Ranking the 20 Best AEW Matches of 2022
The year 2022 for All Elite Wrestling was undeniably tumultuous, but the promotion continued to deliver to its fans a steady helping of outstanding content, thanks to one of the deepest talent rosters in the game today.
From FTR further establishing its place in the pantheon of tag teams to Bryan Danielson reminding fans why he is arguably the best professional wrestler of his generation, the stuff that happened between the ropes in AEW this year helped strengthen its fans adulation for the promotion.
As the year comes to its end, which match ranked as the best of the bunch?
Some might say it is a surprise.
Nos. 11-20
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11. Claudio Castagnoli vs. Konosuke Takeshita (AEW Battle of the Belts II)
12. Young Bucks vs. Lucha Bros (AEW Rampage, June 3)
13. "Hangman" Adam Page vs. Bryan Danielson (AEW Dynamite, September 7)
14. Jon Moxley vs. Konosuke Takeshita (AEW Rampage, December 9)
15. Cody Rhodes vs. Sammy Guevara (AEW Dynamite, January 26)
16. Eddie Kingston vs. Chris Jericho (AEW Revolution)
17. CM Punk vs. MJF (AEW Dynamite, February 2)
18. Jon Moxley vs. Bryan Danielson (AEW Revolution)
19. The Elite vs. United Empire (AEW Dynamite, August 31)
20. Death Triangle vs. United Empire (AEW Dynamite, August 24)
10. The Elite vs. Death Triangle (AEW Full Gear)
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On the surface, it appeared a foregone conclusion that The Elite would return at the November Full Gear pay-per-view, defeat Death Triangle and regain the AEW World Trios Championships they never really lost in the first place.
However, Pac coerced Rey Fenix to embrace the dark side and utilize the timekeeper's hammer for the tainted victory.
The match featured six competitors who have all but perfected the "party match" formula. The fans in Newark hung on every near-fall, particularly excited for the return of Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks following the All Out incident that earned them a two-month suspension.
The steady intensification of the action, as well as the surprise finish, helped elevate this one past similar contests and solidified it as both the standard-bearer and, as of publication, the best of the seven-match series that it bred.
9. Bryan Danielson vs. Daniel Garcia (AEW Dynamite, August 17)
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To anyone paying attention to pro wrestling since 2002, Bryan Danielson being in the top 10 of any best-match list is commonplace. He is one of the best professional wrestlers of all time and has proved as much over the course of two decades.
This year, he was tasked with helping develop a future pillar of the company in Daniel Garcia.
On the August 17 episode of Dynamite, appropriately presented by HBO Max's House of the Dragon, The American Dragon battled Garcia in a 2-out-of-3 Falls match.
The prodigy scored the first fall of the match, outwrestling a man he long considered an idol with a, you guessed it, dragon suplex.
Branding, people.
Danielson tied the score at one fall apiece by countering a, sigh, dragon sleeper and ultimately tapped Garcia out with a crossface to emerge the victor.
A physical, hard-fought match that saw both men bleed did wonders to help establish Garcia as a star. His in-ring talent had never been in doubt, but he needed someone with the credibility and respect that Danielson has acquired over his years in the business to believe in him and put him over.
Even though he lost the match, Danielson made damn sure the audience and everyone watching at home knew that Garcia was every bit as good. It was a selfless act that enhanced the young competitor's star and reminded the world of just how giving a wrestler Danielson is.
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8. Dog Collar Match: CM Punk vs. MJF (AEW Revolution)
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The rivalry between CM Punk and MJF should go down in AEW history as one of the best ever produced by the company, and while it probably ran a bit longer than it should have, it did culminate in one of the best matches of 2022.
At Revolution, Punk battled MJF in a Dog Collar Match, a throwback to the days of "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and Greg "The Hammer" Valentine, when red-hot feuds ended in bloody grudge matches. There was plenty of the red stuff, courtesy of a laceration on the forehead of The Straight Edge Superstar, mixed in with some thumbtacks and a late babyface turn from Wardlow.
The grittiness of the match accented the slower, more methodical pace. It was an old-school wrestling match that highlighted the hate the characters had for each other while also cementing MJF as the main event attraction he would ultimately become.
Sure, he had worked with Cody Rhodes and Chris Jericho prior to the Punk program but the verbal exchanges, coupled with the psychology of the in-ring work and the big-money grudge match helped elevate him even higher than those previous programs had. More importantly, it proved to the world and Tony Khan that MJF could be a genuine headliner, even if it would take a grander display of frustration with his position to get there.
