AEW
The professional wrestling news cycle has been as relentless as ever in 2022, with allegations of misconduct by Vince McMahon, Cody Rhodes jumping the boat, the return of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and, more understandably, dominating the conversation.
But far from the headlines, 2022 has continued the rich form of the second half of 2021. While the Japanese struggle remains hampered by increasingly archaic restrictions, the large volume of accessible and high-level professional struggle aside and Pacific band (and beyond) is almost overwhelming, making articles like this a challenge to compile.
As always, form is vital. Fighters who could rank among the best on the planet in skill and reputation were not considered without constantly producing decent work. That’s why you won’t see people like Sasha Banks and Shingo Takagi here. Clearly, these names are among the best of their generation, but their 2022 resumes were too thin.
But as important as the body of work is, this list has more than **** = coincidences. All aspects of the performance were considered, from promotions and matches to credibility, aura and presence. Consistency is important and floors are as vital as ceilings. The importance of a fighter for the promotions of his home and business as a whole was also considered, as well as his relevance (and his ability to position himself within) of the zeitgeist.
For notable omissions, see the list of honorable mentions at the end.
Here we go…
Published on: July 12, 2022