2022 was quite the year for wrestling, and looking at WWE specifically, the Sports Entertainment giant had a number of standout performers. With the likes of Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, and Gunther all having great overall years under the main roster banner, there were plenty of highlights.

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Though the first half of 2022 would be much of a mixed bag for WWE, the second half of the year delivered with a bang. Thanks to numerous new roster additions and a sense of rejuvenated creativity thanks to Triple H, the company would see a shift in quality starting in the summer. Looking back over the past 12 months, these are the 10 best men's wrestlers from WWE in 2022!

10 Cody Rhodes

cody-rhodes-entrance

After Cody Rhodes would fail to turn heel in AEW, much of the fanbase would turn against him. Though details were never shared as to why he departed the company, The American Nightmare would leave and enter free agency in early 2022. Rumors would swirl for some time that he was on his way back to WWE, with some believing he would eventually return to AEW.

At WrestleMania 38, Cody would make the grandest return possible, as he would face off against Seth Rollins in a special singles match during The Showcase of the Immortals. The two men would face off in a trio of matches, each delivering to great effect, with their final match seeing Rhodes wrestle a full Hell In A Cell match while internally bleeding.

9 Finn Balor

Finn Balor The Judgment Day Cropped

After years of wandering up and down the midcard, even returning to NXT for a period, 2022 would see Finn Balor find a renewed purpose as a part of Monday Night Raw. Originally teaming alongside AJ Styles and Liv Morgan as a babyface, Balor would eventually steal the Judgement Day faction from underneath Edge, turning heel and aligning with Rhea Ripley and Damian Priest.

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As the leader of the group, Balor has been a treat to watch work as a heel. Under his leadership, the heel faction has thrived on Raw, with them even making Dominik Mysterio feel entertaining in a new heel role alongside Rhea. As the company heads into 2023, fans can only hope that Balor picks up some championship gold.

8 AJ Styles

aj styles on the mic

While 2022 would not be a career-defining year for AJ Styles, it would see the fan-favorite superstar wrestle regularly, and constantly deliver in nearly all of his outings. Now firmly established as one of the upper midcard stars on Monday Night Raw, Styles would do quite a bit throughout the year, feuding with Grayson Waller in NXT 2.0, feuding with Edge during WrestleMania Season, taking on The Miz, and feuding with The Judgement Day.

In the later portion of 2022, Styles would get the chance to reunite his old faction within WWE, as Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows would return to the promotion, with The O.C. reforming. The group would also add a female member, as another returning star would come into the faction, that being Mia Yim. Together, the unit would continue Styles' long-term program with Finn Balor's Judgement Day in the midcard.

7 Bobby Lashley

bobby lashley's image

Some fans may have already forgotten that Bobby Lashley's 2022 started off with a huge championship win, as he would defeat Brock Lesnar at the 2022 Royal Rumble to become WWE Champion. That did indeed happen, though he would lose the belt shortly after at Elimination Chamber. Despite that hurdle and a horrible match against Omos at WrestleMania, Lashley would remain more over than ever with the WWE Universe in 2022.

At Money in the Bank, Lashley would defeat Austin Theory to win his third reign with the United States Championship. Following the title win, Lashley would go on quite a strong run on Raw, regularly defending his championship against Theory, Ciampa, AJ Styles, and The Miz, before falling to Seth Rollins.

6 Kevin Owens

Steve Austin Vs Kevin Owens WrestleMania 38

With rumors swirling in late 2021 about him eyeing AEW, Kevin Owens would opt to re-sign with WWE in 2022, which in turn would lead to Kevin Owens getting to not only headline WrestleMania 38 but also wrestle the biggest match of his career. Facing off against the returning Stone Cold Steve Austin, Owens would be in one of the main events for the biggest WWE show of the year, delivering to great effect.

Though the rest of his 2022 was not up to the level of his WrestleMania battle, Owens still managed to deliver strong matches when asked to and remained over with the WWE Universe throughout the year.

5 Sami Zayn

sami zayn pinning aj styles
via WWE

Similar to Kevin Owens, there was a period in 2021 when many fans thought Sami Zayn would end up leaving WWE in order to join AEW. That would not be the case, and it would certainly be for the best, as Zayn would have his best year within WWE since his time in NXT. Becoming a standout comedic star in 2022, Zayn would rise up the ranks of the singles division throughout the year.

Later, he would become associated with The Bloodline, constantly delivering some of the funniest segments of the year in any company. During this time, Zayn would become an "Honorary Uce" and would also get to shine in the ring, leading to many great matches.

4 Sheamus

Sheamus Vs Gunther Clash At The Castle

Despite being a member of the WWE roster for over a decade, Sheamus would have a career resurgence in 2022. Delivering banger after banger after banger, The Celtic Warrior would be a standout star on Friday nights, as one of the true stars of WWE SmackDown.

Regularly delivering aggressive, hard-hitting matches, Sheamus was arguably one of the most captivating wrestlers to watch this past year. A huge marquee match at Clash at the Castle would see the superstar challenge Gunther for the Intercontinental Championship in one of the best matches of Sheamus' career, and one of the best bouts of 2022.

3 Gunther

GUNTHER

After thrilling fans on the independent scene, in NXT, and in NXT UK, the wrestler formerly known as WALTER would make his full-time main roster debut in 2022, wrestling under the name of Gunther. 2022 would prove to be a career-defining year for the man, as he would slim down to great shape while also performing at one of the highest levels of any wrestler in WWE.

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Capturing the Intercontinental Championship, Gunther would become a genuine draw for many fans, with all of his TV matches being must-watch. An incredible feud with Sheamus and The Brawling Brutes would also help him break out on the big stage, with him being one of the best WWE wrestlers of the year.

2 Roman Reigns

roman reigns and the usos
via WWE

While some fans may have been growing weary of the never-ending Roman Reigns title reign, 2022 would see The Tribal Chief become somewhat rejuvenated. Though many would roll their eyes at his matches with Brock Lesnar, the two would deliver big time at SummerSlam with one of the most insane WWE matches in some time. Reigns would also be bolstered by two new faces joining The Bloodline; Solo Sikoa and Sami Zayn.

With new faction members to bounce off of, Reigns felt a sense of newfound purpose in 2022, with a long-term storyline now set in place with him and Zayn. Reigns still may not be everyone's cup of tea, but for most WWE fans, he was an undeniable sensation throughout 2022.

1 Seth Rollins

Seth Rollins United States Champion

While 2022 may not have been Seth Rollins' greatest year in WWE in terms of actual accomplishments, his matches would help define the company over the course of the year. Kicking things off, Rollins would be in two World Championship matches, first at Day 1 and then again at the Royal Rumble. He would fail to win gold in either match, but would still be featured in them.

At WrestleMania 38, Rollins would deliver a Match of the Year contender for many fans, as he would face off against the returning Cody Rhodes. The two men would then become inseparable, as they would deliver three spectacular matches against each other, capping off with their now infamous Hell in a Cell match. Rollins would eventually capture the United States Championship later in the year, having a great PPV Triple Threat with Bobby Lashley and Austin Theory at Survivor Series to cap off a stellar year for Seth Freakin' Rollins.