AEW is the 2022 Daily DDT Promotion of the Year

AEW stood out among its competitors to be the top promotion in 2023.

To say that a lot of things went down in 2022 would be an understatement. This was the year that professional wrestling to a strong step in returning to the days where every week could see something exciting, and television shows became “can’t miss.” Even as improvements were made across the board, it was AEW that stood out as the 2023 Daily DDT Promotion of the Year as voted on by the team of writers and editors.

Great matches, backstage brawls, debuts, social media beef, excellent promos, and nearly everything else happened in AEW in 2022. Not everything was great, such as the injuries to major names like Adam Cole, Kris Statlander, Thunder Rosa, and “Hangman” Adam Page. Still, AEW continued to push forward with meaningful television almost every week, finding a way to keep fans engrossed for at least two hours every Wednesday.

Even though AEW Rampage struggled for a variety of reasons, that show still had its bright moments throughout the year. For example, anytime Katsuyori Shibata steps into a wrestling ring that show becomes mandatory television and he blessed the AEW ring with an appearance versus Orange Cassidy.

AEW continues to bounce back from “Brawl Out”

The big news for AEW was of course the brawl following All Out. CM Punk’s diatribe led to a backstage altercation and the company still hasn’t felt the full ramifications. Whether Punk is a member of the AEW roster or not is one of the stories fans will watch the most in 2023.

AEW had more than its fair share of Match of the Year candidates. From Cody Rhodes versus Sammy Guevara back in January, through Hikaru Shida and Jamie Hayter in December – there are more than enough matches for everyone to enjoy. Almost every week, AEW continued to give fans some of the best-received matches across the industry.

AEW also delivered big moments. Keith Lee, Swerve, William Regal, Toni Storm, Athena, AR Fox, and many others stepped through the curtain for the first time to the cheers of fans. Have they all reached the heights that those same fans want to see? Maybe not yet, but the opportunity is still in front of them.

All Elite Wrestling continues to push professional wrestling forward. The company has regained momentum heading into the fourth year of its existence and here’s to 2023 with great action and perhaps a bit less backstage drama.