Voices of Wrestling 2022 Match of the Year (#25-11)

The Voices of Wrestling 2022 Match of the Year countdown continues with the first of our Top 25!

Voices of Wrestling 2022 Match of the Year Archives

• Introduction & Honorable Mentions
• Matches #100-76
• Matches #75-51
• Matches #50-26

Voices of Wrestling Match of the Year Archives

• 2021
• 2020
• 2019
• 2018
• 2017
• 2016
• 2015
• 2014
• 2013
• 2012

#25
Chris Jericho vs. Eddie Kingston
03/06
AEW

Overall Points: 97
Total Votes: 19
% of Ballots: 9.09%
2 First-Place Votes

“A quick King’s Road banger” -Jack Atkins

“I took part in the review of this PPV for Voices of Wrestling, and when I went back to see what I thought of this match, my closing line (which is a line I 100% stole from Joe Lanza) reads as follows:

“THIS IS PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING, PEOPLE!! THIS IS WHY WE WATCH!!”

Chris Jericho vs. Eddie Kingston was a match that I was definitely looking forward to, and the build had been pretty good, but man did this match totally blow away my expectations. This was a fourteen minute, action packed sprint that was the perfect PPV opener. Both of these men worked their asses off in a bout that was definitely inspired by peak 90’s All Japan. Eddie Kingston scoring a submission victory over Chris Jericho on PPV has easily been the highlight of his AEW run thus far (and I definitely remember really pulling for him to win in the moment). As for Jericho, 2022 has been a career renaissance, and this match was easily his best in-ring outing of the year. There were a ton of excellent matches in 2022, but this awesome encounter between Chris Jericho and Eddie Kingston gets my #1 vote. It was everything I love about pro-wrestling. It had a strong build, the crowd was super hot for it right from the opening bell, and the action was nothing short of amazing.” -Sean Sedor

#24
Shingo Takagi vs. Kazuchika Okada
01/04
NJPW

Overall Points: 98
Total Votes: 17
% of Ballots: 8.13%
Highest Vote: 2nd

“After a fairly forgettable 2022 from an accomplishment perspective, I’m afraid that Shingo Takagi’s run as world champion and main event star during the heart of the pandemic is going to be forgotten. Takagi’s presence during the bleakest days of the pandemic in Japan were a spark of life, and it culminated in an unlikely Tokyo Dome main event at Wrestle Kingdom 16. Takagi’s trademark explosiveness, fire, and a rushing closing sequence with Okada (probably the greatest closing-stretch wrestler in his generation) gave us another instant classic.” -Jesse Collings

#23
Mayu Iwatani vs. KAIRI
11/20
NJPW/Stardom

Overall Points: 99
Total Votes: 18
% of Ballots: 8.61%
2 First-Place Votes

“When KAIRI came back from WWE this was the match I needed. After half a year of people questioning me “Is KAIRI still good? This is not the same Kairi Hojo as before.” This match mixed with the one she had the night before with Saya Kamitani shut everyone up. KAIRI was back. This match was just what you would expect when you see Mayu Iwatani and KAIRI’s names on paper. Two parts of the infamous threedom going out there to have a masterclass of a wrestling match. A perfect start to the IWGP Women’s Title and it was the best match to happen in a New Japan ring since 2020 and the best match period all year. After the match was over everyone in my discord who had watched it with me was up in arms about Mayu losing, and I felt alone in thinking “This is KAIRI’s crowning moment of coming back to STARDOM. This was what everyone needed to see to feel ok KAIRI is 100% back in wrestling” because it really was that. KAIRI put on two great back-to-back nights of performances and felt the most like Kairi Hojo she had done since leaving for WWE. Mayu Iwatani also deserved the win yes, but we also needed a match and a moment everyone can watch and say “Ok yes KAIRI is back.” This match was the message to everyone that KAIRI is back in wrestling and she is better than ever.” -Sondre Bjørn

