Wrestling Inc.'s Best Of 2023 Awards

2023 is officially in the books, and it's been an absolutely wild year in the world of professional wrestling. One of our writers recently summed it all up in a single word: chaos. Remember when Sasha Banks made her NJPW debut in the Tokyo Dome as Mercedes Mone? Remember The Great Muta teaming up with Sting and Darby Allin at the end of his retirement tour? Remember Cody Rhodes and Rhea Ripley winning their respective Royal Rumbles, followed by one of the most narratively satisfying chair shots in WWE history? That all happened in January. That was before Vince McMahon sold WWE over WrestleMania weekend; before AEW launched a new TV show and damn near sold out Wembley Stadium; before the unbelievably tragic passing of Windham Rotunda, aka Bray Wyatt; and before CM Punk shocked the world by returning to the company he'd walked out of a decade prior. To put things in perspective, there was a 10-day period (from August 24 to September 2) that started with Rotunda's death and ended with Punk getting fired from AEW after a physical altercation with Jack Perry at one of the biggest wrestling events of all time. That's the kind of year this has been.

It's been a year of changes here at Wrestling Inc. too, as we've run through the entire spectrum of success and failure while trying to give you the best source of wrestling news (and sometimes wrestling opinions) on Al Gore's internet. For those who have stuck with us through this year of chaos, thank you. And as a celebratory capper on the year-that-was, it is now officially time to unveil our Best of 2023 Awards!

Just like last year, we asked the WINC staff to fill out their top three choices in 13 different categories (two more than before), the results of which were tabulated in a ranked choice vote (all genders were considered for each category). We feel the results are a largely accurate reflection of the last 12 months, and we hope you agree — or, if you don't, give us your own selections in the comments. Thanks once again for being WINC readers; we can't wait to see what 2024 has in store!

If you're over enough with the crowd that they're chanting along with you introducing yourself, that makes you WINC's Non-Wrestler of the Year. Paul Heyman has been a staple figure throughout professional wrestling for almost 40 years now, but in 2023, he's still special to us. Heyman has had many "guys" throughout his time in WWE, but as the "Wise Man" of Roman Reigns and a major player in the Bloodline, he has truly shown what he can do when it comes to his acting chops.

What makes Heyman so valuable in the "Wise Man" role is that he can take hold of The Bloodline and its story any time Reigns isn't on television. While we've seen Heyman as manager of one wrestler at a time throughout the years, as the "Wise Man," he's counseled not just Reigns, but Jimmy and Jey Uso, as well as Solo Sikoa. When he's there, Reigns runs the show. But the backbone of the stable? We would have to say that's Heyman. As we've seen this year with the implosion of the Bloodline, things don't always run smoothly for them, but Heyman is always there to pick up the pieces and make things right again.

It's his subtleties when it comes to storytelling that make Heyman so great. Remember when Heyman started to appear on television with his natural gray hair when things in the Bloodline were going awry while Reigns was away? The second Reigns returned to "SmackDown," Heyman was cut, dyed, and looking fresh once again, like nothing was ever wrong. His facial expressions throughout Reigns' promos and matches remain to be topped by any other person in the business, making it very difficult to beat Paul Heyman for an award like this. (Written by Daisy Ruth)

Runner-up: Prince Nana

Others receiving first-place votes: Don Callis, Michael Cole, Paul Levesque, John Cena

What makes the One-Winged Angel the finisher of the year? Is it because it looks cool? Is it because it aligns with modern wrestling sensibilities? Or is it because it genuinely matters?

Finishing maneuvers are meaningless in modern wrestling. Drew McIntyre has kicked out of multiple F5s and we didn't doubt it'd happen otherwise. But for all we love or hate, the One-Winged Angel is a protected move, one which we believe will do the business every single time. It's what a finisher should be.

