Front-Runners for Match of the Year in WWE and AEW

2022 has been one of the most eventful years in pro wrestling history, and it’s quickly coming to a close. That means publications like Bleacher Report will start putting together their lists of the top shows and matches of the year.

There certainly hasn’t been a shortage of major headlines or surreal moments over the past nine months. High-profile returns have dominated the news cycle, but there have been just as many excellent matches to discuss.

WWE and All Elite Wrestling have produced so many candidates for the best match of 2022 that it’s almost difficult to narrow it down. However, we narrowed it down to five entries for the sake of this article. These are all showdowns that most critics and fans seem to agree on, but this is subjective.

These are both companies’ front-runners for the match of the year. Feel free to drop your pick in the comments section.

Cody Rhodes’ return to WWE at WrestleMania 38 will go down as one of the top moments of 2022. Unfortunately, The American Nightmare suffered an injury that kept him for most of the year, but he and Seth Rollins still managed to deliver a phenomenal trilogy of matches.

Their Hell in a Cell match at the titular pay-per-view was the best encounter of the three. Rhodes’ gruesome pec injury created one of the most shocking visuals of the night, leaving many viewers to question how he would be able to perform.

To everyone’s surprise, the second-generation wrestler left it all in the ring in one of the gutsiest performances ever. Rollins also added to his incredible track record. His heel work brought out the best in his opponent as they crafted a gut-wrenching but engaging story inside the demonic structure.

It would be easy to assume this match was only notable because of the risk Rhodes took. Nevertheless, he and The Visionary put together a tremendous showing that didn’t rely on props or unrealistic stakes. Lastly, the former AEW star finally executed the Pedigree after months of teasing it elsewhere.

If we included matches from New Japan Pro-Wrestling, this article would be littered with examples of just how amazing Will Ospreay was in 2022.

The leader of the United Empire took on Kazuchika Okada at Wrestle Kingdom and again in the G1 Climax finals. Both encounters would’ve easily topped this list. He also had fantastic matches with Tetsuya Naito, Jon Moxley, Mike Bailey, Dax Harwood, Michael Oku and many more.

As such, most hardcore fans knew he would churn out a potential dream match at AEW's first cross-promotional show with NJPW, Forbidden Door. However, it stumped many of them when the company announced that Orange Cassidy would be his coveted opponent.

In fact, the matchup drew a lot of criticism online because many viewers still see the current All-Atlantic champion as just a comedy character. Cassidy has proved himself in outings with PAC, but some fans still underestimate him.

At any rate, he and Ospreay went on to deliver an incredibly entertaining bout that kept the United Center crowd invested throughout. It was an excellent match to experience live and probably the highlight of the night for most fans.

Sheamus has been on a remarkable run in 2022. Pairing him with Brawling Brutes truly revitalized his career, and Gunther has emerged as one of his greatest rivals.

That may seem like recency bias, but the two have been a part of three sensational matches that will last the test of time. For our money, their acclaimed encounter at WWE Clash at the Castle could be a shoo-in for the match of the year.

The reigning intercontinental champion put the challenger through the wringer, pelting him with brutal chops. Regardless, The Celtic Warrior never backed down. His fiery comebacks kept the rowdy Cardiff crowd on the edge of their seats.

This performance stood out because it was drastically different from most of WWE’s programming. It was as close to a hard-hitting, old-school British match as you could get, and the atmosphere made it even better.

In the end, Sheamus fell short, but his tenacity and grit gained the respect of the live audience. Seeing the 44-year-old get a well-deserved standing ovation afterward elevated this into one of the defining moments in his tenure with WWE.

Bryan Danielson went on a tear after he joined AEW last year, producing some of the best television matches in the history of the company.

Most notably, The American Dragon and Kenny Omega competed in a classic outing at the company’s debut in New York City, Grand Slam. It was a treat to see two of the top wrestlers for 30 minutes on such a massive stage, but no one knew Danielson would manage to do it again in his first title match.

Yes, the 41-year-old wrestled Adam Page to a draw in their AEW World Championship match at Winter is Coming last December. Then, the two topped that encounter with an even better performance this year during the Jan. 5 episode of Dynamite.

This rematch was such a rewarding conclusion to their feud. Danielson was masterful as an arrogant challenger looking to spoil the new champion’s first world title reign. Conversely, Hangman continued to develop into one of the most relatable characters of this era.

His defiant win over such a highly respected competitor was a great way to kick off his underappreciated run with the title. Even more, it was a nice way to further separate Danielson from his time with WWE.

FTR is currently on the run of a lifetime. The wildly popular tag team has had some outstanding matches together and as singles competitors in 2022.

Who would’ve guessed that Dax Harwood would’ve emerged as one of the top performers this year, right? He and Cash Wheeler have given us so many options to choose from since March, including their rematch against The Young Bucks from the April 6 episode of AEW Dynamite.

Although that highly anticipated bout eclipsed their match at Full Gear, their feud with the Briscoes exceeded expectations. Their first-time matchup for the ROH World Tag Team Championship from Supercard of Honor gained universal praise during WrestleMania weekend.

These two teams built anticipation and promoted this showdown online for at least four months. That could’ve created a recipe for disaster because they hadn’t stood toe-to-toe on television since ROH Final Battle, and sometimes online buzz doesn’t translate well. Instead, it laid the groundwork for a magical moment when they finally faced each other in the middle of the ring.

We rarely see a build from the internet work this well, but it was truly something special. The dueling chants in the Curtis Culwell Center were so loud at the beginning of the match, and the energy in the building never died down throughout.

FTR and the Briscoes rewarded the eager audience with an impeccable showcase of tag team wrestling that belongs on every year-end list. Yes, this technically isn’t an AEW match, but it would’ve been hard to leave it out because it was that good.