Ranking Solo Sikoa and the 10 Best WWE and AEW Debuts in 2022

For as eventful of a year as 2022 was for WWE and All Elite Wrestling outside of the ring, it was equally important in regards to both promotions bolstering their rosters.

The constant influx of talent (including those crossing companies) is what makes the sport so enjoyable, and 2022 had that in spades. Cody Rhodes' return at WrestleMania 38 is perhaps the most prominent example, not only for how exceptionally it was executed but also because of everything it entailed.

With Rhodes previously having worked for WWE on the main roster (and for many years at that), his 'Mania moment can't be considered a debut. The same can be said for Ronda Rousey, who won the women's Royal Rumble match in shocking fashion on her return.

Triple H replacing Vince McMahon as the head of WWE Creative led to many others being brought back in the months that followed, most notably Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman.

Names who previously appeared exclusively on NXT and were fired also resurfaced and were reassigned to Raw and SmackDown, meaning their main roster debuts could be classified as such.

Likewise, not everyone who joined AEW this year was necessarily a fresh face, but they left their mark and reinvigorated the roster all the same.

With that said, these 10 WWE and AEW debuts were the best of 2022.

Santos Escobar, and the rest of Legado del Fantasma for that matter, had long been main roster-ready. However, it seemed unlikely they'd ever be called up while Vince McMahon was at the helm of WWE.

Escobar signed with the company in 2019 and officially arrived in NXT in 2020. During his two-year stint on the brand, he had a lengthy reign as NXT cruiserweight champion and was regularly in contention for a title.

It wasn't until October 2022 that all of the group, alongside new business associate Zelina Vega, debuted on SmackDown and laid waste to Hit Row.

Replacing Elektra Lopez with Vega has proved to be a brilliant move on Triple H's part, with the former Queen Zelina already established on the main roster and bringing instant credibility to the group.

The timing was also ideal as SmackDown's season premiere, so all eyes were on the blue brand that night and the stable made a strong first impression.

In addition to being exceptional both in the ring and on the mic, Escobar has a swagger about him that will bode well for him and the group on Friday nights.

Keith Lee remains one of WWE's most disappointing and appalling departures of everyone who was let go from April 2020 to April 2022 considering the potential he had to be a perennial main event player for them.

Thankfully, Vince McMahon's loss quickly turned into Tony Khan's gain.

Just days removed from his 90-day non-compete clause running out, the 38-year-old made his AEW debut on the Feb. 9 edition of Dynamite.

Isiah Kassidy's mystery opponent that night had been heavily hyped in advance, and Lee was one of the only people who could have lived up to the hype.

The reaction he received instantly made him to be a major deal, much like his entire time in NXT. After being billed as "Bearcat" in his final few months at WWE, he was back in his element.

His decimation of Kassidy was a blast and reminded the world what he was capable of. He's had a good run in AEW so far, but it's high time he broke into the singles ranks.

When Johnny Gargano bid farewell to NXT fans last December, no one knew for sure what the future had in store for him. It's safe to say he wasn't exactly certain at that point, either.

The 35-year-old took time off from the squared circle to enjoy fatherhood, and AEW appeared to be a likely landing spot for his return. But once Triple H rose to power in WWE, it became clear where he was headed.

Sure enough, Gargano popped up on Raw when fans least expected it during the Aug. 22 edition. The show had been in his hometown of Cleveland two weeks prior, but WWE purposely held out on bringing him back at that time so it wouldn't be so obvious.

Everything about his comeback was practically perfect. He had the classic "Rebel Heart" entrance theme (which has since been replaced, sadly), he spoke from the heart and got the better of his NXT protégé, Austin Theory, kicking off a feud between them in the process.

His momentum has faltered a bit as of late due to getting involved with the Dexter Lumis and The Miz storyline, but there's no reason why he can't be competing in the upper echelon of WWE within the next few months.

Note: This marked Gargano's official debut as a member of the Raw roster after briefly appearing on the red brand in early 2019.

Jeff Hardy has been out of sight and out of mind for so long that it's easy to forget how exciting his arrival on AEW was in March.

The circumstances surrounding his departure from WWE a year ago were hazy, but nothing was ruling out an imminent return. Over time, it was evident he was an eyeing a jump to AEW to be back alongside his brother, Matt Hardy.

The timing couldn't have worked out better with his 90-day non-compete clause ending the same day as AEW's post-Revolution edition of Dynamite. Matt had been teasing tension with Andrade El Idolo for weeks, and it was only logical that Jeff would join him in his rivalry with his former faction.

On March 9, Matt was being beaten down by Andrade and his cronies, and Darby Allin and Sting weren't enough to even the odds. The vintage Hardy Boyz music hitting the arena signaled Jeff's debut, and the fans went wild the moment the first beat dropped.

Jeff clearing the ring of several stars on his own was a tad unrealistic but an unforgettable moment, nonetheless. The Hardy Boyz reunion run lasted all of three months before Jeff was suspended following a DUI arrest. There's been no timetable on when or if he'll be back in an AEW ring.

Cesaro's WWE deal expired in February and, for the first time in over a decade, he was officially a free agent. AEW felt like a fine fit for him, but the fact that he didn't debut right away left fans thinking he would re-sign with WWE after all.

In reality, The Swiss Superman was merely waiting for the right time to make his presence felt. That didn't come until June's Forbidden Door pay-per-view presented by AEW and New Japan Pro-Wrestling, where he filled in for Bryan Danielson in a match against Zack Sabre Jr.

Returning to his old moniker of Claudio Castagnoli, he was welcomed with open arms by the AEW and NJPW fans. Unlike other debuts featured on this list, this was about the match every bit as much as it was about the moment.

