2023 was a wild year in the world of professional wrestling. The McMahon Family not being majority owners of WWE and CM Punk back in a WWE ring are the only examples needed to illustrate that point properly.
Really, the wildness goes deeper than that. AEW added a third show to their slate of programming in AEW Collision, Sting announced his retirement, The Rock returned to Smackdown, and Impact Wrestling announced a name change back to TNA.
What happened in the ring during 2023 has also been notable. Seth Rollins became a new WWE World Heavyweight Champion, MJF turned babyface, Gunther became the longest reigning WWE Intercontinental Champion in company history, Rhea Ripley dethroned Charlotte Flair to win the world championship, Roman Reigns added to his legacy and historic run with the WWE Universal Championship, and so much more.
What was the best of 2023 in pro wrestling? We got you covered. SEScoops correspondents Tyriece Simon, Samantha Schipman, Ella Jay and Bishal Roy discussed some of this year’s best, but with a twist. Instead of naming definitive winners, we’re presenting various viewpoints for each category from our expert panel. Let’s get into it:
Most Improved Wrestler Of The Year
Tyriece: Dominik Mysterio. It’s been great to see the transformation Dominik Mysterio had in WWE over the year. He went from tagging with his father, Rey Mysterio, to becoming a singles star that garners natural reactions from fans. His in-ring style has improved as well, having great matches with the likes of Dragon Lee, Sami Zayn, and his father. From where he was last year to now, he’s shown incredible growth as a character and a performer.
Bishal: Dominik Mysterio. ‘Dirty Dom’ has put in hard work and he is only getting better. Dominik Mysterio has had over 100 Matches for WWE this year across all brands which includes Raw, NXT, WWE PPVs, and NXT PPVs. He has put on some great matches against the likes of Seth Rollins, Sami Zayn, Wes Lee, Trick Williams, and many others. He also recently captured the NXT North American Champion. Plus, The Judgement Day have also got stronger better since Dom Dom joined. He has the potential to become the next big heel in the upcoming years.
Sam: Julia Hart – Julia Hart has come into her own since joining the House of Black. For many, she is the leader. Hart is undefeated in 2023 and became the third TBS Championship ever.
Ella: Tiffany Stratton. While she may only have two years of in-ring experience under her belt, Tiffany Stratton has already worked her way to the tippy top of WWE NXT. In addition to earning her very first championship this year, Stratton also received the opportunity to sharpen her skillset in an enticing feud against veteran performer, Becky Lynch, which led to a memorable Extreme Rules match at NXT No Mercy. Paired with her high-flying move set and budding self-confidence, Stratton seems destined to continue on this upward trajectory.
Breakout Wrestler Of The Year
Sam: El Hijo Del Vikingo – Vikingo began competing in the U.S. in late 2022 and burst on to a national scene this year. The AAA Mega Champion has competed in AAA, AEW, ROH, GCW, DEFY. among others. He regularly stands out in his matches and has mind-blowing aerial moves.
Ella: LA Knight. After shedding his identity as Max Dupri, LA Knight emerged into his true form, becoming one of WWE’s most popular talents – both in audience reaction and merchandise sales. Though he has yet to win a championship on WWE’s main roster, Knight earned some notable victories this year, including a tag team win (alongside John Cena) at WWE Fastlane. Knight also holds the honor of winning the first-ever Slim Jim Battle Royal at SummerSlam. Now, the rising star finds himself in line to be the potential next challenger to Roman Reigns’ Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. And to that, I say: YEAH!
Bishal: Jey Uso. 2023 has been the year of Jey Uso. Given his rise to the top of, it has been an important year for him as a singles Star. He has risen above The Usos and he has got the fans behind his back. He started the year as tag team champions with brother Jimmy and they main-evented WrestleMania 39 in the best tag team match of the year. Jey Uso went on to have a remarkable match at Money in the Bank against Roman Reigns. After that he was on Raw as a Singles star and he has just grown in singles competition throughout the year. Heading into 2024 he will be feuding against his brother Jimmy Uso leading into next year’s WrestleMania 40 which could be yet another happening year for him.
Tyriece: Trinity. Some fans questioned what Trinity was going to be able to do without the WWE. She decided to go to Impact Wrestling and has been having a career resurgence. Her arrival in the company added more intrigue from wrestling fans and she’s been able to show her range as a wrestler. Heading into 2024 under TNA Wrestling, Trinity is looking to continue to be one of the company’s biggest stars.
Tag Team Of The Year
Ella: Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn started the year as opponents of sorts, but upon Zayn’s breakaway from The Bloodline, the former tag team partners were finally reunited. Owens and Zayn’s highlight moment came in the main event of night one of WrestleMania 39, where they dethroned The Usos to become the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions. Following their massive title win, Owens and Zayn successfully defended the titles against the likes of Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa, Imperium, Pretty Deadly, and The Judgment Day.