The move really does look amazing. But it's also definitive, and modern wrestling needs more of that. Omega might not have won his tentpole matches this year, but we all know that he will when he drops his finisher, and it was a huge deal when he himself kicked out of it at Forbidden Door. Whether you love or hate him, there's no denying that the One-Winged Angel suspends our disbelief, and isn't that the entire game? (Written by Kieran Fisher)

Runner-up: Rhea Ripey's Riptide

Others receiving first-place votes: Roman Reigns' Spear, MJF's Kangaroo Kick, Better Than You Bay Bay's Double Clothesline, CM Punk's GTS, Cody Rhodes' Cody Cutter, Bryan Danielson's Lebell Lock, Jay White's Blade Runner, Wardlow's Powerbomb Symphony, Jey Uso's Superkick,Zoey Stark's Z-360, Tiffany Stratton's Prettiest Moonsault Ever, Sol Ruca's Sol Snatcher, Will Ospreay's Stormbreaker

Nobody in wrestling is on the rise quite like Swerve Strickland. Throughout 2023, and especially over the last few months, the AEW star has risen up the card and put on some awe-inspiring performances while continuing to build a supervillain-esque persona. Throughout his feud with "Hangman" Adam Page, hints have been laid out pointing to Strickland as a future AEW World Champion, and this year has helped elevate the performer, putting him in a position to win that title sometime soon.

Strickland started the year with a match against AR Fox in his hometown of Seattle, Washington. That eventually led to Fox joining Strickland's faction before getting booted almost immediately — a story that was one of the few rough spots for Strickland in 2023. However, once the lineup of the Mogul Embassy was solidified (Strickland backed up by Prince Nana, Brian Cage, and the Gates of Agony) things began rolling.

In the spring and summer, Strickland became more heavily featured, with showcase matches against wrestlers like Orange Cassidy, NJPW's Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Strickland's longtime rival Darby Allin. After losing to Allin in April, Strickland got his win back near the end of July, and the feud would continue until Strickland teamed with Christian Cage in a Coffin Match against Allin and Sting at AEW All In. Though Strickland was on the losing side, he came out of the match still looking strong, setting him up for what was about to come.

Following All In, Strickland's feud with Page began. Featuring plenty of memorable promos from both men, as well as two excellent pay-per-view matches, the feud between the two men has possibly set them up for a career-long rivalry. It's hard to argue that any one wrestler has seen their stock rise higher over the course of 2023 than Swerve. (Written by Nick Miller)

Runner-up: LA Knight

Others receiving first-round votes: Jey Uso, Solo Sikoa, Sami Zayn, Dominik Mysterio, Logal Paul, Rhea Ripley, Trick Williams, Mascara Dorada 2.0, Shota Umino

For a couple of guys who hadn't tagged together in nearly four years, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn kicking off their eligibility for this award in April and winning the WWE Undisputed Tag Team Championships over a couple of made guys in The Usos is a pretty remarkable feat. Pair that with successfully defending the titles five times (on TV) before ultimately dropping them to The Judgment Day in September and narrowly missing out on getting them back on two occasions, and you have the makings of a Tag Team of the Year run. That it ended in October, as Owens moved to "SmackDown" while Zayn stayed on "Raw," doesn't really matter — that's one hell of a six-month run, and we don't cry because it's over, we smile because it happened. And KO and Sami gave us plenty to smile about this year!

The match at WrestleMania — these two MAIN-EVENTING Night 1 of WrestleMania together after their storied past as friends and foes — might have been enough to earn these accolades alone. Securing their first WWE tag team gold together to cap an emotional roller coaster of a storyline with Zayn and Owens avenging themselves against The Usos was magical. Heck, their reuniting alone as part of the Bloodline story was a perfect touch of timing on WWE's part, making total sense and taking advantage of well-known chemistry.

This overall run was just about flawless for Owens and Zayn. Short though it may have been, it's probably best that it ended when it did. After all, in the words of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, "Great is the art of beginning, but greater is the art of ending." (Written by Jon Jordan)

Runner-up: FTR

Others receiving first-round votes: The Usos, Better Than You Bay Bay, Bishamon

CM Punk had an unfair advantage in this category. He didn't just have a big, high-profile return to wrestling in 2023 — he had two, with the second return defying expectations and dramatically shifting the balance of power in the competition between AEW and WWE.

