Linus O'Howell
- Dec 31, 2023
- 39 min read

My 2023 WWE Awards

As we come closer to the end of another year, it’s time for me to give out My 2023 WWE Awards. There are 6 categories in total with 10 nominees/contenders in each and how it works is I base my final result on a number of things including accolades, match quality, in-ring ability, storytelling, character work and more. I have also added a poll under every category in case you want to vote as well, and due to 2023 being such a good year for WWE, there will be an Honourable Mentions list at the bottom. Right, let’s start with My Male Superstar of the Year Nominees!

2023 Male Superstar of the Year Nominees

Seth “Freakin” Rollins

Seth “Freakin” Rollins returns in My 2023 list to try and retain his Crown from last year! In “My Top 40 WWE Matches of 2023”, Seth Rollins appeared in 4 matches which was the joint-5th most amount. Early in the year, Seth put on a hell of a performance in the United States Championship Elimination Chamber match before he went on to beat Logan Paul in a fun WrestleMania encounter. Rollins then achieved his crowning moment of 2023 at Night of Champions by beating AJ Styles to become the “inaugural” World Heavyweight Champion before he went on to defend his title against Bron Breakker at NXT Gold Rush (Week 1). The Visionary then had a couple of great feuds with both Finn Balor and Shinsuke Nakamura (he won both) before Rollins retained his Championship against Drew McIntyre at Crown Jewel and was a part of the winning team in the Men’s WarGames match. There’s no doubt that Seth “Freakin” Rollins has had a terrific 2023!

Damian Priest

2023 will always be the year that Damian Priest proved he could be a Main Eventer. In “My Top 40 WWE Matches of 2023”, Damian appeared 5 times which was the joint-second most amount which is pretty good going. Priest started the year by losing to The Usos in a terrific Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships match at Raw is XXX before he put in a superb performance inside the Elimination Chamber (in a match for the United States Championship). The Archer of Infamy then had a hell of a match with Bad Bunny at Backlash (he ultimately lost) before Priest’s crowning moment of 2023 came when he won the Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match in London. Priest then won the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships off of Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn with his Judgment Day stablemate Finn Balor at Payback (in another great match) before Damian became a 2-time Tag Team Champion on Raw after previously losing the Titles to Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso at Fastlane. The Punishment of The Judgment Day then had a great showing in a losing effort at WarGames and yeah, Damian Priest is a serious contender to win this award.

Carmelo Hayes

Carmelo Hayes proved in 2023 why he really is “HIM”! In “My Top 40 WWE Matches of 2023”, Carmelo appeared 4 times which is pretty decent going. Carmelo started 2023 with a feud with Apollo Crews which he ultimately won in a 2-out-of-3 Falls Match at NXT Vengeance Day before Melo’s crowning moment of the year came when he finally became NXT Champion by defeating Bron Breakker at NXT Stand and Deliver (in a match that also happened to be the youngest Main Event in WrestleMania Weekend history). Melo then retained his Championship at NXT Spring Breakin’ in a great match with Grayson Waller before he would once again beat Breakker at NXT Battleground. Hayes then went on to retain his Title against Baron Corbin at NXT Gold Rush (Week 2) before he entered a superb feud with Ilja Dragunov which ultimately resulted in the A-Champion losing his Gold at NXT No Mercy (after originally retaining at The Great American Bash). Melo then lost against Dragunov again at NXT Halloween Havoc before he began a “whodunnit” story with the likes of Lexis King and his best buddy Trick Williams. As of right now, Melo is also competing in the United States Championship Number 1 Contender’s Tournament on SmackDown, and yeah, it’s been another great year for the Generational Talent known as Carmelo Hayes.

Kevin Owens

It almost feels like a guarantee that Kevin Owens will appear on this list every year because that’s just how good he is. In “My Top 40 WWE Matches of 2023”, Kevin appeared 3 times. KO’s year started by losing to Roman Reigns in a match for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at the Royal Rumble before he got absolutely battered by The Bloodline after the match was over. After weeks and weeks of Sami Zayn trying, Owens finally agreed to team with his pal and this ultimately led up to Kevin’s crowning moment of 2023 when he and Sami beat The Usos in the Main Event of WrestleMania 39 (Night 1) to become the brand-new Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions. KO (along with Zayn) then retained his Tag Team Championships at Night of Champions in a hell of a match against Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa before they retained their Titles again against Pretty Deadly in London. Owens then began a long-term feud with The Judgment Day which ultimately saw Kevin lose his Tag Titles at Payback (in another really fun match) before KO joined the SmackDown brand in October as part of a trade deal (with Jey Uso). It’s fair to say that Kevin Owens has had a pretty stacked 2023.

Gunther

For the second straight year, Gunther fully merits a place in My Nominees for Male Superstar of the Year. Whilst Gunther may have only appeared twice in “My Top 40 WWE Matches of 2023”, it’s worth mentioning that Gunther never has anything other than a good match, something I can only say about 2 or 3 other wrestlers. Gunther started his year by going from Number 1 in the Royal Rumble all the way to the end where he was ultimately eliminated by Cody Rhodes in a match where The Ring General broke the record for the longest time in a single match (71 minutes and 25 seconds). Gunther then retained his Intercontinental Championship against Drew McIntyre and Sheamus in what was arguably the best match of WrestleMania 39 before he went on to beat Mustafa Ali at Night of Champions in a fun “David VS Goliath” contest. The Ring General then continued his great run of defenses by beating both Matt Riddle and Drew McIntyre at Money in the Bank and Summerslam respectively before he went on to have a great mini-feud with Chad Gable which ended with a Gunther victory and ultimately saw Gunther’s crowning moment of 2023 as he became the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion of all time. Add in a fun match with The Miz and there is simply no denying just how brilliant The Ring General truly is.

Ilja Dragunov

There is a very fair argument to be made that 2023 has been the Year of Ilja Dragunov. In “My Top 40 WWE Matches of 2023”, Ilja appeared 7 times which is more than anyone which is quite an impressive feat. Ilja appeared in a fun Fatal 5-Way for the NXT North American Championship at NXT Stand and Deliver (he was ultimately pinned by Wes Lee) before Dragunov beat Dijak in a mad Last Man Standing match at NXT Battleground. The Mad Dragon then had another terrific match, this time against Bron Breakker, which he ultimately won before he lost against Carmelo Hayes in an NXT Championship match at NXT The Great American Bash. However, Ilja bounced back with victories over both Trick Williams and Wes Lee before he finally captured the NXT Championship off of Carmelo Hayes in one of the best WWE matches in a while. The Czar then retained his Championship against the likes of Dominik Mysterio and Carmelo Hayes (in the “Rubber match” at NXT Halloween Havoc) before Dragunov retained his Championship in a good match with Baron Corbin at NXT Deadline. I think it’s also worth mentioning that whilst Ilja Dragunov is arguably one of, if not the Best Wrestler in the World, Dragunov’s character work and aura is arguably just as strong (or certainly pretty close).

