The Burning Hammer x Vendetta Wrestling Awards 2022-WWE, AEW, And More
Wrestling really elevated in the year 2022, not only for WWE but for every company. There have been countless memorable moments created throughout the year. It truly was one of the best years to be a professional wrestling fan. Plus now with more companies getting exposure, it gives fans the opportunity to view different products. There are so many talented wrestlers currently it’s extremely hard to pin down who had the best year. But that is exactly what we are going to do. Vendetta Sports Media teamed up with the Burning Hammer to bring you our first annual end-of-year awards for 2022. So without further ado, let the award ceremony commence.
Moment Of The Year:
Cody Rhodes Returns To WWE At WrestleMania 38
The moment of the year category is supposed to be any moment that happened in wrestling that is truly memorable. So it makes sense that Cody Rhodes returning to WWE at WrestleMania 38 won the burnt hammer for the moment of the year. Rhodes’ return to WWE is a moment that many fans will remember forever. It is still surreal to think that the American Nightmare returned to the company despite everything that happened when he left. I mean, he smashed Triple H’s thrown at AEW’s first pay-per-view. Also, WWE only recently allowed Cody to use his full name in the ring. So as unbelievable as it was, it is truly a return that will be remembered forever.
Nominees:
- The Elite return at AEW Full Gear
- MJF wins the AEW World Championship at AEW Full Gear
- Sami Zayn becomes an official honorary Uce when he receives his t-shirt from Roman Reigns
Spot Of The Year:
Brock Lesnar Lifts Half Of The Ring With A Tractor At WWE SummerSlam
The spot of the year award goes to the craziest move or physical moment of the year. So Brock Lesnar lifting half of the ring with a tractor at WWE SummerSlam was a no-brainer. One of the wildest nights in wrestling became that much more memorable when Lesnar did this. Plus the way Roman Reigns fell backward out of the ring really adds to the spot. I still don’t understand how they pulled this off. It is truly one of the craziest spots I have ever seen in my entire life. My anxiety while watching as they continued to fight as half of the ring was in the air was going through the roof. The match itself was pretty insane, but this put the cherry on top. So Brock Lesnar lifting half of the ring with a tractor at WWE SummerSlam wins the burnt hammer for the spot of the year.
Nominees:
- Becky Lynch’s leg drop from the top of the WarGames cage at WWE Survivor Series: WarGames
- Eddie Kingston tries to burn Chris Jericho Alive during the Anarchy at the Arena match at Double or Nothing
- Eddie Kingston throws Sammy Guevara off of the top of the Blood and Guts cage through a table at AEW Blood and Guts
Faction Of The Year:
The Bloodline
Factions seemed like a forgotten diamond in professional wrestling until recently. Years before, it was rare that fans had a proper faction. But this year there was an abundance of great factions, but none were on the level of the Bloodline. From front to back, the Bloodline was clearly the best faction this year. They have been extremely dominant and proven they are not ones to be messed with. The Bloodline will go down as one of the best factions of all time. They’ve got the best storyline going currently and it’s far from over. Let’s be honest, this category was made for them to win. Furthermore, this was the only winner that was by unanimous decision. So we’re more than happy to give the Bloodline the burnt hammer for the faction of the year.
Nominees:
- The Judgement Day
- Blackpool Combat Club
- Jericho Appreciation Society
Feud Of The Year
CM Punk & MJF
Every wrestling storyline is driven by a feud. So it’s crucial for the storytelling that the feud means something and is important. Well, none felt more meaningful than the feud between CM Punk and MJF. While CM Punk possibly may have left AEW on a sour note, he still delivered the best feud this year. All around this feud was firing on all cylinders. From the promo battles to the mind games, this feud was truly the best one this year. There was so much riding on the line with this one that really made it stand out. Plus it gave fans memorable moments like CM Punk coming out to his old theme song before his dog collar match with MJF. This feud made both men better and so we think it deserves the burnt hammer for feud of the year.
Nominees:
- Jericho Appreciation Society and Blackpool Combat Club
- Sheamus and Gunther
- Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins
Male Match Of The Year:
Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins At Hell In A Cell
There have been countless amazing matches this year, but the one that stands out the most is Cody Rhodes vs Seth Rollins at Hell in a Cell. This match was not only driven by the two men, but the story going into it as well. With Cody wrestling with a torn pectoral muscle and Seth coming out wearing black and yellow polka dots, which is what Cody Rhodes’ father, Dusty Rhodes, was known for wearing, this match was unreal. Plus there were a ton of great spots throughout as well. It’s still hard to believe that Cody wrestled with a torn pectoral. The images were unsettling and once he took off his jacket, you could feel the air in the arena dissipate. This match is one I’ll never forget and I know I’m not alone in that. So it wins the burnt hammer for male match of the year.
