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In the golden era, WWE Premium Live Events were so rare that every event felt like a big deal. Since the dawn of the new millennium, the aura of these events has been relegated to mainly the "big four," and since 2010, the "big five," including Money in the Bank, has become a tradition prior to the Biggest party of the Summer.
As the year 2022 is drawing to a close, we now know twelve Premium Live Events were produced for the main roster. The honest take on the matter is that since Triple H took charge mid-year, every event felt like a big deal thanks to a solid build-up and gravitas given to the characters and story.
Listed below is the ranking of the build-ups to the twelve premium live events of 2022.
#12. Elimination Chamber, February 19
WWE Elimination Chamber was one of the worst of the year. It comes second only to the Royal Rumble. But in terms of build-up, the latter was better, owing to a surprise factor of the eponymous match and the plausibility of different directions the company could go.
The event featured Bill Goldberg versus Roman Reigns in presumably the former's last match, at least for now, Lita's return match against Becky Lynch (probably the one saving grace of this event), and two titular matches. Overall, it had a lackluster build with some least interesting bouts, like Drew McIntyre versus Madcap Moss and Ronda Rousey's one-arm-tied-to-the-back tag team match, and it showed as the event was broadcast.
The main event match was built around Royal Rumble winner Brock Lesnar's quest to regain the WWE Championship he lost by nefarious means at the Rumble event, with Seth Rollins cashing in a rematch owing to a technical win against Reigns. The predictability stunk the bout, as it was all over the dirt sheets and easily seen from a mile away that Reigns and Lesnar were locked in for Mania.
#11. Money in the Bank, July 2
The last two entries on this list are interchangeable. The 2022 edition of Money in the Bank, despite being one of the "big five" Premium Live Events of the year, the show was uneventful and mostly lacking in substance.
It was evident even during the build-up, as there was not much story going in. Carmella replaced Rhea Ripley to face Bianca Belair for the RAW Women's Championship, as Ripley was not medically cleared to compete.
The women's ladder match had reasonable intrigue, but the same cannot be said for the men's. Drew McIntyre, Riddle, Omos, Madcap Moss, Sami Zayn, Seth Rollins, and Sheamus were the advertised contestants. It was not a great lineup by any stretch, and adding Theory at the last moment received backlash from fans. Nevertheless, Riddle, Zayn, and even Rollins were intriguing choices.
Elsewhere on the card, Ronda Rousey faced Natalya for the SmackDown Women's title. They have a history, but the company didn't fully utilize this in the build-up. Theory and Lashley had a match for the sake of it.
Perhaps the only saving grace for this show, despite WWE's lack of attention to the tag team division storylines, was The Usos versus Street Profits. That match was brilliant and totally worth a revisit.
#10. Day 1, January 1
WWE found themselves in a predicament for their brand new Premium Live Event on New Year's Day. The show was built predominantly around the sequel of "Cowboy" Brock Lesnar versus The Head of the Table after the events of WWE Crown Jewel in 2021.
The match was canceled when Reigns tested positive for COVID-19 on the day of the event. Despite this major blow, the company was able to come up with a plan. Lesnar was added to the already planned fatal-four-way match for the WWE Championship, making it a fatal-five-way pitting. The bout featured WWE Champion Big E, Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, and Bobby Lashley.
The rest of the card also had a decent build-up overall. Edge feuding with The Miz being a throwback to the fans that followed the company's product in the early 2010s, and Liv Morgan chasing gold had the WWE Universe invested.
#9. Hell in a Cell, June 5
This was a show built around one match only. Rhodes versus Rollins III was the selling point, and truth be told, that match was worth all the hype. Thus, the event earns its rank at #9.
The rest of the card was mostly filler, with Austin Theory vs. Mustafa Ali, Madcap Moss vs. Happy Corbin, and Kevin Owens vs. Ezekiel. The newly formed Judgment Day took on the thrown-together team of AJ Styles, Finn Bálor, and Liv Morgan. Bobby Lashley faced Omos and MVP in a feud-ending handicap match.
The event, however, also contained one other quality match, with a story revolving around Asuka and Becky Lynch's feud as they challenged for Bianca Belair's RAW Women's Championship.
#8. Crown Jewel, November 5
Crown Jewel has managed a decent showing for the second straight year, with many notable moments.
The show was built around internet sensation Logan Paul challenging Roman Reigns in only the former's third match in WWE. This was advertised even prior to the previous event, Extreme Rules, giving it ample time to breathe heading into the show and tell a story. In comparison, the announcement led to a mixed reaction from the audience, the match over-delivered.
The rest of the card was also solid, with Brock Lesnar returning to WWE programming to reignite rivalry with Bobby Lashley. Omos and Braun Strowman were booked for a big match at the show; whether you enjoy such bouts depends on your taste in pro wrestling, but regardless, it was an attraction to the event.
Bianca Belair met Bayley in a Last Woman Standing match, and The Judgment Day took on The O.C., who had just reformed after Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson returned to the company in the build-up to the show, making the month of October all the more eventful.
#7. SummerSlam, July 30
SummerSlam was the first Premium Live Event of the year since Vince McMahon's retirement, but the WWE Chairman probably had something to do with the build-up to the event.
Much of the show revolved around the main event, with a feud-ending Last Man Standing match pitting Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns. This came as a surprise to anyone following the dirt sheets as Randy Orton was in talks of facing the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion at the Biggest Party of the Summer.
Regardless, the main event was delivered by all means. The story was compelling en route to the show, with both men looking to redeem themselves after an underwhelming WrestleMania main event.
Elsewhere on the card, Becky Lynch and Bianca Belair met for yet another rematch, Logan Paul challenged The Miz to a singles match, and The Mysterios took on The Judgment Day in tag team action. Overall, this show had an average build-up, albeit the main story needs to be singled out for praise.
