2022 was a great year for independent wrestling in Europe. I myself had the pleasure of attending more than 30 different shows and witnessing many great matches live. Many more were recommended to me. With the year now in the rearview mirror, I want to present my personal top 9 best indy matches of 2022 (because, let’s face it: nobody cares about the last entry in a top 10 anyway).
Now, to me wrestling isn't always about the best technical performance or the hardest bumps; it's the full package that matters. A good wrestling match has a story tell – an often overlooked quality that plays a significant role in how much I personally enjoy any given match.
1. Chris Brookes v. Kid Lykos - No Disqualification (PROGRESS: Return of the Fly)
Kid Lykos has always been a good wrestler, but he has improved by leaps and bounds over the last year or so. Never was this more apparent than in his spectacular match with Chris Brookes. These two men know each other inside and out, and it shows. This was a hard-fought duel that stands out thanks to outstanding technique and enormous intensity. Lykos solidified himself as a bonafide singles star here.
2. Michael Oku v. Will Ospreay (RevPro: High Stakes)
Who is the best wrestler alive today? When that question comes up, Will Ospreay's name is usually among the first mentioned. Many of the British progidy's battles are already legendary among fans. At Revolution Pro Wrestling: High Stakes, Ospreay faced off against Michael Oku, one of the hottest young talents the UK scene has to offer. It's a match that keeps you glued to the screen from start to finish lest you miss even a second of the rapidfire action. Ospreay played the role of the cocky veteran to perfection, while Oku proved that can hang with the best in the business. This almost certainly won't be the last time these two lock up, but their inaugural clash will definitely be remembered by fans for years to come.
3. John Klinger v. Axel Tischer (Unlimited Wrestling: New Dawn)
'Bad Bones' John Klinger and 'the Axman’ Axel Tischer have brawled acros Europe in recent years, and all of their encounters are well worth seeing (Their ladder match at GWF Legacy 2021 remains a personal favorite of mine). At Unlimited Wrestling: New Dawn 2022, however, they delivered the most complete overall package yet. Sometimes, when two wrestlers face each other too often, their matches start to blend together; the whole thing becomes a paint-by-numbers-affair. Not so with these two – it quickly becomes apparent that Klinger and Tischer know each other very well in the New Dawn match, but that only heightens the tension here. Thunderous strikes, rapid reversals and exciting near falls make this match between the two long-term rivals an absolute must-see. If you're only going to see one match in the series, this is the one to seek out.
Unlimited Wrestling post all their shows to YouTube for free. New Dawn 2022 should be released there in early 2023 .
4. Spike Trivet v. Cara Noir - 'I Quit'-Match (PROGRESS: Super Strong Style 16, Day 2)
Cara Noir and Spike Trivet presented a perfect mix of emotional storytelling and hard-hitting in-ring action on the second day of the Super Strong Style-weekend.Thumbtacks, chairs, tables, handcuffs, even a trampoline came into play as the two arch-rivals worked each other over, both determined to make the other submit. Ultimately, however, this bloody encounter would be decided through skillful psychological warfare. This match served as an exclamation point to the most high-stakes story PROGRESS had in 2022, and it came off great.
5. Crowchester v. Erkan Sulcani (GWF Rising Heat)
The high-flying Crowchester has gone from the German indy scene's best kept secret to one of its fastest rising stars in 2022. Erkan Sulcani had an equally good year, taking then-GWF Champion Axel Tischer to the limit and beating the unbeatable Mike D. Vecchio for the GWF Berlin Title. It was a given that an encounter between two exceptional talents like Crowchester and Sulcani would be good, but hardly anyone expected it to be the thriller it turned into. The intense duel kept fans on the edge of their seats from start to finish as Sulcani and Crowchester traded finishers and near falls, evenly matched right up until the end. The two have not crossed path since, but an eventual re-match seems inevitable.
The entire match can be viewed for free on YouTube .
6. Maggot v. Ahura - Ladder Match (wXw 22nd Anniversary)
Brother against brother, title against title – at wXw's 22nd birthday celebration, Maggot and Ahura would finally settle who the rightful Shotgun Champion was. In addition to the emotionally charged storyline, the battle of the estranged tag team partners also featured a number of creative and extremely hard-hitting moves involving the ladders. This certainly isn't your daddy's ladder match!
7. Senza Volto v. Bandido (BodyZoi 6)
'The French Senzation' Senza Volto is considered one of the best highflyers in Europe; Bandido has been called one of the best in the world. In 2022, the dream match between the two masked men finally became a reality: They faced off in BodyZoi in a match that was just as fast-paced and acrobatic as we’d always imagined it would be.
8. Charles Crowley v. Alexxis Falcon - Dog Collar Match (TNT: A Cold Day In Hell)
For months, Crowley tormented and humiliated Alexxis Falcon, breaking her down to the point where she began to question her place in the wrestling business. It was an intense, at times straight up uncomfortable feud that culminated in a brutal dog collar match at TNT's A Cold Day In Hell. Both opponents seized the opportunity to show off a whole new side of themselves. This match certainly isn’t for the squeamish, but it is a great one and a testament to the enormous untapped potential of intergender wrestling.
9. Violence Is Forever v. Shigehiro Irie & Fuminori Abe (wXw World Tag Team Festival - Day 2)
Violence is Forever, consisting of Dominic Garini and Kevin Ku, were hardly on anyone's radar screen in Europe before the 2022 World Tag Team Festival. Abe and Irie, on the other hand, were already known to loyal WxW fans; however, the two had never competed as a the tag team. Nevertheless, they gelled perfectly. Both teams seemed to speak the same language from the start. The result: Perhaps the most hard-hitting, most unconventional and most exciting tag team match to be seen in Europe in 2022.