10 Wild Outside Bets To Win Wrestler Of The Year 2022

2. Matt Cardona

Matt Cardona GCW
GCW

Can the brilliance of Matt Cardona's GCW character sustain through 2022? If it does, and the former Zack Ryder remains the biggest pain in the promotion's *ss, it'll be the best run of his career, going beyond even what he accomplished with Z! True Long Island Story years ago.

This run has been perfect. Invader storylines, where somebody comes into a company they intrinsically don't belong in and starts stirring sh*t, are the absolute best when done right. So great is the dissonance between the sports entertainment universe Cardona comes from and GCW's booze-and-blood-soaked dirtbag wrestling that the heat is almost guaranteed, whatever he does, though Matt deserves immense credit for going all-in. See his impossibly fun bout with Nick Gage for what happens when a glib WWE goober meets America's most notorious deathmatch wrestler.

Having just sold out the 2,000-capacity Hammerstein Ballroom, if GCW isn't already America's third-biggest promotion, it's well on the way. A glorious visual will be created when that majestic building showers Cardona in trash on 23 January. Can he keep the heat going for a full year? If he can, he'll be the most watchable wrestler on the indies.

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Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. 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.