The Wrestling Observer Newsletter Awards 2022 recognized outstanding achievements in professional wrestling. Jon Moxley was awarded Wrestler of the Year, while Will Ospreay took home the prize for Most Outstanding Wrestler. FTR (Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler) were named Tag Team of the Year, and Match of the Year went to Kazuchika Okada vs. Will Ospreay at NJPW’s Wrestle Kingdom 16. AEW was recognized as the Best Promotion, and its booker, Tony Khan, received Best Booker honors. These awards highlighted the significant impact and contributions of various talents and promotions in the wrestling industry throughout the year. Moxley was the standout of the year, winning a handful of awards.
Wrestling Observer Newsletter Awards have been revealed as Dave Meltzer gives out his plaudits for 2022. The WON 2022 Awards. From the new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (subscription required), the “Category A” and “Category B” awards are as follows;
WON 2022 Wrestler Of The Year:
1. Jon Moxley (498) 3101
2. Roman Reigns (232) 2216
3. Will Ospreay (105) 1591
4. Kazuchika Okada (39) 679
5. Syuri (34) 551
WON 2022 Most Outstanding Wrestler:
1. Will Ospreay (951) 4807
2. Bryan Danielson (92) 1286
3. Kazuchika Okada (9) 703
4. Speedball Mike Bailey (9) 536
5. Jon Moxley (11) 398
WON 2022 Tag Team Of The Year:
1. FTR (782) 3859
2. The Briscoes (54) 1357
3. Young Bucks (38) 937
4. The Usos (40) 856
5. The Acclaimed (32) 708
WON 2022 Best On Interviews:
1. MJF (486) 2984
2. Jon Moxley (152) 1561
3. CM Punk (79) 961
4. Sami Zayn (33) 760
5. Eddie Kingston (23) 554
WON 2022 Promotion Of The Year:
1. AEW (480) 3270
2. STARDOM (273) 1561
3. WWE 1848
4. NJPW (23) 1799
5. UFC (17) 634
WON 2022 Best Weekly TV Show:
1. AEW Dynamite (753) 4020
2. WWE Smackdown (104) 1847
3. AEW Rampage 911
4. New Japan STRONG (18) 679
5. IMPACT Wrestling (16) 456
WON 2022 Match Of The Year:
1. Kazuchika Okada vs Will Ospreay (G1 Final) (256) 2016
2. FTR vs The Briscoes 3 (244) 1824
3. Kazuchika Okada vs Will Ospreay (WK16) (104) 1359
4. FTR vs The Briscoes 1 (98) 836
5. GUNTHER vs Sheamus (CATC) (19) 393
WON 2022 Hodge Award/Non-Heavyweight MVP:
1. El Hijo del Vikingo 215
2. Darby Allin 164
3. El Desperado 124
4. Speedball Mike Bailey 111
5. Rey Fenix 98
WON 2022 Rookie Of The Year:
1. Bron Breakker 339
2. HOOK 261
3. Logan Paul 152
4. Takuma Iroha 67
5. Solo Sikoa 65
WON 2022 Best Non Wrestler:
1. Paul Heyman 384
2. William Regal 255
3. Don Callis 80
4. Stokely Hathaway 72
5. Rick Ross 33
WON 2022 Best Television Announcer:
1. Kevin Kelly 332
2. Excalibur 308
3. Ian Riccaboni 71
4. Taz 60
5. Pat McAfee 47
WON 2022 Best Booker:
1. Tony Khan 372
2. Rossy Ogawa 327
3. Paul Levesque 183
4. Gedo 60
5. Sean Shelby & Nick Maynard 36
WON 2022 Promoter Of The Year:
1. Tony Khan 415
2. Dana White 287
3. Rossy Ogawa 198
4. Paul Levesque 86
5. Nick Khan 78
WON 2022 Best Gimmick:
1. Sami Zayn 332
2. The Acclaimed 110
3. Danhausen 108
4. Bloodline/Roman Reigns 106
5. Orange Cassidy 60
WON 2022 Worst Gimmick:
1. Maximum Male Models 119
2. Uncle Howdy 112
3. Kip Sabian 79
4. Joe Gacy/The Schism 65
5. Bray Wyatt 46
Best Pro Wrestling Book – Blood & Fire by Brian Solomon
Best Pro Wrestling Documentary – Tales from the Territories: Lawler/Kaufman
WON 2022 Women’s Wrestling MVP:
1. Syuri 455
2. Bianca Belair 201
3. Jamie Hayter 146
4. Giulia 138
5. KAIRI 31
WON 2022 Feud Of The Year:
1. FTR vs The Briscoes 362
2. CM Punk vs MJF 347
3. Cody Rhodes vs Seth Rollins 34
4. Tam Nakano vs Natsupoi 33
5. The Elite vs Death Triangle 32
WON 2022 Most Improved:
1. The Acclaimed 164
2. Mina Shirakawa 159
3. Jamie Hayter 97
4. Wheeler Yuta 55
5. Dominik Mysterio 53
WON 2022 Bryan Danielson/Best Technical Wrestler Award:
1. Bryan Danielson 464
2. Zack Sabre Jr 317
3. Daniel Garcia 30
4. Syuri 26
5. Josh Alexander 24
WON 2022 Bruiser Brody Memorial/Best Brawler Award:
1. Jon Moxley 576
2. Tomohiro Ishii 134
3. Minoru Suzuki 75
4. Eddie Kingston 38
5. GUNTHER 26
WON 2022 Best Flying Wrestler:
1. El Hijo del Vikingo 472
2. Rey Fenix 351
3. Dante Martin 44
4. Komander 41
5. Will Ospreay 31
WON 2022 Most Overrated:
1. Ronda Rousey 159
2. Tyrus 145
3. Roman Reigns 112
4. CM Punk 68
5. Austin Theory 66
WON 2022 Most Underrated:
1. Konosuke Takeshita 114
2. Chad Gable 98
3. Ricochet 65
4. Mustafa Ali 49
5. Ricky Starks 32
WON 2022 Best Major Wrestling Show:
1. AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door 524
2. AEW Revolution 136
3. WWE WrestleMania 38 Night 1 64
4. STARDOM 5 Star Grand Prix Finals 54
5. WWE Clash At The Castle 41
WON 2022 Worst Major Wrestling Show:
1. WWE Royal Rumble 311
2. WWE Elimination Chamber 129
3. GCW The Wrld 112
4. JCP Ric Flair’s Last Match 98
5. NWA Hard Times 3
WON 2022 Most Disgusting Promotional Tactic:
1. Vince McMahon Appears on TV after sexual misconduct allegations
2. WWE/Saudi Arabia relationship
3. Ric Flair’s last match
4. Stephanie McMahon’s goodbye to Vince McMahon
5. AEW not punishing CM Punk after Adam Page callout
WON 2022 Worst TV Show:
1. WWE RAW 415
2. WWE NXT 327
3. NWA Powerrr 98
4. AEW Rampage 95
5. Women Of Wrestling 66
WON 2022 Worst Match Of The Year:
1. Vince McMahon vs Pat McAfee 435
2. Ric Flair & Andrade vs Jeff Jarrett & Jay Lethal 168
3. Ronda Rousey vs Shotzi 71
4. Mens Royal Rumble 46
5. Matt Cardona vs Trevor Murdoch vs Tyrus 17
WON 2022 Worst Feud Of The Year:
1. The Miz vs Dexter Lumis 208
2. Ronda Rousey vs Liv Morgan 76
3. Bray Wyatt vs LA Knight 62
4. Sammy Guevara vs Scorpio Sky 39
5. Bron Breakker vs Joe Gacy 36
WON 2022 Worst Promotion Of The Year:
1. WWE
2. NWA
3. CYN
4. AAA
5. GCW