5 biggest questions from 2022 in WWE
2022 was a peculiar year for WWE. The landscape of the company is drastically different from twelve months ago. It almost seems like an overhauled, brand-new version.
Vince McMahon and his son, Shane McMahon, are gone from WWE. Cody Rhodes, who left the business on bad terms in 2016, made a triumphant return at WrestleMania 38. Triple H retired from active competition and took over complete creative control following his father-in-law's abrupt retirement. Hunter brought back a myriad of talented superstars that were released under McMahon's regime.
With such a tumultuous and eventful year, many questions have been raised, and this listicle looks at five of the biggest from 2022.
#5 Is Randy Orton done with in-ring competition?
Starting with one of the year's most frustrating and heart-breaking revelations, Randy Orton was taken off WWE programming in May 2022 owing to a real-life back injury. Orton was expected to return soon to continue his storyline with The Bloodline and battle Roman Reigns at SummerSlam.
However, the situation turned out to be much worse than initially feared. The Viper required fusion surgery on his lower back. The severity of the dilemma was delineated in late November when a Fightful report hinted that retirement was an option for the 14-time world champion.
"There were some in WWE that told us they’d be fortunate to have him back after such a long career and the significance of the injury."
There is no set timeline for the veteran's in-ring return, and he has been written off all creative plans for the foreseeable future. Orton's untimely injury has thrown his on-screen tag team partner, Matt Riddle, off course, who seems to have lost much steam and momentum since his friend's injury. Therefore, The Viper's absence has been devastating in many ways.
Fortunately, the 42-year-old's father, 'Cowboy' Bob Orton Jr., provided a comforting update when he claimed that The Apex Predator was recovering well and would eventually return, shutting down retirement rumors.
Orton's future remains ambiguous and unclear. The Grand Slam Champion wanted to continue wrestling for at least the next 7-8 years, but a severe back injury may have derailed those plans. The fans sorely miss him, and they want him to return as soon as possible. But no one has any answers right now.
#4 Will John Cena win his seventeenth world championship anytime soon?
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2015 seems like ages ago when John Cena was a full-time WWE Superstar, hosting the United States Championship Open Challenge on RAW every week. Since then, Cena has taken up a career in acting, becoming a mega-star in Hollywood. As such, The Champ is seldom around for his wrestling fans.
Cenation has only seen him once this year when he returned to celebrate two decades of his remarkable wrestling career. Cena will appear on the final SmackDown of 2022 to team up with Kevin Owens to face Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn. This will be his first and only in-ring match in the last sixteen months.
The Peacemaker star may want to accomplish much more in Hollywood, but only one major accomplishment remains unchecked on his WWE wishlist. John Cena and Ric Flair are tied at sixteen world championships apiece. Cena needs one more to rewrite history and break The Nature Boy's long-standing record.
When asked about another world title run, Cena suggested it was pretty unlikely, and it's hard to disagree with him. The Leader of The Cenation last had a shot at the Universal Championship at SummerSlam 2021. With a skyrocketing Hollywood career and a dwindling wrestling career, the chances appear slim.
However, a record-setting 17th world championship win will be a WrestleMania-worthy moment of epic proportions. Hence, WWE wouldn't want to miss out on such a golden opportunity. But, realistically speaking, it seems unlikely but not impossible.
#3 Which former WWE Superstar will return next in Triple H's rehiring wave?
Beginning in August, we began witnessing the return of several superstars who had previously been released under Vince McMahon's regime. Once Hunter assumed creative control, many were rehired.
Dakota Kai, Karrion Kross and Scarlett were among the first few performers to rejoin WWE. Upon his surprise return, Kross viciously assaulted Drew McIntyre. Hit Row, Johnny Gargano, and Dexter Lumis soon followed suit. Candice LeRae also joined her husband on RAW in September.
Braun Strowman roared his way back in early September. In the biggest surprise of the rehiring wave, Bray Wyatt finally returned at Extreme Rules, revealing himself as the "White Rabbit" to the delight of the WWE Universe. Most recently, Bronson Reed, one of Hunter's favorites, returned as a heel by helping The Miz defeat Lumis in a Ladder match.
Amongst the other names rumored to be joining the WWE bandwagon were Keith Lee and Sasha Banks. Lee allegedly rejected the offer without considering it, while Banks seems to have moved on to a different career path.
Now, is Hunter done overhauling and revamping his already stacked roster, or is there more he is considering? Names like John Morrison could benefit from another final run. However, Triple H seems to be disappointed with some rehired superstars, which may lead to an end of the wave.
#2 Who will dethrone Roman Reigns?
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Roman Reigns sits atop the mountain as the Undisputed Unified WWE Universal Champion. The Tribal Chief hasn't been pinned in over three years, having been dominant in his historic, record-setting Universal Championship reign.
His list of victims includes an elite class of WWE Superstars. Everyone has stepped up and fallen to The Head of The Table, from Brock Lesnar to Drew McIntyre to Logan Paul. However, all good things must end, and there are three plausible candidates left to dethrone Reigns: The Rock, Cody Rhodes, and Bray Wyatt.
The Great One is heavily rumored to face fellow Anoa'i member, i.e., Roman Reigns, in a colossal dream encounter at WrestleMania Hollywood. Rocky is past his prime, and his chances of dethroning Reigns are virtually none. The American Nightmare is the sentimental fan-favorite to pin The Tribal Chief. Among the three names, Rhodes is most likely to do so.
Bray Wyatt is a dark horse, but it would be a grave mistake to count him out of the running. Aside from these three men, WWE will likely stick to placeholder challengers like Kevin Owens and Sheamus. MVP surprisingly named Omos as a potential candidate to dethrone the current champion.
His days at the summit may be numbered when the 'Mania match with The Rock is over. Hence, 2023 may witness the end of The Tribal Chief's historic run.
#1 Will Vince McMahon return to WWE?
The most controversial and newsworthy story of 2022 has to be the allegations against Vince McMahon that ultimately led to his abrupt retirement from the same company he had taken to the top. According to The Wall Street Journal, the former CEO of WWE had allegedly paid hush money to several former employees to cover up his affairs.
John Laurinaitis was also implicated in the scenario and was quietly let go soon after the 77-year-old's departure in late July. Stephanie McMahon was appointed co-CEO alongside Nick Khan while Triple H was handed over creative control. The abrupt power shift had a monumental impact on the wrestling world.
However, there are now murmurs of a Vince McMahon return, despite disapproval from the higher-ups. The former chairman reportedly wants to be back in WWE amid all the misconduct allegations. These revelations may indicate that his retirement wasn't permanent.
It's anybody's guess, but McMahon may not be done with WWE. In his absence, the company has survived well and thrived in many areas. But that doesn't rule out a Vince McMahon return.