CM Punk's return to WWE might not only be the return of the year, but tied with Sting's return in 2020 with the most shocking returns of the decade. Punk opting to rejoin WWE after nearly a decade of vitriol and invective left many fans in utter disbelief. Just months after he was ingloriously fired from AEW with cause following a backstage altercation with Jack Perry, the shock of Punk's return was compounded by the brevity with which it came together. Punk returned to wrestling more quickly than his All In altercation opponent, as Perry is filing trademarks for old gimmick names while Punk is preparing to enter next year's Royal Rumble.

The other comebacks this year likely never stood a chance. CM Punk returning to WWE was said to be "hell freezing over" by commentary and WWE's hype machine, lampshading the fact that the company and the wrestler have often been at odds. With all of that put aside and the spirit of forgiveness in the air, CM Punk has once again made wrestling fans believe that anything is possible. (Written by Ross Berman)

Runner-up: Tie — Adam Cole, Cody Rhodes

Others receiving first-round votes: John Cena, Randy Orton, Trinity

There was some debate among the WINC staff as to whether WrestleMania 39 should be considered a single event taking place over the course of two nights, or two separate events (Night 1 and Night 2). In the end, it didn't really matter — between those who voted for the entire show and those who voted just for Night 1, WrestleMania ran away with this year's competition, earning more than triple the votes of the runner-up, and even the staff members who stumped for the whole shebang conceded that Night 1 was by far the superior evening.

It's not hard to see why. Night 2 gave us a bona fide Match of the Year candidate (Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus vs. GUNTHER) as well as the more-entertaining-than-it-had-any-right-to-be Brock Lesnar vs. Omos opener, an excellent match between Bianca Belair and Asuka, and the image of Shane McMahon blowing out his knees, which will never not be funny. But it also had the pretty lifeless women's tag team showcase, a Hell in a Cell match that failed to live up to expectations, and of course, the main event, whose quality or lack of quality was instantly rendered irrelevant in the face of the controversial decision to have Roman Reigns retain the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship against Cody Rhodes.

Night 1, on the other hand, gave us two bona fide Match of the Year candidates back-to-back to close the show (Rhea Ripley vs. Charlotte Flair and Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens vs. The Usos) as well as spectacularly entertaining contests like the men's tag team showcase, Seth Rollins vs. Logan Paul, and Rey Mysterio vs. his son Dominik, whose entrance alone is already the stuff of legend. The six-woman tag match fell a little flat and Austin Theory beating John Cena in the opener ages more poorly with every passing day (as does Cena's incredibly phoned-in performance) but aside from that, Night 1 consisted entirely of killer.

This is WrestleMania's second consecutive win in this category, and it's honestly going to be pretty hard to unseat in the future. No matter how the industry changes or what competition arises to try and knock it off its pedestal, there's only one Showcase of the Immortals. (Written by Miles Schneiderman)

Runner-up: AEW All In

Others receiving first-round votes: WWE Royal Rumble, AEW Revolution, WWE Backlash, AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door, AEW All Out, WWE Survivor Series

One could argue that "AEW Dynamite" consistently delivered the strongest in-ring product week to week while still building to more pay-per-views than ever before in the company's short history. MJF started the year as the dastardly AEW World Champion and closed it as the beloved babyface who has managed to defeat some of the greatest to ever grace the squared circle. "Dynamite" is also where his popular storyline with Adam Cole was primarily showcased, as the two went from enemies to best friends to ROH World Tag Team Champions.

The Wednesday night staple also hosted iconic matches such as The Elite vs. Death Triangle in Escalera De La Muerte for the AEW World Trios titles, Kota Ibushi competing in his first Blood and Guts match alongside The Elite, Hikaru Shida winning her second AEW Women's World title during the 200th episode, and the first ever AEW Continental Classic, which has further highlighted Jay White and Swerve Strickland as main event stars. It was a tight race — "Dynamite" beat out "WWE SmackDown" by just a single vote — but regardless of how you feel about AEW in 2023, "Dynamite" has consistently remained must-watch TV. (Written by Colby Applegate)

Runner-up: WWE SmackDown

Others receiving first-round votes: WWE Raw, WWE NXT, AEW Collision, Impact Wrestling, CMLL Super Viernes

The success that WWE is experiencing at the moment from a business perspective is undeniable. At every premium live event press conference, it's announced that they've set new record gates, viewership numbers, overall revenue, etc. Add to that the merger with UFC to create TKO Holdings under the Endeavor umbrella, and business-wise, the company is rolling. But to win Promotion of the Year, you've got to do better than to just do good business. You've got to put forth an entertaining product, and WWE has thoroughly checked that box in 2023, as well.

