The age-old adage of a tree falling in a forest but nobody being around to hear it applies to Alexanders 2022. Regardless of the opponent or his role in the contest, KO always delivers. He first came to the WWF in 1990 as Ted DiBiase's mystery partner at The Survivor Series (1990). 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. Hes still waiting to go fishing with Egotistico Fantastico. His Strong Championship challenge against Yuji Okabayashi in BJW was one of the most intense matches of 2022. Japan, Canada, and Europe was the bulk of his 2022, but if youre looking for key matches or moments his match against El Lindaman for GLEAT in May and the demonic laugh and headbutt to Fuminori Abe during wXws Ambition stand out, along with a tag bout with Fuminari Abe against Violence is Forever for wXw in October. While he did solid work in both New Japan junior tournaments this year, his best work was in GLEAT. Kevin Owens. 1. 10. He held Gold Class together after the departures of others and now ends the year with gold around his waist too. All Rights Reserved. Roman Reigns has faced and defeated the greatest since winning the title by defeating Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman. Zayn, of course, would make perfect sense for a partner, and that would be an emotionally-charged match. 50-41. Stick around, however, for a list of honourable mentions that should plug any major gaps and cover notable omissions. In constant pursuit of a legendary legacy, Rollins constantly pushed pro wrestling to be at its best in 2022. An element of Rollins transcendent 2022 was his ability to shine while putting others over. Form is critical on this list. 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. Best British Wrestlers in the world. Top 25 Best Bollywood Films of 2022 a list of 25 titles 25 Best Dancers of Indian Cinema a list of 25 people . One of the best bell-to-bell wrestlers in the world in 2021, the bulk of Alexander's work took place in relative obscurity with most of his highlights being in Impact Wrestling, AAW and New Japan Strong. A true legend who may never make the list again, but if he does, would you be surprised? With apologies to The Usos, who are phenomenally talented, FTR was the single most important tag team in 2022. Maybe its because her look isnt what STARDOM has been going for lately. When Rhodes was severely limited in their Hell in a Cell bout inside the cage, Rollins made viewers forget about limitations and instead focus on all Rhodes was capable of in spite of the gruesome injury. A promo by Moxley is an intense, imaginative scene. His profile is full of national and international professional arm-wrestling titles. The more things change . 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. Date of Birth. Posted by Alan4L | Jan 9, 2023 | The FSM 50. Abdulrashid Sadulaev. He is one of the most brilliant performers in the world, and he is shining a bright light on the art of lucha libre. The one spot reserved exclusively for . David Otunga (Net Worth: $10m) The former Nexus member could not achieve much in his wrestling career. 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. Top three matches of 2021: SmackDown vs. Roman Reigns; Dynamite "Grand Slam" vs. Kenny Omega; Dynamite "Winter is Coming" vs. "Hangman" Adam Page. 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. Their tag title win against ASUKA and MAO is worth the watch. The Briscoes; Dynamite vs. Dax Harwood; Dynamite vs. Will Ospreay. Being honest, he has every right to be in there, and weve done him dirty, no question. 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. 12 / 20. What Suzu Suzuki did in 2022 was shut up a lot of doubters of hers when she decided to leave Ice Ribbon to go with Risa Sera and be a member of Prominence. In September, he became the promotions first champion by defeating Flamita in one of the best world title matches of the year. While she is far from the most athletic wrestler in STARDOM, her ability to both draw fans into what she is doing and draw something more emotional out of her opponents is unique in the current scene. (AS), In his first year without a mask, Dragon Dia has become Dragongates next great white-meat babyface. 5. Like all forms of entertainment, it is necessary that wrestling follows some sort of script. The one spot reserved exclusively for an indie talent belongs to someone who earned a place outright. Nine excellent bouts in three days made him unquestionably Mania weekends MVP. Tuesday, April 19, 2022 at 1:45 PM by Babu Tendu Adrianna Simwa. There is a certain mystique about Vikingo. As 2022 winds down, Sports Illustrated is looking back at the themes and teams, storylines and throughlines that shaped the year. This list is based on a wrestlers work in the ring, the attention their work generated, and overall impact. (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. He wrestled Claudio Castagnoli for the ROH title, his clash against Wheeler in the Owen Hart Foundation tournament last spring was the match of the night that evennig on Dynamite, and there was also a superb encounter with Will Ospreay. Incredibly, Slamovich worked for 48 different promotions in 2022. American professional wrestler currently signed to Impact Wrestling, Rich Swann finished at the 10th rank in the PWI 2021 rankings. 