“I’ve gone back and forth over my thoughts on this match ever since it happened but I think I’ve finally settled on a good spot for it. Mayu vs KAIRI was an engrossing match that captured my attention from the moment the bell rang, from there they took me on the journey with them as I watched two of Stardom’s homegrown stars, two people who helped grow the company, compete in front of 7,000 people to earn the right to be called the first-ever IWGP Women’s Champion. My vested interest in seeing Iwatani win was so strong, and this was only enhanced by the English commentary where Waka Tsukiyama was near tears cheering on Mayu to keep fighting. Pro wrestling at its core is very simple, it’s about making people care about the pins, the winners, the stories, and Mayu vs KAIRI achieved all of that.” -Alex Richards

#22
Shingo Takagi vs. Will Ospreay
08/06
NJPW

Overall Points: 100
Total Votes: 19
% of Ballots: 9.09%
Highest Vote: 2nd

“I don’t think there are currently two humans on the planet I would rather see in a match with each other (new feud between Omega/Ospreay notwithstanding) than these two maniacs. If you have them wrestle in any given year, that is an automatic MOTY contender because they have the skill, chemistry, and story history to make magic every time.” -Jacob Nelson

#21
Katsuhiko Nakajima vs. Go Shiozaki
01/01
NOAH

Overall Points: 103
Total Votes: 18
% of Ballots: 8.61%
2 First-Place Votes

“I didn’t expect to start my 2022 year off with what would become my match of the year. I kicked off the live feed, listening to the extremely energetic Stuart Fulton, along with the #1 Joe Lanza fan Mark Pickering. A fun, average show was the pacing on this event, as we get to the semi main event of Kaito Kiyomiya vs Kenoh. As expected, these two put on a clinic as always. Immediately, I said it looks like these two are going to do their typical January together, and put on the best match of the night. Shiozaki makes his way out as if he was the angel coming to stop evil, followed by the Champ, who looked like a possessed demon. The big fight feel started to fill my head, and I suddenly had that thought the former duo, AXIZ, were about to do something special. These two hit each other like their lives were on the line. Between the kicks and chops, lariats by Shiozaki, soccer kicks by Nakajima, and just the disgusting drops on each others heads, this was war. I began to have a old nostalgic feeling of Misawa and Kobashi when they began to work the ramp. I knew that these two guys were going somewhere, and they did. A good counter by Shiozaki, who then hits a release German suplex off the ramp, to the floor. Not the Tiger Suplex, but just as violent. Nakajima rolled around by the ring post, almost mimicking Kobashi, yet he didn’t lose that sinister smirk that he had the entire evening. Shiozaki finally got back inside with the champ and hit a nasty Gowan Lariat followed up a second, yet Nakajima kept going. Shiozaki finally went upstairs and attempted the moonsault, but Nakajima got out of the way and hit a nasty PK to which I thought that was it. Shiozaki manages to get back up and is hit with a Vertical Spike to a two count that actually make a clap crowd shreak in awe of it. Nakajima knew he had him at this point, to which he elevates a trying to stand Shozaki and hits a Northern Lights Driver, almost as a homage to Kensuke Sasaki to get the win. I stood up and clapped like a complete mark at this point. While Kenoh and Nakajima cut their promo picking apart New Japan, all I could think about was the fact that I doubt anything can top what I just saw 5 hours into the year. I had hoped this was going to lead to a great feud across the year, only to have that thought ended a month later when Ironhead won the Title. What this could have been had booking been better, and Shiozaki wasn’t held together by the same tape that Dalton Castle seems to be held together with. One day, they will get a chance to do this again, and that might be my time to take a return trip to Japan.” -Ryan Cooke

“To be honest, this whole show was incredible. Getting into Noah after they’d run their first Budokan event in years I was eager for the next one, and it didn’t disappoint. The main event was this one, a clash between 2 former friends, leading different paths. Shiozaki was still clinging to the ‘I AM NOAH’ image that he had created in 2020 through many years of rejection, defection and hard work, and Nakajima was forming his own, darker path, donning black and red and using a Japanese version of Shiozaki’s catchphrase. What transpired was an extremely physical battle that ended in Nakajima decimating his former friend, claiming his spot at the top of NOAH.” -Joel Hancock

#20
Will Ospreay vs. Tetsuya Naito
11/05
NJPW

Overall Points: 114
Total Votes: 21
% of Ballots: 10.05%
2 First-Place Votes

“Despite struggling to engage its fans for much of the pandemic, 2022 offered numerous examples of not only signs of life, but clues that New Japan Pro-Wrestling could be poised for a furious comeback in 2023.