Be it "Raw," "SmackDown," or "NXT," the year-in-review for all three brands can be looked upon as a major success, and that's when you know a company is cooking. Key storylines for WWE have endured throughout the year, including Cody Rhodes' attempt to "finish his story" by winning the WWE Undisputed Universal Championship from Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39. That, of course, didn't happen, but the quest continues for "The American Nightmare." GUNTHER has become a top star, now the longest reigning Intercontinental Champion ever after surpassing The Honky Tonk Man's record in September. The Bloodline, dominant for so long, endured growing pains with defections, returns, and lingering uncertainty. And The Judgment Day followed the Bloodline blueprint as the continuous thread throughout countless episodes of "Raw," seeing both individual and team success all year long. Seth Rollins welcomed a new(ish) title to the WWE fold, winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at Night of Champions in May and establishing it as best as anyone could, with several key players gunning for the gold over the course of the year, possibly including CM Punk, whose return at Survivor Series flipped the wrestling world on its head.

Under Shawn Michaels, "NXT" has continued to turn out arguably the best two hours of sports entertainment on a weekly basis across the industry, while establishing new stars primed to take the main roster by storm, if they haven't already. And when you consider the developmental brand in that regard, it's hard to see WWE tapering off anytime soon. In the Endeavor era, and under Paul Levesque, with Vince McMahon now definitively out from a day-to-day creative perspective, anything is possible and time and again, the company has proven that it isn't afraid to take its time, boding well for not just 2023, but for a very long time to come. (Written by Jon Jordan)

Runner-up: AEW

Others receiving first-round votes: CMLL, NJPW

When 2023 began, Vince McMahon made a surprising return to the company that he left in disgrace just months earlier. Now, as 2023 comes to a close, Vince McMahon no longer calls the shots in the company he shaped.

The day after WrestleMania 39, McMahon and Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel announced that WWE and UFC would merge into one company, now known as TKO Group Holdings, which would operate under UFC's parent company, Endeavor. Emanuel is now the man in charge of both UFC and WWE, with McMahon quickly scuttled in favor of the creative vision of WWE Chief Content Officer Paul Levesque and the business acumen of WWE President Nick Khan.

There is simply no bigger news story of the year than the number one industry leader in Professional Wrestling and Sports Entertainment merging with an MMA juggernaut, not least because the infamously controlling McMahon has seemingly ended up watching the company not only succeed but thrive and prosper from the sidelines. Khan seems intent on dragging WWE's business practices into the 21st century, while Levesque has been so cohesive in his creative direction that Endeavor top brass have reportedly stepped in to back the former WWE Champion in disagreements with McMahon, who seems to be taking more and more of a ceremonial role in the company since the announcement of the merger in April.

Not only has Endeavor backed Levesque, but McMahon was listed as a possible liability in one of TKO Group Holdings' first SEC filings. It appears McMahon's iron grip on the wrestling industry has been loosed, — that's the biggest news story of the last decade at least, let alone 2023. (Written by Ross Berman)

Runner-up: CM Punk is fired by AEW and returns to WWE

Others receiving first-round votes: Death of Windham Rotunda, WWE's Bray Wyatt

Despite not yet "finishing the story," Cody Rhodes has had a phenomenal 2023, cementing himself as one of the top babyfaces, if not the top babyface, in WWE. His road to WrestleMania 39 began after he won the men's Royal Rumble match, choosing to face the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, Roman Reigns, at "The Show of Shows." After his Rumble win, his first interaction with The Bloodline occurred on the February 6 episode of "WWE Raw," when he went back and forth on the mic against Reigns' "Wise Man," Paul Heyman. It was a segment that nobody watching would ever forget.

