2022 was a great year for professional wrestling. WWE saw some major changes internally, as Vince McMahon stepped down as the chairman of the company after forty years, and Triple H took charge of creative. On the other hand, AEW continued to grow this year, while signing some noteworthy talents in professional wrestling.
Wrestling returns happen all the time, and this year wasn't an exception. A few legendary names returned to the squared circle after a while, whether from injuries or breaks. At the same, some returns took place for big events or pay-per-views to put more eyeballs on the product.
10 Goldberg
Goldberg wrestled in a dream match earlier this year. He faced the Universal Champion Roman Reigns at Elimination Chamber. It was the only wrestling match featuring Goldberg this year.
Even though the dream match between Goldberg and Roman Reigns was supposed to take place at WrestleMania 36, it didn't happen due to the pandemic. Like conventional Goldberg matches, the Elimination Chamber match was short yet intense, but the Tribal Chief proved too much for the WCW legend.
9 Saraya
Paige, the former Divas Champion in WWE, had an outstanding career there, but her time was cut short by an unexpected neck injury. Although Paige had non-wrestling roles in WWE, she wrestled for the last time in 2017. WWE released her in June this year, allowing AEW to sign a big name like her.
Under her real name Saraya, she made her AEW debut and return to the ring in September, just three months after the WWE departure. It was certainly one of the greatest returns of the year, considering how the crowd applauded her. Saraya also made her in-ring return by beating Britt Baker at Full Gear.
8 Karrion Kross
Karrion Kross, a two-time NXT Champion, had a forgettable run when he made his main roster debut. His character was altered, and he lost his debut match as well. Then Kross and Scarlett were released from their contracts last year.
However, he made a shocking return back in August this year. Arriving on SmackDown, Karrion attacked Drew McIntyre to start a feud with him. The return was kept secret and arguably among the best returns of the year.
7 Braun Strowman
Braun Strowman was one of WWE's top stars in his first main roster run. As a matter of fact, he also won the Universal Championship in his first run. But WWE surprisingly let him go in 2021, even though he was at the top of the ladder of his career.
Following his departure, Strowman opened his own wrestling promotion called Control Your Narrative. However, the company brought him back in September, which was a great move by Hunter.
6 Becky Lynch
Becky Lynch had an incredible, as she was not only in the championship picture consistently but also went through a character transformation. With a new haircut and look, Lynch did well as a heel. However, Lynch got a shoulder injury at SummerSlam while fighting Bianca Belair.
After a gap of three months, Becky Lynch returned as a babyface on SmackDown. It wasn't just an ordinary return because she was the surprise fifth member of Team Bianca Belair at Survivor Series: WarGames. Needless to say, Lynch's addition was a big boost to Team Bianca, resulting in a victory at the big event.
5 Bayley
Last year, Bayley tore her ACL. It was a major injury that halted her incredible run as a heel. After being away for a year, Bayley finally returned to SummerSlam. However, she didn't arrive alone at the Biggest Party of the Summer. The Role Model brought Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky, thus forming Damage CTRL.
Returning to the second biggest pay-per-view of the year made Bayley's return one of the best returns of the year. In addition, the formation of Damage CTRL gave a new direction to her heel character right after the return.
4 Bray Wyatt
Bray Wyatt's character 'The Fiend' was probably one of the most creative characters in the past decade. With the popularity of the masked monster, Bray Wyatt had record-breaking merchandise sales. Also, he was in the main event scene a majority of the time, winning the Universal Championship twice. Despite such popularity of the character, WWE shocked the fans by releasing him last year, which also drew a lot of criticism.
In September this year, there were hints of Bray Wyatt's return, and he finally made his comeback at Extreme Rules, getting a huge pop. Now, Wyatt is one of the best parts of the roster, even though he is not playing The Fiend character anymore.
3 Lita
Lita retired as a full-time wrestler ago but she does make sporadic appearances. The former Women's Champion made a big return earlier this year, making it one of the memorable returns of the year.
First, she competed at the Women's Royal Rumble match and then decided to give fans a dream match against Becky Lynch. The two women had an outstanding bout at Elimination Chamber, but the WWE Hall of Famer was on the losing side.
2 Cody Rhodes
Without a shadow of a doubt, Cody Rhodes' big return at WrestleMania 38 was one of the grandest returns in recent years, not just this year. The American Nightmare had an amazing run in AEW, and he established himself as a bigger star to finally return to WWE.
Even though there were rumors, Rhodes eventually turned out to be the actual mystery opponent of Seth Rollins at the Show of Shows. As soon as his music hit, Rhodes received a loud pop.
1 Stone Cold Steve Austin
Stone Cold Steve Austin retired in 2003 following his career-ending neck injury. While he made guest appearances after retirement, he never wrestled in a match until this year.
The legendary Superstar wrestled Kevin Owens on Night One of WrestleMania 38, which was an incredible match. Stone Cold's come back to the ring was the best return of the year.