WWE Day 1 2022 was a professional wrestling Premium Live Event event and WWE Network event produced by WWE for the Raw and SmackDown brands. It took place on January 1, 2022 at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. It was the first event under the WWE Day 1 chronology. It was the company's first pay-per-view and WWE Network event to take place on New Year's Day. The event's title alludes to its New Year's scheduling and is the first PPV to have the New Year's theme since New Year's Revolution in 2007.
Background[]
WWE Day 1 featured professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing feuds, plots, and storylines that played out on WWE's primary television programs. Wrestlers portrayed villains or heroes as they followed a series of events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.
The scheduling of Day 1 caused WWE to cancel their annual TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs event, which had been scheduled for December 19, 2021. Wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer reported that TLC was canceled to allow WWE to focus on Day 1 after November's Survivor Series. There would have also only been two weeks between TLC and Day 1, followed by the Royal Rumble in late January.
Storylines[]
The card will include matches that result from scripted storylines, where wrestlers portray heroes, villains, or less distinguishable characters in scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches. Results are predetermined by WWE's writers on the Raw, SmackDown, and 205 Live brands, with storylines produced on WWE's weekly television shows, Monday Night Raw, SmackDown Live, and the cruiserweight-exclusive 205 Live.
On the October 25 episode of Raw, Seth Rollins won a ladder match to become the number one contender for the WWE Championship. On the November 29 episode, it was announced that Rollins would receive his title match against WWE Champion Big E at Day 1. That same night, however, WWE officials Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville set up a non-title match between Big E and Kevin Owens, who had also competed in the ladder match, where if Owens won, he would be added to the title match, much to the displeasure of Rollins, who had been at odds with Owens over the past few weeks. In an attempt to sabotage the match, Rollins interfered, thus Owens won by disqualification and was added to the championship match, making it a triple threat match. The following week, after Big E had defeated Owens in a steel cage match with Rollins on commentary, Bobby Lashley came out and viciously attacked the three. On the next episode, Lashley, who Big E had defeated for the title in September, explained his actions and demanded to be added to the championship match at Day 1; however, Owens and Rollins took exception while Big E stated that it did not matter who he faced as he would still be champion after Day 1. Pearce and Deville then came out and scheduled Lashley to face Owens, Rollins, and Big E, respectively, where if he won each match, he would be added to the championship match. Lashley was successful and was added to the WWE Championship match at Day 1, making it a fatal four-way match. Furthermore, free agent Brock Lesnar was sporadically added to the match following the announcement of Roman Reigns' positive COVID-19 diagnosis on January 1, thus making it a fatal five-way match.
On the November 29 episode of Raw, Edge made his return from hiatus, which was his first post-draft appearance since the 2021 WWE draft results went into effect on October 22. Edge, who was drafted to Raw, then listed off names of potential opponents he had not yet faced. The Miz, along with his wife Maryse, interrupted, with Miz also making his return from hiatus after filming the 30th season of Dancing with the Stars. Miz felt disrespected as his return was not promoted like Edge's was and also because he was not on Edge's list of potential opponents. After a heated verbal exchange, Miz teased fighting Edge, however, Miz rejected and departed. The following week, Edge was a guest on "Miz TV". After another heated verbal exchange between the two, Miz challenged Edge to a match at Day 1, and Edge accepted.
On the November 8 episode of Raw, Liv Morgan won a fatal five-way match to earn a Raw Women's Championship match against Becky Lynch. The title match took place on the December 6 episode where Lynch retained the title against Morgan by using the ropes as leverage during the pin. The following week, Lynch celebrated her win and insulted Morgan. An irate Morgan then came out, lambasted Lynch for cheating to win, and demanded a rematch at Day 1. The two then brawled where Lynch attacked the arm of Morgan using the steel steps. Lynch then accepted Morgan's challenge.
Canceled match[]
At Crown Jewel, Roman Reigns defeated Brock Lesnar to retain the Universal Championship with help from The Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso). On the following night's SmackDown, an irate Lesnar attacked Reigns, The Usos, other wrestlers of the SmackDown roster, and security personnel due to being cheated out of the championship. WWE official Adam Pearce suspended Lesnar indefinitely and Lesnar responded by performing two F-5s on Pearce, who later fined Lesnar $1 million. On the November 26 episode, Sami Zayn won a battle royal to become the number one contender for the Universal Championship. Immediately after the match, however, it was announced that Lesnar's suspension was lifted and he would return the following week. That episode, Lesnar convinced Zayn to face Reigns for the title that night. WWE official Sonya Deville made it official and that the winner would defend the Universal Championship against Lesnar at Day 1. Before the match, however, Lesnar attacked Zayn, which allowed Reigns to quickly defeat Zayn and retain the title, officially scheduling Reigns to defend the championship against Lesnar at Day 1. On the December 17 episode, as Reigns believed that Paul Heyman was responsible for Lesnar's return due to Heyman formerly being Lesnar's advocate, Reigns fired Heyman as his special counsel, and Lesnar saved Heyman from a beat down from Reigns and The Usos. On the day of the event, however, the match was canceled due to Reigns testing positive for COVID-19, with Lesnar instead being added to Raw's WWE Championship match due to his status as a free agent.
Match Preview[]
| Cesaro & Ricochet vs. Sheamus & Ridge Holland | Preview |
| Big E vs. Seth Rollins vs. Kevin Owens vs. Bobby Lashley | Preview |
| The Usos vs. The New Day | Preview |
| Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar | Preview |
| Edge vs. The Miz | Preview |
| Becky Lynch vs. Liv Morgan | Preview |
| Drew McIntyre vs. Madcap Moss | Preview |
| RK-Bro vs. The Street Profits | Preview |
Results[]
- Numbers in parentheses indicate the length of the match.
- (c) refers to the champion(s) heading into the match.
- Pre-Show: Sheamus & Ridge Holland defeated Cesaro & Ricochet (9:43)
- The Usos (Jey Uso & Jimmy Uso) (c) defeated The New Day (King Woods & Sir Kofi Kingston) to retain the WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship (17:03)
- Drew McIntyre defeated Madcap Moss (w/ Happy Corbin) (9:42)
- RK-Bro (Randy Orton & Riddle) (c) defeated The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford) to retain the WWE Raw Tag Team Championship (11:14)
- Edge defeated The Miz (w/ Maryse) (20:03)
- Becky Lynch (c) defeated Liv Morgan to retain the WWE Raw Women's Championship (16:57)
- Brock Lesnar defeated Big E (c) and Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens and Bobby Lashley in a Fatal Five Way Match to win the WWE Championship (8:20)
Other on-screen talent[]
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See also[]
DVD release[]
[ WWE Day 1 2022 on DVD]
External links[]
WWE Day 1 2022 Official website
WWE Day 1 2022 kickoff show on WWE Network
WWE Day 1 2022 on WWE Network- WWE Day 1 2022 Kickoff show at CAGEMATCH.net
- WWE Day 1 2022 at CAGEMATCH.net
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