Sami Zayn

Sami Zayn once again showed in 2023 why he truly is a top star in WWE. In “My Top 40 WWE Matches of 2023”, Sami appeared 4 times which is pretty good going. Sami started the year by being put on trial in Tribal Court at Raw is XXX (which was one of the best segments of the entire year) before Sami teamed with Jey Uso as they retained the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships against The Judgment Day. At the end of the Royal Rumble, Roman Reigns and the rest of The Bloodline beat up Kevin Owens before Sami Zayn turned on The Bloodline by nailing The Head of the Table in the back with a steel chair in another terrific moment. Sami then had my Main Roster Match of the Year as he lost to Roman Reigns at Elimination Chamber in a match for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship before Zayn bounced back by Main Eventing WrestleMania by teaming up with Kevin Owens to ultimately dethrone The Usos to become the brand-new Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions in his highlight moment. Sami and KO then retained their Championships in another terrific match against Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa at Night of Champions before they went into a long-term feud with The Judgment Day. In the end, it resulted with Sami losing his Championship Title (to The JD) in a fun “Steel City Street Fight” at Payback before the former Honorary Uce got a little bit of revenge on The Judgment Day with a victory over them inside WarGames. Overall, Sami Zayn has had a hell of a 2023 and Sami’s first three-to-4 months of the year was arguably the best period anyone has had in 2023.

Jey Uso

Whilst Jey Uso’s been great for years, 2023 was arguably the year where Mr. Ucey properly became “Main Event” Jey Uso. In “My Top 40 WWE Matches of 2023”, Jey appeared three times. Jey started the year by teaming with Sami Zayn to retain The Usos’ Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships in a match with The Judgment Day at Raw is XXX before Uso walked out on his Family at the Royal Rumble after Roman Reigns ordered him to beat up Sami Zayn (after Zayn whacked Roman in the back with a steel chair). Jey then did a brilliant bit of storytelling in Reigns’ match with Sami Zayn at Elimination Chamber before Uso nailed his “former Dawg” in the face with a Superkick on an episode of Monday Night Raw. This ultimately led to Jey losing the Tag Team Titles with his brother Jimmy to Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn in the Main Event of WrestleMania 39 (Night 1) before Jey pulled out some more amazing character work at Night of Champions after his twin brother Superkicked The Tribal Chief in the Main Event of Night of Champions. We then got the big moment that everyone had been waiting for as Jey Superkicked his cousin Roman Reigns on an episode of SmackDown before Uso’s crowning moment of 2023 came when he pinned The Head of the Table in The Bloodline Civil War at Money in the Bank. However, Uso would then lose to the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion in a match for the Championship at Summerslam (thanks to his Jimmy costing him) before Jey ultimately quit WWE on the following Friday Night SmackDown. However, “Main Event Jey Uso then returned to Raw thanks to Cody Rhodes and he’s since gone on to have great showings against both Seth “Freakin” Rollins for the World Heavyweight Championship as well as The Judgment Day inside WarGames, and yeah, Jey Uso is definitely a legit “Main Eventer” now.

Wes Lee

Wes Lee proved in 2023 that he is one of the best “Underdog Babyfaces” in the World. In “My Top 40 WWE Matches of 2023”, Wes appeared 5 times which was the second-most amount so fair play to him! Wes’ 2023 properly started by retaining his NXT North American Championship against Dijak in a great match at NXT Vengeance Day before “Mr. Stand and Deliver” kept up his nickname by retaining his Title in a Fatal 5-Way in NXT’s biggest show of the year. Lee then became the longest reigning NXT North American Champion after he beat both Joe Gacy and Tyler Bate at NXT Battleground before The Kardiak Kid ultimately lost his Championship in shocking fashion against Dominik Mysterio. Wes then failed to recapture his Championship in a fun Triple Threat Match against Mysterio and Mustafa Ali at NXT The Great American Bash before Lee lost to Carmelo Hayes in a match for the NXT Championship at NXT Heatwave. Wes then seeming left NXT after losing to Ilja Dragunov (in a great match) before Lee ultimately returned to take out “Dirty” Dom at NXT Halloween Havoc. Wes then won a terrific Fatal 4-Way match to earn himself another opportunity at the Gold, but unfortunately, Lee picked up an injury which requires him to have surgery. Whilst that is a horrible thing to happen to Wes Lee, it’s doesn’t change the fact that The Kardiak Kid changed what it means to be a Babyface Champion in 2023.

Roman Reigns

Last but certainly not least, we end My 2023 Male Superstar of the Year Nominees with The Tribal Chief himself, Roman Reigns. In “My Top 40 WWE Matches of 2023”, Roman appeared 4 times and all of those matches were rated A- or more. Roman started the year by putting Sami Zayn on Trial in Tribal Court before he went on to beat Kevin Owens in the Main Event of the Royal Rumble to retain his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. Reigns was then dropped with a steel chair by Sami Zayn (which Roman sold perfectly) before The Head of The Table got revenge by defeating Sami in a fantastic (Championship) Main Event at Elimination Chamber. Reigns then retained his Title against Cody Rhodes in a terrific WrestleMania Main Event before Reigns partook in another memorable moment when he was Superkicked by his cousin Jimmy Uso at Night of Champions in a match where Reigns was trying to become one-half of the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions (alongside Solo Sikoa) against Owens and Zayn. Roman then celebrated 1,000 days as World Champion before he got kicked right in the face by Jey Uso in another unbelievable moment. The Tribal Chief was then pinned for the first time in over 3 and a half years by his former Right Hand Man at Money in the Bank (in The Bloodline Civil War match) before Reigns got his revenge by beating Jey Uso in the Main Event of Summerslam. Roman then took some time away before he came back and retained his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship against LA Knight at Crown Jewel. Whilst Roman Reigns can be a frustrating figure in Pro Wrestling due to him taking massive chunks of time away from TV, there’s no denying that Roman Reigns is “THE GUY” when he’s around.

My 2023 Male Superstar of the Year: Ilja Dragunov

2023 Male Superstar of the Year

0%Seth "Freakin" Rollins
0%Damian Priest
0%Carmelo Hayes
0%Kevin Owens

2023 Female Superstar of the Year Nominees

Becky Lynch

When it comes to the Women’s Division, there aren’t many bigger names than Becky Lynch. It’s worth mentioning that Becky appeared twice in “My Top 40 WWE Matches of 2023” which was the joint-most amount for a Female Superstar. Becky Lynch started the year by feuding with Damage CTRL before Becky teamed up with “WWE Hall of Famer” Lita to dethrone Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky and become the brand-new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions. Lynch, alongside Lita and Trish Stratus, then defeated Damage Control at WrestleMania before Becky lost the Tag Titles on Raw. Becky then had a really good feud with Trish Stratus that lasted months (it was a little bit too long if you ask me) and after losing to Stratus at Night of Champions, The Man failed to win Money in the Bank in London, but she did bounce back to beat Trish in a fun Steel Cage Match at Payback. Becky then started a feud with NXT Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton which ultimately resulted in The Man winning the NXT Women’s Title off of Stratton before she retained against Tiffany in a great Main Event match at NXT No Mercy. In the end, Becky Lynch would lose her Championship to Lyra Valkyria in the Main Event of NXT Halloween Havoc (Night 1), but there’s no doubt that Becky’s 2023 has been “Big Time”.