Tyriece Simon: Miracle Generation (Dustin Waller & Kylon King) – While they may not be on the radar for some wrestling fans, Miracle Generation have had a great year as a tag team on the independent wrestling scene. They’ve held the IWTV Independent Wrestling Tag Team Championship since February 26 and have successfully defended the title 23 times. While Miracle Generation may not have been the most popular team, their activity this year stands above many teams and fans should keep their eye on them in 2024.
Bishal: The Judgment Day. The current Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships belong to the Judgement Day’s Finn Balor and Damian Priest. They have become such a formidable force of the red brand and their title run has been nothing but impressive. While they had some differences in the past, they overcame them and ever since had each other’s backs as a ‘family.’ That’s what matters the most.
Sam: Aussie Open. Although their run has put on hold twice due to injuries to Mark Davis, when healthy, Aussie Open is one of the best tag teams in the world. They started the year holding both the NJPW STRONG and IWGP Tag Team Championships simultaneously. They briefly held the ROH Tag Team titles when they unceremoniously dropped them to Better Than You Bay Bay at All In.
Rivalry Of The Year
Bishal: Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens vs. The Bloodline. If you ask me, it has been a cinema-like storyline. The iconic rivalry will go down as one of the best in recent times and had the fans invested for months in the build-up. The rivalry has been full of a rollercoaster ride of emotions, brewing tension, and animosity. Zayn ultimately deciding to take down The Bloodline and joining hands with Kevin Owens will remain as a memorable moment in the coming times.
Sam: Christian Cage vs. Fatherless Wrestlers. Christian Cage is on the run of his career, which is saying something for someone who has been
wrestling for nearly 3 decades. As TNT Champion, he has terrorized wrestlers who have lost their fathers. The leader of The Patriarchy has taken Nick Wayne under his wing and renewed a feud with long-time (and fatherless) tag team partner, Adam Copeland.
Tyriece: Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens vs. The Bloodline. One of the elements that made The Bloodline storyline feel like “cinema” was their feud with Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens. It spanned from the Owens match with Roman Reigns at the Royal Rumble on January 28 until Owens and Zayn defeated Reigns and Sikoa at WWE Night Of Champions 2023 on May 25. The feud showcased months of great moments and matches that will be remembered.
Ella: Swerve Strickland vs. Adam Page – The rivalry between “Hangman” Adam Page and Swerve Strickland showcased an enthralling mix of drama, psychology (in-ring and character-wise), and of course, a vibrant display of physicality. While some critics believe this feud to be too graphic, specifically in regards to their Texas Death Match at AEW Full Gear, there’s no denying that this feud kept viewers deeply immersed in the storyline that unfolded before them. This was also the story that arguably catapulted Strickland to the next level, as he not only defeated a former AEW World Champion, but someone who is also one of the company’s founding players.
Promotion/Booker Of The Year
Tyriece: WWE & Triple H. WWE were in some interesting times to the start the year, as Vince McMahon returned as the Chairman and the company would later merge with the UFC. That said, throughout the year WWE has done a great job elevating talent and creating new stars on the main roster and NXT. They’ve also delivered great moments on both TV and their premium live events. When it comes to being consistent in producing great content, WWE has shown why they are currently number one in wrestling.
Bishal: WWE & Triple H. It has to be him. Why not? Having The Bloodline continue to dominate and not only Roman Reigns, made the other members of the faction top stars individually. He got Gunther to make history with the WWE Intercontinental Championship, booked LA Knight like a hero, and finished off the year by doing the unthinkable in bringing in CM Punk. – Bishal Roy
Sam: Pro Wrestling Revolver & Sami Callihan. Sami Callihan’s Revolver promotion has had incredible shows all year long. They have a good balance of independent talents with signed talent from AEW and IMPACT. The inaugural Women’s Grand Prix tournament showcased 8 top women and had an all women’s broadcast team.
Ella: Shawn Michaels & NXT. As WWE’s Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative, Shawn Michaels is tasked with spearheading WWE’s developmental territory of NXT. And while this brand may be developmental, it’s certainly managed to stand out. In addition to the compelling action surrounding the NXT Championship scene, Michaels has also established a meaningfulness to the mid-card, tag team, and women’s divisions as well. Every story feels like it matters, even if a championship isn’t involved. Michaels has also provided great care to NXT’s women’s division specifically – a division that is frequently overlooked or underserved in other promotions.