#6. WrestleMania Backlash, May 8
The Bloodline main evented two Premium Live Events this year, and both times they nailed it.
The first came at WrestleMania Backlash in a six-man tag match against Drew McIntyre and RK-Bro. Despite having nothing at stake, the bout had star power and a new number-one contender in the spotlight. Viewers knew what to expect from these stellar performers, and they did not disappoint.
It's a strange concept to have an entire event built around rematches, but WrestleMania Backlash was in and of itself a great stand-alone show. Rhodes vs. Rollins II, Edge vs. AJ Styles, and Ronda Rousey vs. Charlotte Flair in an "I Quit" match all had a great story behind it.
#5. Survivor Series WarGames, November 26
Survivor Series saw a resurgence in 2022 with the addition of WarGames. The whole show was crisp in its presentation. Only five matches were on the card, and all of them were delivered one way or another.
The main story featured two faction warfares. The Brawling Brutes, Drew McIntyre and Kevin Owens, all of whom have had issues with The Bloodline, taking on its members in a five-on-five WarGames match. The concept was fresh, and the feud was engaging. WWE even presented Sheamus as the de-facto leader of the team, which was a pleasant surprise.
The other was Damage CTRL, along with Nikki Cross and Rhea Ripley taking on the team of Bianca Belair, Alexa Bliss, Asuka, Mia Yim, and the returning Becky Lynch. This was built as the conclusion of Bayley's feud with the RAW Women's Champion.
These two matches were huge, and thrown in along with it for good measure, an AJ Styles and Finn Bálor clash, along with a United States Championship triangle between Seth Rollins, Austin Theory, and Bobby Lashley, which also had a solid build-up, you have a great show.
#4. Royal Rumble, January 29
The show was not well-received. One can outright call the Men's Royal Rumble arguably the worst rendition of the titular match. The WWE Championship match was also underwhelming.
Despite this, the Royal Rumble had a great build-up attracting viewers with two high-profile matches. The first was a first-ever dream match between Bobby Lashley and Brock Lesnar. Then there was Roman Reigns' biggest challenge yet at the time, Seth Rollins, going up against his former Shield mate. The story was readymade, and their promos were solid.
Throwing in an Edge-Beth Pheonix tag match for good fun, along with the two titular matches that sold the event by default, the show had all the makings of being a remarkable fair. Sadly, that was not the case.
#3. WWE Clash at the Castle, September 3
WWE's first Premium Live Event in the United Kingdom after nearly decades featured Drew McIntyre challenging Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship as the headliner. The seeds have been planted since post-Mania, and the company halted it to showcase their bout at this stage.
Sheamus and Gunther fought tooth and nail for the Intercontinental Championship in a match that was an easy sell because both men were European wrestlers. While the build-up was decent, the match over-delivered.
That was not all, however, as Edge returned at SummerSlam to resume rivalry with Judgment Day and subsequently tagged alongside Rey Mysterio to take on Finn Bálor and Damien Priest.
Liv Morgan found herself for the first time since winning the SmackDown Women's Championship with an opponent other than Ronda Rousey. Shayna Baszler and Morgan worked hard to sell their bout.
The newly formed stable Damage CTRL created intrigue among the WWE Universe as they were booked in a six-woman tag match against Bianca Belair, Alexa Bliss, and Asuka. Seth Rollins and Riddle were embroiled in a deeply personal feud that helped their eventual match in a big way.
With only six matches on the card, each one had a purpose and ultimately ended up working in favor of the show. Clash at the Castle is WWE's best premium live event of the year, barring one.
#2. Extreme Rules, October 8
The event itself was above-average, but the build-up was stellar. Triple H and the creative team nailed the White Rabbit tease, which helped create the best moment of 2022 and debatably one of the greatest returns of all time.
Extreme Rules was also a return to form for the annual Premium Live Event, as all the matches contested had a gimmick, which was basically the whole point of the show when it was first introduced in the late 2000s.
Edge and Bálor's "I Quit" match had engaging promo segments prior to the show, which helped in setting the tone of their feud. Coming off a five-star match, Sheamus and GUNTHER led their team to a Good Old Fashioned Donnybrook match that had the WWE Universe invested from the get-go.
The event also featured Bayley's first challenge to Bianca Belair in the first-ever women's singles ladder match to take place on the main roster.
#1. WrestleMania 38, April 2-3
WrestleMania 38 had quite a few intriguing matches heading into the show, with good to great build-up.
The match between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns was billed as the "Biggest WrestleMania Match of All-Time." While WWE would love to present these two as the biggest rivals of the 21st century, we all know that credit won't go to them. Regardless, for the most part, they had a great story, albeit convoluted, thanks to the Champion vs. Champion sub-plot added to it.
There was intrigue surrounding Steve Austin's potential in-ring return and the KO Show, with Kevin Owens being the supremely talented performer that he is, carrying the feud en route to the show.
Edge accepted AJ Styles' challenge for a WrestleMania match, and while not much of note happened in the build aside from the Rated-R Superstar's heel turn, it was a dream match at the time that got fans invested.
Johnny Knoxville and Sami Zayn were embroiled in a highly entertaining feud while it lasted, and the match itself over-delivered.
Bianca Belair's redemption story was great, as was Seth Rollins' "mystery opponent" angle, especially with the rumors around the time of The American Nightmare's return.
RK-Bro made television worth watching with their entertaining segments, which included a triple threat tag match against Alpha Academy, Kevin Owens, and Seth Rollins, where Orton and Riddle regained the RAW Tag Team Championships.
A mixed bag but nevertheless having a bit of everything, WWE's WrestleMania 38 had the best build-up in its entirety of all the premium live events in 2022.
Sound off on your favorite show of the year and why in the comments section below.
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