Bayley

Bayley once again proved in 2023 why she will always be a Top Star. Bayley started the year by losing to Becky Lynch inside a Steel Cage before Bayley’s group Damage CTRL lost in a Six-Woman Tag Team match against Lynch, Lita, and Trish Stratus at WrestleMania. Bayley then started to team with Iyo Sky a little bit after Dakota Kai’s unfortunate injury before Bayley watched Iyo Sky climb up and grab the Money in the Bank Briefcase after Sky handcuffed Bayley’s hand to the ladder. It’s worth mentioning that this match was Bayley’s only appearance in “My Top 40 WWE Matches of 2023”. At Summerslam, Bayley helped Iyo Sky successfully cash in her MITB Briefcase to become the brand-new WWE Women’s Champion, and since that moment, The Role Model has seemed to have lost “Control” of her group with the addition of both Asuka and Kairi Sane and Bayley being pinned at WarGames certainly didn’t help. Still, Bayley’s had a really good year and I expect 2024 to be a lot bigger.

Chelsea Green

The name “Chelsea Green” has become synonymous with fun and entertaining segments/matches in 2023. Chelsea Green made her return to WWE in the Women’s Royal Rumble match back in January and it didn’t go particularly well for her as she was eliminated in just 5 seconds (which was a new record). Chelsea then formed a partnership with Sonya Deville which saw them team together in a losing effort at WrestleMania (in the Women’s Showcase Match) before Green’s crowning moment of 2023 came when she and Deville beat Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez to become the brand-new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions. Unfortunately, Sonya Deville picked up an ACL injury which meant she had to relinquish her Title, but Green “found” a new partner in the form of Piper Niven. Chelsea and Piper then went on to retain their Titles against the likes of Tegan Nox and Natalya as well as Chase University at NXT Halloween Havoc before Green and Niven ultimately lost their WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships to Katana Chance and Kayden Carter on the final (proper) Raw of 2023. When you consider the character work plus the accolades that Chelsea Green has achieved in 2023, there’s no doubt that Ms. Green truly is a star.

Asuka

It’s safe to say that Asuka’s had a pretty strong 2023. Asuka returned at the Royal Rumble this year to a massive pop as she debuted a very exciting new character and she ultimately finished third in that match. Asuka then earned a shot at the Raw Women’s Championship by winning the Women’s Elimination Chamber, but the Empress of Tomorrow would ultimately go on to lose to Bianca Belair at WrestleMania (Night 2). However, Asuka’s crowning moment would come as she dethroned Belair for the Raw Women’s Championship in a fun contest at Night of Champions. The Raw Women’s Championship was then replaced by the WWE Women’s Championship meaning Asuka became it’s inaugural Champion, even though her reign wouldn’t last long as she lost her Title to Bianca Belair in a Triple Threat match at Summerslam (which also included Charlotte Flair). Since then, Asuka has aligned herself with Damage CTRL, competed in WarGames (in a losing effort), and has reformed her Kabuki Warriors partnership with Kairi Sane. I have no doubt that Asuka will hold Championship Gold again in 2024.

Bianca Belair

Bianca Belair is looking to be named My Female Superstar of the Year for the second year running. Bianca started the year by retaining her Raw Women’s Championship against Alexa Bliss at the Royal Rumble before she retained her Championship again against Asuka at WrestleMania 39. Bianca then retained her Title in a fun match with Iyo Sky at Backlash before The EST (of WWE) ultimately lost her Title in a rematch with Asuka at Night of Champions. At Summerslam, Belair pinned Asuka in a Triple Threat match for the (now called) WWE Women’s Championship, only to lose the Title minutes after being cashed in on by Iyo Sky (with help from Damage CTRL). Bianca then returned after a couple of months away to ultimately lose to Sky for the WWE Women’s Championship at Crown Jewel (thanks to a returning Kairi Sane) before Belair got a measure of revenge as her team beat Damage Control in WarGames. Whilst it’s maybe not been Bianca Belair’s best year of her career, you can’t say it hasn’t been stacked!

Zelina Vega

In my opinion, 2023 is/was the best year of Zelina Vega’s career yet. Zelina became a Babyface for the first time in her career back in March which ultimately led to Vega being a part of the newly reformed LWO. Zelina then had her best moment of the year (and arguably career) come when she took on Rhea Ripley at Backlash for the SmackDown Women’s Championship in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Whilst Vega didn’t win this match, she looked great throughout and it was terrific to see the reaction she got from her hometown crowd. Zelina then competed in the Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match (which happened to be her only appearance in “My Top 40 WWE Matches of 2023”) which she ultimately failed to win (whilst putting in another strong performance) before Vega then suffered a defeat against Iyo Sky in a match for the WWE Women’s Championship in an August episode of Friday Night SmackDown. Overall, Zelina’s had a really strong year and she’s proven that she can be a really good Babyface (she’s by far the best one on SmackDown right now).

Iyo Sky

It was only a matter of time before Iyo Sky became a Champions on the Main Roster and that very much came to be in 2023. Iyo Sky started the year as one-half of the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions alongside her Damage CTRL partner/teammate Dakota Kai, but Iyo would ultimately lose her Title on an episode of Raw to Becky Lynch and Lita. Damage CTRL then lost to Lynch, Lita, and Trish Stratus at WrestleMania before Sky got her first proper chance to shine as a single star on the main roster when she faced Bianca Belair for the Raw Women’s Championship at Backlash. Whilst Iyo ultimately lost this match, the fact that she was so over with the San Juan crowd meant she didn’t really lose anything in defeat. Sky then went on to win the Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match in London (which happened to be Iyo’s only appearance in “My Top 40 WWE Matches of 2023”) before Iyo Sky’s crowning moment came at Summerslam when she successfully cashed in her MITB Briefcase on Bianca Belair to become the brand-new WWE Women’s Champion in a fantastic moment. Iyo has since gone on to retain her Championship in a Triple Threat Match with Asuka and Charlotte Flair at Fastlane, a singles match against Bianca Belair at Crown Jewel, and Sky also put in a great performance in this year’s Women’s WarGames Match at Survivor Series. There is simply no one like The Genius of the Sky.