Rhodes and Heyman crafted a narrative that did the thing pro wrestling does best: Blend real life with fiction. The two performers referenced Heyman's relationship with "The American Nightmare's" late father, Dusty Rhodes, and Cody narrated an anecdote about Heyman's generosity when Dusty was truly going through "hard times" and the former ECW owner gave "The American Dream" a job, helping the Rhodes household financially. Heyman, clearly emotionally affected, put over Cody's mic skills while wiping away a tear, but reminded him that Cody hadn't been prepared by anyone to stand in the spotlight. And Heyman's final words drove a dagger into Cody's heart and officially kicked his feud with The Bloodline into full swing.

"In my last conversation with your dad, he told me you, Cody, were his favorite son," Heyman said. "But Roman Reigns was the son he always wanted."

In response, Cody said that all he was trying to do was win the title, but "everybody wants to make it personal." He ended the promo by promising that Reigns would pay for all their sins at WrestleMania. And while that match might not have gone exactly as either Cody or a good portion of the WWE fanbase had planned, the masterclass put on by two of WWE's most spectacular orators will be remembered as one of their all-time greatest promos. (Written by Nishant Jayaram)

Runner-up: CM Punk (AEW Collision 6/17/23)

Others receiving first-round votes: Bray Wyatt (WWE SmackDown 1/13/23), Sami Zayn (WWE SmackDown 2/17/23), Jon Moxley (AEW Dynamite 3/1/23), Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes (WWE SmackDown 3/3/23), Roman Reigns and Jey Uso (WWE SmackDown 6/16/23), Jack Perry (AEW All In), Adam Page and Swerve Strickland (AEW Dynamite 9/6/23), Adam Copeland and Christian Cage (AEW Dynamite 10/4/23), Randy Orton and Rhea Ripley (WWE Raw 11/27/23), Adam Copeland and Christian Cage (AEW Dynamite 11/29/23)

The first-ever WrestleMania main event contested for the tag team championship. The triumphant culmination of one of WWE's most popular and compelling underdog stories. Quite possibly the best tag team match in WWE history, period.

The best match of 2023? Yeah, probably also that.

As usual with anything involving The Bloodline, we tend to remember the words exchanged, the feelings expressed, the moments of pure, dramatic emotion. Jey Uso telling Sami Zayn he should never have left the group. Kevin Owens' often inarticulate screams of rage, punctuated by his final battle cry, "Let's end it!" Sami telling Jey, just before the finish, "You chose this, Uce." Michael Cole's amazing call on the final three-count: "The Bloodline be damned!" But going back and watching it again, the really incredible thing about this match is the structure and the pacing. Like many WWE headliner matches, it doesn't waste any time getting the action to epic levels, but in this case there's a reason for that — the match is actually three matches combined, with all the fat trimmed away and only the final one including an actual fall. The inflection points are all hot tags between Zayn and Owens, followed by Owens attempting to hit a Stunner, and the differences in those three spots tells the entire story. In other words, this is a match so beautifully and deliberately designed that it even has its own three-act structure.

And yet, even beyond its elegant construction, it's the real-life victories this match represents that takes Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens vs. The Usos over the top. Zayn, a man who not so long ago was a floundering comedy heel, is now a WrestleMania main-eventer, and has been used as a main-eventer on TV and PPV in the months since Mania. If his hometown loss at Elimination Chamber was heartbreaking for many, the Mania win represented redemption, especially as it took place alongside Owens, his lifelong wrestling soulmate. The two have always wanted to win the WWE tag titles together; in 2023, they won them in the first-ever tag team WrestleMania main event. It's a moment shared by the Usos, who wholeheartedly deserved it, and a major milestone in Jey's own main event journey. And it's a massive victory for tag team wrestling as an idea, particularly in WWE, where the format hasn't typically been given its due.

