Predicting Biggest WWE and AEW Headlines of 2022

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After one of the wildest years in professional wrestling history, it’s time to look forward to what fans should expect from WWE and AEW in the new year.

From Thunder Rosa and Drew McIntyre defeating two of the most devastating heel champions in the business, to Dynamite finally getting over the TV ratings hump and beating Raw, the next year could see seismic shifts within the industry.

Here are the biggest WWE and AEW headlines possible for 2022.

Thunder Rosa Dethrones Britt Baker

One of the biggest stars in wrestling since the inception of AEW has been women’s champion Britt Baker. While she remains universally loved by the fanbase, she is playing a dastardly heel who needs to be dethroned.

After such a long title reign, the woman who eventually defeats her and takes the belt will be cemented as a top star. There are many female stars on the roster who deserve the honor, but none more so than Thunder Rosa.

On her own, Thunder Rosa has turned herself into one of the most popular athletes on the AEW roster and one of the biggest female stars in the sport. With elite in-ring work, a unique style and a magnetic personality, she could be the face that leads the division in 2022 and beyond.

Add in the fact that Thunder Rosa and Baker already have the best women’s match in AEW history on their resumes against each other—the lights out bout was unforgettable—and fans will be all-in on the feud when it’s rekindled.

Drew McIntyre Beats Roman Reigns

Roman Reigns has been booked stronger than anyone in recent WWE history, dominating SmackDown and holding the Universal Championship for almost 500 days. When the champion does lose the title, it will make wrestling headlines for weeks.

WWE has done a poor job of building new stars or cementing current performers as Superstars, but Reigns’ run at the top of the card has set the stage for someone special to beat him and become the triumphant face the company needs.

When it comes to heroes, Drew McIntyre should be the man to beat Reigns at WrestleMania.

McIntyre carried the company through the pandemic and even beat Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship with no fans in attendance. The popular face should finally receive the proper coronation when he finally dethrones the Head of the Table.

With a win, McIntyre would become one o the biggest stars in wrestling again.

Dynamite Tops Raw in Ratings

The battle between AEW and WWE continues to heat up, but the biggest possible news coming out of 2022 would be Dynamite beating Raw in television ratings.

AEW is the new show on the block, existing as a company for a fraction of time as the WWE stalwart. Dynamite is scheduled to make a move from TNT to TBS on January 5, 2022, creating the opportunity for a legitimate TV ratings battle.

With Raw earning an average of 1.553 million viewers on the USA Network on Monday—the fourth-lowest audience in the show’s history—and Dynamite’s Winter is Coming special earning 948,000 viewers—an eight percent increase from the previous week—the stage is set for a showdown in 2022.

If Raw continues to be booked poorly just as it has for the last several years, the combination of elite talent and fan-friendly action on Dynamite will help it surpass the WWE flagship and earn the fledgling company its biggest victory to date.

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