Trish Stratus

I firmly believe that there is an argument to be made that Trish Stratus was “2023’s Biggest Female Heel”. Trish Stratus returned to WWE by helping Becky Lynch and her long-time friend Lita dethrone Damage CTRL for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships before Trish teamed up with Becky and Lita to defeat Damage CTRL in a Six-Woman Tag Team match at WrestleMania. Trish then became Becky’s partner after Lita was taken out, but that didn’t last long as after Stratus was pinned by Liv Morgan (for the Women’s Tag Titles), Trish turned on Lynch in a good moment. Stratus then cut a great couple of Heel promos over the following few weeks before Stratus went on to beat Becky Lynch in a match at Night of Champions after some help from Zoey Stark. Stratus then saw Stark as her protégé before both women appeared in the Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match where Trish put in a great performance. Trish’s feud with Becky Lynch then continued before it all came to an end when Lynch defeated Stratus in a fun Steel Cage Match at Payback. After the match, Zoey Stark dropped Trish with the Z360, and yeah, Trish Stratus definitely deserves her flowers (if she hadn’t already received them).

Tiffany Stratton

If you thought Tiffany Stratton was good in 2022, you’ll think she’s great after hearing about her 2023. Tiffany Stratton started the year by returning to NXT at NXT New Year’s Evil before she started a feud with Indi Hartwell which ultimately saw her qualify for NXT Stand and Deliver. However, at NXT Stand and Deliver, it was actually Hartwell who beat Stratton (and four other women) to become NXT Women’s Champion in a Ladder Match. Tiffany then failed to capture Gold at NXT Spring Breakin’ in a Triple Threat match with Indi Hartwell and Roxanne Perez before Stratton’s crowning moment finally came when she beat Lyra Valkyria at NXT Battleground to become the brand-new NXT Women’s Champion. Tiffany then went on to retain her Championship against Thea Hail both at NXT Gold Rush Week 2 and NXT The Great American Bash. However, Stratton would ultimately lose her Championship to Becky Lynch on an episode of NXT before she failed to recapture the Gold in a great match against Lynch at NXT No Mercy. The Center of the Universe then began a feud with Fallon Henley before she ultimately lost in the Women’s Iron Survivor Challenge at NXT Deadline. Overall, Tiffany Stratton’s had a great year, and her two appearances in “My Top 40 WWE Matches of 2023” (the joint-most of any Female) proves it.

Rhea Ripley

We now end the list of Nominees for My 2023 Female Superstar of the Year with the biggest one of them all, Rhea Ripley. Rhea Ripley started the year by coming out at Number 1 in the 2023 Women’s Royal Rumble before eventually going on to win the entire thing! Rhea then lost in a Mixed-Tag Team Match against Edge and Beth Phoenix at Elimination Chamber before Ripley bounced back to achieve her crowning moment of 2023 which was dethroning Charlotte Flair for the SmackDown Women’s Championship in a great WrestleMania contest (which also happened to My Women’s Match of the Year). The Eradicator then went on to retain her Championship against Zelina Vega at Backlash and Natalya at Night of Champions before Ripley was handed the brand-new Women’s World Championship as the SmackDown Women’s Title was “entering retirement”. Ripley then helped her Judgment Day partners Finn Balor and Damian Priest capture the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships at Payback before she went on to defeat Raquel Rodriguez on the same night. Rhea then retained her Championship in a Fatal 5-Way at Crown Jewel before she once again retained her Title, this time against Zoey Stark at Survivor Series. It’s worth mentioning that whilst Rhea Ripley is a good wrestler, it’s her character work and aura that makes her a star, as well as her interactions with her fellow Judgment Day members, especially Dominik Mysterio. 2023 very much has been the Year of Rhea “Bloody” Ripley!

My 2023 Female Superstar of the Year: Rhea Ripley

2023 Female Superstar of the Year

0%Becky Lynch
0%Bayley
0%Chelsea Green
0%Asuka

2023 Breakout Star of the Year Nominees

Dominik Mysterio

It’s hard to argue against Dominik Mysterio being the Breakout Star of 2023. Dominik Mysterio started the year by putting on a great showing as The Judgment Day lost to The Usos/Sami Zayn at Raw is XXX (one of two appearances that Mysterio made in “My Top 40 WWE Matches of 2023”) before Dominik had a long-term feud with his “Dead-Beat Dad” Rey Mysterio which resulted in Dom losing to his Father in a fun contest at WrestleMania. Mysterio’s crowning moment of 2023 then came on a July episode of NXT as “Dirty” Dom shockingly knocked off Wes Lee to become the brand-new NXT North American Champion. Dom then retained his Championship against Butch on the following SmackDown which also made him the first person in WWE history to Main Event Raw, SmackDown, and NXT all in the same week (which is a pretty awesome fact). Mysterio then retained his Title in a great Triple Threat match with Wes Lee and Mustafa Ali (Dom’s other Top 40 appearance) before he ultimately lost his Championship to Trick Williams at NXT No Mercy. However, just three days later, Dominik defeated Williams to become a 2-time NXT North American Champion. Dom then retained his Title against Nathan Frazer at NXT Halloween Havoc, competed in the Men’s WarGames match before he ultimately lost his NA Title again, this time to Dragon Lee at NXT Deadline. Whilst Dominik Mysterio’s had a great year when it comes to accolades, you also have to take into account how hated he is when he enters every arena and his terrific chemistry with Rhea Ripley and the rest of The Judgment Day is what makes him so good.

Chelsea Green

Whilst I have already spoken about Chelsea Green, the thing that makes her a contender for the Breakout Star of 2023 is the fact that Chelsea only returned this year and has already done so much, including (technically) becoming a 2-time WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion as well as getting over/seen as a pretty despised Heel by basically anyone she steps on screen with.

Dragon Lee

I think it’s fair to say that Dragon Lee’s had a pretty stellar 2023. Dragon Lee debuted in WWE/NXT in March before he made his NXT Debut in a Fatal 5-Way for the NXT North American Championship at NXT Stand and Deliver. Dragon then followed his debut up with two great showings in the next two weeks (including one match with Nathan Frazer) before he put on another great showing in a losing effort to JD McDonagh in May. Lee then challenged Noam Dar for the NXT Heritage Cup at NXT Battleground which he ultimately lost before he also appeared on the Kickoff Show for NXT The Great American Bash where he scored the victory after teaming with Nathan Frazer, Valentina Feroz, and Yulisa Leon against Meta-Four. Lee then started a feud with Dominik Mysterio which he ultimately lost (or so we thought) before Dragon went up to the Main Roster and “unofficially” joined the LWO. Dragon Lee then made his Main Roster Premium Live Event debut at Survivor Series in a match with Santos Escobar (which he lost) before Dragon achieved his crowning moment of 2023 by defeating Dominik Mysterio at NXT Deadline to become the brand-new NXT North American Champion. If you’re not convinced about Dragon Lee being a real contender for Breakout Star of the Year, I’ll throw in the fact that he appeared in 5 of “My Top 40 WWE Matches of 2023” which was the joint-second most amount!

