Hot on the heels of an eventful summer season, WWE and All Elite Wrestling will need as much top talent on deck as possible to keep the momentum going through the rest of 2022.

Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton and Becky Lynch will all provide big boosts to WWE programming once they return from injury and their absences have been felt as of late. CM Punk and The Elite also being gone from AEW TV has hurt the shows significantly.

Despite that, the remaining rosters have done an excellent job of maintaining interest in each product.

Plenty of established stars have continued to carry the load and do terrific work that deserves to be recognized. Without those core players, WWE and AEW's flagship shows would be much worse off.

The following 10 wrestlers are the most important pillars in both promotions right now.

10. Chris Jericho

As the inaugural AEW world champion, Chris Jericho played a pivotal role in ensuring the company's television deal with TNT was extended, attracting other big names to the promotion, putting up-and-comers on the map and so much more.

His run hasn't been without its flaws, and the overreliance on factions hasn't helped. Whether fans like it or not, though, the veteran has been a prominent player on AEW programming all 2022 long and has consistently delivered when it has mattered most.

Undoubtedly, Jericho is the most decorated competitor on AEW's active roster. He brings a wealth of experience both in the ring and behind the scenes.

Even at the age of 51, he appears and wrestles regularly and wins just as often as he loses. On the Grand Slam edition of Dynamite, he captured the Ring of Honor World Championship for the first time, leading fans to believe he could be the catalyst in getting ROH its own weekly show finally.

Jericho is bound to be missed when he eventually hangs up his boots up for good, so his presence on the program shouldn't be taken for granted.

9. Drew McIntyre

When Roman Reigns isn't around, Drew McIntyre is the biggest star on SmackDown and one of the best babyfaces in the whole of WWE.

The Scot was among an elite few who carried the company during the ThunderDome era but saw his spot dwindle when WWE returned to the road in 2021. After arriving on SmackDown, he went undefeated and won more matches than just about anyone.

His feuds with Happy Corbin and Sheamus allowed him to work his way back up the ladder and gradually get even more over with the audience than he was before.

Although the 37-year-old unsuccessfully challenged Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at Clash at the Castle, the raucous reaction he received that night made it clear he is not only beloved but also a perennial main event player.

Going forward, The Scottish Warrior will be tasked with helping establish Karrion Kross as a credible heel on the blue brand.

McIntyre is always upping his game to avoid feeling stale and will not rest until he is wearing world title gold again.

8. Bianca Belair

For years, a case could be made for WWE struggling to create new female stars outside of the Four Horsewomen. Asuka was the only Superstar to come close to their level of success, but even she hasn't felt as special as she should.

That's why the booking of Bianca Belair was so crucial, and she's been handled almost perfectly since joining the main roster in April 2020.

The 33-year-old has suffered only a handful of losses in the last few years and has made the most of every opportunity she's been afforded. Since WrestleMania 38, she's been the Raw women's champion and has been far and away the best part of the division.

Bayley was injured up until recently, Becky Lynch got hurt the night she returned, Charlotte Flair has been inactive for months, and there's no timeline for when Sasha Banks might be back.

Thus, Belair has been the primary focal point for the women's division. Ronda Rousey and Liv Morgan have been bright spots on SmackDown, but The EST of WWE is in a league of her own.

7. Bryan Danielson

Everyone was aware Bryan Danielson was a great get for AEW as soon as he was signed, but he's managed to exceed those lofty expectations and have an outstanding year for himself in the ring.

Between his historic debut against Kenny Omega to his stellar series with Adam Page to elevating Daniel Garcia and Wheeler Yuta, his first year in AEW was filled with instant classics. In fact, it's easily among his strongest in-ring work ever.

The 41-year-old isn't solely an exceptional wrestler, though. He's also a riveting character and a major fan favorite despite his best attempts to be a heel.

His ability to work anywhere on the card is also admirable. He can go from facing a random member of The Dark Order to contending for the AEW World Championship on a moment's notice and not feel out of place.

Fans can only hope that this run will last as long as possible because Danielson is in his element right now and has made everything he's involved a total treat.

6. Kevin Owens

Kevin Owens has made no bones about the fact that he hasn't held a championship of any kind in over five years, and that hasn't stopped him from a recurring highlight on Raw week after week in 2022.

In the span of a few days, he went from facing "Stone Cold" Steve Austin in the main event of WrestleMania 38 to being interrupted by Ezekiel. He made those programs work to the best of his ability and both were extremely entertaining.

That's a testament to how talented KO is. Amazingly, that was when Vince McMahon was still at the helm, and the Canadian has only become a bigger part of the program since then.