7. Hikaru Shida vs. Jamie Hayter (AEW Dynamite, December 21)
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AEW waited until near the end of the year to deliver one of its best matches, a world women's title bout that saw Jamie Hayter defend against Hikaru Shida in the main event of the December 21 episode of Dynamite.
With little build, the match proceeded to captivate the fans in San Antonio with hard-hitting physicality and late drama as champion and challenger unloaded on each other with signature moves and big strikes in pursuit of victory.
Hayter earned the win to continue her momentous year and a title reign that began back at Full Gear. Shida, on the other hand, reminded fans of why she might be the most underappreciated member of the AEW roster with another extraordinary performance.
There were no bells or frills, no overabundance of outside interference other than brief appearances from Britt Baker and Rebel, and the result was a match that had the time and attention needed to be every bit as good as several higher-profile men's matches this year.
It should, in a perfect world, serve as the blueprint for how Tony Khan and the rest of the AEW creative forces handle a women's division that has been underserved thus far in the company's three-year history.
6. The Dark Order vs. The Elite (AEW All Out)
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Kenny Omega's return to the squared circle over the summer coincided with the reveal of the AEW World Trios Championships. Predictably, he and The Young Bucks surged to the finals of the tournament to crown the first titleholders.
Their opponents? The Dark Order's Alex Reynolds and John Silver, and former Elite bestie "Hangman" Adam Page.
Fans already expected off-the-charts action, a frenetic pace and nonstop energy. Those three elements had long been staples of trios action in the company. Much like The Elite's other match on this countdown, the strength of their showdown with Dark Order and Page came in the form of emotion.
The history between Page, Kenny Omega and the Bucks fueled the match and elevated it beyond the typical fare. Of note was the intense dislike between Page and Omega dating back to the prior November and their feud over the AEW World Championship that left them wanting to brawl, regardless of whether they were the legal competitors.
Page, fueled by anger, uncorked a Buckshot Lariat that leveled his own partner, Silver, rather than the intended target, Omega, and set up The Elite's win.
A great match that in any other year may have been the top of this list, it set the bar remarkably high for every trios title match that followed. Thus far, none has been able to match it.
5. Jon Moxley vs. Wheeler Yuta (AEW Rampage, April 8)
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The April 8 episode of Rampage saw preeminent AEW Wrestler of the Year Jon Moxley deliver another banger of a match that, in hindsight, is less about him and his in-ring output than the maturing of his opponent, Wheeler Yuta.
The Philadelphia native had built considerable steam earlier in the year, leaving the jokey Best Friends faction and seeking entry into Blackpool Combat Club. To get there, he had to earn the respect of all involved, most notably The Death Rider himself.
He did just that, enduring considerable punishment at the hands of the former world champion and pushing forward. He was tough, resilient and defiant, even, as he dared Mox to bring more.
His face the proverbial crimson mask, he countered everything Moxley threw at him and kicked out of his vaunted Paradigm Shift finisher. Ultimately, he could not escape the bulldog choke and passed out in the grasp of his opponent.
The post-match acceptance of Yuta by Bryan Danielson and William Regal started the young star's journey with the Blackpool Combat Club and what would be the most momentous year of his career.
4. The Acclaimed vs. Swerve in Our Glory (AEW All Out)
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Every year, there is a match that comes from out of nowhere to stun fans with its excellence, not because the talent does not warrant it but, rather, because it was not as heavily promoted as others on the card. That, or it may have been hastily thrown together.
Whatever the case, in 2022, that match was The Acclaimed vs. Swerve Strickland and Keith Lee from AEW All Out.
Fans in Chicago sparked the flame that would become a massive push for Max Caster and Anthony Bowens, reacting for them as loudly as they did any other wrestler on the show, including The Elite and CM Punk. They passionately rooted for them to capture the world tag titles from Strickland and Lee, who entered as babyfaces but were treated like the biggest heels in the building by the time the match wrapped.
The near-falls were phenomenal, with off-the-charts timing from those involved. The fans in attendance bit on every one, believing with their entire being that The Acclaimed was about to win the gold. By the time Strickland and Lee put Bowens away for the win, the crowd was firmly against the champions, and no post-match show of respect could change that.
This was the breakout performance for The Acclaimed.
Prior to the match, they were an over midcard act with some great catchphrases and witty bars from Caster. After, they were a legitimate championship-caliber tandem that had earned the respect of the fans and their peers. Less than a month later, they would capture the titles in Queens at Dynamite Grand Slam, proving that those of influence behind the scenes had been paying attention to the crowd's overwhelming support for the team.
