Chances are if you watched Will Ospreay at any point in the year 2022, you saw a great match. By the end of 2022, he had lapped them and was on the path to possibly becoming an actual junior heavcyweight draw for All Japan. He takes a beating, he fights back, and on his best nights, hes able to win big matches. 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. (AS), In his first year without a mask, Dragon Dia has become Dragongates next great white-meat babyface. Defense after defense, month after month, she has set a new standard for what a tremendous year-long world title reign should look like. 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. 1. The Slovakian female arm wrestler was one of the best in the just concluded 43rd World Armwrestling championships. 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