Maxxine Dupri

Maxxine Dupri has certainly had a much different year compared to other people on this list! Maxxine Dupri started the year by appearing in the “Digital Exclusive Show” Making it Maximum, and if you’re like me and you’ve seen that show, you can agree with me that Maxxine plays her role perfectly. Dupri (as well as Mace and Mansoor) were then moved over to Monday Night Raw where Dupri started to try and recruit Otis (of Alpha Academy) to join the Maximum Male Models. Some of these segments were genuinely quite funny, even though it never ended up resulting into anything. Anyway, Maxxine then joined Alpha Academy before she made her debut in July in a winning effort against The Viking Raiders and Valhalla in Six-Person Mixed Tag Team action. Dupri was then gifted a jacket the following week (in another great segment) before she secured her first-ever singles victory in a match with Valhalla at the end of the month. Maxxine Dupri has since appeared on NXT (alongside Chad Gable, Otis, and Akira Tozawa) as well as teaming up with Ivy Nile on a couple of occasions, and yeah, whilst Maxxine is without a doubt the most unconventional Superstar on this list, I definitely think she’s earnt a place on it.

Chad Gable

Speaking of Alpha Academy, we have to bring up the fact that Chad Gable has broken out as a genuine singles star in 2023. Whilst Chad Gable spent most of the year as a comedy character in the Alpha Academy, that changed when Chad lasted 5 minutes with Gunther when Ludwig Kaiser said he wouldn’t stand a chance. Master Gable then won a Fatal 4-Way to face Gunther for the Intercontinental Championship which he won, by coun-tout. However, Chad Gable was given another crack at The Ring General, and whilst he ultimately fell short of realising his dream, the performance and crowd support showed that people were finally starting to realise that Chad Gable is one of the best technical wrestlers in the world.

Thea Hail

Thea Hail is someone that I’ve been very impressed with this year. Thea Hail started the year by recording her first ever NXT TV victory (she got an award for it the week later) before Thea appeared at NXT Stand and Deliver as Chase University beat Schism in an 8-person Mixed Tag Team match. In June, Hail survived to win a Number 1 Contender’s Battle Royal which earned her a shot at Tiffany Stratton’s NXT Women’s Championship at NXT Gold Rush. Whilst Thea ultimately lost this match, she put in a great performance and this match actually appeared in “My Top 40 WWE Matches of 2023”. Hail then lost in her second attempt at dethroning Stratton in a Submission Match at NXT The Great American Bash before she went on to team up with Jacy Jayne which resulted in them facing Chelsea Green and Piper Niven for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships at NXT Halloween Havoc (which she ultimately lost in). For a 20-year-old, Thea Hail deserves a lot of props for not only being enjoyable to watch as a character, but also for being talented inside the squared circle.

Trick Williams

I think it’s fair to say that Trick Williams is the most over Superstar in NXT right now! Trick Williams may have started the year as “Carmelo Hayes’ sidekick”, but that sort of changed when Apollo Crews told him he could be a star too. In August, Trick told Melo that he needed to stand alone for a bit which led to Williams putting on a good performance in a losing effort against Ilja Dragunov at NXT Heatwave. Trick then went on to become the Number 1 contender for the NXT North American Championship before he beat Dominik Mysterio for the Gold at NXT No Mercy. However, Trick Willy quickly lost his Title back to Mysterio on the following episode of NXT. Williams has since been involved in a “whodunnit” storyline with the likes of Carmelo Hayes, Ilja Dragunov, and Lexis King before Trick achieved his “crowning” moment of 2023 by winning the Men’s Iron Survivor Challenge in dramatic fashion at NXT Deadline. I’ve always felt like Trick Williams could be a star and I think I can say he is one now given how people react to/in his entrances.

Zelina Vega

I have already spoken about Zelina Vega, but it is worth remembering people that Zelina proved she can be/is a really good Babyface which is impressive given she’s always been portrayed as a Heel. Also, just go and watch her entrance at Backlash to know what I’m talking about!

Lyra Valkyria

Lyra Valkyria has certainly shown her talent in 2023. Lyra appeared at NXT Stand and Deliver in a Ladder Match for the NXT Women’s Championship (a match she didn’t win) before she lost to Cora Jade at NXT Spring Breakin’. Valkyria then bounced back to make it to the Final of the NXT Women’s Championship Tournament, even though she once again missed out on the Gold as she lost against Tiffany Stratton at NXT Battleground. The Morgen then put on a good showing against the Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley on a July episode of NXT before Lyra Valkyria’s crowning moment finally came when she dethroned her idle Becky Lynch for the NXT Women’s Championship in the Main Event of NXT Halloween Havoc (Night 1). Lyra has since defended and retained her Title against Xia Li and yeah, it’s been a pretty good first year in NXT for Lyra Valkyria.

LA Knight

The name “LA Knight” has become a global sensation in 2023! LA Knight started the year by facing (the late-great) Bray Wyatt in a “Mountain Dew Pitch Black” match before Knight appeared in the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal (ironically in Los Angeles). LA Knight then started to grow into one of the biggest and most popular Babyfaces in the company and I think that truly became reality when Knight arrived in London to participate in the Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match (a match he came so close to winning and also his only appearance in “My Top 40 WWE Matches of 2023”). The Megastar then appeared at Summerslam where he won the “Slim Jim” Summerslam Battle Royal before he started a fun feud with The Miz which he ultimately won (including at Payback). LA then teamed up with John Cena to defeat The Bloodline’s Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa at Fastlane before Knight eventually went on to lose to Roman Reigns at Crown Jewel in a match for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. Still, there’s no denying just how much LA Knight has broken out in 2023. YEAH!

My 2023 Breakout Star of the Year: LA Knight

2023 Breakout Star of the Year

0%Dominik Mysterio
0%Chelsea Green
0%Dragon Lee
0%Maxxine Dupri

2023 Tag Team/Faction of the Year Nominees

Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn

After both Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn lost to Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship, KO and Sami reunited to take on The Usos for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships. That match then took place in the Main Event of WrestleMania Night 1 and it ended with Kevin and Sami capturing the Gold in one of the happiest moments of the Year. At Night of Champions, KO and Sami retained their Titles over Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa in another great match before they defeated Pretty Deadly in London. Owens and Zayn then took part in a long-term feud with The Judgment Day and it ultimately resulted in the Babyfaces losing their Gold in a great Steel City Street Fight at Payback. Whilst Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn may not be together any more courtesy of KO getting traded to SmackDown, they’ve still had a great year as a Tag Team and their three appearances (as a Team) in “My Top 40 WWE Matches of 2023” shows this.

Alpha Academy

Alpha Academy have once again established themselves as one of the more enjoyable acts on Monday Nights. Chad Gable and Otis started being involved in segments with Maximum Male Models which ultimately resulted in Maxxine Dupri joining the group. Chad and Otis then lost in a fun Viking Rules match against The Viking Raiders on a July episode of Monday Night Raw before Master Gable started to become more of a singles star after he went after Gunther’s Intercontinental Championship. The group then expanded once more as Akira Tozawa joined as a “Junior Member” before all four members of Alpha Academy have featured on NXT in a feud with Meta-Four. Whilst it’s maybe not been Alpha Academy’s strongest year, they’ve still had some decent segments and Chad Gable, Otis, Maxxine Dupri, and Akira Tozawa have all had their moments to shine (in different ways).