Castagnoli and Sabre had the technical masterpiece you'd expect from two tremendous talents of their caliber. It was a competitive contest that managed to both make Sabre look strong in defeat and showcase Castagnoli for the unbelievable athlete he is.

His arrival that night set the tone for what has been a fun run for him in AEW and Ring of Honor. He's now a two-time ROH world champion having just regained the gold from Chris Jericho at Final Battle and prepares to lead the brand into its new era on HonorClub.

The pressure was on for Triple H to deliver a strong SummerSlam with it being his first PPV since taking over the creative reins from Vince McMahon, and he didn't disappoint.

The opening contest saw Bianca Belair retain her Raw Women's Championship in an instant classic with Becky Lynch. They then showed respect to one another and embraced in a hug, only to be interrupted by Bayley.

That alone would have been a satisfying moment considering The Role Model had been out injured for over a year, but fans weren't prepared for what happened next.

It wasn't long before Bayley was joined in the aisleway by former NXT star Dakota Kai, who had been released mere months earlier. Completing the trio was Io Shirai, who had also been absent from television for a few months and was rumored to be on her way out of the company prior to SummerSlam.

It was a thrilling debut for the group that became Damage CTRL, with Triple H sending the message that anyone could appear at any time.

Unfortunately, it was there that they peaked and their booking has been hugely disappointing since, but all three women being afforded that opportunity in the first place was a positive sign of what was to come with The Game in charge.

For nearly five years, fans were of the belief Paige would never wrestle again following her WWE in-ring retirement in 2018. There were always rumblings she could wrestle again, but nothing was concrete until she parted ways with WWE this past summer.

An AEW run would have been a treat regardless, but getting her back in the ring was what would make it worthwhile. Even on the night of her debut at Grand Slam in September, there was a feeling among fans she was about to come out of retirement, and that was part of what made the moment so special.

Her new "Zombiefied" entrance theme hit, but there was no reaction from the crowd until "Saraya" flashed across the big screen. That was when it became real, and the face-off between her and Britt Baker that night paved the way for their clash at Full Gear.

Interestingly, Halloween was when she was cleared to compete, so everything leading up to that point was apparently done with the possibility that she may not be able to wrestle for AEW after all. Fortunately, that didn't turn out to be the case and her return bout with Baker was largely a success.

There was a ton of talk upon her arrival that Saraya would be a game-changer for the AEW women's division. So far, its presentation hasn't improved dramatically, but having Saraya in the mix is a significant step in the right direction.

Samoa Joe's release from WWE in January was truly shocking, if only because the company had already let him go less than a year earlier. In addition to serving as an on-air talent, he was a valuable asset backstage and in the training and scouting process for new talent.

It dropped the ball big time in firing him. Then again, had he stayed in WWE, it's safe to assume he wouldn't have gotten the hot run he did in 2022 in AEW.

Joe was let loose this year, both in the ring and on the mic, but it all started with his debut at Ring of Honor's Supercard of Honor event. Technically, it could be classified as a return since he had competed for ROH nearly two decades ago, but it also marked his AEW debut.

Either way, the 43-year-old's appearance came as a huge shock to all in attendance. Jay Lethal and Sonjay Dutt had just wiped out everyone in the ring when he emerged to a raucous reception from the fans.

He was back in killer mode and didn't have to say a single word in order to send that message. That alone generated buzz ROH hadn't seen in a long time.

Despite not wrestling a single match this year, William Regal was by far AEW's smartest signing of 2022.

He, too, was unceremoniously let go by WWE at the onset of 2022. The Englishman laid low until making his presence felt at Revolution in March in the most unexpected yet exhilarating way possible.

In the immediate aftermath of Jon Moxley's win over Bryan Danielson, the two continued to brawl before Regal emerged to a massive reaction from the crowd to pull them apart. He slapped them both in attempt to get them under control and ultimately agree to shake hands.

Regal, Moxley and Danielson standing alongside each other was an outstanding visual. It led to the creation of Blackpool Combat Club, which later expanded to include Wheeler Yuta and Claudio Castagnoli.

Although the 54-year-old's upcoming departure from AEW has been confirmed by Tony Khan, his brief run there was nothing short of stellar. He elevated not only everyone in his group but all of their opponents as well, specifically MJF.

Regal's presence on the program will be missed, but everything from his white-hot debut to his amazingly executed exit angle were some of AEW's most memorable moments of the year and greatly enhanced the product while he was there.

It isn't often someone gets to make their debut in the main event of a WWE PPV, but Solo Sikoa's star status was cemented when he did just that at Clash at the Castle in September.

For the first time since becoming universal champion two years prior, Roman Reigns' run felt like it was truly in jeopardy going into his title defense against Drew McIntyre. The event emanated from the Scot's home turf of the United Kingdom, and if the time was right to book the title change, this was it.

The two had the crowd behind them every step of the way and took them on an emotional roller coaster with every near-fall.

McIntyre seemed to have the match won until the referee was pulled out of the ring at the last second by a hooded figure revealed to be Reigns' cousin, Sikoa.

The NXT upstart made a name for himself on the brand for the one year he spent there and was a perfect fit for The Bloodline. Helping The Tribal Chief retain was a shocker that few fans saw coming and was the only acceptable way for McIntyre to lose.

Sikoa was put in a prominent spot from the get-go as The Bloodline's enforcer and has been protected at every turn. Based on how well he's already adapted to the main roster and the strides he's made in a short span of time, there's no telling how high his ceiling for success will be in the years ahead.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.