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 . And without a doubt, the undisputed best wrestler of 2022 has to go to Seth 'Freakin' Rollins. She also kicked off 2022 with a killer 30-minute draw against Mayu Iwatani and her first title challenge against Syuri. But without looking too far ahead, it will be fun to see Cena back in a WWE ring. 1. Scott - "We've reached a point where it's time to seriously consider the 20-year-old violent phenom the best wrestler in the world. Mandy Rose. Yet Belair made it feel special whenever she took the microphone or stepped into the ring. (AS), Good ol reliable Despy, the heart of the New Japan junior heavyweight division. But if she is given the chance, she can be one, a very big one. Top three matches of 2022: Elimination Chamber match; WrestleMania 38 vs. Becky Lynch; Crown Jewel vs. Bayley. But it is also the right one. 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! Scott Edwards: One of the most passionate up-and-coming wrestling writers around. 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. An impressive body of work is important, though this is more than a list of wrestlers with the most ****+ matches. Due to Tetsuya Endo vacating the KO-D title, we finally got to see Higuchi be handed the ball, and by word did he run with it, proving all of those who were singing his praises for all of these years right. Live on FITE, Bandido challenges Vikingo for the Mega Championship. 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 . Had one of the best PPV openers ever with Eddie Kingston at Revolution, crafted the unforgettable Anarchy In The Arena, and had an ROH title reign that delivered some really fun bouts with Tomohiro Ishii, Bandido, and Claudio Castagnoli. 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. . Dax Harwood plays a vital role in FTR, but his singles work is also solid. When smashing one aspect of the wrestling business just isn't enough. Writer/Editor of the Three Count Fall newsletter. Chances are if you watched Will Ospreay at any point in the year 2022, you saw a great match. Moxley carried AEW amid a tumultuous year. (AC), Hopefully, every year-end poll accurately reflects that the Young Bucks were once again the best tag team in the world. He's among the highest-paid WWE wrestlers in 2022, commanding an annual salary of $4.5 million. Top three matches of 2022: ROH Supercard of Honor vs. (IH). Fujiwara had a rookie year that should be compared with the likes of Jun Akiyama and Kurt Angle. He has held the WWF World . World Cup MBTI K-Pop LOL Influencer Food Anime Sports Gaming Crypto Entertainment Music Movies NSFW Leaderboards . One of Impacts finest, and someone who has given indy promotions across the country their best bouts of the year. Drew McIntyre While she did not work an abundance of matches this year, her overall impact secured this spot. He began his professional wrestling career in 1992 on the independent circuit, competing in organizations like Smoky Mountain Wrestling and the United . (CL), At the age of 20 years old, Suzu Suzuki already has a claim to being called the best wrestler in the world. Please log in again. And there is new life for Ring of Honor. Feb. 2023 1 Bryan Danielson + More Championship Rate Platform (s): PlayStation, Nintendo 64, Dreamcast & Game Boy. The American wrestler, Sasha Banks, is one of the most decorated top female wrestlers. Chances are if you watched Will Ospreay at any point in the year 2022, you saw a great match. Your session has expired. Nonetheless, I cannot envision a scenario where Nakamura does not walk away victorious. Chad Gable is a former Olympian, gets a new push, and will try to use its opportunity to the limit. On the first Korakuen Hall shows of the year, Dragongate established that this year was going to be all about Yuki Yoshioka and his foe-turned-friend Dragon Dia. Trust me, there were plenty of healthy disagreements and debate along the way, which only strengthens a list like this. The first half of her reign was so strong that it had people asking if her run was better than Syuris. (AC). (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. WhatCulture is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Faced and defeated the greatest since winning the title by defeating Flamita in one of the Japan. 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