The year 2022 will go down as one of the wildest, craziest, most unforgettable years ever in the pro wrestling industry, and that is likely a very large understatement We saw Vince McMahon, the ever-powerful leader of WWE, finally step down in the most controversial of lights and be replaced by Triple H, who has done an absolutely fantastic job of freshening up the TV products. We saw CM Punk, the man who returned to wrestling after 7 years to one of the loudest pops ever talk his way into getting blackballed again. We’ve seen legendary returns to the ring in the form of Saraya, and a brand-new gimmick for Bray Wyatt that has captivated fans. The Bloodline ran roughshod over WWE again and grew exponentially in size, and MJF finally became AEW World Champion. This is a mere summary of the wild year that was, and today, we are going to look at some of the best moments, matches, superstars, and overall memories of 2022!
Return/Debut of the Year:
- Candidates: Saraya, Bray Wyatt, Cody Rhodes, Johnny Gargano, Dexter Lumis
Winner(s): Cody Rhodes and Saraya
This one is a tie for one simple reason: Saraya returning to the pro wrestling industry was an amazing moment for her and for her fans, but her first match back left much to be desired, unfortunately. She will definitely pick things up as she gets back into a grove after so many years of inactivity, but her return falters somewhat due to the poor match quality at Full Gear. Meanwhile, we only got around 3 months of Cody Rhodes in WWE after his return to the company, and even though he only had a handful of TV matches, the return itself garnered one of the greatest pops ever, and the match quality has been off the charts. Need I say more than his gutsy performance inside Hell in a Cell with a torn pectoral muscle? The man revolutionized what it means to make a return at the magnitude that he did, and I truly don’t know if there will ever be that type of buzz again. Hence why this combination of things has led me to the tie of a winner. Saraya for the emotion and importance of her return and Cody for the impact and perfection of his return.
Promotion of the Year:
- Candidates: WWE, AEW, Impact, NJPW, NWA
Winner: WWE
It really was a two-horse race here between WWE and AEW, as they have been for several years now. That said, WWE really turned a corner this year, especially once Triple H took over the reins. Things have been so much better for the overall product and things have been thoroughly more enjoyable than they have been for years. That coupled with AEW’s internal strife allowed WWE to overtake this award for the first time, in my opinion, since AEW opened its doors. The product in the second half of the year has been phenomenal, with every PLE under Triple H feeling fun, important, and necessary. Titles mean more, stories have more purpose, and superstars are getting the appropriate spotlight they deserve. A mass influx of returns to the company has only furthered the cause and has positioned WWE very nicely ahead of their first Road to Wrestlemania under The Game’s watch. AEW has largely been good quality this year, but Rampage’s ratings have fallen off, and the internal saga of the summer and fall months have left a sour taste in many fans’ mouths, myself included. Credit where it’s due to guys like Bryan Danielson, Jon Moxley, and Chris Jericho for standing up when it was needed the most, and for allowing things to get back on track when they need to. 2023 should be one fun year whichever way you slice it, and I for one am very excited about that notion!
Male Superstar of the Year:
- Candidates: Jon Moxley, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, MJF, CM Punk
Winner: Roman Reigns
This one seemed like a no-brainer from the get-go. When you reign as one of the World Champions in WWE for every calendar day in a year for the SECOND year in a row, while also unifying the titles, defeating the likes of Seth Rollins, Goldberg, Brock Lesnar, and Drew McIntyre on PLEs in one calendar year, you’ve more than earned the award of male superstar of the year. But, in all seriousness, Roman Reigns once again ascended to levels never before seen in 2022, doing it all while in a reign of dominance never seen before and likely never to be seen again. His list of accolades in the calendar year of 2022 speaks for itself, and what was previously mentioned doesn’t even begin to describe the importance of Reigns to the WWE product and how much it misses him when he is gone. Sure, Rollins, Bobby Lashley, and Austin Theory have done an amazing job to build the United States Championship to feel as important as a world title while Roman has been part-time for the better part of this year. However, that doesn’t equate to the next-level greatness displayed whenever Reigns does come around. Whether you love the reign still or have grown tired of it, Reigns marches on into 2023 with 2 world title belts in his possession and a Bloodline that is as strong as ever backing him up.
Female Superstar of the Year:
- Candidates: Bianca Belair, Jade Cargill, Toni Storm, Becky Lynch, Ronda Rousey
Winner: Jade Cargill
This one was arguably the most difficult one of all to choose a clear-cut winner for, as all 5 finalists have earned the right in some way. Belair had two fantastic title matches with Becky Lynch this year, and a somewhat on/off feud with Bayley, but besides that nothing of significant note. Storm was “Interim” AEW Women’s Champion for a few months, but her reigns started and ended before it could really get going, and was always overshadowed by Thunder Rosa in many ways. Rousey may have won the Royal Rumble and eventually had 2 reigns as Smackdown Women’s Champion this year, but it’s safe to say that her days of being even somewhat enjoyable to watch have long passed her in this business. Many fans, I included, will rejoice in a day when Rousey leaves once again and leaves the titles to women who actually care for what they’re fighting for. Lynch entered the year as champion, but a weird summer of uncertainty followed by 4 months of inactivity due to injury led to her just missing out. That is why Cargill gets the nod here, spending much of 2022 as TBS Champion, still undefeated in AEW, and improving in the quality of her matches each and every week. She still has a long way to go, but, in 2022, she was the biggest example of consistency in the women’s divisions.
Overall Superstar of the Year:
- Candidates: Jon Moxley, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, MJF, CM Punk, Bianca Belair, Jade Cargill, Toni Storm, Becky Lynch, Ronda Rousey
Winner: Roman Reigns
As mentioned above, there can really be no doubt here. Roman Reigns is the definition of success in every sense of the word when it relates to 2022, and there truly is nobody more deserving or in need of recognition at this stage than the Tribal Chief, Roman Reigns. See all of the above commentaries to know why there is not a wrestler on this planet right now that can claim to be on the level of Roman Reigns.
Match of the Year:
- Candidates: Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins 3, Gunther vs. Sheamus 1, Men’s War Games, FTR vs. The Briscoes 2, Kazuchika Okada vs. Will Ospreay (Wrestle Kingdom 16)
Winner: Sheamus vs. Gunther 1 for the Intercontinental Championship at Clash at the Castle 2022
This one, for me at least, was a toss-up between this match and the Seth/Cody match inside Hell in a Cell (forever to be remembered mostly for Cody’s torn pec and the insane effort that he put forth that night. I went with this one mainly as it will not be remembered for the gruesome imagery of a torn pec (although Sheamus’ chest was badly beaten up), but rather it will be remembered as Sheamus’ best match ever, the match that singlehandedly turned he and the Brawling Brutes into top babyfaces in WWE, and as the night where two men from Europe beat each other to shreds in their home continent. Sheamus, long underrated as a fantastic worker, and Gunther, long-awaited his chance to show up and show out on the main roster, put together a banger, pun fully intended. This match had a great story, great character work, great physicality, and overall the most “big-fight-feel” that the IC Title has had in years. So, I want to give this match its flowers for 2022, as it is more than deserving and something I soon will not forget and will surely go back and watch again as much as I can in the years to come!
As always, these are just my thoughts for the year 2022! What are some of yours? Share them with us and let us know what and who you think will be the most memorable details of the year in wrestling in 2022!
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