Diamond Mine (The Creed Brothers)

No matter what brand they’re on, Diamond Mine will always be fun to watch. Diamond Mine “technically” started the year as a four-person group with Julius and Brutus Creed, Ivy Nile, and Tatum Paxley, even though Paxley would ultimately leave the group after turning on Ivy in March. Nile would then act as a manager for The Creed Brothers who took part in a great feud with The Dyad that produced a couple of really fun matches before all three members of Diamond Mine made their final appearances on NXT at NXT Halloween Havoc when The Creed Brothers defeated Angel Garza and Humberto Carrillo in a hell of a “Tables, Ladders, and Scares” match. Julius, Brutus, and Ivy were then all moved up to the Main Roster where they signed for Monday Night Raw, and since then, The Creeds won a Tag Team Turmoil match to earn a shot at The Judgment Day and the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships (a contest they ultimately lost after a valiant effort) whilst Ivy Nile is set to challenge Rhea Ripley for the Women’s World Championship on the Day 1 Edition of Monday Night Raw. I expect big things and Championship Gold for Diamond Mine in 2024.

Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville

Right before WrestleMania, Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville started to become friends due to their disgust with WWE Management and Adam Pearce (in general). This is when Pearce labelled Green and Deville as “The Complaint Department” before Chelsea and Sonya lost in the Women’s Showcase Match at WrestleMania. After weeks (and arguably months) of losing match after match, Green and Deville finally cut a break when they dominated a Number 1 Contender’s Tag Team Turmoil before Sonya and Chelsea’s crowning moment finally came when they defeated Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez to become the brand-new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions in a really cool moment. Unfortunately, Sonya Deville suffered a torn ACL injury which would rule her out of action indefinitely, but that doesn’t change the fact that “The Complaint Department” were a lot of fun to watch.

Chelsea Green and Piper Niven

Whilst Chelsea Green’s team with Sonya Deville was fun, there’s an argument to be made that Chelsea’s partnership with Piper Niven was even better. After Deville’s unfortunate injury, Chelsea Green decided that she wanted to hold auditions for her new Tag Team partner, but that didn’t go very far as Piper Niven just showed, took one of the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles, and declared herself as Green’s new partner. Since then, Green and Niven have retained their Championships against Chase University’s Thea Hail and Jacy Jayne at NXT Halloween Havoc as well as the team of Tegan Nox and Natalya on an episode of Monday Night Raw. Whilst Chelsea and Piper would then go on to ultimately lose their Tag Team Gold to Katana Chance and Kayden Carter on the final (proper) Raw episode of 2023, I’ve still very much enjoyed the pairing of Chelsea Green and Piper Niven, even though I don’t hold out much hope for them staying together for too much longer.

The Judgment Day

If anyone’s run WWE in 2023, it’s arguably been The Judgment Day. At the Royal Rumble, Rhea Ripley “ran the gauntlet” to come out as the victor before she went on to dethrone Charlotte Flair for the SmackDown Women’s Championship at WrestleMania. Elsewhere on Mania, Dominik Mysterio appeared in a losing effort against Rey Mysterio whilst Finn Balor lost to Edge inside Hell in a Cell. Damian Priest then got his “WrestleMania moment” when he took on Bad Bunny in a terrific match at Backlash (Priest ultimately lost) before all three of the male members wrestled at Money in the Bank, with Priest winning the MITB Contract in the Men’s Ladder Match. Dominik Mysterio then had his crowning moment when he defeated Wes Lee to become the brand-new NXT North American Champion before, at Payback, the faction had its crowning moment when Finn Balor and Damian Priest dethroned Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn in a fun “Steel City Street Fight” to become the brand-new Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions. Since then, Rhea Ripley has continued to reign as the Women’s World Champion, Dominik Mysterio lost his NXT North American Championship for the second time (at NXT Deadline), Balor and Priest are now 2-time Tag Team Champions, whilst JD McDonagh is also now a part of the group. The Judgment Day also competed (and lost) in WarGames, and overall, The Judgment Day had at least one member of their group feature in 11 of “My Top 40 WWE Matches of 2023” which shows just how good they’ve truly been!

Imperium

Imperium proved in 2023 that the “Ring Truly is Sacred”. Imperium took on Seth “Freakin” Rollins and The Street Profits at Raw is XXX before Gunther went on to retain his Intercontinental Championship in a superb Triple Threat Match at WrestleMania against Drew McIntyre and Sheamus. Gunther then continued to retain his Championship against the likes of Mustafa Ali and Matt Riddle whilst Imperium failed to capture the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships off of Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn on a June episode of Monday Night Raw. Over recent months, Imperium have feuded with the likes of Alpha Academy and DIY whilst Gunther has started to become frustrated with Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci. Overall, Imperium are always fun to watch and Gunther, Kaiser, and Vinci have all had good-to-great years in their own right.

Pretty Deadly

There aren’t many more enjoyable teams to watch in WWE than Pretty Deadly! Kit Wilson and Elton Prince started the year by losing to Gallus in a Gauntlet Match at NXT New Year’s Evil before they then failed to recapture their NXT Tag Team Championships at NXT Vengeance Day. Wilson and Prince then failed again at trying to win Tag Team Gold before they did a splendid job at hosting NXT Stand and Deliver! Elton and Kit then went on to lose to Tony D’Angelo and Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo in a Trunk Match at NXT Spring Breakin’ before Pretty Deadly finally arrived on the Main Roster and started a feud with The Brawling Brutes. Prince and Wilson also lost to Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn in a match for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships in London, England before Elton and Kit continued to feud with The Brutes which ultimately led to the #EltonStrong movement! Overall, Pretty Deadly are a joy to watch and I can see them becoming Tag Team Champions at some point in 2024. A YES BOY!

Chase University

Chase University’s Andre Chase and Duke Hudson featured in a Fatal 4-Way for the NXT Tag Team Championships at NXT Vengeance Day (they didn’t win) before Chase U (alongside Tyler Bate) defeated Schism in an 8-person Mixed Tag Team Match on the Kickoff Show of NXT Stand and Deliver. At NXT Spring Breakin’, Mr. Chase lost to Bron Breakker whilst Thea Hail put on a great performance (in a losing effort) against Tiffany Stratton in a match for the NXT Women’s Championship at NXT Gold Rush (Week 2). Hail then lost to Stratton again at NXT The Great American Bash before Hail started hanging out with Jacy Jayne. And then, at NXT Halloween Havoc Night 1, Chase University’s crowning moment came when Andre Chase and Duke Hudson beat The Family to become the brand-new NXT Tag Team Champions. Thea Hail and Jacy Jayne then lost against Chelsea Green and Piper Niven in a match for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships on Night 2 of NXT Halloween Havoc before Chase U quickly lost their Tag Team Titles back to Tony D’Angelo and Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo just 21 days later. Nowadays, Chase U are in debt due to “gambling and other activities” whilst new student Riley Osbourne has qualified for the Final of the NXT Men’s Breakout Tournament. Whilst Chase University’s current storyline has been a bit odd, there’s no denying that Andre Chase, Duke Hudson, Thea Hail, and now Jacy Jayne (as well as Riley Osbourne) are charismatic Superstars.

