10 Best WWE SmackDown Matches Of 2022

Much like Monday Night Raw and WWE’s PPVs, Friday Night SmackDown has been through an up and down year, though it has seen some significant improvement, particularly from an in-ring perspective, in the second half of the year.

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Since Triple H took creative control, there has been some renewed focus on the quality of in-ring action, and that has ultimately improved the shows overall too. Allowing the likes of Gunther, Ricochet, and Sheamus to get more spotlight has been a sure-fire recipe to putting on some brilliant matches, with many others stepping up too. There were some good matches during Vince McMahon’s time in charge in 2022, but the majority of the top tier contests have come in the last six months.

10 The Brawling Brutes Vs. Imperium, September 9

The Intercontinental Title feud between Gunther and Sheamus spread to their respective trios factions, with Giovani Vinci, Ludwig Kaiser, Butch, and Ridge Holland joining the fray on occasion.

They battled in a six-man tag team match on SmackDown, opening the show in an electric manner. The crowd’s reaction to Sheamus was great to see, with 2022 seeing the audience show him the respect he deserves, and this match was a great step in the babyface turn of the Brawling Brutes.

9 The Usos Vs. The New Day, November 11

Although fans thought they’d seen enough of The Usos taking on The New Day, these two teams showed once again why they are wrestling soulmates. Their undeniable chemistry was on show once again for this Undisputed Tag Team Title match.

The added stakes of The Usos breaking The New Day’s record reign was a great element to this bout. There were fun combinations, great near-falls, and a hot crowd.

8 Gunther Vs. Rey Mysterio, October 28

Although the result of this Intercontinental Title match was never really in doubt, the two men involved managed to create a brilliant story throughout of the aged veteran getting chopped down and destroyed by the monster champion.

Mysterio, much like the rest of his career, showed why he is one of the greatest underdogs of all time, but that wasn’t enough to win.

7 Viking Raiders Vs. The New Day, August 8

The feud between the Viking Raiders and The New Day wasn’t great, but this match was a hit. The ring was turned into a viking ship in this “Viking Rules Match”, which made for a truly stunning visual which was unlike anything else seen in WWE before.

The uniqueness of this match, and the intensity that the four men involved brought to the table, made for a really fun battle which had big spots, brutal moments, and several enjoyable sequences. The teams were given over twenty minutes to work with here, which allowed them to develop a strong match.

6 Charlotte Flair Vs. Naomi, February 11

Following a feud with Sonya Deville which saw Naomi gain a lot of support from the audience, she challenged Charlotte Flair for the SmackDown Women’s Title in arguably the best women’s division match on SmackDown over the last year.

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This was perhaps Naomi’s best WWE match ever, with the pair showcasing some fantastic athleticism in front of a hot crowd who were hanging onto every moment, cheering Naomi on as she came close to causing an upset, though would ultimately fall short.

5 Ricochet Vs. Santos Escobar, December 2

In the finals of the WWE World Cup, Ricochet and Santos Escobar rose to the occasion and put on a thrilling contest. The speed of both and athleticism of both men was on show, and despite Ricochet’s poor booking over the last few years and Escobar’s newness to the main roster, the crowd ate everything up, which is a testament to the two involved.

The final stretch was particularly strong, which saw Ricochet and Escobar produce some brilliant maneuvers such as a hurricanrana from the barricade.

4 Roman Reigns Vs. Matt Riddle, June 17

In one of Roman Reigns’ rare TV title defenses, he and Matt Riddle put on a PPV quality encounter. Reigns looked like the dominant champion, but Riddle was made to also look like a valiant babyface who could conceivably be a full-time main eventer in the future.

The latter stages of this match were particularly strong, with some stunning near-falls where fans were convinced that Riddle was going to win the gold, especially after hitting the RKO, with much of the bout built around Riddle trying to hit the move of his tag team partner.

3 Gunther Vs. Sheamus, October 7

After their five-star rated classic (rated by Dave Meltzer per profightdb.com), Gunther and Sheamus had a rematch on SmackDown. Whilst it wasn’t as good as their previous encounter, it was still a terrific war between the two.

They beat the hell out of each other once again, though this did suffer from an awkward ending in which Gunther appeared to have tapped out (though his hand only hit the mat twice). There was some slight overbooking at the end too which ensured that it remained a level below their match at Clash at the Castle.

2 Drew McIntyre Vs. Sheamus, July 29

Over the last couple of years, if WWE ran out of ideas and wanted a quick way to put on a great match, they threw Drew McIntyre and Sheamus in the ring. They have a reputation for putting on hard-hitting brawls against each other, and this was no different.

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The added stipulation of this being a “Good Old Fashioned Donnybrook” match with an Undisputed Title shot on the line raised the stakes, and it added an extra level of intensity and a feeling of desperation to get the win too.

1 Gunther Vs. Ricochet, December 16

Since Triple H took the reins of WWE’s creative, Gunther and Ricochet have been two of the MVPs of Friday Night SmackDown. Their respective momentums had been building up over the previous months, making this encounter feel much bigger than it would’ve done previously.

In the last month of the year, the two put on a match that was better than anything else SmackDown had produced. The classic “David vs Goliath” story was done to perfection, and it allowed both men to showcase what they do best. Gunther would pick up the win after a very hard-fought contest, adding another phenomenal match to his IC Title reign.