The 20 Best Wrestling Matches of 2022

Although there were casual fans and young people who were excited about this match, hardcore fans looked at this as just another throwaway match on a Saudi premium live event. Roman Reigns has been on a historic reign as the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion and has not been pinned for two years. Logan Paul is a globally known influencer, podcaster, and YouTuber who has proved himself in the two matches he had already but hadn’t won over all the fans. I don’t think anyone really thought Logan was going to win, but they did enough to keep me entertained throughout. This match was better than anyone expected and had people talking afterward about just how crisp and natural Logan looked in there with the "Tribal Chief." This one deserves plenty of high praise and it's worthy of being on this list of the best wrestling matches of 2022.

It was an interesting year for women’s wrestling in terms of actual matches. There were a handful of good or solid matches, but not many I felt like I wanted to watch more than once. That being said, things began picking up near the end of the year. Toni Storm was set to defend the AEW Women’s Championship against Jamie Hayter. It felt fresh and I was excited for the two “former” friends to go at it. They are both great wrestlers with years of experience and they tore the house down. It's definitely up there as one of the best AEW Women’s matches to date.

There were years and years of history between the Young Bucks and reDRagon. It was exciting when Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly arrived in AEW knowing that the feud would be reignited. They have great chemistry against each other and have had great matches in the back. When you add Jurassic Express to the mix, it elevates things to an even higher level. This match was non-stop action and a lot of fun. I was there live and they had us fans in the palm of their hands. It was one of those cases where literally any team could have walked out a winner and the fans would have been satisfied. Seeing this in person raises to it a level worthy of being on my list of the best wrestling matches of 2022.

Jon Moxley and CM Punk first wrestled each other ten years ago. This time they were both seasoned vets fighting for the biggest prize in AEW, the World Championship. Punk had to vacate the title earlier in the year due to injury and during that time Moxley was the reigning interim champion. When Punk returned, he lost to Moxley to relinquish the title to him but this was the big PPV rematch for that same prize. It was a classic and bloody fight that kept me locked in from start to finish. It might also be CM Punk’s last match in AEW as far as we know it...

It’s quite insane that we only have gotten FTR versus the Young Bucks twice. Once in 2021 and part two this year. Two of the best teams of the modern era and they are tied at one apiece in victories. I’d have to watch the first match from Full Gear 2021 to really choose which one was better. In this match, both the ROH and AAA world tag team titles were on the line. Both teams have contrasting styles yet they mesh very together so well to tell such great stories. There were callback spots to their last match and having this one contested in front of a live crowd added to its overall excellence.

I watched this match recently specifically because I was recommended to watch it a handful of times after it happened (plus it was on Elton’s list). I wanted to make sure I gave the proper attention and respect to matches from numerous promotions I don't frequently watch to give them all a fair shake. I went into this with the expectation that it was going to be a ton of luchador wrestling with choreographed spots, super kicks, and flippy moves (which isn’t really my cup of tea). However, that wasn’t the case. Yes, those things appeared in the match. But when they did, they made sense to the story being told. This was a match with psychology in the name of competition and one of the best wrestling matches of 2022 from a Lucha Libre company.

Speaking of choreographed spots, superkicks, and flippy moves, this match had it all. However, with these two teams, I was expecting them to give us a memorable showcase with all of that. It may not be my cup of tea, but AEW is known to offer a buffet of different styles of matches on their PPV cards so there is something for every wrestling fan. It was also the return of The Elite after the controversy that went down at All Out, now dubbed as the “Brawl Out.” They had been gone for three to four months and The Elite's fanatics missed them. Their return was highly anticipated and their trios match, although chaotic, was a jaw-dropping spectacle.

When it was announced that AEW would be doing a joint event with NJPW called Forbidden Door, everyone started booking their fantasy cards. Personally, I didn't think the best opponent for New Japan’s Will Ospreay would be AEW's Orange Cassidy. I immediately felt like they booked Will into a comedy match as Cassidy represents the sillier side of wrestling. However, I ended up enjoying this match way more than I expected. It was a reminder that although Cassidy’s character is comical, his abilities in the ring can’t be denied. There was something charming about this match and the Shibata appearance after it was the cherry on top. This clash of styles certainly earned its rightful place here on my list of the best wrestling matches of 2022.

At SummerSlam 2021, Becky Lynch returned and defeated Bianca Belair for the Raw Women’s Championship in just 25 seconds. Although Bianca had opportunities at the championship following that event, Becky found ways to escape with the championship every time. They were to meet again at WrestleMania 38 and they had a classic encounter in the process. This was the best women’s match of the stupendous two-night event. There were very few shenanigans and it was just two women trying to stay one step ahead of the other. This actually may be the best women’s match of 2022.

This was the second epic encounter between The Briscoes and FTR. FTR would pick up the victory in their first match at Supercard of Honor XV in a very competitive back-and-forth barnburner. To up the ante, they decided to make their sequel a two-out-of-three falls match. To no one's surprise, it was just as competitive as the first one. Both teams showed out and it really did feel like it could go in favor of any team. They went hard for 45 minutes and it was an absolute war. FTR would win with two falls to one. Both teams did a bang-up job when it come to producing another MOTY candidate.

