Winter Is Coming (2022)

The 2022 Winter Is Coming was the third annual Winter Is Coming professional wrestling television special produced by All Elite Wrestling (AEW). The event took place on December 14, 2022, at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, Texas for the second consecutive year. It was broadcast live on TBS as a special episode of AEW's flagship weekly television program, Wednesday Night Dynamite.

Winter Is Coming
Promotion	All Elite Wrestling
Date	December 14, 2022
City	Garland, Texas
Venue	Curtis Culwell Center
Attendance	4,978[1]
Event chronology
← Previous 2021 Next → 2023
AEW Dynamite special episodes chronology
← Previous Title Tuesday Next → Holiday Bash

Production

Background

Winter Is Coming is an annual television special held in December by All Elite Wrestling (AEW) since 2020, and airs as a special episode of AEW's flagship program, Wednesday Night Dynamite. The title "Winter Is Coming" is derived from Game of Thrones, a television series from HBO, which is part of Warner Bros. Discovery, which also includes AEW broadcast partners TBS and TNT.^[2] On October 12, 2022, it was announced that the third Winter Is Coming would air as the December 14 episode of Dynamite on TBS and would again take place at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, Texas for the second consecutive year. The December 16 episode of Friday Night Rampage on TNT was taped the same night following the live broadcast of Winter Is Coming.^[3]

Storylines

Winter Is Coming featured professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines. Wrestlers portrayed heroes, villains, or less distinguishable characters in scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.^[4] Storylines were produced on AEW's weekly television programs, Dynamite and Rampage, the supplementary online streaming shows, Dark and Elevation, and The Young Bucks' YouTube series Being The Elite.

On the November 23 episode of Dynamite, Ricky Starks defeated Ethan Page in the finals of the AEW World Championship Eliminator Tournament to earn a match against MJF for the AEW World Championship at Winter Is Coming.^[5] On the December 7 episode, the Dynamite Diamond Battle Royale took place. As MJF had won the AEW Dynamite Diamond Ring the last three years, he got a bye in the battle royale, with the winner facing MJF for the ring. Starks would also win the battle royale.^[6] It was then announced that the match at Winter Is Coming would be a Winner Takes All match for both the AEW World Championship and the Dynamite Diamond Ring.^[7]

At Full Gear, Death Triangle (Pac, Penta El Zero Miedo, and Rey Fénix) defeated The Elite (Kenny Omega, Matt Jackson, and Nick Jackson) to retain the AEW World Trios Championship. Afterwards, it was announced that the Full Gear match was the first in a Best of Seven Series for the championship.^[8] Death Triangle would again defeat The Elite on the following episode of Dynamite, but The Elite gained a win on the next week's episode. The fourth match in the series was scheduled for Winter Is Coming.^[9]

Aftermath

With Death Triangle's (Pac, Penta El Zero Miedo, and Rey Fénix) win over The Elite (Kenny Omega, Matt Jackson, and Nick Jackson), it brought the series to 3–1, with the fifth match scheduled for Dynamite: Holiday Bash as a No Disqualification match.^[10]

While this and the prior two Winter Is Coming events only aired as a special episode of Dynamite, the 2023 event was expanded to a three-part special, also encompassing Friday Night Rampage and Saturday Night Collision, the latter of which premiered as AEW's third weekly television program in June 2023.

Results

No.	Results	Stipulations	Times[10]
1	Death Triangle (Pac, Penta El Zero Miedo, and Rey Fénix) (c) (with Alex Abrahantes) defeated The Elite (Kenny Omega, Matt Jackson, and Nick Jackson) (with Brandon Cutler and Michael Nakazawa) by submission	Six-man tag team match Match four in a Best of Seven Series for the AEW World Trios Championship (Death Triangle leads 3–1)	14:35
2	"Jungle Boy" Jack Perry defeated Brian Cage (with Prince Nana) by pinfall	Singles match	8:20
3	House of Black (Malakai Black, Brody King, and Buddy Matthews) (with Julia Hart) defeated The Factory (QT Marshall, Aaron Solo, and Cole Karter) (with Nick Comoroto and Lee Johnson) by pinfall	Six-man tag team match	0:25
4	Action Andretti defeated Chris Jericho by pinfall	Singles match	9:35
5	Ruby Soho defeated Tay Melo by pinfall	Singles match	7:25
6	MJF (c) defeated Ricky Starks by pinfall	Winner Takes All match for the AEW World Championship and AEW Dynamite Diamond Ring[11]	15:50
(c)  – the champion(s) heading into the match

AEW World Championship Eliminator Tournament

Quarterfinals Dynamite (November 9, 2022) Rampage (November 11 and 18, 2022)

Semifinals Dynamite (November 16, 2022) Full Gear: Zero Hour (November 19, 2022)

Final Dynamite (November 23, 2022)

Eddie Kingston

10:19[12]

Ethan Page

Pin

Ethan Page

Pin

Bandido

9:05[13]

Bandido

Pin

Rush

9:45[14]

Ethan Page

12:58[15]

Ricky Starks

Pin

Lance Archer

5:24[16]

