The year 2022 brought a lot of changes to WWE RAW, many of which were unprecedented to say the least. From Cody Rhodes’ shocking return to Roman Reigns taking the WWE Championship to SmackDown, WWE’s flagship show gave fans plenty of unforgettable moments.
The in-ring action greatly improved after Vince McMahon’ shockingly announced his exit from the company. Long-term storytelling became the core focus under Triple H’s leadership. The Game also brought back much-needed prestige to mid-card titles that were once noted for giving match of the year contenders.
Having said that, let’s take a look at five of the best WWE RAW matches of 2022.
Kevin Owens vs. Jey Uso (November 28, 2022)
Kevin Owens spent the closing stretch of 2022 chasing after The Bloodline and Roman Reigns. The saga between the Prizefighter and the Tribal Chief brought the former to a fight with Reigns’ right-hand man Jey Uso on WWE RAW after Survivor Series.
Owens, how had been betrayed by Sami Zayn and pinned by Jey Uso at the event, got the opportunity to exact revenge on Main Event Jey. The former WWE Universal Champion won the match with a stunner – much to the disbelief of Zayn and Solo Sikoa.
Seth Rollins vs. Austin Theory (October 31, 2022)
Seth Rollins and Austin Theory had an intense feud over the United States Championship post-summer 2022. The pair fought against each other on multiple occasions, but their best singles match came on the final WWE RAW of October.
The young Theory more than held his own against the established veteran in Rollins. The match featured plenty of near-falls and false finishes. In the end, the Monday Night Messiah countered a pedigree into a curb stomp for the win.
Edge vs. Damian Priest (August 22, 2022)
Edge and Damian Priest formed The Judgment Day on WWE RAW after WrestleMania 38. The Archer of Infamy would turn heel on the Rated R Superstar several months later by kicking him out of the faction.
Edge brought his frustrations with him as he finally confronted Priest in singles action in the former’s home country of Canada. The pair delivered an excellent match that had the Toronto crowd on their feet from bell to bell.
The bout featured plenty of call-backs to the The Judgment Day’s previous encounters with their founder. In the end, the Rated R Superstar triumphed over the Archer of Infamy with a spear.
Asuka vs. Becky Lynch (No Holds Barred Match – July 4, 2022)
A combined four decades of experience of wrestling experience was on display when Asuka and Becky Lynch went toe-to-toe on WWE RAW. The No Holds Barred Match meant there could only be one winner.
The match saw the use of chairs and tables. One particular spot featured Lynch stacking chairs onto each other. She then followed it with a fallaway slam on the Empress of Tomorrow. The highlight, however, turned out to be the Manhandle Slam through the table – securing the win for the man on WWE RAW.
RK-Bro vs. Alpha Academy vs. Seth Rollins & Kevin Owens (WWE RAW – March 7, 2022)
This was arguably the best WWE RAW match of 2022. This triple threat tag team saw the Alpha Academy put their RAW Tag Team titles on the line against RK-Bro and the team of Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens.
The bout featured plenty of high-octane action and several amazing high-flying spots. The nearly 30-minute duration meant all performers got the time to shine. The closing stretch saw Rollins hit the curb stomp on Chad Gable only for Matt Riddle to throw him out and pin the champion for the win.
Also read: Matt Riddle Comments On Previous Sexual Misconduct Allegations During #SpeakingOut
