10 Reasons 2022 Was Wrestling's WILDEST Year Ever

11. Just Missed The Cut

This is our catch-all for the wild, wacky stories that didn’t quite make the cut. In a more “normal” year, these items could have easily dominated a top 10 list Instead, they are consigned to the also-ran list.

Ring of Honor Rebirth – Tony Khan bout the defunct promotion and brought it back to life on AEW television, defending Ring of Honor titles on their programming and holding several ROH-specific PPVs Having two simultaneously existing wrestling promotions under one banner was a strange situation, but it looks like the two brands will finally separate a bit in 2023.

Nash Carter Hitler Pic – Just days after a months-long angle culminated in MSK regaining the NXT Tag Team Championship, Nash Carter’s ex-wife Kimber Lee accused him of assaulting her and posted a photo of Carter with a Hitler-esque mustache performing a Nazi salute. Nash was released and MSK were stripped of the tag titles. Wes Lee rebounded to win the North American Championship before year’s end.

Big E Breaks His Neck – Former WWE World Champion Big E broke his neck just weeks before WrestleMania 38 on an errant suplex from Ridge Holland in one of the more horrific wrestling injuries of the year. It isn’t clear if or when E will be able to wrestle again.

Bray Wyatt Returns – Almost immediately after he was released in 2021, fans have clamored for Bray Wyatt’s return to wrestling, with rumors dominating social media and wrestling news sites for the better part of a year. That ended in October when Wyatt returned to WWE at Extreme Rules.

Logan Paul Joins WWE – Celebrity wrestlers at WrestleMania isn’t a new concept, but social media influencer Logan Paul made waves this summer when he announced he had signed a contract with WWE, which will keep him performing with the company more often and be a more regular presence. He repaid them with two very well-received matches at SummerSlam and Crown Jewel against Miz and Roman Reigns, respectively.

Jeff Hardy DUI – Jeff Hardy’s substance abuse woes continued in 2022. Hardy walked out of WWE in late 2021, showed up in AEW in March, and was on the shelf by June when he was arrested for DUI again.

Mustafa Ali Requests His Release – Wrestlers wanting out of their contract is nothing new, but Mustafa Ali publicly requesting his WWE release via Twitter – which was denied – was unique. Ali spent three months strongly pushing to be let go, only to return and spend the last several months getting sporadic TV time as a jobber-to-the-stars.