Nominees:
- Sheamus vs. Gunther at WWE Clash at the Castle
- Anarchy at the Arena at AEW Double or Nothing
- Hangman Page vs. Bryan Danielson on AEW Dynamite (Jan. 5th)
Female Match Of The Year:
Women’s WarGames Match At WWE Survivor Series: WarGames
This was an incredible year for the women in wrestling. There were so many awesome matches throughout the year. But the Women’s WarGames match at WWE Survivor Series: WarGames was the best. There were so many layers to this match with so many different little storylines going on in it. Plus there were a ton of awesome spots during the match. IYO SKY hitting a moon sault off the top of the cage, Rhea Ripley putting Mia Yim through a ladder, and Becky Lynch’s leg drop from the top of the cage are just a few of the crazy things that happened in the match. This is a match that you can watch countless amounts of times and you won’t get tired of it. So that’s why it wins the burnt hammer for female match of the year.
Nominees:
- Becky Lynch vs. Bianca Belair at WWE WrestleMania 38
- Toni Storm vs. Jamie Hayter at AEW Full Gear
- Jamie Hayter vs. Hikaru Shida at AEW Holiday Bash
Breakout Wrestler Of The Year:
Liv Morgan
The breakout wrestler of the year isn’t necessarily the most improved, rather it’s the person who takes their career to new heights. So it was easy to give the award to Liv Morgan. Morgan is the definition of a breakout wrestler. She was always a talented wrestler but really took her career to the next level this year. She won the Money in the Bank briefcase and successfully cashed it in to become WWE Smackdown Women’s Champion, plus beat Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler during her run. While her title reign may not have been the best, that was solely based on the booking. If there was a most improved award, she would win that too. Morgan took her wrestling career to a new tier this year, so that’s why she wins the burnt hammer for breakout wrestler of the year.
Nominees:
- Rhea Ripley
- HOOK
- Jade Cargill
Tag Team Of The Year:
FTR
2022 was an amazing year for tag teams. Gone are the days were tag tea matches don’t get taken seriously. Now they’re main-eventing some of the biggest pay-per-views in the world. But no tag team quite had the year that FTR did. FTR has always been an e4lite tag team, but this was by far the best year of their careers. They have countless match-of-the-year candidates across various different promotions. They even held three tag team championships at one time this year. With so many talented tag teams now in professional wrestling, it’s hard to give the award to just one team. But it’s an easy call to give the burnt hammer for the tag team of the year to FTR.
Nominees:
- The Acclaimed
- The Usos
- Street Profits
Female Wrestler Of The Year:
Bianca Belair
Bianca Belair had the best year of her young career in 2022. She has gotten immensely better in every category since she started in WWE. Also, she has had numerous must-see matches throughout the year. She is one of the hardest-working people in the business and it’s paying off for her. She is the face of the WWE women’s division and will stay that way until she retires. For the longest time, WWE really only had four women who they would push, Becky Lynch, Bayley, Charlotte Flair, and Sasha Banks. But now, Bianca Belair has put herself in that same tier as those women. Not only is Bianca Belair the female wrestler of the year, but she could be the wrestler of the year. And when her career is over, she will go down as one of the best wrestlers of all time. So that’s why Bianca Belair wins the burnt hammer for female wrestler of the year.
Nominees:
- Becky Lynch
- Toni Storm
- Thunder Rosa
Male Wrestler Of The Year:
Jon Moxley
The male wrestler of the year award goes to the person that elevates themself every time they wrestle. They put in the work and they sit in a tier by themselves. So Jon Moxley winning the award makes the most sense. Jon Moxley is AEW. He is a man who simply loves professional wrestling. He probably wrestles the most out of anybody in the business. Night in and night out he goes out there and puts on one hell of a performance. Every time he wrestles you know he is going to give it his all, no matter where it is or who it’s against. I mean he won the AEW World Championship twice this year. And when AEW needed him, he stepped up when he was supposed to go on vacation. So it is our honor to award Jon Moxley the burnt hammer for male wrestler of the year.
Nominees:
- Roman Reigns
- Seth Rollins
- Kenny Omega
