There was a lot of change for both WWE and AEW in 2022. Here are my top 5 that got people talking. This is not a list of best matches, rather moments that occurred that set the IWC ablaze.
5. White Rabbit (WWE)
The best thing about the white rabbit storyline was that most of it played out outside of WWE programming. Clues that had to be solved using coordinates and playing small games. Fans reporting that Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit” was being played during commercials. It all came to a head when Bray Wyatt returned at Extreme Rules. This is the type of outside the box programming that should be used more often.
4. Saraya Returns (AEW)
Wrestling is hard and a sad truth is that careers can end long before the wrestler is ready to go. Advancements in medical science has allowed the return of some wrestlers over the years, but I never thought Saraya would ever return to the ring. Seeing her back on the mic and able to wrestle should put a huge smile on any fan’s face.
3. Cody Goes the Distance (WWE)
When word came out that Cody (a few months removed from a triumph return at Wrestlemania) had been injured, fans wondered if his Hell in the Cell match would be pulled. When it was announced it wouldn’t, it was assumed maybe the injury wasn’t that bad. It was, a torn pec that was hard to look at. Find a video that starts 10 seconds before he takes off the jacket and close your eyes. You can tell the exact moment people see it as the crowd goes from cheering to stunned silence.
2. AEW All Out Media Scrum (AEW)
Not since The Montreal Screwjob has something come along that mixes real with the scripted world of pro wrestling so completely. Everyone has a theory, everyone thinks they know who is to blame and we might never know what really happened. The fact that this seemed to come out of nowhere make it even more shocking. Storylines were scrapped, careers were changed and the effects are still being felt months later.
1. Vince Retires (WWE)
Count me among many who thought the only way Vince would leave WWE was in a pine box. After an internal investigation and pending lawsuits, Vince was gone with a 17 word tweet. Suddenly, everything was different, the biggest being Triple H was put in charge of creative. For an organization that prided itself on a anything can happen mindset, it seems that the future is wide open.