Cody Rhodes returning to the WWE alone was a big deal for 2022. The "American Nightmare" would kick off his return with a trilogy of great matches with Seth Rollins. In their third and final match, they wrestled in the devil’s favorite structure, the Hell in a Cell. The big twist here was that Rhodes was entering the highly promoted match with a torn pec. The bruise was visible from the very moment Cody took off his entrance jacket and Seth did not hold back while targeting the injured pec area. It may be hard to watch for some, but it truly showed that Cody would do whatever it takes to perform for the love of the game. This gutsy performance from Cody is definitely one of the best wrestling matches of 2022.

When CM Punk came out to confront MJF without saying a single word while Max was going off about how nobody in the locker room was better than him, I got incredibly hyped! I knew it was leading to a match between the two...but the question was when? Punk is old school and MJF wrestles an old-school style himself, so I knew it would be a classic. It was a tremendous story where neither guy was able to use their finisher successfully. The match went 41 minutes and Punk would suffer his first loss in AEW. But this was clearly done to tell a much bigger story. Of course, MJF used dirty tactics to get it done yet he still made a profound statement via that win. I absolutely love this match.

These two have had many great matches in the past, so I was sure this one wouldn’t be any different. They are two wrestlers that would be a massive sign for any major North American company - Zack Sabre Jr. is more of a technical shoot-style wrestler who focuses on attacking a body part and locking in holds, while Will Ospreay is a high-flying, acrobatic, and unorthodox competitor. They found a way to work to each other's strengths and complement each other's styles. Ospreay tried to take the match to the air as Sabre tried to keep it grounded. It was a great bout from bell to bell and one of the best wrestling matches of 2022 to emanate from New Japan.

It was the match to end the eight year off and on battle between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns. In 2021-2022 the roles were reversed as Lesnar was the babyface and Reigns was the heel, so it gave the rivalry a second life. This match is one for the ages because of how ridiculous it ended up being. It was a Last Man Standing match, so there weren’t any traditional rules to abide by here. Lesnar surprisingly came out with a tractor and nearly flipped the ring over in something we’ve never seen before. The whole thing was unforgettable and truly spectacular.

If you would've asked me who the greatest tag teams of the modern era are, FTR and The Briscoes are in my top five. It was a dream match that could potentially happen once FTR left the WWE. And when that came to pass, this match finally did happen in 2022 at ROH Supercard of Honor XV. It certainly lived up to the hype. For anyone who is a fan of tag team wrestling, this was tag team wrestling at its finest. All four men went balls to the wall to prove they were the better team. They wrestled like it truly mattered. It was a much-needed throwback to a better time in tag team wrestling. The storytelling and psychology of the match itself mattered more than the actual spots contained within it. As a whole, this tag team classic is befitting of its high spot on my list of the best wrestling matches of 2022.

"WARGAMES!!" I hope you read that in William Regal’s voice. The WarGames match finally made its debut on the main roster for this year's Survivor Series. Although it has been a staple on NXT since 2017, it never made its way to the main roster under Vince McMahon’s watch. The Women’s War Games match that opened up Survivor Series was also really good and I recommend you check it out as well. However, the one involving the Bloodline was layered with stories which made it just a bit better. The story of where Zayn’s loyalties lied kept me and everyone watching super invested in how it impacted this match.

Heading into WrestleMania 38, Seth Rollins didn’t have a match and was pleading to get one. It would have been ridiculous to keep one of WWE's most popular stars off the show, so rumors started spreading that Rollins would be facing a surprise opponent and it would be a returning Cody Rhodes. Although the rumors clued in everyone as to who it would be already, it was still an epic moment to see Rhodes return with his “Kingdom” theme music intact and in all of his new glory, as he was last seen in WWE in 2016 as Stardust. Although the return was unforgettable, for two guys who hadn’t wrestled each other in six years, they produced an awesome match.

The one thing I really loved about the MJF and CM Punk feud is just how old-school it felt. Both guys have a love for the history of professional wrestling and love reverting back to the classics. Funny enough, they both mention "Rowdy" Roddy Piper high on their list of influences. Therefore when we found out they were going to have themselves a dog collar match, reminiscent of Piper/Greg Valentine in the 80s, I popped! This stipulation was clearly put in place so MJF couldn’t run away from Punk as they would be chained to each other. The match was a bloodbath and we even saw thumbtacks come into play! This was truly a classic encounter between two students of the game. The brutality and storytelling in this one make this one of the best wrestling matches of 2022.

It was nice to see Sheamus have a standout year this far into his career in the WWE. When it was clear that Sheamus would be facing Gunther for the Intercontinental Championship at Clash at the Castle in the UK, fans suddenly remembered how tough Sheamus was. Immediately, people knew these two weren’t going to be afraid to be stiff with each other and beat the living hell out of one another. And that's exactly what we got. The match was so hard-hitting and brutal with the fans strongly behind Sheamus. Gunther has a bright future ahead of him and is a legit badass. Sheamus got his flowers after this match due to his heart and his love for a drag-out fight.

It was the final match in The Briscoes/FTR trilogy and they decided to take it to the next level with a double dog collar match. Thus far we have seen them in a traditional tag team match and a two-out-of-three falls match, so the blowoff had to be something truly special. Although there was a lack of a weekly build-up due to The Briscoes not being able to appear on TNT/TBS, their last two matches were just enough of a build-up to make fans tune into this one. This was a violent and bloody war between two teams with great chemistry. Unlike their last two matches, this one had spots with weapons and dangerous bumps. This 2022 trilogy between the Briscoes and FTR is a perfect example of incredible tag team wrestling. This blood-filled encounter is my top pick on this list of the best wrestling matches of 2022.