WWE WrestleMania 2022 Results: Ranking the Biggest Surprises of 2-Day PPV

WWE's WrestleMania is an event as defined by its surprises as its classic matches, and this year's event provided plenty of them.

From Cody Rhodes' return to the company that gave him his first exposure in professional wrestling to impromptu matches from Steve Austin and Vince McMahon, the event provided audiences with unforgettable moments that left even the most knowledgeable fans shocked.

Where do those surprises rank among the rest from the 2022 edition of the annual Showcase of the Immortals?

Find out with this recap of the two-night extravaganza.

6. Logan Paul Excels and The Miz Betrays Him

No one really knew what to expect from Logan Paul when he teamed with The Miz to face Rey and Dominik Mysterio on Saturday. He had appeared on WWE television before but never looked as comfortable on the mic or in front of the crowd as you would have expected.

Once the bell rang, that changed.

Paul was confident, cocky even, as he mocked the legendary Eddie Guerrero and soaked in the incredible heel heat that resulted. His showed up to his first wrestling match and looked like a pro doing so, highlighting his athleticism and never really looking out of place around two future Hall of Famers.

He was a fantastic celebrity addition, a theme throughout the production, and appeared to be someone WWE should absolutely invite back when the time and story call for it.

That time may be relatively soon, too, after Miz inexplicably dropped him with a Skull-Crushing Finale moments after their victory in another surprise. Can the WWE Universe handle a feud between two egomaniacs the caliber of Miz and Paul?

We might find out sooner rather than later.

5. Charlotte Flair Retains

Everyone and their mothers expected Ronda Rousey to roll into WrestleMania and pay off her Royal Rumble victory by defeating Charlotte Flair for the SmackDown Women's Championship.

That did not happen.

Flair, capitalizing on the distraction that a referee bump caused, rocked Rousey with a big boot and narrowly escaped Dallas with her title still intact.

Some were quick to judge WWE for putting The Queen over again in what feels like a never-ending string of matches she has no business winning but still does. In reality, their match served as the end of chapter one of their rivalry rather than the conclusion of the book as a whole.

There will be more matches, Rousey will inevitably win the title, but Saturday night belonged to Flair in an outcome few saw coming.

4. The 'Jackass' Cast Helps Johnny Knoxville to Victory

The moment the match between Johnny Knoxville and Sami Zayn became Anything Goes, fans should have expected the former's Jackass castmates would pop up in some form or fashion. Even if the expectation was there, the arrival of Chris Pontius and Wee-Man still made for great spots that popped the crowd and kept them invested in the wild, chaotic encounter.

Wee-Man slamming Zayn, in particular, was a great moment and highlighted how giving a performer the latter is. His beatdown of Pontius conveyed the frustration he had over the entire ordeal and the viciousness that was overtaking him.

The match had no right being as fun, entertaining and surprisingly good as it was. Much of that can be attributed to the surprise cameos, as well as Zayn's ability to piece everything together so that the match was as good as it possibly could be.

Knoxville entered the discussion for best celebrity appearance in WrestleMania history, and the crowd went home happy.

3. Mr. McMahon Wrestles?!

Most expected Mr. McMahon to play a role in the showdown between Pat McAfee and Austin Theory, seeing as how he set it up and was a key player in the build to the bout. No one expected him to rip off his suit and actually compete in a match against the former NFL punter.

Following McAfee's upset victory over Theory, McMahon confronted the media star and proceeded to wrestle the worst possible match against him. A series of clotheslines, a sneak attack by Theory and football to the ribs gave the Chairman of the Board the victory before "Stone Cold" Steve Austin arrived, raised hell and left McMahon in a heap following the most ridiculously botched Stunner in history.

It was McMahon's first WrestleMania match since 2010, when he lost to Bret "Hitman" Hart.

The unpredictability of the ordeal stuck a chord with fans who like when things are not totally transparent. For others, it was viewed as the surest way to cool down a star who was just heated up a moment earlier by way of a signature win.

Whatever side of the argument one falls on, there is no denying that McMahon's unadvertised in-ring appearance was a surprise to the WWE Universe.

2. 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin's First Match in 19 Years

When it was announced that Steve Austin's WrestleMania return was slated for the KO Show, most assumed he would get physical with Kevin Owens. Maybe even more than he had been since 2003. What no one could have expected was an actual 14-minute, No Holds Barred match that would test his body and serve as a proper main event to night one.

That it was a good match, in which Austin took several big bumps, including one on the unprotected floor of AT&T Stadium, made the surprise even greater.

Austin's return for one last match, against a star who idolized him growing up, is the stuff of WrestleMania legend and the sort of thing the event has become synonymous with.

A pleasant surprise that brought Austin full-circle, back to the city in which he had his first match, it would have ranked No. 1 any other year.

1. Cody Rhodes Returns

The worst-kept surprise was the best of the entire WrestleMania event.

Cody Rhodes made his long-anticipated return to WWE Saturday and the fans in Dallas with an ovation rivaled only by Austin's. The American Nightmare stepped out onto the grandest stage he has ever performed on and basked in the adulation of an audience that was pretty sure he would be there but was still utterly shocked when he finally emerged from underneath the stage.

Rhodes' return and victory over Seth Rollins was the sort of WrestleMania moment WWE Superstars live for. It was an epic occurrence, and the fans treated it like one. It marked the first major AEW defection to WWE and the homecoming of a star with plenty left to prove in Vince McMahon's company.

There is a reason it was the most buzzed about moment following Saturday's festivities, and Rhodes' first promo Monday on Raw is so hotly anticipated and much of that can be traced back to the impact his surprise return had on the WWE fans.