It’s important to remember that even among the concerns about clap-crowd atmospheres or inconsistent booking decisions, there’s still a staggering level of talent in this company. Get the right people together, and it becomes astonishingly easy to rekindle the magic that captured the hearts and minds of wrestling fans just a few years ago.

Hey, speaking of a staggering level of talent, let’s talk about Tetsuya Naito and Will Ospreay! The former is already a Hall of Fame level performer, with the latter well on his way to eventually joining him.

And when you look at the kind of year Will Ospreay had, a match that stands above his astonishing output of magnificent performances must occupy some truly rarefied air.

The big key to my love for this match comes down to its handling of reversals. If you think about this match from a real world perspective, Tetsuya Naito haas been wrestling at a high level for a decade at this point — there’s plenty of tape out there on the guy you can use to prepare for him.

Ospreay used this kind of thinking to his advantage, and utilized numerous counters and reversals to shut down Naito’s signature spots. As a result, Naito had to work so much harder to get anything going. The sense of frustration and anticipation for the viewers in Osaka and watching at home built more and more, ultimately making it feel so much more rewarding when Naito finally broke through Ospreay’s defenses and landed a big move.

Despite ultimately falling to Ospreay, Naito felt so much fresher and more reenergized than he had at any point since defeating Okada in the Tokyo Dome to begin 2020. For Ospreay, it was a signature win for both himself and the IWGP United States championship.” -TDE

“Just when I thought they had a good match on the G1, these two men killed it in the main event of what I call the best NJPW show of 2022. Great back and forth, edge of your seat action where you wonder how the hell these two men don’t make mistakes while wrestling. This pairing is just incredible. This is the kind of high-end wrestling that makes me fall in love in New Japan all over again. After the match, there was the great debut of Shota Umino, which added to the moment. A can’t miss main event.” -Abraham Delgado

#19
Seth Rollins vs. Cody Rhodes
06/05
WWE

Overall Points: 114
Total Votes: 22
% of Ballots: 10.53%
1 First-Place Vote

“Cody Rhodes is a national treasure. Cody Rhodes is also a psychopath. Cody Rhodes set himself on fire for our entertainment. We do not appreciate Cody Rhodes. Cody Rhodes ripped his pectoral muscle off of his body and used it as a story device for a match in World Wrestling Entertainment. We should appreciate Cody Rhodes.” -Andrew Stewart

“Cody Rhodes refuses to be boring, even in a WWE system that churns some of the most talented wrestlers in history into an uninteresting gray blob of mediocrity. Cody gutting his way through a torn pec would’ve been enough to make this match memorable, but the match he preceded to have with Seth Rollins was nothing short of brilliant. Though given Cody’s limitations, a lot of the credit should go to Rollins for creating a lot of the urgency, excitement and movement for the match. Seth was a true ring general that night and was incredibly unselfish. Together, the 2 men created the most memorable WWE main event of the past decade, if not longer.” -Liam Renner

#18
Swerve In Our Glory (Keith Lee & Swerve Strickland) vs. The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens & Max Caster)
09/04
AEW)

Overall Points: 120
Total Votes: 25
% of Ballots: 11.96%
1 First-Place Vote

“What an incredible match. The third match came close to this, but couldn’t match the incredible drama in this match. Swerve in Our Glory should be in the conversation for Tag Team of the Year with their string of incredible tag title matches as challengers and champions. This was their best, setting up months of tension and making The Acclaimed mega stars. That night people wondered if it was a mistake to not give The Acclaimed the titles, but this loss was so good it made us want the win more.” -Mongo Underscore Ebooks

“I think the biggest testiment to a good match is if you want to rewatch it. Even more so if no matter how many times you’ve seen it, you’re willing for a different outcome. A match that many were low on coming into All Out, this was The Acclaimed’s coming out party.

