When AEW was first founded the company brought forth a weekly ranking system for each division to keep track of the top five wrestlers and who is in line to be the next #1 contender and their win/loss records. They quietly did away with them in 2022 which caused a lot of divide amongst fans online. The system was one of the main distinctions between AEW and WWE setting it apart from its sports entertainment competitor. Though the system disappeared, AEW still kept track of records for each wrestler on their website.
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The biggest complaint with the system was that it often made things too predictable when it came to building stories. It was also at times flawed with one of the biggest notes being FTR were the #1 ranked tag team in AEW for ages yet it became a running joke because they were the only ones not receiving a title shot. With Dark and Dark Elevation gone so the wins/losses no longer apply, it opens up more opportunities for some of the “mid-card” talent to rack up wins on television that are seen by a larger audience of fans. So when it comes time for them to take advantage of their spot on the rankings, it actually means something.
During AEW Collision AEW President Tony Khan revealed that starting this month, the rankings system will make a return. “The Rankings are coming back to AEW going forward, starting this month,” Khan wrote on X. “@AEWย is having a very exciting January, and this is only the beginning of an amazing 2024 for AEW and our fans. Thank you all watching Saturday Night #AEWCollision right now onย @TNTdrama!”
The change comes after a new AEW World Champion, Samoa Joe, was crowned at the AEW Worlds End pay-per-view in December. In Joe’s first promo after winning the belt, he stated that he wants to put an emphasis back on the sports element during his title reign. He implores any wrestler that wants a shot at his title to bring their record and reputation to the table. Not long after, he was confronted by Hangman Adam Page, Swerve Strickland and HOOK. HOOK emphasized his record in AEW and that nobody has a higher win/loss percentage than him.ย
What do you think about the rankings system returning? Are you excited? Let us know in the comments!
