The year 2022 was quite an eventual one for AEW Dynamite, to say the least. From the show getting a new home on TBS to CM Punk and MJF coming face-to-face for the first time, AEW Dynamite in 2022 delivered a lot of iconic moments for the wrestling business in general and fans in particular.
When it came to in-ring action, AEW Dynamite churned out plenty of match-of-the-year contenders – with the likes of Bryan Danielson, “Hangman” Adam Page, FTR, and The Young Bucks dominating the singles and tag team divisions. While it’s hard to list down every single one of the great Dynamite matches of 2022 (trust me, there are many), I’ve decided to pick five of the best matches AEW ‘s flagship show delivered in the past year.
So without further ado, let’s take a look at the five best AEW Dynamite matches of 2022.
Jamie Hayter vs. Hikaru Shida (December 21, 2022)
There’s no denying that Jamie Hayter and Hikaru Shida are two of the most explosive wrestlers on the AEW roster. The explosivity was very much evident when the then-AEW Women’s World Champion Hayter collided with then-former champion Shida in the main event of another AEW Dynamite special, titled Holiday Bash.
This was a hard-hitting main event, with the two women, who are very much noted for their stiff wrestling style, pulling off some incredible moves to try to keep each other at arm’s length. In the end, Hayter came out the victor despite a solid effort from the Joshi star.
At the time of the writing, Hikaru Shida has embarked on her third reign as the AEW Women’s World Champion. Hayter, meanwhile, is recovering from a shoulder injury.
Cody Rhodes vs. Sammy Guevara (AEW Dynamite – January 26, 2022)
Cody Rhodes and Sammy Guevara were the opening match of the first-ever Dynamite on TNT in October 2019. Ironically enough, the Spanish God would be the American Nightmare’s final opponent in AEW nearly three years later.
The pair met in a ladder match for the unified TNT and interim TNT championships on the Beach Break special episode of Dynamite in January 2022. This was a thrilling contest with plenty of high-risk spots, including a springboard cutter from Guevara that saw him and Rhodes come crashing 15 feet down from the ladder.
The wild bout turned out to be one of the best matches of the year and was seen as a fitting goodbye to Cody Rhodes’ run in AEW.
FTR vs. The Young Bucks (AEW Dynamite – April 6, 2022)
After giving fans five-star matches during the pandemic era, FTR and The Young Bucks delivered yet another match-of-the-year contender on the April 6, 2022, episode of AEW Dynamite. The two teams met for the ROH and AAA World Tag Team Championships.
This was an exceptional bout between two of arguably the best tag teams in the world. Matt and Nick Jackson shined with aerial offensive. Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler brought their old-school, hard-hitting style in front of a loud New Orleans crowd.
CM Punk vs. MJF (February 2, 2022)
CM Punk and MJF had two singles matches in AEW and both were brilliant. Their first meeting, which is the very subject of the aforementioned headline, came on the February 2, 2022, episode of AEW Dynamite.
Punk walked into the ring in his hometown of Chicago. The Second City Saint quickly went for the punishment on MJF. The psychology and storytelling were on point as MJF tried to evade a massive beatdown at the hands of Punk.
The crowd was stunned when they watched their hometown hero lose to the cocky MJF, who cheated his way to victory. However, MJF’s antics were discovered and the match was restarted, only for the Devil to win again via nefarious means.
Bryan Danielson vs. Hangman Page (January 5, 2022)
The era of AEW Dynamite on TBS kicked off with a banger of a match between Bryan Danielson and Hangman Page. The pair had previously delivered a five-star, 60-minute classic at AEW Dynamite: Winter is Coming TV special.
Danielson’s calculated, hard-hitting style meshed well with Page’s destructive offense. In the end, the Hangman finally managed to defeat his nemesis and retain the AEW World Championship after nearly 30 minutes of action.
Also read: Bryan Danielson’s 5 Best AEW Feuds