Anthony Bowens highlighted his ability to effectively sell a body part, to an elite level as it debilitates him throughout. Max Castor shows his untapped babyface fire, fighting on his own while still trying to keep his partner involved – even if it’s to the team’s detriment. Despite willing for an Acclaimed victory each time you watch it, the most heartbreaking moment is seeing Daddy Ass slide in at the last second – he can’t bare to see his adoptive sons give so much, only to fall at the last hurdle.” -Sam Roberts

#17
FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) vs. Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis)
10/16
NJPW

Overall Points: 135
Total Votes: 25
% of Ballots: 11.96%
2 First-Place Votes

“Epic tag match which I was lucky enough to witness live. Both teams brought everything they had with a split crowd backing them equally.” -Joe Towner

“This was hands down the best match I have ever seen live. It was a pleasure to watch two of the best teams in the world, and in 2022 in particular go at it in person. This is also the first wrestling show I went to since the pandemic began and so that helped to boost it up a level for me as well.

The noise and reaction from the crowd is such a big determiner to me of a good match. If the crowd is invested and buying into every single second of the match then that really helps elevate it for me, and with the audience, myself included, all standing on their feet for the entire back end of this match, that really pushed it over the edge to being my match of the year. Adding to this was the bump of seeing it live in person and a healthy dosage of blood to really lock it in as my match of the year.

The duelling chants began from the very beginning, helping to create an electric atmosphere. Dax’s chest gets busted open from the very first chops from Davis, and Dax responds in kind, cutting Davis’ chest open as they lay into each other with vicious chops. This is how you start a professional wrestling match!

You add to all of this: great hot tags from Dax, some fantastic near falls, a bloody Davis and Harwood on their knees slugging at each other, Kyle Fletcher slapping his partner in the face while they are both in sharpshooters to stop him from tapping out, and the noise from the crowd as FTR begins to build to and then finally hit the Big Rig means this was in a league of its own for me this year.

Just wonderful overall tag team wrestling, and it was such a pleasure to see FTR in person given the tremendous 2022 they had and to be a part and to play a small part in this all time tag team run. Five stars.” -Steven

#16
Z-Brats (Diamante & Shun Skywalker) vs. Kung Fu Masters (Jacky Funky Kamei & Jason Lee)
07/30
Dragongate

Overall Points: 176
Total Votes: 26
% of Ballots: 12.44%
3 First-Place Votes

“Sometimes a match just hits you and no other match hit as hard as the Twin Gate match from the Ultimo Dragon Anniversary show. The defining Dragongate match of the year and maybe even the entire decade, much in the same way as the legendary 2006 Supercard of Honor trios match.

The pace, the moves, the drama, everything just clicks with these four men in the ring, with especially Jacky Funky Kamei having a career performance as the smallest man in the match.

While this and the 2020 Go Shiozaki vs Kazuyuki Fujita are very, VERY different kind of matches, they both left me with the same feeling. I won’t be seeing anything like this in a while, if ever.

In the words of Todd Howard: “All of it just works, it just works.”” -Semi Salmikannas

“In 2006, after Blood Generation vs. Do Fixer had upended the world of wrestling, Ring of Honor booker Gabe Sapolsky described the match as being “five years ahead of what was being done in the U.S.” There is no promotion on Earth, nor any other combination of wrestlers, that are prepared to do what these four just accomplished. I’ve never seen a match like this, with so much athleticism and brutality, all of which was executed to the greatest degree possible.

This match will not age well in the way that most matches do. In a few years, we will not see this match influencing the larger wrestling world. This match will age well because we’ll never see anything like it again.