Ricky Starks

Pin

Ricky Starks

Pin

Brian Cage

10:00[17]

Brian Cage

Pin

Dante Martin

7:10[14]

References

1. Ravens, Andrew (December 19, 2022). "List Of Attendance Figures For This Week's WWE and AEW TV Events". wrestlingheadlines.com. WrestleTix. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
2. AEW Dynamite Post Show w/ Tony Schiavone | 11/18/20. YouTube. All Elite Wrestling. November 18, 2020. Event occurs at 37:17-38:00. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
3. Nason, Josh (October 12, 2022). "AEW announces dates & locations for Winter is Coming, Holiday Bash". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Archived from the original on October 15, 2022. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
4. Grabianowski, Ed (January 13, 2006). "How Pro Wrestling Works". HowStuffWorks, Inc. Discovery Communications. Archived from the original on November 29, 2013. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
5. "AEW Dynamite Results for November 23, 2022". All Elite Wrestling. November 23, 2022. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
6. Rose, Bryan (December 7, 2022). "Ricky Starks wins AEW Dynamite Diamond Battle Royal". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
7. Russell, Skylar (December 7, 2022). "Ricky Starks Wins Dynamite Dozen Battle Royal On 12/7 AEW Dynamite". Fightful. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
8. Powell, Jason (November 19, 2022). "AEW Full Gear results: Powell's live review of Jon Moxley vs. MJF for the AEW World Championship, The Acclaimed vs. Swerve Strickland and Keith Lee for the AEW Tag Titles, Toni Storm vs. Jamie Hayter for the Interim AEW Women's Title, Death Triangle vs. The Elite for the AEW Trios Titles, Saraya vs. Britt Baker". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
9. Thomas, Jeremy (November 30, 2022). "The Elite Beat Death Triangle In Match Three Of Best Of Seven Series On AEW Dynamite". 41mania. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
10. Powell, Jason (December 14, 2022). "12/14 AEW Dynamite results: Powell's live review of MJF vs. Ricky Starks for the AEW World Championship, "Death Triangle" Pac, Penta El Zero Miedo, and Rey Fenix vs. "The Elite" Kenny Omega, Matt Jackson, and Nick Jackson in the fourth match of a Best of Seven series for the AEW Trios Titles, Ruby Soho vs. Tay Melo, House of Black and Chris Jericho in action". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
11. Nason, Josh (October 28, 2022). "Dante Martin, Ethan Page part of AEW World title eliminator tournament - WON/F4W - WWE news, Pro Wrestling News, WWE Results, AEW News, AEW results". f4wonline. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
12. Barnett, Jake (November 9, 2022). "11/09 AEW Dynamite results: Barnett's live review of Bryan Danielson vs. Sammy Guevara in a best of three falls match, Eddie Kingston vs. Ethan Page in a first-round eliminator tournament match, The Acclaimed and FTR vs. Swerve Strickland, Keith Lee, Austin Gunn, and Colten Gunn, Skye Blue vs. Jamie Hayter". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
13. Powell, Jason (November 16, 2022). "11/16 AEW Dynamite results: Powell's live review of Jon Moxley and MJF promos heading into Full Gear, Ethan Page vs. Bandido in a semifinal tournament match, Claudio Castagnoli and Bryan Danielson vs. Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara, Toni Storm vs. Anna Jay in an eliminator match, Anthony Bowens vs. Swerve Strickland". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
14. Powell, Jason (November 11, 2022). "11/11 AEW Rampage results: Powell's review of Bandido vs. Rush, and Brian Cage vs. Dante Martin in AEW World Championship Eliminator Tournament first-round matches, Orange Cassidy vs. Lee Johnson for the AEW All-Atlantic Championship, Nyla Rose's open challenge". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
15. Burnett, Jake (November 23, 2022). "11/23 AEW Dynamite results: Barnett's live review of Death Triangle vs. The Elite in the second match of the best of seven series for the AEW Trios Titles, Chris Jericho vs. Tomohiro Ishii for the ROH Title, Ethan Page vs. Ricky Starks in the eliminator tournament final, Orange Cassidy vs. Jake Hager for the AEW All-Atlantic Title". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
16. McGuire, Colin (November 18, 2022). "11/18 AEW Rampage results: McGuire's review of Eddie Kingston and Ortiz vs. Konosuke Takeshita and Jun Akiyama, Lance Archer vs. Ricky Starks in an AEW Eliminator tournament first-round match, Hook vs. Lee Moriarty for the FTW Title, Athena vs. Madison Rayne". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
17. Powell, Jason (November 19, 2022). "AEW Full Gear Zero Hour pre-show results: Eddie Kingston vs. Jun Akiyama, Ricky Starks vs. Brian Cage in an AEW Eliminator Tournament semifinal match, Orange Cassidy, Chuck Taylor, Trent Beretta, Rocky Romero, and Danhausen vs. QT Marshall, Aaron Solo, Lee Johnson, Cole Karter, and Nick Comoroto". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved November 19, 2022.

External links

• All Elite Wrestling Official website