December is off and running which means, in wrestling circles, it's time to start reflecting on the year that was. Our favorite matches, the best wrestlers, and what might be the busiest category of all this year, the most memorable moments. All of these picks are subjective, of course, and will differ from person to person, although there are bound to be some names and matches that crop up more than others. For Shawn Michaels, the one name he thinks deserves more praise than any other in WWE for 2023 is Dominik Mysterio.
Dirty Dom: WWE's MVP
Speaking with Pete Rosenberg on Cheap Heat (H/T to Fightful for the transcription), HBK had high praise for Mysterio, recounting the first time they met and highlighting the work he has put in during the last calendar year.
I can remember the first time and just so early on, thinking to myself like, ‘Rey, he’s already taller than you are', such a young age... I look at him as the hardest-working man in the show business. He has just been an ironman for us. He has done just everything we have asked of him.
Zelina Vega Prank Calls Dominik Mysterio, Convinces Him She's Seven Years Old
Dirty Dom fell for it hook, line, and sinker.Michaels has seen a lot of Mysterio this year as Dirty Dom remains NXT's North American Champion. Mysterio will compete in NXT at least one more time before the end of 2023 as his title will be on the line against Wes Lee at Deadline this weekend. If he loses the championship, that might well spell the end of his stay in NXT for now, but it won't take away from what he has achieved on the brand and across all of WWE in 2023.
Hardest Worker In The Room
Mysterio became the first person to appear in the main event of Raw, SmackDown, and NXT in the same week this year, and he also has a chance to finish 2023 having wrestled more matches than anyone else in the company. Cody Rhodes is currently in first place on 99 matches, four ahead of Dom on 95. However, even though Rhodes isn't done wrestling yet this year, with NXT matches still to come, there's every chance Mysterio will overtake him before 2024.
Admitting that Mysterio has had an incredible year will be hard for a lot of fans to do for a couple of reasons. Most of all, the man is not only a heel, but a red hot heel. Hating him is kind of the point, so praising him, even though he deserves it, just feels wrong. There will also be those who think Mysterio is only where he is because of his dad despite the hard work he has been putting in.
