10 Best Wrestling Matches Of 2022
1. Jon Moxley Vs. Wheeler YUTA - AEW Rampage, April 8
Jon Moxley spent 2022 developing a new, intense ring style that defied what it means to have a "great match".
He abandoned the closing stretch of traded near-falls. He didn't drop to his back after a rapid series of counters, knowing that's when fans have been conditioned to chant "This is awesome". He infused his work with an urgent, blood-soaked combat sports energy, the beautiful, gory appeal of which is that you needn't wait for the 20th minute to invest in the finish.
His war with Wheeler YUTA was incredible in and of itself, but ascended to a masterpiece when watched after YUTA's episodic arc. He was a highly-touted technical prodigy who got practically embarrassed in his first forays on TV. Then, when hyped by Mox and Bryan Danielson as a prospect, he began to show more bottle, more balls, in matches against the Blackpool Combat Club. He slowly developed confidence and used all of it to enter this match in a determined headspace. Literally throwing himself into the opportunity, his character work was superb. As was Mox's.
Mox doesn't deal in bullsh*t, nor bullsh*t tropes, so when he did the reviled Shocked Kick-Out Face, it was measured to unreal effect. The coolest, hardest man in the game looked desperate. This moment was just as incredible as the original kick-out face worn by the Undertaker because, like 'Taker, Mox played against type - and it worked to a spectacular extent because he had spent years establishing himself as the invincible hero.
This match, elevated by YUTA's Muta-scale blade-job - the man was pissing blood out of his forehead like it was several pints deep breaking the seal - tasked itself with a profoundly challenging remit. The idea was to turn YUTA from a spirited rookie into a warrior, and it worked. His fiery performance made it, but Mox was crucial in providing the assist. When YUTA threw up his shoulder to get out of a pin attempt, Mox immediately latched onto it with a straitjacket submission hold. The idea was that Mox was so utterly dominant and violent that even reversing a hold would have represented a step of improvement on YUTA's part - and so, when he in fact entered the best performance of his career, it truly meant something.
Again: to make this match work, YUTA had to enter the performance of his career. Nothing less than that insanely challenging remit.
And he did.