Ranking WWE and AEW's 10 Most Unforgettable Moments from 2022

Ranking WWE and AEW's 10 Most Unforgettable Moments from 2022

Dec 30, 2022

2022 has been a special year for professional wrestling. While there have been ups and down, both WWE and All Elite Wrestling have risen to the occasion with some of their biggest moments yet.

From the returns of Cody Rhodes and Bray Wyatt to the shocking championship performances of Liv Morgan and Logan Paul, WWE saw fresh stars rise to the occasion.

Of course, nothing may have been bigger than the final match of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.

AEW saw top stars rise and fall. The Acclaimed and Wheeler Yuta became household names in the business.

However, no man's stardom grew quite so much as Maxwell Jacob Friedman, the new AEW world champion.

While some unfortunate lows will forever define this year, this was a year to celebrate for many reasons. The following are the most unforgettable moments of 2022.

Not all moments in wrestling are positive, but this article will be primarily focused on those. In order to get to that side though, it is necessary to first mention the drama of 2022.

Sasha Banks and Naomi walk out on WWE

Just before a complete change in leadership, WWE made one last crucial mistake: pushing out two of the top women in the company. Banks and Naomi have not been seen in a wrestling ring since their May 16 walkout.

Vince McMahon retires as WWE CEO

No moment this year sent more shockwaves through the wrestling world than the surprise retirement of Mr. McMahon on July 22, announced on his Twitter. We are now officially in a post-Vince era, with McMahon having now faced allegations of sexually assaulting two women. WWE has also investigated whether he committed financial misconduct by not declaring non-disclosure payments to other women to suppress allegations of infidelity and sexual harassment.

WWE has new life, though the new regime is still looking to prove itself. Until Triple H, Stephanie McMahon and Nick Khan have completed their first WrestleMania, the moment will not be truly complete.

CM Punk tears out AEW talent in All Out scrum then fights The Elite

After reclaiming the AEW World Championship on September 4, Punk broke the trust Tony Khan had in him during the AEW All Out scrum. Add in a backstage brawl with The Elite, and AEW is still unsettled in the wake of this unprofessional drama.

MJF nearly no-shows AEW Double or Nothing

Before MJF became the face of AEW's rebirth, he was AEW's most controversial figure. Luckily, he did show up in the nick of time to work AEW Double or Nothing on May 29, but some shine was taken away from Wardlow's own moment.

Only 10 moments could reach the top of the list, but wrestling has had many more exciting moments to discuss. These are just four more.

Sami Zayn becomes the true Honorary Uce

The Bloodline has been a key part of WWE all year, creating plenty of interesting moments. However, the most memorable Bloodline moment may have only been a precursor for the future.

Zayn proved himself to The Bloodline and earned the title of Honorary Uce, though the tension remained in the air as a reminder that Roman Reigns could discard him at any time.

Ronda Rousey returns to win the women's Royal Rumble match

2022 was an awkward year for The Baddest Woman on the Planet, but it started on a high. She returned in a surprise moment to win the women's Royal Rumble, adding a necessary big name to a growing women's division.

Tony Khan announces that he has bought Ring of Honor

On March 2, Khan made a shocking announcement that he had brought one of wrestling's most important companies, Ring of Honor. The company has seen record pay-per-view numbers, though it still has not been properly separated from AEW yet.

Hook Wins the FTW Championship

The Handsome Devil has been arguably the rookie of the year in AEW, and no moment in his career to date has been more important than when he earned the FTW Championship, a title his father Taz created on July 27.

Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar was never as great a rivalry as it should have been. Most of the matches between the two have failed to live up to the hype, including their bout at WrestleMania 38.

However, the two may have ended their rivalry for good on a special moment. The Beast Incarnate had one last trick up his sleeve to overwhelm The Head of the Table, and it made for one of the most incredible visuals of the year.

Bringing a tractor to the ring for a Last Man Standing match at WWE SummerSlam, The Beast Incarnate upended the ring, sending Reigns running to the floor.

It was a spectacular, ridiculous moment of cinematic flair to end the first major event of a new era in WWE,

WWE's rookie of the year was far from an unfamiliar face to most fans. Logan Paul is a controversial figure, who many love to hate, but when it mattered most, he performed for the crowd in a way few could match.

While Paul's debut alongside The Miz against The Mysterios was impressive, he proved even more that he could be great by putting on a memorable match at WWE SummerSlam against The A-Lister.

He saved his best for last in 2022 though, facing Roman Reigns at WWE Crown Jewel in a performance no one could deny.

During the match, he sprained his meniscus and MCL, yet he soldiered through to challenge The Head of the Table more than anyone else in 2022.

Once Paul is ready to return to wrestling, it is possible his hard work will have finally won over the WWE Universe. Even if he is still largely booed, there is no doubting incredible natural talent.

Liv Morgan has been one of the rock solid foundations of WWE's female undercard for years. It took until 2022 for her to finally get her due and become a women's champion.

She won the women's Money in the Bank ladder match and cashed in on the same night to win the SmackDown Women's Championship from Ronda Rousey.

It was a special moment that so many felt. There was an outpouring of emotion seeing a veteran like Morgan finally have her moment to shine. It can even be heard on commentary from Michael Cole.

While the aftermath was disappointing, this moment cannot be taken away from Morgan. Even now without the gold that The Baddest Woman on the Planet recaptured, she is a women's champion.

She is in the midst of a character evolution that should continue to make her more popular than ever. Hopefully, she will get more chances to make moments that define her career in 2023.

Few stories are more poignant than watching a young star reach his potential. Wheeler Yuta arrived in AEW in 2021 as a young star on the rise, but it was only after The Blackpool Combat Club began to push him that he truly shined.