This was perfection.” -Case Lowe

“The climax to one of the best feuds in all of wrestling in 2023 between Shun Skywalker and Jason Lee. This followed almost nine months of Skywalker becoming progressively more unhinged and psychopathic after the dissolution of his stable Masquerade at the end of 2021. Skywalker had been a vindictive bully to his former stablemates through the first half of the year, taking the Twin Gate championship from Dragon Dia and relentlessly bullying Jason Lee. That all culminated in this match, which saw a nonstop battle of unbelievable high-flying acrobatics for nearly 20 uninterrupted minutes. While most of the story lies between Shun and Jason, Jacky Funky Kamei is the star of the show, giving the underdog babyface performance of the year with mind-blowing counters and one of the most cathartic finishes of the year.” -Paul Wedding

#15
Will Ospreay vs. Orange Cassidy
06/26
AEW/NJPW

Overall Points: 178
Total Votes: 35
% of Ballots: 16.75%
1 First-Place Vote

“I’m loath to admit how much I have missed of Will Ospreay’s recent New Japan run but this reminded me why he’s stellar and why he’s one of my guys and why he could put his foot in it all day for the rest of his life and still be one of my guys. Orange Cassidy showed his best side this night as well. Just captivating pro wrestling that took full advantage of the strengths and differences between the two men. This was the best match on a brilliant card, just a cut above the rest.” -Sandra Berry

“A match that felt like a disappointment when it was announced ended up being something we all needed. After the initial shenanigans stemming from Orange Cassidy’s gimmick, these two had a tremendous match with excellent high spots and chemistry. The best part is, these two probably have a better match in them down the line.” -Tyler Forness

#14
Death Triangle (PAC, Penta El Zero Miedo & Rey Fenix) vs. The Elite (Kenny Omega, Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson)
11/19
AEW

Overall Points: 182
Total Votes: 37
% of Ballots: 17.70%
Highest Vote: 2nd

“What can I say? I love all 6 men in this match and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the following 5 matches they had in 2022 but this one was very clearly the best. Helped by the return of The Elite with new music. The story of the match and more so with Death Triangle and the hammer was great and kicked off a fantastic series of matches.” -Harley Duncan

“My AEW match of the year. The Elite’s return to AEW following the Brawl Out debacle was one of the best moments in pro wrestling in 2022 as the “Carry On Wayward Son” played over the speakers as Newark lost their minds with us worldwide seeing the perfect photo of Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks standing in front as perfect silhouettes. But it was the match that followed that was all the more special. Whether it’s Kenny Omega vs. PAC or The Young Bucks vs. The Lucha Bros, these combinations never miss. Making it a trios situation where all six are in one match and as you’d expect, it is chaos and greatness from start to finish. I can’t even try to talk about all the moves and sequences that happened by Rey Fenix embracing PAC’s mindset of using the hammer to hit Omega and roll him up to steal the win was a perfect finish. Little did we know at the time it’d lead to a seven-match series but even without the continuation, Match #1 was the perfect start to what they’d go on to do. One of the best matches of the year no question.” -Scott Edwards

#13
Will Ospreay vs. Michael Oku
01/29
RevPro

Overall Points: 207
Total Votes: 35
% of Ballots: 16.75%
3 First-Place Votes

“The single greatest heel performance from Will Ospreay.” -UpcomingWrestling

“A thrilling drama that reminded fans about what the best the UK indies has to offer. A unique, charming atmosphere with a white-meat babyface in Michael Oku, overmatched by the global superstar Will Ospreay, but gives it his absolute all in front of a captivated audience willing to play along with the story. Ospreay is in his brash, arrogant glory, stooping to incredible lows to defeat the plucky underdog in the best match in Europe since the pandemic.” -Jesse Collings

“The heat for this match was off the charts. Ospreay was the perfect bully to Oku, who was the perfect underdog babyface. The ending, with Ospreay destroying a helpless Oku with Hidden Blade after Hidden Blade after Hidden Blade, refusing to pin him, then wiping Oku’s bloody face on a towel and throwing it at Oku’s girlfriend before winning with the Stormbreaker, put the match over the top. Not the cleanest match of the year, but arguably the most emotional.” -Andrew Rich

