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With the first half of 2022 almost done and dusted, now is a decent point to look back at WWE's year so far.
WWE delivered a host of solid premium live events in 2022. Some may have been disappointing, but they were largely down to poor booking.
From underwhelming stadium shows to surprisingly good B-level cards, this year has certainly been interesting for the company. Let's look at all six WWE premium live events so far in 2022, grade them, and rank them from worst to best.
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#6 WWE Royal Rumble
The Royal Rumble is usually among WWE's best shows of the year, but quite the opposite happened in 2022. This is down to the predictability of both Rumble matches, particularly the men's one.
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Brock Lesnar won a lousy affair, which lacked star power and a proper story throughout its length. Even Kofi Kingston's escape spot was blown. Among the few bright spots were Johnny Knoxville's involvement and Drew McIntyre making a surprise return.
However, once The Beast Incarnate's music hit at #30, the outcome was a foregone conclusion. In fact, it was a foregone conclusion when Roman Reigns smashed him with the WWE Championship belt, costing him the title against Bobby Lashley earlier that night.
Ronda Rousey's victory in the 30-woman Royal Rumble Match suffered a similar fate. We did witness some returns along the way, including Mickie James. The former IMPACT Knockouts Champion created quite the buzz upon her arrival.
Elsewhere, Reigns retained his Universal Championship against Seth Rollins but lost by disqualification. The Visionary played mind games with The Tribal Chief, wearing his Shield outfit and entering through the crowd. The match was great, one of the few positives throughout the Royal Rumble this year.
Grade: B-
#5 WWE Elimination Chamber
The main event of Elimination Chamber suffered the same fate as the Royal Rumble three weeks earlier, with Brock Lesnar coming in and destroying everybody. This time, he won the WWE Championship inside the Chamber to set up a world title unification match against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania.
Meanwhile, The Tribal Chief defended his Universal Championship in a solid match against Goldberg. His cousins, The Usos, made the trip to Saudi Arabia only to attack The Viking Raiders before their SmackDown tag title match could begin.
The main positives on the card came on the women's side, particularly from RAW. Bianca Belair won an enjoyable Elimination Chamber Match following a neat exchange with Alexa Bliss. The EST of WWE earned a shot at Becky Lynch, who defeated Lita in a great match.
Had the final stretch of the WWE Title main event not been an utter Brock Lesnar annihilation, this show would have been more fondly remembered. To be fair, his F5 on Theory from the top of the pod was an epic way to finish, but all in all, it was still an underwhelming premium live event.
Grade: B
#4 WWE Day 1
WWE decided to experiment with a New Year's Day premium live event at the start of 2022, which saw the first-ever edition of Day 1. The show was initially supposed to feature Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar.
However, The Tribal Chief tested positive for COVID-19, which forced the company into a radical change at the last minute. The Beast Incarnate was inserted into the WWE Championship fatal four-way between Big E, Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, and Bobby Lashley.
This was the first domino that led to Reigns holding two belts, as Lesnar won an enjoyable car crash of a main event. The undercard saw Liv Morgan come close to winning the RAW Women's Championship from Becky Lynch, while The Usos won a typically great match against The New Day.
Every match at Day 1 was at least solid, which is always a good sign. However, it did lack other significant happenings, as would be expected after a blow so soon to showtime.
Grade: B+
#3 WWE WrestleMania Backlash
The first premium live event after WrestleMania 38 featured several rematches from The Show of Shows. The weak build-up led to low expectations, which were ultimately greatly exceeded.
It started with the second installment of Seth Rollins and Cody Rhodes' epic trilogy. Their opener at WrestleMania Backlash was excellent, as The American Nightmare eeked out the victory. Rhea Ripley joined The Judgment Day after helping Edge defeat AJ Styles, while Omos picked up a surprising win over Bobby Lashley.
Elsewhere, Ronda Rousey won the SmackDown Women's Championship from Charlotte Flair in an 'I Quit' Match. It was much better than their 'Mania bout. However, for all the rematches, the main event of WrestleMania Backlash was fresh.
The Bloodline marched into battle against RK-Bro and Drew McIntyre in an enjoyable six-man tag team match. Roman Reigns earned his team the win, but everyone involved looked great, as the show ended on a real high.
Grade: A-
#2 WWE Hell in a Cell
Overall, the Hell in a Cell card may not have been as strong as WrestleMania Backlash. However, one match made all the difference. The epic main event between Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins, both of whom crafted the perfect battle between good and evil inside the Devil's favorite playground.
The American Nightmare tore his pectoral muscle ahead of his Hell in a Cell Match with The Visionary but managed to get through it in the most incredible way. It was a masterclass in violent storytelling, with Rhodes winning after a sledgehammer shot to Rollins.
This all-time classic would have been enough to help Hell in a Cell surpass a couple of the shows on this list. However, the undercard was quite good, with the highlight being Bianca Belair's win over Asuka and Becky Lynch as she retained the RAW Women's Championship.
Other highlights included The Judgment Day's enthralling mixed-tag victory over AJ Styles, Finn Balor, and Liv Morgan. This was one day before Edge would be kicked out of the faction. Madcap Moss and Bobby Lashley also earned big wins on the show.
Grade: A-
#1 WWE WrestleMania 38
If there were doubts over WWE's ability to pull off a two-night WrestleMania with a packed crowd, this year's edition shattered them. The grand spectacle delivered on many fronts, with great moments across both nights.
The action was also consistent throughout, particularly on Night One. Stone Cold Steve Austin's in-ring return headlined the show as he defeated Kevin Owens in a fun brawl. We also got another huge comeback, as Cody Rhodes marked his WWE return with a fantastic win over Seth Rollins.
Logan Paul enjoyed a decent in-ring debut, while the women took up the bulk of the spotlight. Bianca Belair ended her pursuit of Becky Lynch by winning the RAW Women's Championship in an epic match. Charlotte Flair's victory over Ronda Rousey wasn't as great but still serviceable.
Night One may have been the better show, but Night Two did not disappoint either. From RK-Bro's multi-team victory over The Street Profits and Alpha Academy to Triple H opening the show, a lot happened. Also, Sasha Banks and Naomi's Women's Tag Team Championship win will surely go down in infamy.
Pat McAfee's match with Austin Theory led to the best moment of WrestleMania weekend. Following a spectacular performance, the ex-NFL punter was beaten down by Vince McMahon and his protege, only for Steve Austin to come out. The Texas Rattlesnake hit stunners on Theory, McMahon, and McAfee, with all of them having their own unique flavors.
Also, the small matter of the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship was resolved in the main event. Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns put their respective world titles on the line in a unification match.
While a tad bit disappointing, the two did have a solid match that ended with The Tribal Chief having his hand raised. He posed with the two belts as the excessive pyro signaled the end of a successful WrestleMania weekend.
It will be tough for any WWE show in the second half of 2022 to top what we witnessed at the start of April.
Grade: A
