10 Reasons 2022 Was Wrestling's WILDEST Year Ever

As we close the book on 2022, fans, critics and observers alike have widely concluded that this past year was one of – if not the – wildest year(s) in wrestling history, and that includes living through the Monday Night Wars.

Time will help provide added perspective, but ask yourself: How many times this year did something go down and you said to yourself, “Well, that was the craziest thing that’s happened all year”? It was a theme that repeated itself almost monthly in a strange game of “Can you top this?” that no one could ever imagine.

Simply put, it’s not hyperbole to call 2022 the wildest year in wrestling history. Time very easily could bear it out, and as you go through this list, you can feel the craziness building.

Even when it seemed like we hit this seismic crescendo in the middle of summer, 2022 wasn’t quite finished with its insanity, providing a few more jolts on the way out. We’ve seen wrestlers suspended and released, others welcomed back with open arms, and still others who took their ball and went home. We saw industry giants toppled, icons return to the ring and the line between work and shoot further blurred.

You’ll be forgiven if some of these incidents escaped your memory, or if you thought they happened 2-3 years ago, because that’s just how this year has felt. There are way more than 10 wildly insane stories, so let’s dive in with some of the just-missed-the-cut items.

Let’s get to it…

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.