#12
Kazusada Higuchi vs. Konosuke Takeshita
09/25
DDT

Overall Points: 209
Total Votes: 29
% of Ballots: 13.88%
6 First-Place Votes

“Two of the absolute best the promotion has to offer in such a well structured match. Higuchi and Takeshita have tremendous chemistry and worked off one another so darn well throughout the entire bout. Plus it has a Nigel/Bryan ringpost spot… How could I not put this at number 1?!” -SamTheVAMod

“Two guys running into each other until one runs out of steam from two wrestlers that have a lot of energy, presence, motivation, and steam. This match is intense and exhilarating. Kazusada Higuchi and Konosuke Takeshita are battling for not just the champion of DDT but, for who and what represents DDT. This is also one of the first times that there has been chanting acceptable during a big championship match in Japan I have seen in years which adds to the atmosphere. An awesomazing ending to the match too.
Konosuke Takeshita vs. Kazusada Higuchi is not just my favorite match from 2022, Konosuke Takeshita vs. Kazusada Higuchi might be one of my favorite DDT matches ever and I really, really like alot of DDT matches.” -Henry / HeadCheese

“I’ve been following both wrestlers from the beginning of their careers as in literally watch either guy’s first match. Especially with Higuchi I’ven been in for the start and couldn’t wait for him to eventually become the KO-D Openweight Champion. The way he became champion was unfortunate, because Endo had to forfeit the title and Higuchi couldn’t win it from one of the pillars of the company. So they had to take another direction and after becoming DDT’s flag bearer he had to string together big wins. The first one came with defeating former champion Endo and for the second they turned to Takeshita. The match was what it needed to be and what I hoped it would be: It was a grueling battle for supremacy between two of the best and most dynamic powerhouses in wrestling these days. The brutality especially of the ring post spot probably isn’t for all and I’m critical of it as well, but it was part of Takeshita throwing everything at Higuchi and the champion standing tall nonetheless. This was spectacular.” -STRIGGA

“Higuchi shot up everyone’s ranking for best wrestler in 2022, and this match was a major reason why. While everyone knows about Takeshita’s considerable talents, Higuchi is a guy that in the past everyone knew was good, but not just how good. Takeshita did his usual high impact and high flying offense, while Higuchi brought his Sumo and old-school All Japan inspired big bomb moves. Not only was it full of crazy spots including Higuchi accidentally headbutting the corner post, but it told the story of Higuchi finally beating the ace of DDT and beginning to put his own stamp on the company.” -Gerard Di Trolio

“Two of the absolute best wrestlers just going at it in an absolute epic, and a rare classic that went under twenty minutes. This made Higuchi and showcased just what a star Takeshita is.” -Sarah Flannery

“A passionately violent battle for the soul of DDT. Higuchi and Takeshita drummed their fists and knees against each other’s flesh with precision and power. They throw the biggest of bombs time and time again. The rhythm of it is all is frantic and spellbinding. The result is a masterful spectacle, a war, the pinnacle of Higuchi’s tremendous KO-D title run.” -Ryan Dilbert

#11
Gunther vs. Sheamus
09/03
WWE

Overall Points: 234
Total Votes: 46
% of Ballots: 22.01%
2 First-Place Votes

“This was expected to be a hard-hitting battle, and the two held nothing back, bruising each other up but good. This is not the type of match you see often in WWE and only a few wrestlers can really pull it off. Gunther and Sheamus are two of them. Despite the loss, Sheamus had a lot of momentum coming out of this; I’m not sure WWE properly capitalized on it.” -Greg Parks

“There were only two WWE matches from 2022 that I remotely considered putting in my top 10. One was the Cody Rhodes/Seth Rollins Hell in a Cell match, a dramatic spectacle built around Cody coming into the match with a completely purple pec. But this match, Gunther vs. Sheamus, gets a nod into my top-10 by virtue of being almost totally unlike any WWE main roster match you’ll ever see. It’s a tribute to Gunther, wrestling’s final boss, and Sheamus, who’s late-career renaissance has been one of the few regular bright spots on WWE TV for me in the past several years. An immediate entry into the Big E “Big Meaty Men Slapping Meat” Hall of Fame.” -Adam Shinder

Voices of Wrestling 2022 Match of the Year
(Full List)