This match wasn't just great. It was more than great. It meant something. How many wrestling matches, in any year, can say the same? (Written by Miles Schneiderman)

Runner-up: Tie — Kenny Omega vs. Will Ospreay (NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17 Night 1), Kenny Omega vs. Will Ospreay (AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door)

Others receiving first-round votes: Roman Reigns vs. Sami Zayn (WWE Elimination Chamber), MJF vs. Bryan Danielson (AEW Revolution), Rhea Ripley vs. Charlotte Flair (WWE WrestleMania Night 1), Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus vs. GUNTHER (WWE WrestleMania 39 Night 2), Bad Bunny vs. Damian Priest (WWE Backlash), Ilja Dragunov vs. Dijak (WWE NXT Battleground), FTR vs. Jay White and Juice Robinson (AEW Collision 7/15/23), Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso (WWE SummerSlam), MJF vs. Adam Cole (AEW All In), Volador Jr vs. Angel de Oro (CMLL 90th Anniversary Show), MJF vs. Kenny Omega (AEW Collision 10/28/23), Swerve Strickland vs. "Hangman" Adam Page (AEW Full Gear)

"Storyline of the Year" is a pretty open-ended category, as it can be basically any feud or angle that took place over the course of the year. The Bloodline is a story that started back in 2020 (arguably even before, when Roman Reigns was a babyface superhero being soundly rejected by the fans) and has taken various forms throughout 2023, from the story specifically involving Sami Zayn early in the year (which also won WINC's Storyline of the Year award in 2022) to the seeming disintegration of the group over the summer and the rise of Jey Uso as a singles star, to the idea of justice for The Bloodline's crimes taking on a terrifying human avatar in the form of Drew McIntyre as 2023 came to a close.

WINC staffers voted for all these chapters in the Bloodline Saga as individual stories, or they just voted for the Bloodline Saga as a whole. For our purposes, a vote for one is a vote for all, especially because Bloodline-related votes absolutely dominated the field. While it's lost a little steam lately, largely due to Reigns' absence from TV, the Bloodline continues to shape the landscape of WWE in profound ways, and it still has to be considered one of the most popular and well-told narratives in WWE history. A couple of AEW stories made a push for recognition, but at least until WrestleMania 40, it's the Bloodline's world, and we're all just living in it. (Written by Miles Schneiderman)

Runner-up: Tie — MJF and Adam Cole form Better Than You Bay Bay, Christian Cage forms The Patriarchy

Others receiving first-round votes: Athena vs. Billie Starkz, Swerve Strickland vs. "Hangman" Adam Page

MJF has had a huge 2023, holding the AEW World Championship for almost the entirety of the year as part of the longest reign in the title's history at 407 days. He successfully defended the belt nine times in 2023, including in the main event of one of the largest wrestling events ever, AEW All In. MJF also won the ROH World Tag Team Championship with Adam Cole at All In, and was able to keep the Dynamite Diamond Ring for the fifth year in a row. His championship loss to Samoa Joe at AEW Worlds End on December 30 was the only singles loss on his record in 2023 (he also dropped the ROH tag titles days before Worlds End to a team that would eventually be revealed as The Kingdom) making December 31 the only day of the year that he didn't hold any gold.

MJF was also involved in some serious match-of-the-year contenders in 2023. That includes his Iron Man match against Bryan Danielson at AEW Revolution, his All In main event against Adam Cole, and his "AEW Collision" match against Kenny Omega in October — all three matches received first-place Match of the Year votes from the WINC staff. Both on PPV and TV, MJF continues to deliver for AEW fans, and that includes more than just matches. The 27-year-old has continued to impress on the microphone, expanding his boundaries by becoming a babyface for the first time in his AEW career. The story of his rivalry-turned-friendship-turned-rivalry with Cole is still ongoing, and while it's been over-the-top at times, it's one of the most engaging stories AEW has told in the four years of its existence.

In a year of highs and lows for AEW, MJF offered a degree of stability within the promotion and often stood out as the most entertaining element of any given broadcast. He continued doing the things he does best while adding new layers to his onscreen character. 2023 will likely be seen as the defining year in the career of MJF — that is, unless 2024 can top it. (Written by Nick Miller)

Runner-up: Tie — Will Ospreay, Cody Rhodes

Others receiving first-round votes: Roman Reigns, Jey Uso, Seth Rollins, Rhea Ripely, CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, Mistico