Thanks to Triple H, The Prizefighter has returned and taken no prisoners. He has established his motivations in wanting to challenge Roman Reigns and that he's willing to go back to his NXT roots to do it.

Owens, 38, will have phases when he's built up only to be cooled off, but this push feels permanent. His renewed energy and intensity have caused his stock to skyrocket, and Raw is much more enjoyable as a result.

5. Seth Rollins

Next to Owens, Seth Rollins is another important figure on the red brand who doesn't need a championship to prove it.

He leads the list of possible contenders for MVP of 2022, not only in WWE but in wrestling on the whole. His in-ring work has been simply spectacular, and his feuds have been fun to follow as well.

Whether it's been Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes or Matt Riddle, Rollins has brought the best out of everyone he's been up against this year. He's currently in the process of cementing Riddle as a singles star and having above-average matches on Raw week after week.

The 36-year-old is a prime example of why WWE should have two top titles between Raw and SmackDown and not just one. Had they not been unified earlier this year, he would have had another world title run by now.

Consistency is key with Rollins, as has been the case with this career for the past decade.

4. Sami Zayn

While not a world championship-caliber competitor in the same way others on this list are, Sami Zayn is invaluable to the WWE product all the same.

The Bloodline have been a constant in WWE for almost two years and started to grow stagnant coming out of WrestleMania 38 before Zayn became an official ally of theirs. He's breathed new life into the group and is always captivating the audience one way or another.

The best part about the act is that he has no ulterior motive other than wanting to befriend Reigns. He's a terrific wrestler to boot and will deliver a great match when necessary regardless of the opponent.

SmackDown has certainly improved under Triple H, but without Zayn, it would lose much of its entertainment value. He's been an absolute gem as part of The Bloodline and it will be a sad day when they inevitably turn on him.

Zayn's ability to turn whatever he touches into gold can't be overstated.

3. Jon Moxley

From the moment he debuted in AEW at Double or Nothing in May 2019, Jon Moxley has been an essential piece of the promotion's puzzle and a crucial part of its success.

The 36-year-old has been as much of a workhorse in AEW as he was in WWE; always in action and making magic with a mic in his hand every night. That's in addition to the organic connection he has with the crowd.

It would have been easy for him to peak once his first run as AEW world champion wrapped up in 2020, but he remained relevant and kept killing it. Of the many matches he's had in 2022, he's suffered one loss and won the title another two times.

AEW needs a leader in every sense imaginable now more than ever, and Moxley is that guy. He's carried the torch before and will do it again with ease now that he's returned to the top of the card.

2. Maxwell Jacob Friedman

There was a worry that MJF's highly anticipated return would be overshadowed by the drama surrounding CM Punk and The Elite post-All Out, but the hype for the heel didn't die down in the slightest.

The Salt of the Earth showed up that Wednesday on Dynamite, declared he was waiting in the wings for a shot at the AEW World Championship at an opportune time of his choosing and the show hadn't been the same without him around. The thing is, he wasn't wrong.

For as much star power as AEW has under contract, no one feels hotter than MJF. That is entirely due to how phenomenal of a performer he is and how he can capture the attention of an audience without saying a word (though speaking is his strong suit).

The 26-year-old has an extraordinarily bright future ahead of him whatever and wherever he plans to do and go next. It would be booking malpractice for him not be crowned champ before the year is through, though.

MJF has had a heavy presence on Dynamite since returning and, sure enough, the program has stayed over a million viewers for each of the last three weeks. He's a genuine draw for AEW and should continue to be spotlighted for the star he is.

1. Roman Reigns

In WWE, everything that happens hinges on Roman Reigns, and if he were to be out for an extended period of time, the company would be in some serious trouble.

As this list illustrates, there are many incredible competitors who could slide into that spot, but no one has been booked as unstoppable as The Tribal Chief in the modern era. He's been on the run of a lifetime as undisputed WWE universal champion, all with the intention of earning legend status.

If and when the time comes for him to lose the title, the hope is for a new star to be made by beating him. In the meantime, he is the most important act in WWE and no one else is remotely near his level.

Although the 37-year-old doesn't appear as regularly as he once did due to transitioning to a part-time schedule, he is still very much the face of WWE and the most protected Superstar on any brand. Most of the major pay-per-view main events revolve around him and they never cease to be must-see.

Reigns is as close to being a true "needle mover" (in his own words) as anyone on the active roster and has reached his true form after a decade of failed attempts.

All fans can do is hope that his historic reign is paid off properly in an effort to build someone else and doesn't go to waste.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.