3. FTR vs. The Young Bucks (AEW Dynamite, April 6)
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Two of the best tag teams in the world squared off in the main event of the April 6 episode of AEW Dynamite as FTR defended the ROH and AAA Tag Team Championship against The Young Bucks in just the second meeting of the tandems.
Superb tag team psychology and high drama over just who would do enough to keep the opposing team down for the count defined this one. Matt and Nick Jackson nearly stole the match after blasting Cash Wheeler with one of the tag belts, and the stealing of finishers built to a finish that saw FTR deliver the Big Rig to successfully retain their titles.
This was the second dream match between two teams regarded as the best in the industry today, and they proved why. The Bucks' heel work meshed perfectly with FTR's babyface stuff to create a contest with even better chemistry than their original showdown.
It was one of the best matches by any company in 2022.
The win helped cap off a defining week that saw FTR defeat The Briscoes days earlier at Supercard of Honor XV and set Wheeler and Dax Harwood up for what was arguably their greatest year of in-ring output to date.
Oddly enough, this is the only match of theirs to make the top 20, thanks in large part to questionable usage and the fact that three of their greatest matches as a team took place on Ring of Honor pay-per-views, not AEW broadcasts, thus disqualifying them for inclusion in this countdown.
2. Hangman Page vs. Bryan Danielson (AEW Dynamite, January 5)
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For the entire first half of 2022, it looked as though Bryan Danielson and Hangman Page were destined to have the Match of the Year award on-lock.
Their January 5 battle for the AEW World Championship, the followup to their hourlong classic just three weeks earlier, was an intensely physical match with false finishes and bloodied faces, both of which bred high drama and left fans in New Jersey guessing as to who would walk away with the top prize in the company.
Whereas the first match was one of feeling out and concentrated, focused attacks, the rematch was about two guys throwing everything they had at the other. From jarring strikes to Page powering out of Danielson's signature LeBell Lock, the competitors used crowd-pleasing spots to build drama, then hit the crescendo with a backdrop driver from Page and a Buckshot Lariat that put The American Dragon down for the count.
The match would represent the peak of Page's title reign. While he would have other strong matches, none did for him what the win over Danielson did. He was very clearly the guy coming out of that match having withstood the best wrestler in the world's arsenal and emerged victoriously.
The match built on its predecessor and had fans thoroughly invested, something that is not always easy for a sequel so quickly on the heels of the original. It is a testament to the competitors that it was as good as it ultimately was and that the fans cared as much as they did.
1. Orange Cassidy vs. Will Ospreay (AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door)
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AEW's best match of 2022 did not feature Jon Moxley, Bryan Danielson, Kenny Omega or CM Punk. It was not for one of the company's top titles, nor was it the product of a serious grudge. Instead, it was a one-off as part of the dual-branded Forbidden Door pay-per-view with New Japan Pro-Wrestling, featuring the world-renowned Will Ospreay battling...Orange Cassidy.
Yes, the same Orange Cassidy routinely categorized as a "comedy wrestler" because his antics do not go hand-in-hand with wrestling as some see it. The same Cassidy who is as likely to halfheartedly give a thumbs-up or lackadaisically walk to the ring rather than angrily scream into the mic or flex for the cameras.
As it turned out, the slacker persona of Cassidy and the preconceived notions about his role as a comedy act fueled the story of the match with Ospreay and helped create an instant classic.
Ospreay entered as the overconfident heel absolutely certain he could make short work of Cassidy, whom he was insulted to even have to share the ring with. He demeaned Cassidy, slapping him around and dominating the in-ring action as he waited for something even remotely resembling competition.
Then it happened.
Cassidy lured him into a false sense of security, as he does most opponents, and unloaded an offensive onslaught that left Ospreay reeling. Tornado DDTs, Orange Punch and Beach Break nearly resulted in a massive upset as Cassidy proved he could hang with a guy recognized worldwide as one of the best wrestlers alive.
Ultimately, Ospreay shut him down and utilized Stormbreaker to pick up the win, but not before fans earned a whole other level of respect for Cassidy.
It is far from the first time Freshly Squeezed leveled up to the competition. We have seen it in matches with old foe Pac, Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho. For all of the social media-friendly antics, Cassidy can go once the bell rings, and he proved it in this one.
Are there more physical matches on the list? Sure. Are there more action-packed affairs, with higher stakes and dazzling spots? Absolutely, but this one stayed grounded, leaning into its story and waking up a Chicago fanbase that had been exhausted by the wealth of in-ring action that preceded it.
Overshadowed by headlines and controversies, not to mention higher-profile stars, this match remains the epitome of pro wrestling at its story-heavy best and was a defining performance from one of the most over guys in the industry in Cassidy.
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