The Bloodline

And finally, we end the Nominees for the 2023 Tag Team/Faction of the Year Award with the biggest group of all, The Bloodline! On Raw is XXX, Sami Zayn was put on Tribal Court in a super segment before The Usos (and Sami Zayn) managed to retain their Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships against The Judgment Day in a really entertaining contest. At the Royal Rumble, after Roman Reigns retained his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship, Sami Zayn turned on The Bloodline before Jey Uso walked out on the group (for now anyway). Reigns then retained his Championship against Zayn at Elimination Chamber before The Bloodline Main Evented both nights of WrestleMania, with The Usos losing their Championships to Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn on Night 1 whilst Reigns retained his Title over Cody Rhodes on Night 2. Solo Sikoa and The Usos were then victorious over KO, Sami, and Matt Riddle before Roman and Solo lost to Owens and Zayn at Night of Champions due to Jimmy Uso turning on The Tribal Chief in a shockingly brilliant moment! An arguably just as good moment took place on an episode of SmackDown where Jey Uso finally Superkicked Roman in the face before, at Money in the Bank, in The Bloodline Civil War, the former Right Hand Man pinned The Head of The Table in arguably the best moment of the entire year! At Summerslam, Roman Reigns retained his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship over “Main Event” Jey Uso before Jey quit Friday Night SmackDown, and since then, it’s been Paul Heyman, Jimmy Uso, and Solo Sikoa running the ship with Roman Reigns making just a handful of appearances. Still, The Bloodline’s first half of the year was absolutely exquisite, and in total, the group featured in 6 of “My Top 40 WWE Matches of 2023”.

My 2023 Tag Team/Faction of the Year: The Judgment Day

2023 Tag Team/Faction of the Year

0%Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
0%Alpha Academy
0%Diamond Mine (The Creed Brothers)
0%Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville

2023 Most Improved Superstar of the Year Nominees

Dominik Mysterio

I’ve already spoken about Dominik Mysterio as potentially the 2023 Breakout Star of the Year, but you could argue that he first the Most Improved Superstar category better. Dominik’s become a 2-time NXT North American Champion in 2023 whilst also playing the role of one of the most despised Heels in Wrestling today. If we’re being honest, Dom started his career just being in the company simply because of who his Father is, but “Dirty” Dom has improved so much in 2023 that he deserves all the praise he’s received this year.

Bron Breakker

Personally, I don’t think Bron Breakker’s had nearly as good of a year overall as he had in 2022. I would also add that whilst Bron’s had some really good matches in 2023 (against the likes of Ilja Dragunov and Seth “Freakin” Rollins), Breakker also put on some great performances in the previous year. However, the reason I’ve included Bron Breakker in this list is because his current Heel character is so much better than his Babyface character. Bron wasn’t very likeable as a good guy and his look and style works better for a Heel. Also, a Spear is such a better finisher for a Heel (in my opinion), and “The Badass” arguably has the best in the business!

Lash Legend

I always thought Lash Legend was one of the better in-ring competitors in the Women’s Division when NXT 2.0 started, but the problem was Lash’s character was pretty bad. However, that sort of changed when Legend helped Noam Dar retain his NXT Heritage Cup against Dragon Lee at NXT Battleground. Legend, alongside Dar, Oro Mensah, and Jakara Jackson became known as Meta-Four and since then, Lash Legend’s character has been a lot of fun to watch whilst she’s also put in some great in-ring performances, including body-slamming Otis and competing in the Women’s Iron Survivor Challenge at NXT Deadline.

Von Wagner

For a long time, I wasn’t a fan of Von Wagner as he wasn’t a very good wrestler and his “big man” character was both dull and repetitive. However, in 2023, Von started to open up about issues he’d struggled with as a child which ultimately turned both him and his Manager Mr. Stone into pretty good Babyfaces. That was helped even more after Wagner’s good feud with Bron Breakker and also, that “Dinner with the Stone’s” segment is one of my favourites of the Year.

Baron Corbin

I’ve always felt like Baron Corbin’s been an underrated talent as he can go in the ring whilst also being able to play a good character. In fact, Baron’s best-ever character in my opinion was his “Bum-ass” persona which he adopted during the Thunderdome Era. However, since Corbin returned to NXT in May, he’s felt like a much bigger deal and a genuine Championship contender. Baron proved that when he faced Carmelo Hayes for the NXT Championship at NXT Gold Rush and I genuinely thought Corbin could/would become Champion at NXT Deadline (that didn’t happen as he lost to Ilja Dragunov). I’m now very intrigued to see what Baron Corbin gets up to in 2024.

Shinsuke Nakamura

Shinsuke Nakamura has always been an incredibly charismatic Superstar, but if I’m being totally honest, Shinsuke’s Babyface character/persona had started to feel a little stale. That’s why Nakamura’s Heel Turn has been one of the best decisions WWE have made in 2023. Whilst Shin lost twice to Seth “Freakin” Rollins when trying to become the World Heavyweight Champion, it was Nakamura who was the one who actually elevated that feud to the level that it was and that same sentiment can be said about The King of Strong Style’s current feud with Cody Rhodes. If Shinsuke Nakamura plays/performs his current character as well as he has been for the entirety of 2024, I have no doubt that Shin will be making an appearance on the list of Nominees for the Male Superstar of the Year.

Kiana James

Kiana James massively elevated herself in the NXT Women’s Division in 2023 and it all comes down to the fact that Kiana has really improved in the ring. James actually became one-half of the NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions (alongside Fallon Henley) at NXT Vengeance Day before KJ defended (and lost) the Titles at NXT Stand and Deliver on WrestleMania weekend. Later in the year, Kiana took part in a good feud with Roxanne Perez which included a pretty fun “Devil’s Playground Match” at NXT Halloween Havoc (a match that James lost). Overall, I’ve been impressed with Kiana James this year as she’s grown as a performer whilst also becoming a more “bearable” character in the process.

LA Knight

Whilst LA Knight has always been a great character, he’s not always been the best when it comes to his in-ring ability. However, Knight has improved as an in-ring competitor in 2023, with a good appearance in the Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match as well as having a really good match with Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at Crown Jewel. However, it’s important to say that Knight has to improve even more in 2024 if he wants to be seen as a genuine “World Championship” level Superstar/talent.

Noam Dar

In a similar (but less extreme way) to JD McDonagh in 2022, Noam Dar has both surprised me and proved me wrong since arriving on NXT. I never really liked Noam when he was on both 205 Live and the bits I’d seen of him on NXT UK, but since Dar appeared on NXT in April, he’s been a lot of fun to watch and some of his Heritage Cup matches have been pretty good. Dar’s matches with Butch and Chad Gable have been his particular highlights, but the outfits he wore in the Meta-Four lounge was also very enjoyable!

