There are many WWE matches that fans are looking forward to in 2022 as a new year approaches and the build towards Royal Rumble and WrestleMania 38 begins. It looks like The Rock v Roman Reigns may be off the cards for this year, but there are still a lot of fresh pairings or long-dormant rivalries that should sustain interest through the year.
Certain tag teams may even benefit from being broken up to create a fresh dynamic or elevate everyone as a result of a captivating storyline, renewing fan interest as a result of their rivalries. Fans may even see the odd return of a familiar face sometime down the line. The WWE Universe will just have to wait and see what the next 12 months have in store.
10 Roman Reigns v Seth Rollins
These two go way back to their emergence with The Shield on the main roster, but they have not faced off since October 2019, back when both were completely different characters. So this would be totally fresh after a three-year break. Roman has The Bloodline and his Tribal Chief moniker and Seth has reinvented himself once again.
Besides both wrestlers being on opposing brands, the only thing restricting this matchup is the heel v heel dynamic. Rollins is an extremely gifted mat technician with excellent mic skills. Couple this with Roman transforming himself and adding new credibility plus greater dimension to his work, in and out of the ring, and this match would get fans excited irrespective of how the WWE chooses to play it out.
9 Edge v AJ Styles
Edge has a whole host of new opponents he could face off against and proved in his Rollins feud that he still can go. Fans were disappointed when it was The Miz that confronted him on Raw recently, as they were hoping he would face somebody the likes of AJ Styles. The Phenomenal One is still involved in tag team wrestling with Omos as of this writing, so this one dream match may have to wait until next year, making this a clash fit for WrestleMania 38.
AJ Styles is still a supremely gifted wrestler and if Edge truly wants to face off against one of the greats of the generation then this is definitely a match that should happen in 2022. The face heel dynamic writes itself, and if Omos is still in Styles' corner, Edge will have to find some serious backup.
8 Trish Status v Sasha Banks
Recently, there's been news that Trish Status is coming back for a WWE live event and there's also the possibility of a one-off return to the ring again since facing Charlotte at SummerSlam in 2019. When it comes to a Stratus return match, there would be nobody better opponent than Banks (Lynch might have something to say about that) after their interaction at the 2018 Royal Rumble.
Stratus could face off against The Boss in 2022. There was definitely a spark between the two at the 2018 Royal Rumble after Stratus mocked Banks’ mannerisms and was thrown over the top rope. Each could play off their characters and it truly would be a battle that fans would get a kick out of and an adversary Banks has never faced or beaten.
7 John Cena v Drew McIntyre
There has not been much interaction between these stars over the years, so it is totally fresh and would be an excellent way to further push McIntyre to a higher level before facing Lesnar or Roman down the line. Having Drew defeat Cena would result in a good story by showing that the Scotsman has gone through the WWE's talisman and now he wants the Universal Title.
Cena has a very limited schedule when it comes to wrestling because his Hollywood career taking off, so his returns need to be meaningful. McIntyre would be elevated by winning a feud of this stature, so it makes sense for this to happen soon and transfer Cena's babyface status onto his heir apparent.
6 Lesnar v Lashley
One of the top matches that all fans want to see has been rumored for years now. Hopefully, fans will get to see it before Bobby Lashley or Brock Lesnar retire. They have both been in and out of the company for about two decades and are not getting any younger so it’s "now or never". Both are skilled technicians with an aura, especially as Lashley has now been built up to World Title status finally.
Somewhere like WrestleMania or SummerSlam would be a fitting setting for this showdown to go down. Let’s just hope some internal politics or outside elements do not deprive fans of this spectacle. It would be a great story and challenge for Lesnar at this stage of his career to go toe to toe with a worthy opponent in former MMA, amateur wrestler, and army sergeant in Lashley. So what is the WWE waiting for?
5 Randy Orton v Matt Riddle
It is inevitable and one of the rules of tag team wrestling that the team splits eventually and must settle their differences. If Randy turns on Riddle or vice versa in a moment equalling the Barber Shop betrayal of Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty, we could be in for something very special. It could also be the making of Riddle.
Both play off each other well personality-wise, and fans have grown to appreciate the duo, with Randy being the straight man and Riddle the comedy foil. So it could be an "RKO out of nowhere" or Riddle eventually snapping and turning heel. This one will hopefully go down in 2022 at some point.
4 Bianca Belair v Asuka
Bianca has burst onto the scene in 2021 and had a very successful year, but she has taken a little bit of a backseat to Becky and Charlotte these last few months. The EST of WWE should climb back up the ladder of the division by facing former women's champion and gifted wrestler Asuka in 2022.
This would be a fresh pairing and a new feud for the division and a great place on the card for Belair as she bides her time for a new championship opportunity. This feud would also hopefully revitalize Asuka as well. This could be a pivotal rivalry for both the seasoned veteran and the young upstart, creating something fans might get behind as a break from Becky and Charlotte.
3 Big E v Kofi v Woods
It is finally time for the implosion of The New Day after being together for over seven years now. Every member is well placed to have individual careers and go their separate ways at last after Xavier Woods' coronation as King of the Ring.
A storyline could easily revolve around Woods' pursuit of one of the top titles and Big E might be holding it at the time, with Kofi wanting a taste of the world title again. It would definitely be a new dynamic for the trio to faceoff and for fans in choosing sides. This move might risk their merchandise sales, but nothing lasts forever.
2 Roman v Sheamus
With Rock v Roman looking to be set on pause for now at least, Sheamus is likely being positioned to face Roman at some point in the near future as he is one of the most decorated wrestlers on the SmackDown side. With Reigns steamrolling over the majority of the roster, he is running out of credible new challengers.
The Irishman is a big imposing guy that can hang in the ring, making a clash with Reigns a no-brainer that fans would love to see irrespective of Sheamus' heel status at present. Fans might see Roman and Paul Heyman in an Irish bar-room brawl soon, Fitting the match in at the Royal Rumble or in the build-up to WrestleMania 38 would work best.
1 Becky Lynch v Ronda Rousey
If Lynch was to get her "just deserts" for her WrestleMania 35 double title win, then "Rowdy" Ronda Rousey is the perfect opponent. Rousey should return to play the face to the "Big Time Becks" heel character that has grown too big for her boots. This contest could even play off the disputed finish and is a great way to reintroduce Rousey.
Lynch would really play the heel in a build best suited towards one of the really big PPVs. The storyline writes itself after Becky has nearly gone through the entire division with only new, less experienced names like Liv Morgan, Rhea Ripley, Queen Zelina, and Doudrop next for Lynch on Raw. Or perhaps a rematch with Alexa Bliss is in order for The Man in the new year. However, it would be fitting if everything went full circle in 2022 with Lynch going up against Rousey.