Connect with us
AEW’s Best Technical Wrestlers in 2022, Ranked
Image: AEW

Wrestling

AEW’s Best Technical Wrestlers in 2022, Ranked

Who is the best technical wrestler in AEW?

Whereas the last decade saw the prevalence of the high-flying, tornado rules, marathon-style pro wrestling; the ‘20s are looking to be the technical era. The resurgence of the technical wrestler in AEW can be traced back (in part) to one major storyline. The battle between Blackpool Combat Club and the Jericho Appreciation Society is a battle of pro wrestling philosophies — that of the traditional pro wrestler and the sports entertainer.

Between these two factions, along with other elite individuals, the technical style is poised for greatness in AEW. Now, let’s take a look at which names sit atop a growing list.

Honorable Mention

MJF and Wheeler Yuta

MJF –  MJF is a must-watch wrestler. But his wrestling schedule is meant to make him the most money doing the least work, not top our fan lists.

Wheeler Yuta – It’s almost like the first half of the year belonged to Wheeler Yuta, and the latter half to Daniel Garcia. This is part recency bias, but the sports entertainment vortex hasn’t been kind to Yuta.

(5) Emi Sakura

Emi Sakura
Image: AEW

Emi Sakura has been silently building up the women’s division particularly on Dark: Elevation. This year, frequent opposition to “The Queen” include Skye Blue, Anna Jay, and Ruby Soho. All of whom would have some of their most polished AEW matches on these Youtube shows against Sakura.

Perhaps the person who best benefitted from sharing the ring with Sakura is her regular Elevation partner, Nyla Rose. The difference in Rose’s work from when she wrestled as World Champion in 2020 — an agile giant style — compared to when she teamed on-and-off with Sakura beginning 2021 is night and day. Rose has emphasized the “calculated” in calculated risks, and her efficient movement in the ring nowadays shows that.

Great wrestlers create great wrestlers. Queens create Lulu Pencil.

Technical Wrestlers

(4) Daniel Garcia

Daniel garcia
Image: AEW

Daniel Garcia’s involvement as the muse in the BCC/JAS story is the best thing to have happened to him in AEW. Specifically, Danielson’s public endorsement of Garcia, versus William Regal’s perspective about Garcia being a better opponent than member of BCC.

It is constant back-and-forth’s like these that make up for long periods of Garcia being in the background for a JAS ticker tape parade. The in-between moments, when he’s not having classics alongside Matt Menard and Angelo Parker, or having gripping submission-based series against Wheeler Yuta or Bryan Danielson. All these have proven to live audiences that Garcia showed the most growth among the other technical prodigies in 2022.

(3) Bryan Danielson

Bryan Danielson
Image: AEW

Bryan Danielson has had a phenomenal year. Matches against Adam Page and Daniel Garcia, as well as the infamous Anarchy in the Arena, mark a great year for Danielson in the ring. Outside of matches, of course, his biggest highlight would be forming the highly-influential BCC.

Unfortunately, his ceiling in 2022 had been halted by injury, and by a sports-entertainment rivalry that dragged on too long. The series with Garcia was great; and the battle of wrestling philosophies is a rich concept. But Bryan Danielson and Chris Jericho for 3 months straight in the year 2022 is not it. When the ceiling is Danielson’s strike-friendly chemistry with Kenny Omega, Minoru Suzuki, and Eddie Kingston in 2021? This JAS tug-of-war loses its shine quick.

“The American Dragon” has still elevated every young star he’s faced in bigger rivalries. But his reach hasn’t been as widespread as our next entry.

(2) Serena Deeb

Serena Deeb
Image: AEW

Serena Deeb has been the unsung MVP of the entire women’s division for months now. She’s been the thread that ties the World Championship scenes of both AEW and ROH. From smooth singles against Thunder Rosa, Mercedes Martinez, and Toni Storm. To standout performances in tags involving Jame Hayter, Britt Baker, and Athena.

Technical Wrestlers

Some criticize Deeb for not being the go-to for spitting fire onto a live mic (people get 1 Baker reign and expect everyone else to be closet sports entertainers from now on?). But match after match, win or lose, Deeb remains a threat in the title scene. Not for lack of venom on the mic, but for being their most consistent technical wrestler so far.

(1) Jon Moxley

Technical Wrestlers
Image: AEW

Is there any list Jon Moxley fits in that he can’t top? Call him Ace, call him heart and soul, but he is also AEW’s top technician. (And not just because you call him when your house needs rewiring.)

Blackpool Combat Club’s entire M.O. has been about building and recruiting AEW’s next great technical wrestlers. The names they brought up were Wheeler Yuta, Daniel Garcia, and Lee Moriarty. This year, Moxley and BCC’s 1st survivor Yuta put on arguably the best Rampage match in history.

Apart from being Mr. Dirty Technical Wrestling, Moxley is a strong candidate for being blanket wrestler of the year. From 3-minute squabbles, to Anarchy in the Arena. The best one to do it was a bloody technical wrestler.

Technical Wrestlers
Written By

Harvey Garcia is sometimes a poet and freelance writer from Manila; always going to pop for a butterfly suplex, and a good line cut.

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Facebook

Trending

Deep Impact was a serious look at the end of the world Deep Impact was a serious look at the end of the world

25 Years Later: Deep Impact was a Serious Look at the End of the World 

Film

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 movie review Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 movie review

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Caps Off the Trilogy With a Heartfelt Bang (Mostly)

Film

The Best Movies of 1973 The Best Movies of 1973

The Golden Year of Movies: 1973

Culture

The Zone of Interest The Zone of Interest

Cannes 2023: Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest is a Manicured Vision of Hell

Culture

The Best of the Beast – Brock Lesnar’s Ten Best Matches, Ranked The Best of the Beast – Brock Lesnar’s Ten Best Matches, Ranked

The Best of the Beast – Brock Lesnar’s Ten Best Matches, Ranked

Culture

Jeanne Du Barry review Jeanne Du Barry review

Cannes 2023: Maïwenn’s Great Hair Goes to Great Lengths in Jeanne Du Barry

Culture

Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret: Judy Blume’s Adaptation is Right On

Film

BlackBerry movie review BlackBerry movie review

BlackBerry Is a Wonderfully Canadian Account of a Dying Tech Dream

Film

Sean Garrity review Sean Garrity review

The End of Sex is a Ballsy Comedy of Marital Manners 

Film

Black Flies Gripping Black Flies Gripping

Cannes 2023: Black Flies— Gripping Descent into the Underbelly of New York’s Urban Misery 

Culture

The Matrix Reloaded The Matrix Reloaded

20 Years Later: The Matrix Reloaded was Underwhelming, but Still Underrated

Film

The Mother Jennifer Lopez and Lucy Paez The Mother Jennifer Lopez and Lucy Paez

Jennifer Lopez’s The Mother is Eerily Similar to Enough, But That’s Not a Bad Thing

Film

He Got Game retrospective He Got Game retrospective

He Got Game was Spike Lee’s Shot at a Basketball Movie 

Film

Godzilla 1998 Godzilla 1998

Godzilla at 25: When Hollywood Made a Manhattan Monster Movie, with Disastrous Results

Film

Sean Connery Sean Connery

60 Years Later, Dr. No Remains the Paragon of Bond

Film

Fast X Fast X

Fast X Finally Reaches the Franchise’s Breaking Point

Film

Connect