Male Wrestler Of The Year
Bishal: Gunther. ‘The Ring General’ has had a fantastic year and the historic Intercontinental Championship reign for 550+ days is unparalleled. When it comes to in-ring performances, he put on some incredible matches, especially the title defense against Sheamus and Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania 39 and the epic rivalry with Chad Gable.
Tyriece: MJF. The AEW World Champion has had an incredible year, holding the title from the start of the year to the end. While being a central part of AEW TV and storylines, he’s also had great matches with Bryan Danielson, Adam Cole and Kenny Omega. While there may be other possible candidates, I think MJF’s body of work this year has earned him this honor.
Ella Jay: Cody Rhodes. While he may not have “finished the story” this year, Cody Rhodes’ return to WWE surely proved to be quite a success. After kicking off 2023 with a victory in the Men’s Royal Rumble, Rhodes boasted notable wins against the likes of Brock Lesnar, Solo Sikoa, Finn Balor, Damian Priest, and Dominik Mysterio; he also found himself on the winning team in a brutal Men’s WarGames match. In addition to this impressive resume in singles competition, Rhodes also explored the tag team scene this year, earning himself a brief run with the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships alongside Jey Uso. With over 100 matches wrestled this year, Rhodes not only exits this year as my male wrestler of the year, but also as WWE’s ironman. Yeet.
Samantha: Mike Bailey. Ever since Bailey returned to the U.S. in 2022, he has been making up for lost time. Speedball has wrestled more than 150 matches this year alone, with 10 of them coming WrestleMania weekend. Even with all of those matches, they always give 110% and always deliver fantastic matches.
Female Wrestler Of The Year
Ella: Athena. Since adopting a more aggressive attitude at the tail-end of 2022, Athena has risen to become the arguable face of Ring of Honor. In addition to being the longest reigning ROH World Women’s Champion, Athena earned her way into the main event of not one, but two ROH pay-per-views this year – an achievement that is solely held by her. Amidst her ascent, Athena scored victories over the likes of Mercedes Martinez, Willow Nightingale, Allysin Kay, Angelina Love, and most recently, Billie Starkz – who challenged Athena for the title in the headlining contest at ROH Final Battle.
Bishal: Rhea Ripley. As she says, “‘Mami’ is always on top,” Rhea Ripley has continued to remain on top of the women’s division and remained a formidable opponent for the other female superstars in WWE. Since avenging her WrestleMania defeat against Charlotte Flair, she has been unstoppable and I believe she will finish the year on a high note.
Tyriece: Rhea Ripley – WWE gave Rhea Ripley the opportunity to be one of their biggest stars and she has not dropped the ball. She started the year winning the Royal Rumble and went on to defeat Charlotte Flair in a great match for the WWE Women’s World Championship at WrestleMania 39 on April 1. She’s held the title since then defeating the likes of Natalya, Raquel Rodriguez, and Zoey Stark throughout the year. She became a force in the company and looks to continue to be one of their biggest stars for the next few years.
Sam: Athena. No one comes close to what Athena has done in wrestling in 2023. For me, she is the best wrestler, regardless of gender. She is 44-0 in ROH-sanctioned matches. “The Fallen Goddess” made history by being the first Black woman to main event Dark, Rampage, and ROH TV. She is the first woman to main event an ROH pay-per-view and she did it twice.
Match Of The Year
Tyriece: Roman Reigns vs. Sami Zayn (Elimination Chamber 2023). I absolutely love this match. From the story heading into the match to the action, Roman Reigns vs. Sami Zayn had everything you want in a wrestling match. Even though everyone kind of knew the result of the match beforehand, Zayn and Reigns did a great job making fans believe that a title change could’ve happened. It was a special match and one that still holds up months later.
Bishal: Kenny Omega Vs. Will Ospreay (NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17). It was one of those unpredictable matches where the superstars pushed each other from bell to bell. The highly-cohesive talent pulled off some insane spots that kept the fans at the ed
ge of their seats. The storyline culminated in an impressive manner as Omega captured the title to attain revenge on Ospreay.
Sam: Athena vs. Willow Nightingale (ROH Death Before Dishonor). Athena and Nightingale made history as the first women to main event an ROH pay-per-view. This match was a love letter to independent women’s wrestling. The crowd was firmly and loudly behind each woman. Athena’s win solidified her reign as champion and to be the dominant force she’s become.
Ella: Ilja Dragunov vs. Dijak (NXT Battleground). As indicated by the stipulation, this match between Ilja Dragunov and Dijak proved to be an intense 16-minute battle filled with brutal physicality, a wide range of weaponry, and a true test of will. In the end, Dragunov (who is perhaps a glutton for punishment) emerged victorious after sending Dijak face-first into a steel chair, via his H-Bomb finisher.