Drew McIntyre

Drew McIntyre had been having a decent 2023, with a great performance at WrestleMania in an Intercontinental Championship Triple Threat against Gunther and Sheamus whilst he also had a good match with Gunther at Summerslam. However, Drew’s year really started to take off when Jey Uso arrived on Raw and Drew started to take a “no prisoner’s attitude”. McIntyre then went on to lose to Seth “Freakin” Rollins for the World Heavyweight Championship at Crown Jewel before Drew went on to snap and ultimately cost Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships. The Scottish Psychopath then went on to team up with The Judgment Day inside WarGames and yeah, McIntyre’s character’s been so great recently that I hope he dethrones Seth Rollins for the World Championship at Day 1 Raw!

My 2023 Most Improved Superstar of the Year: Dominik Mysterio

Ask your question

0%Dominik Mysterio
0%Bron Breakker
0%Lash Legend
0%Von Wagner

2023 Moment/Segment of the Year Nominees

Tribal Court (Raw is XXX)

On Raw is XXX, Sami Zayn was put on Trial by The Tribal Chief Roman Reigns. Paul Heyman had made a bunch of different clips to show that Sami was working with Kevin Owens including Zayn accidentally brushing the shoulder of The Head of The Table. Roman eventually ordered Solo to “end” Sami, but Solo was stopped by his brother Jey Uso who showed his own piece of evidence as to why The Honorary Uce had been loyal to The Bloodline. In the end, Roman begrudgingly decided that Sami Zayn wasn’t guilty, and yeah, this was an absolutely fantastic segment that received an A Grade from me at the time.

Sami Zayn Betrays The Bloodline (Royal Rumble)

After Roman Reigns retained his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship against Kevin Owens in the Main Event of the Royal Rumble, The Tribal Chief ordered a beatdown on KO which The Usos were happy to accept. Jimmy and Jey must have Superkicked a helpless Owens (who was handcuffed to the ropes) about 15 times before Roman went to hit Kevin with a Steel Chair. However, Sami stopped Reigns and told him that this is beneath him, which is why The Head of The Table decided that Zayn should be the one to do it. And then, Sami Zayn whacked Roman Reigns in the back with the steel chair (Shield style) to draw one of the biggest pops I think I’ve ever heard. It then got even better as whilst Jimmy and Solo Sikoa destroyed the former Honorary Uce, Jey left in a shocking moment before Roman continued to destroy Sami. This was another terrific segment with The Bloodline and this also received an A Grade from me at the time.

Sami Zayn Returns Home (SmackDown 17/02)

After a great Bloodline storyline, arguably the most “Goosebumps” moment came when Sami Zayn made his entrance in Montreal on the SmackDown before Elimination Chamber. What made this even better was the fact that Sami came out to his old “World’s Apart” theme song before Zayn just stood in the ring for a good 3-to-4 minutes as the crowd just chanted “ole, ole, ole, ole” over and over again! The beauty of this segment came from the fact that Sami didn’t even say much because he let the crowd carry the segment and that is something only the top performers in the industry are able to do. There’s not much more I can say about this other than the fact that I gave this segment an A Grade.

The Rebel Heart Returns (NXT Roadblock)

At NXT Roadblock, Grayson Waller hosted a very special edition of “The Grayson Waller Effect” featuring “WWE Hall of Famer” Shawn Michaels. Grayson took shots at Shawn, Triple H, and even Vince McMahon during this segment before Michaels snapped when Waller started talking crap about the NXT Universe. The Arrogant Aussie then challenged The Heartbreak Kid to a match for NXT Stand and Deliver which Michaels rejected as it was instead accepted by none other than Johnny Gargano! The crowd went absolutely bonkers and as a fan of NXT and Johnny Gargano, this was a home run segment which is why I gave it an A+ Grade.

Jimmy Uso Nails Roman Reigns (Night of Champions)

In the Main Event of Night of Champions, Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa looked to dethrone Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships and it was going pretty well for them until The Usos arrived and accidentally dropped Solo with a Superkick. This angered Roman Reigns who was watching on and as he started shoving his Right Hand Man, The Tribal Chief turned around to get nailed by a Jimmy Uso Superkick before Jimmy nailed Reigns again in both a brilliant and shocking moment. This ultimately resulted in Reigns and Sikoa losing this match, and yeah, this moment was truly brilliant, and the A- Grade was the whole match combined.

Jey Uso Finally Drops The Tribal Chief (SmackDown 16/06)

On the 16th of June episode of Friday Night SmackDown, Roman Reigns wanted Jey Uso to fall in line. This brought out Jimmy Uso who called Roman the problem before Paul Heyman told Jey that everyone was happy with him becoming the Right Hand Man except his Twin Brother. This upset Jey who fired back with a fantastic promo on his Brother before he ushered the words “You’re out, and I’m out too!” At this point, Jey Uso dropped The Head of The Table in a moment that will feel pretty iconic for a long time, especially as it was a long time coming! Also, I gave this an A Grade.

The Head of The Table Finally gets Pinned (Money in the Bank)

At Money in the Bank in London, England, The Usos took on Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa in “The Bloodline Civil War”! This match was pretty epic, but the most important part came towards the end as after multiple Superkicks, “Main Event” Jey Uso climbed to the top rope and delivered an Uso Splash onto Roman before he pinned The Tribal Chief in an incredible moment that signaled Reigns’ first pinfall loss since for over 3 and a half years! This was such a cool moment that received an overall A Grade.

The Rock Returns Home (SmackDown 16/09)

On a random episode of SmackDown, after a segment between/including Austin Theory and Pat McAfee, The Rock’s music just hit and The People’s Champion returned to WWE after 4 (long) years! The Rock then cut a great promo on Theory before he dropped “Mr. A-Town Down” with the People’s Elbow, and yeah, this was such a great and fun surprise and that’s why I gave it an A-.

The Return of CM Punk (Survivor Series: WarGames)

After a pretty up-and-down Survivor Series: WarGames, the landscape of WWE changed when “Cult of Personality” hit and CM Punk made his return to WWE after over 10 years away! I’ve already talked about some of the most ridiculous pops I’ve ever heard on this list, but the pop from the Chicago crowd when their hometown hero returned was so “earth-shattering” that I didn’t even Grade it!

CM Punk and Seth “Freakin” Rollins Come Face-to-Face (Raw 11/12)

Whilst recency bias may come into this one a little bit, there’s no denying that the interaction between CM Punk and the World Heavyweight Champion Seth “Freakin” Rollins was awesome! Seth ripped Punk a part in a brilliant promo before Punk came back and told The Visionary that he’s going to enter the Royal Rumble match and that may result in them meeting again down the line! The more I think about it, the more this segment becomes a contender to win this award! It was an utterly awesome segment between two top stars that felt very, very real and incredibly personal. I should also mention that I gave this segment an A Grade.