Eddie Kingston, Wardlow and the Real Winners and Losers from 2022 AEW Revolution

All Elite Wrestling threw its full roster behind Revolution 2022 with 12 matches in total. Each contest had a story behind it, and the pay-per-view included some of the most talented names in the company.

The show as a whole was another rousing success for the promotion, but there will always be winners and losers coming out of it.

Eddie Kingston won the big match Chris Jericho said he couldn't by making The Influencer tap out, and Wardlow ran through a dangerous field in a ladder match to earn a TNT Championship shot.

CM Punk reached out to old-school Ring of Honor fans with a surprise entrance and a performance that made him look 20 years younger. He even bled like a much younger man before Bryan Danielson and Jon Moxley followed suit.

Britt Baker vs. Thunder Rosa was a clash between two of AEW's most dominant women, but frequent interference in an overlong contest took away from their work.

Add in some surprise debuts from William Regal and Shane "Swerve" Strickland, and it was a big show for so many that fully defined AEW's style over four hours.

The following were the real winners and losers from Sunday's event.

Winner: Eddie Kingston

Going into Sunday, the story was that Eddie Kingston could not win the big match. He had great performances against CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, Jon Moxley and others but could not get the three-count at the end.

Part of that was down to his focus. He wanted to hurt his opponents often more than he cared about winning. However, at the end of the day, wrestlers need wins, especially in AEW where title shots only come after building a record.

Victory over Chris Jericho was an important momentum shift for Kingston, who also gave his opponent arguably the best match of his AEW career. The clash was physical, intense and heavily story-driven.

The Mad King deserves to get his title run with AEW before long. This could well be the first step.

Winner: Wardlow

Wardlow walked into the Face of the Revolution ladder match with the most story to tell, but he was not the biggest star in the fight.

He had to deal with the energy of Keith Lee, the unique tactics of Orange Cassidy, the power of Powerhouse Hobbs, the careful strategy of Ricky Starks and the veteran wherewithal of Christian Cage.

In the end, though, he walked in and out of this match with complete confidence. This was a star-making performance from a man so close to breaking out. He now has a chance to add a first championship to his legacy.

Also, Wardlow finally fought back against MJF. He did not help his employer beat CM Punk and actually helped The Best in the World instead. Wardlow came out of this night with serious fan support and excitement.

Of course, there is the constant question of what MJF will do in response. The heel could force him to give that shot up or lay down for him after becoming TNT champion.

Wardlow's contract with MJF is a storyline that will be played out in the coming months.

Winners: Old-School ROH Fans

It was announced on AEW Dynamite that president Tony Khan had bought Ring of Honor with limited details on what that entailed. And many fans of the promotion are likely concerned about its future.

However, CM Punk vs. MJF was completely delivered for the old-school ROH fan. The Best in the World came out to "Miseria Cantare" by AFI, and once their dog collar match got under way, Punk brought out a series of old-school moves.

We saw the ROH Hall of Famer lock in the Anaconda Vice and pull out a Shining Wizard. He also ended up as bloodied as he did in his indie days.

This feud had already played on Punk's ROH history, but Sunday's match solidified it. This was as ROH as a hardcore match can get, and if this is the way AEW will play to the legacy of the company, at least there will be some great callback for devoted fans.

Losers: Thunder Rosa and Britt Baker

Up to the AEW Women's Championship match, AEW had not missed in Sunday's PPV.

While Thunder Rosa and Britt Baker have too much chemistry to have a bad match, repeat interference distracted from the action.

Rosa won at multiple points, but Rebel and Jamie Hayter got involved to save the champion. It felt very anti-AEW for everyone to get distracted from the action, and The Doctor looked like a paper champion after a great run.

This was a shame because so much had been put behind this rivalry. Rosa had all the build she needed to dethrone Baker and seemed to be the first woman in a long time who felt ready to defeat the titleholder.

It is still a possibility that Rosa gets a rematch and dethrones Baker. It would make sense given how much interference took away from the action.

However, it's a shame this was the only dud on a great night.

Losers: The Original Black-and-Gold NXT

Credit: WWE.com

For one last time, AEW has taken a victory over WWE NXT in the Wednesday Night Wars. After sending the original black-and-gold brand to Tuesday, WWE tore apart a well-liked brand to create a more strictly defined developmental show.

As part of that transition, Vince McMahon's company let go of many names who helped defined the original NXT in favor of facilitating a new vision. Several of those showed up at Revolution and showed out.

Keith Lee was a force in the six-man ladder match, taken out of the action just in time to make sure Wardlow could win. Adam Cole, Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish all had title matches on the card and delivered even without winning.

The former Isaiah "Swerve" Scott arrived as Shane "Swerve" Strickland to sign his AEW contract, and he was embraced immediately him with a "Swerve's House" chant.

And in the most shocking debut of the night, William Regal arrived to separate the brawling Jon Moxley and Bryan Danielson after their match.

The heart of NXT, the general manager who defined the black-and-gold era, was standing in an AEW ring.

Winners: Fans of Blood in Wrestling

AEW has never been afraid to get violent and bloody.

While many have grown accustomed to the WWE style of avoiding any form of the red stuff as possible, this alternative has fully embraced a style from an older time.

WWE sent an official statement to the Toronto Sun in response to the bloody war between Tay Conti and Anna Jay vs. Penelope Ford and The Bunny on the December 31 edition of AEW Rampage.

It was meant to serve as a rallying cry against its rival's bloody focus, but it was instead proof that there is a distinct difference between these companies: AEW is not interested in pure family entertainment.

CM Punk and MJF bled buckets in their brutal dog collar match. Bryan Danielson and Jon Moxley made sure they ended their match with matching crimson masks. "Hangman" Adam Page left with a clean face for once, which was a surprise as he has often bled in the ring to stay AEW world champion.

This is the AEW way. Those who love it got  what they wanted; those who hate it likely won't be able to get on board with the alternative product.