It’s a new year – and a fresh list of our Match of the Year Contenders. All of these matches either got ****¼ and above in our reviews, our would have (if we reviewed it, for shows we don’t fully cover).

  • Kazuchika Okada vs. Shingo Takagi (New Japan, WrestleKingdom 16 – Night One, January 04, 2022)
  • Will Ospreay vs. Kazuchika Okada (New Japan, WrestleKingdom 16 – Night Two, January 05, 2022)
  • Francesco Akira vs. Gabriel Kidd (Rev Pro, High Stakes 2022, January 29, 2022)
  • Michael Oku vs. Will Ospreay (Rev Pro, High Stakes 2022, January 29, 2022)
  • Luke Jacobs vs. Michael Oku (Rev Pro, Live in Southampton 16, February 13, 2022)
  • Nick Wayne vs. Sw3rve The Realest (Defy, 50, February 26, 2022)
  • Cara Noir vs. Ilja Dragunov (PROGRESS, Chapter 131: 10th Anniversary Show, March 25, 2022)
  • Jon Moxley vs. Biff Busick (GCW, Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport 8, March 31, 2022)
  • Mike Bailey vs. Bandido (WrestleCon, Mark Hitchcock Memorial Super Show 2022, March 31, 2022)
  • FTR vs. The Briscoes (ROH, Supercard of Honor 2022, April 01, 2022)
  • Michael Oku, Connor Mills & Luke Jacobs vs. Will Ospreay, Mark Davis & Kyle Fletcher (Rev Pro, Live in London 61, May 08, 2022)
  • Michael Oku vs. Connor Mills (Rev Pro, Epic Encounter 2022, May 22, 2022)
  • Mark Davis & Kyle Fletcher vs. Paris De Silva & Jude London (Rev Pro, Epic Encounter 2022, May 22, 2022)
  • Jeff Cobb vs. Kazuchika Okada (New Japan, G1 Climax 32 – Night One, July 16, 2022)
  • Shingo Takagi vs. Will Ospreay (New Japan, G1 Climax 32 – Night Twelve, August 06, 2022)
  • Hirooki Goto vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi (New Japan, G1 Climax 32 – Night Fourteen, August 10, 2022)
  • Tetsuya Naito vs. Will Ospreay (New Japan, G1 Climax 32 – Night Nineteen, August 17, 2022)
  • Will Ospreay vs. Kazuchika Okada (New Japan, G1 Climax 32 – Night Twenty, August 18, 2022)
  • Connor Mills & Michael Oku vs. Mark Davis & Kyle Fletcher (Rev Pro, Ten Year Anniversary – Night One, August 20, 2022)
  • Mike Bailey vs. Will Ospreay (Rev Pro, Ten Year Anniversary – Night One, August 20, 2022)
  • Ricky Knight Jr. vs. Will Ospreay (Rev Pro, Ten Year Anniversary – Night Two, August 21, 2022)
  • Masha Slamovich vs. Fuminori Abe (wXw, Inner Circle 12, September 30, 2022)
  • Bobby Gunns vs. Mike Bailey (wxw, World Tag Team Festival 2022 – Night One, October 01, 2022)
  • Mark Davis & Kyle Fletcher vs. Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler (New Japan, Royal Quest 2 – Night One, October 01, 2022)
  • Shigehiro Irie & Fuminori Abe vs. Dominic Garrini & Kevin Ku (wxw, World Tag Team Festival 2022 – Night Two, October 02, 2022)
  • Tetsuya Naito vs. Will Ospreay (New Japan, Battle Autumn 2022 – Night Sixteen, November 05, 2022)
  • Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI vs. Mark Davis & Kyle Fletcher (New Japan, Tag League 2022 & Super Junior Tag League 2022 – Night Seventeen, December 14, 2022)
  • Connor Mills vs. Michael Oku (Rev Pro, Uprising 2022, December 17, 2022)
  • Tomohiro Ishii vs. Will Ospreay (Rev Pro, Uprising 2022, December 17, 2022)