5 Most historic moments in WWE in 2022
WWE's Survivor Series WarGames is just around the corner and promises to be an epic end to the year.
2022 has been one of the most historic and eventful years for the company.
After being released in 2021, both Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman made their returns to the promotion, with the former showing up in the closing moments of Extreme Rules following weeks of build-up to the show.
Ronda Rousey, who was last seen in 2019 in the main event of WrestleMania 35, also returned to the company at Royal Rumble and won the eponymous match.
Perhaps the biggest shock of them all was Vince McMahon announcing his retirement in July, an unforeseen event for the entire wrestling world.
Since July, Triple H has taken over the company by storm, with his creative direction beckoning a wave of celebrity appearances, unexpected returns and dramatic storylines.
From Royal Rumble in January to Logan Paul at Crown Jewel, let's take a look at the most memorable moments of 2022 ahead of WWE's final Premium Live Event of the year.
#5. Royal Rumble, January '22
Kicking off the start of the year and road to WrestleMania, Royal Rumble is always a high time for drama. The 2022 edition of the Premium Live Event was no exception, with Brock Lesnar and Ronda Rousey shocking fans by winning their respective matches.
Earlier that night, Bobby Lashley conquered Lesnar and reclaimed the WWE Championship in a heavyweight showdown for the ages, and Roman Reigns snapped at Seth "Freakin" Rollins, losing by disqualification.
#4. The American Nightmare Returns, April '22
Cody Rhodes stole the show at Night One of WrestleMania 38 with his return to WWE after nearly six years away from the company.
His immediate feud with Seth Rollins led to consecutive matches at WrestleMania Backlash in May and a violent match at Hell in a Cell in June. Rollins and Rhodes' third encounter inside the Cell earned WWE its first five-star match since 2011.
Cody Rhodes vs Seth Rollins, Hell In A Cell Match @ WWE Hell In A Cell
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- WON https://t.co/eEGyIbHKyn
Hell in a Cell brought The American Nightmare's return to the company to an untimely end when he was forced to take a hiatus, having aggravated an existing pectoral injury that had audiences around the world wincing.
#3. WrestleMania, April '22
Night One of WrestleMania saw Stone Cold Steve Austin making his return to the squared circle after 19 years and opened a can of whoop a** on Kevin Owens in an impromptu No Holds Barred Match.
STONE COLD RETURNS AND WINS AT #WRESTLEMANIA
(via @WWE)
https://t.co/UK29VJoqJV
Plus, in a tense and long-awaited battle, Bianca Belair reigned supreme over Becky Lynch to capture the RAW Women's Title.
Cody Rhodes returned to the WWE ring to take down Seth Rollins and SmackDown Women's Champion Charlotte Flair survived the wrath of Ronda Rousey.
Mania this year was jam-packed with big fights spread across the card.
In the main event of Night Two, Roman Reigns pinned Brock Lesnar to become the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion.
#2. Clash at the Castle, September '22
In a historic moment for the WWE Universe and Wales, the debut of Clash at the Castle marked the company's first stadium event in the United Kingdom in almost 30 years.
All eyes were on the event, with boxing legend Tyson Fury, Karrion Kross and Scarlett at ringside to witness The Scottish Warrior take on the Head of the Table to cheers from local fans.
Tyson Fury 🤝 Drew McIntyre
A huge ovation for @Tyson_Fury!
#WWECastle https://t.co/URkg1xpV0o
The match was 30 minutes long with many twists and turns, one of them being Austin Theory, who ran out mid-match to cash in his Money in the Bank contract only to be met by a knockout punch from Fury.
Then, as McIntyre was looking to finish Reigns after a Claymore Kick, Solo Sikoa, a younger cousin of Reigns, appeared and pulled the referee out of the ring. Sikoa's shocking presence gave Reigns enough time to hit a Spear on McIntyre and pin the latter to retain his titles.
#ClashAtTheCastle https://t.co/v9jKUbwQPp
Fury then entered the ring to shake Reigns' hand before telling McIntyre that he'd made his country proud, and the pair closed the show by singing together.
The event was also notable for the Intercontinental Championship match between GUNTHER and Sheamus, which was yet another five-star rated match. That's two hits in a span of three months.
Gunther vs Sheamus (Intercontinental Championship) @ WWE Clash At The Castle:
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- WON https://t.co/ElLVrrmx2n
#1. WWE Crown Jewel, November '22
In yet another historic moment for the company, internet sensation Logan Paul faced Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship in the main event of Crown Jewel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
This Premium Live Event earned WWE a 17% jump in UK viewership as compared to the previous Crown Jewel event.
Despite his best efforts and several injuries, champion Roman Reigns prevailed over Logan Paul.
Also on the show, Brock Lesnar withstood Bobby Lashley, RAW Women's Champion Bianca Belair outlasted Bayley in a Last Woman Standing Match, and Dakota Kai and IYO SKY reclaimed the Women's Tag Team Titles from Alexa Bliss and Asuka.
A spectacular year will be rounded off by Survivor Series: WarGames hailing from TD Garden Boston, MA, on Saturday, 26th November. Tune in via the WWE Network or on BT Sport Box Office.