Just over a month into 2022, a number of WWE and All Elite Wrestling stars have already had a significant impact. The timing couldn’t be better because wrestlers have the chance to start over every new year. In January, a number of individuals took advantage of that, and they are continuing to do so this month. The beginning of 2022 has suggested that it will be a fun year for both businesses.
While AEW has been putting out excellent episodes of Dynamite and Rampage almost every week, WWE got off to a strong start with the exciting Day 1 and Royal Rumble pay-per-views. Some competitors are only as good as their booking allows them to be, but others consistently deliver in the ring and on the mic to make the most of any situation. Character growth is always a plus, and we’ve seen it in abundance from a number of figures in recent weeks.
1. Brock Lesnar
Amazingly, it will be 20 years since Brock Lesnar joined WWE and swept the world of wrestling; after twenty years, he’s currently at the head of the pecking order. Things stay the same more and more as they change. Whether you like him or not, The Beast Incarnate was WWE’s main attraction in 2022, and he will continue to be so until WrestleMania 38, when he and Roman Reigns will team up for the third time.
That has a lot to do with his unexpected victory at Day 1 for the WWE Championship.
Before unforeseen circumstances necessitated changes to plans, Lesnar already had his match with Reigns set for Day 1. Instead, he won the prestigious prize and fought with Bobby Lashley for the entire month.
2. Seth Rollins
Some of Seth Rollins’ work in the past five years has come in 2021 and 2022 alone, from his feud with Edge to his move to Raw. His momentum from the fight with The Rated-R Superstar carried over to his run on the red brand, where he quickly rose to the top spot.1 competitor to the WWE Title.
Even though he never got the one-on-one title opportunity, he showed up and played every time, even on Day 1. He forged a fun partnership with Kevin Owens, and the two of them continue to be a mainstay on Raw to this day.
3. Roman Reigns
Since turning heel and regaining the Universal Championship in August 2020, Roman Reigns has performed at a high level. As a result, it should not come as a surprise that he is still one of WWE’s best features today. The Tribal Chief has held the title for some time, and in mid-January, he became the longest-reigning universal champion of all time, surpassing a significant milestone.
This took place prior to the Royal Rumble, when he was embroiled in a heated feud with Seth Rollins, in which the two referenced their relationship from The Shield.
4. Chad Gable
Chad Gable has surprised many by having a stellar 2022 thus far and being given the opportunity to perform the best work of his career thus far, despite not being as well-known as other names on this list. The 35-year-old has spent his entire main roster career in WWE’s tag team ranks, but that hasn’t stopped him from consistently exceeding expectations. He has been particularly good in 2022 with Otis, and on January 10 of that year, they beat RK-Bro to the Raw Tag Team Championships.
5. Becky Lynch
Some fans were concerned that Becky Lynch would have to take a break from WWE because she was pregnant in 2020, when she was at her most popular, and that she would never be able to reach those heights again. It goes without saying that the hot return run she has had since August’s SummerSlam has proven each and every one of those people wrong.
It is possible to argue that WWE’s decision to turn Lynch heel right away was questionable, and despite the fact that she is frequently applauded by crowds, her work has been untouchable. She was becoming tiresome as the babyface on the top two years ago, so it has been refreshing to see her try something new in recent months.
6. CM Punk
It still seems unbelievable that CM Punk is back in wrestling after seven years away, even six months after his return. In addition, he has been working hard since returning and has been booked exceptionally well in AEW up to this point.
At the beginning of the year, he entered a heated feud with MJF after winning several matches in his first few months on the roster. Due to the talents of both men on the mic, viewers had high hopes for this program, and they were not disappointed.
7. Bobby Lashley
The movie “The All Mighty” comes in fifth on the list. The 46-year-old has the physical attributes to annihilate any adversary who crosses his path, standing at 6 feet 3 inches and weighing 273 pounds.
Bobby Lashley returned to the company in 2018 and looked better than ever after a lengthy absence.In addition, the two-time world champion is determined to win a third title.
8. Cody Rhodes
“The American Nightmare” failed to make a significant impact during his initial time in WWE toward the end of his career. However, when he left for AEW, he demonstrated that Vince McMahon was blind to his star potential. With titles and epic promos, Rhodes established himself as the company’s face.
All of this prepared him for his big comeback at WrestleMania 38 and subsequent feud with Seth Rollins. With an epic performance at “Hell in a Cell,” in which he persevered despite sustaining a torn pectoral injury, the fan favorite won them over. The WWE Universe is now eagerly anticipating his recovery.
9. Big E
Despite his outrageous physical characteristics, the specimen initially struggled for years to reach WWE’s highest levels. He formed The New Day with Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods, and he would walk to the ring while launching pancakes into the crowd to the sound of a trumpet. The star power of all three wrestlers eventually led to the stable’s current popularity, despite fans’ initial doubts about its longevity.
Big E demonstrated that he possessed the tools to compete with the best of them when he began competing on his own. In the end, he won the Money in the Bank ladder match in 2021 and cashed in the briefcase to take Bobby Lashley’s world title away from him.
10. Adam Page
From here, you can hear CM Punk’s cheers as his rival, Hangman Page, is just behind him in fourth place on the list. Since Page was one of the main targets of CM Punk’s recent unscripted rant, there is no doubt that the two have a lot of bad blood outside of the screen. Therefore, it will be very satisfying for The Cookie Monster to beat Page.