Top 10 Best WWE Returns of 2022
2022 has been one of the craziest years in professional wrestling / sports entertainment in quite some time with many things changing inside the biggest company in the game, the WWE, as well as outside of it in other promotions. The most shocking event this year for professional wrestling fans was of course Vince McMahon's resignation as chairman of WWE, being replaced by his daughter Stephanie McMahon and Nick Khan as co-CEOs. Additionally, Paul Levesque, aka Triple H, took over as Head of creative and decided to bring back many former WWE superstars to the company. All of these changes resulted in many amazing returns to WWE so let's rank them all.
Cody Garrett Runnels Rhodes is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is currently signed to WWE. Rhodes is also known for his time in All Elite Wrestling, where he served as an executive vice president and was the inaugural AEW TNT Champion. After six years away from the company, Cody Rhodes returned at WrestleMania 38, where The American Nightmare defeated Seth Rollins. While his return was one of the worst-kept secrets in professional wrestling history, Cody Rhodes received one of the biggest ovations ever. His return was made even better by the fact that he kept the same presentation and theme song he had been using outside the company.
Since returning, he has had amazing matches, including one of the best Hell in a Cell matches of all time against Seth Rollins, in which Cody competed despite his right pectoral muscle being torn right off the bone in a gym accident days prior to the show. His return from injury will definitely be another great moment. This entry is the easy number one on this list, as just the year prior, no one would have ever thought this possible.
Windham Lawrence Rotunda was an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE under the ring name Bray Wyatt. Rotunda is a third-generation professional wrestler, following in the footsteps of his grandfather Blackjack Mulligan, his father Mike Rotunda, and two of his uncles Barry and... read more After weeks of the "white rabbit" teases on WWE's weekly shows Raw and SmackDown, Bray Wyatt made his long-awaited return at the end of Extreme Rules 2022. Wyatt was one of the many superstars who were released due to budget cuts in 2021. Ever since his last appearance at WrestleMania 37, fans have been hoping for a return, especially because of the changes WWE has gone through in 2022.
This is a great contender for the greatest return of 2022 for sure, and it is easily the greatest return from the "Triple H era."
John Anthony Nicholas Gargano (born August 14, 1987) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand as Johnny Gargano and is a former NXT Champion, NXT North American Champion and NXT Tag Team Champion. The heart and soul of NXT left WWE after his contract expired in December 2021. He returned in August 2022 on Raw to everyone's surprise and received a massive ovation. With Triple H as head of creative, Gargano certainly has a better chance at making it big in WWE compared to just a few months prior.
Since his return, he has started a feud with Austin Theory.
Adam Scherr is an American professional wrestler and former strongman. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs under the ring name Braun Strowman. In WWE, he is a one-time Universal Champion, a one-time Intercontinental Champion, and a two-time Raw Tag Team Champion. Braun Strowman made his return on Monday Night Raw on September 5, 2022, laying waste to four competitors who were having a match. Strowman was shockingly released in 2021 after having just competed in a world title match, with the reason being budget cuts. With him gone, WWE was seemingly trying to find a new giant, but without success.
Now the "Monster Among Men" is back with a new theme song, a new look, and he's ready to let his opponents get these hands once again.
Pamela Rose Martinez is an American professional wrestler. She is currently signed with WWE under the ring name Bayley, where she performs on Smackdown. She is the first ever women's Grand Slam Champion in WWE, winning the NXT Women's Championship once, RAW Women's Championship once, Smackdown Women's... read more Bayley was injured in a match in 2021, and she had to take time off to heal her torn ACL. She made her return at SummerSlam 2022 alongside Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky after the Raw Women's Championship match between the champion Bianca Belair and Becky Lynch. This return was made even better by the fact no one expected it.
Since then, Bayley, Dakota, and Iyo call themselves Damage CTRL and have been making a big impact on the women's division.
On the August 5, 2022 episode of SmackDown, Karrion Kross made his unannounced return to WWE alongside his wife Scarlett, attacking Drew McIntyre at the end of the show. Now that Triple H is in charge of WWE's creative department, it is nice to see him bring back superstars like Kross, who were used poorly under the Vince McMahon regime.
Karrion Kross is back better than ever, and the entire roster has been put on notice. Tick tock!
Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky (formerly known as Io Shirai) made their returns to WWE alongside Bayley at SummerSlam 2022 to confront Bianca Belair and Becky Lynch. Since then, they have made it big in the women's division, becoming women's tag team champions.
Dexter Lumis' return to WWE is one of the most interesting on this list, and definitely one of the most creative in quite some time. He started appearing on Raw in the crowd, looking like he wanted to jump the barricade to get in the ring, before being taken away by security guards. Eventually, Lumis succeeded, and it turns out his intention was to kidnap The Miz.
Ever since, Dexter has been stalking Miz on Raw and even in the man's home, which has provided fans with very entertaining television. This man has every fan's attention, and they are excited to see what's next.
Candice LeRae made her return on Raw unannounced and had her first match in months against Nikki A.S.H. It was the first time WWE fans got to see LeRae in a wrestling ring since last year, before she departed after becoming pregnant.
She joins her husband Johnny Gargano on Monday Night Raw, the two of them having been fan favorites in NXT.
Hit Row made their surprise return to WWE on August 12, 2022, on SmackDown. Composed of Top Dolla, Ashante "Thee" Adonis, and B-Fab, the group was released in 2021 as part of budget cuts. It felt like they never got a fair chance to show what they can do in WWE.
Now that Triple H has taken over creatively, the group has a second chance.
Steve Austin (born Steven James Anderson on December 18, 1964, later Steven James Williams), better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American actor, media personality, producer, and retired professional wrestler who is signed to a legends contract for WWE... read more Stone Cold Steve Austin made his in-ring return at WrestleMania 38 against Kevin Owens after being challenged to a No Holds Barred match. Surprisingly, he accepted the challenge, and the two had a great match, which is now Austin's last.
Scarlett returned alongside Karrion Kross on SmackDown as his valet.
Adam Joseph Copeland is a Canadian actor and professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Smackdown brand under the ring name Edge. Edge returned at SummerSlam 2022 to take revenge on the Judgment Day, the faction he created that betrayed him.
Stephanie Hym Lee is an American professional wrestler better known by the ring name Mia Yim. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand. She is also known for her time in Impact Wrestling, where she is a former Impact Knockouts Champion.
Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson made their return on October 10, 2022, on Raw to come to the aid of their friend AJ Styles against Finn Balor and the rest of the Judgment Day.