His trilogy with Jon Moxley started off innocuous but grew into a tale of a 26-year-old phenom finding his place in AEW.

In their final match on AEW Rampage on April 8, arguably Rampage's best match all year, Yuta bled buckets and kicked out of the best shots of a now-three-time AEW world champion.

While he lost in the end, he earned the respect of Mox, Bryan Danielson and William Regal. When Claudio Castagnoli joined BCC, the two quickly bonded as well and became a tag team to watch.

To date, he remains the only young star to join The Blackpool Combat Club. The stable could use another member, with the most likely candidates being Daniel Garcia or Konosuke Takeshita, but for now, Yuta's future is the primary focus of BCC.

While Regal's debut in AEW and the formation of BCC was important, Yuta's initiation felt like the true moment this group arrived.

The story of MJF in 2022 had its ups and downs, but no one cut promos like him. That is except William Regal. When the two faced off on the October 18 edition of AEW Dynamite, it was as exciting as any match.

The Devil told the world why he hated Regal, bringing up genuine history of the time that he tried out for WWE.

Regal fired back by reminding MJF of all that he had accomplished following his rejection. In a rare moment of weakness, MJF deferred to Regal, allowing him to stand tall that night.

While MJF would ultimately get his revenge, this would stand as the most important night of Regal's brief AEW run and the moment that the now-AEW world champion became untouchable.

Something magical happened at AEW All Out. In a match no one expected The Acclaimed to win, Chicago embraced Anthony Bowens and Max Caster in an underdog fight with Swerve in Our Glory.

While The Acclaimed would lose that night, the excitement around them only grew, setting up an unforgettable rematch at AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam.

Thanks to a timely miscommunication between Keith Lee and Swerve Strickland, Bowens and Caster captured the AEW Tag Team Championships.

The party has only continued as The Acclaimed merchandise sells better than anything else in AEW. The champions have gone from underdogs to true stars and defeated top champions, including FTR.

The truest rags-to-riches story in AEW to date, The Acclaimed were a tag team made and built in AEW. Seeing them ascend to the apex of the company was truly special.

Serious credit should be given to Lee and Swerve, who made their names quickly in AEW and put on incredible matches as champions. Both were invaluable signings in 2022.

No one is like Bray Wyatt. He is the most creative mind in professional wrestling, a title that can be both a blessing and a curse. However, when his work lines up with WWE's creative, it is special.

The Eater of Worlds shocking release on July 31, 2021 sent a shockwave through the wrestling world. It was a statement by WWE that no one was safe, and it left the company without one of its top stars.

His return to WWE was not a well-kept secret, but each hint on Monday Night Raw and Friday Night SmackDown made the anticipation greater for WWE Extreme Rules.

Wyatt's return is one of the single greatest returns in WWE history. It memorably explored his history while hinting at what could be years of stories to come.

The slow burn of Wyatt since that return has left a question of whether this return will pay off. However, for those willing to be patient, this moment has a chance to live forever in WWE lore as the first step in a bold new creative direction.

The AEW World Championship got lost in a dramatic shuffle in 2022 in the aftermath of CM Punk's injuries and subsequent outburst. The company needed a stable face, and MJF returned just in time.

While Jon Moxley carried AEW through many tough months, he was set up to put over The Devil when it mattered most. With a little help from his supposed rival William Regal, MJF stole the world title and walked away a made man.

Since his victory at AEW Full Gear, the entire company has had an air of excitement that was lacking for months. It rejuvenated the company and came off as the most definitive moment of the year for the company.

As long as MJF continues to carry the gold with the same confidence and focus that brought him to this moment, many will look back on this moment as one of if not the most important in AEW's history.

It is just a shame that MJF and Regal will not get more time to tell their story together as the latter looks set to return to WWE in 2023.

When "Stone Cold" Steve Austin wrestled The Rock for the last time at WrestleMania XIX, many expected it was the last time The Rattlesnake would ever wrestle again.

While he did occasionally appear after that time in WWE, his in-ring career was over due to his lingering neck issues. It was a genuine shock when word started to circulate that The Rattlesnake might wrestle again at WrestleMania 38.

He did just that, competing against Kevin Owens in a final match truly worthy of the legacy of The Rattlesnake. Austin looked great and even took some big bumps outside the ring in a physical No Holds Barred match, ending in one more big win.

Add in a final Stone Cold Stunner to Vince McMahon on Night 2, and Austin made this WrestleMania special.

It was a spectacular showcase that only further added to the legacy of one of the greatest to ever perform.

Cody Rhodes was one of the men most responsible for creating AEW. No one ever expected him to leave, especially not to go back to WWE.

However, because of how much Vince McMahon certainly wanted to take from AEW and Cody's desire to solidify his family legacy, Cody convinced WWE to agree to a blockbuster deal.

It began at WrestleMania 38, where he did not just return to WWE but came back as The American Nightmare. It was the gimmick that made him a special attraction around the world, a character that best represented him and his family legacy.

It was a spectacular moment that led to a series of unforgettable matches with Seth Rollins, including a brutal Hell in a Cell match worked with a torn pectoral tendon.

While he is currently out of action while recovering from surgery, The American Nightmare remains the biggest babyface on the active WWE roster. He is the rare act that could dethrone the unstoppable Roman Reigns.

2023 could very well by the year that Cody achieves his dream, capturing a world championship at WrestleMania. Perhaps he will once again top this list in 2023.

While AEW would recover from the loss of a top star, this was one of the first true shots WWE has successfully taken at the company. In 2023, this rivalry could grow as WWE will continue to seek out top talent and avoid releasing anyone who might give AEW an edge.