Ranking 2022's Five Best Storylines in WWE and AEW

2022 has been a whirlwind year of shocking headlines in pro wrestling. It's hard to believe so much has happened in 12 months. Nevertheless, WWE and AEW both produced top-notch programming and high-quality matches.

Although behind-the-scenes drama and a massive shift in personnel dominated the news cycle, there was no shortage of engaging stories on television. Roman Reigns continues to deliver some of the best work of his career. Meanwhile, Maxwell Jacob Friedman has stood out as one of the top performers for All Elite Wrestling.

The two top heels in the industry have captivated their respective audiences while The EST of WWE has reemerged as a strong protagonist on Raw. Conversely, Seth Rollins has been wildly entertaining all year, contributing another excellent trilogy of matches with an unexpected opponent.

It's truly a great time to be a fan of professional wrestling because there is so much to choose from. These are the five best WWE and AEW storylines of 2022.

5. The Blackpool Combat Club's Young Boy

Wheeler Yuta has been one of the breakout stars of 2022, thanks to his inclusion in The Blackpool Combat Club.

The hot new stable successfully used New Japan's style of developing an up-and-comer, and the 26-year-old came into his own. The groundswell of support for Yuta started after he abandoned Chuck Taylor and attempted to impress William Regal on the St. Patrick's Day Slam edition of Dynamite.

In return, the legendary English wrestler offered him a still openhand slap as a sign of honor, sparking a memorable reaction. It didn't take long to realize AEW had something special here, as the former indie darling went on to win the ROH Pure Championship at Supercard of Honor.

Five days later, he delivered a star-making performance against Jon Moxley on Dynamite and effectively earned Regal's respect. This was a fantastic way to introduce Yuta to a new fanbase, but it also led to an incredible rivalry with Daniel Garcia for the Pure title. All of their matches this year have been amazing.

4. The Prodigal Son Returns

At WrestleMania 38, Cody Rhodes shocked the world as he returned to WWE after a formative stint as one of the founders of AEW.

This move was one of the wildest headlines in a busy year. Still, many of us immediately wondered how The American Nightmare would fare this time around. After all, he famously left the company in 2016 with the goal "to go from undesirable to undeniable."

Given the response at The Showcase of The Immortals, Rhodes' six-year journey paid off, and he returned as a major star. Some detractors may have expected him to cool off within months. Instead, the second-generation wrestler gave a clear mission statement and churned out three exceptional matches with Seth Rollins.

Unfortunately, the Atlanta, Georgia, native sustained a torn pectoral muscle in June that kept him out of action for the second half of the year. However, the injury also granted WWE fans a gnarly reveal and a valiant showing at Hell in a Cell.

Rhodes and Rollins arguably participated in one of the best encounters inside the demonic structure. The unforgettable but reckless display of willpower further cemented Rhodes as a quintessential babyface.

We will never know how 2022 would've panned out for him if he didn't get injured. Regardless, he has to be a safe bet to win next year's men's Royal Rumble match and finish his quest to become the WWE champion.

3. Bianca Belair vs. Becky Lynch

Becky Lynch's return at SummerSlam 2021 was less than ideal. The returning superstar quickly turned heel as she sucker punched Bianca Belair and hit her with the Manhandle Slam to beat her for the SmackDown women's title.

This was such a baffling creative decision because the fans still wanted to cheer for the new champion. The 26-second rout also humiliated The EST of WWE, who was scheduled to face Sasha Banks in a WrestleMania rematch.

Nonetheless, WWE recovered well thanks to an outstanding yearlong feud between the two. Belair prevailed at Elimination Chamber, and her showdown with Lynch at The Show of Shows was one of the highlights of 2022.

It wasn't a welcomed change of persona, but the Irish wrestler did some groundbreaking character work as Big Time Becks. We've never seen a woman leave at the height of her success to go on maternity leave, and it was compelling to watch the once confident trailblazer return as an insecure glory hound. It also created a much more rewarding moment when she eventually became The Man again.

Her jealousy of the burgeoning star who took her spot developed into mutual respect at this year's iteration of The Biggest Party of The Summer. As such, their alliance against Damage CTRL presented viewers with a brilliant payoff at Survivor Series.

This rivalry was a terrific example of how to use an established star to elevate a new one and keep them both hot ahead of the Royal Rumble.

2. MJF vs. CM Punk

MJF immediately came to mind as one of CM Punk's dream opponents when he joined AEW last August. Fans knew the two could have a celebrated war of words, and they did just that on the Nov. 24, 2021 episode of Dynamite.

However, their highly anticipated encounter on Feb. 2 proved that they could transfer that chemistry into superb in-ring storytelling as well. On that fateful night, MJF handed The Second City Saint his first loss with the company in front of his hometown crowd at the Wintrust Arena.

Then, their rivalry got even better as The Salt of The Earth bore his soul in the build to Revolution and forced fans to question Punk for the first time since his debut. He even caused The Straight Edge Superstar to second-guess himself as his opponent claimed his hero let him down in a teary-eyed confession.

MJF effectively flipped the script. He revealed that the two mirrored each other as he convinced his idol to lower his guard and struck on the March 2 episode of Dynamite. Afterward, he repeated Punk's famous promo from ROH Death Before Dishonor III. It was almost poetic.

This led to a stirring moment at Revolution where the two-time AEW world champion recreated his ROH entrance complete with AFI's "Miseria Cantare." The ensuing dog collar match was a tremendous second chapter in this feud, which advanced the subplot with Wardlow and left the door open for a third entry.

Say what you will about his controversial meltdown after All Out, but his work with MJF was easily Punk's crowning achievement with AEW. It illustrated that he's still a masterful storyteller and anointed his adversary as the next big thing. It's a shame that we didn't get a proper conclusion.

1. Sami Zayn Joins The Bloodline

There was only one obvious choice for this list, and it was bound to land in the No. 1 spot. Sami Zayn's involvement with The Bloodline as the Honorary Uce is the hottest story in pro wrestling.

Roman Reigns is far and away the most significant WWE Superstar right now, but Zayn revitalized his act on SmackDown. His chemistry with The Tribal Chief has been riveting. There's a palpable tension between them that keeps us on the edge of our seats, but the former intercontinental champion has also reintroduced some frivolity to the stable.

Sometimes the blue brand struggles in Reigns's absence, but the contention between Jey Uso and Zayn has been enough to keep us invested. It's such a splendid way to revisit the uneasy alliance that The Head of Table struck with his cousin after their title program in 2020.

The threat of an imminent implosion or abrupt excommunication from The Island of Relevancy is so fascinating. Everyone knows the other shoe will eventually drop. It will be devastating, but no one can look away because we don't want to miss a single clue as to what's next.

This dynamic made The Bloodline the centerpiece of Survivor Series WarGames. Seeing Jey finally embrace Zayn was such a satisfying development, but it didn't ease our apprehensions at all. In fact, the closing shot of the event seemingly sealed The Great Liberator's fate.

His friendship with Kevin Owens will inevitably drive a wedge between him and his newfound family. It's just a matter of when, but the moments this storyline has created make pro wrestling so thrilling. It's nice to know that the medium can still surprise longtime fans and remind us why we fell in love with it.