Is AEW's Ranking System Dead?
AEW's ranking system has been a contentious talking point among fans ever since the concept was first introduced. There's been a heavy emphasis on wins and losses mattering within the company since its earliest days and once its initial champions were crowned a set of Top 5 rankings were introduced for the Men's, Women's and Tag Team Division. And while said rankings have often been in the background of storylines, they don't always make the most sense. A wrestler can build up wins on Dark/Dark Elevation tapings and suddenly jump into the Top 5 without appearing on Dynamite or Rampage. And in other cases, like with FTR sitting at the No. 1 spot in the tag team division for months without getting a title shot, they can be outright ignored without rhyme or reason.
But now fans are wondering if the rankings have been scrapped altogether. AEW's official website hasn't posted new rankings since Aug. 31, meaning everything that happened at the All Out pay-per-view and in the weeks leading up to Wednesday night's Grand Slam event haven't been accounted for. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer commented on their status on the latest Wrestling Observer Radio.
"They're not dead, but they have been toned down, but they're not dead. There was a decision not to emphasize them as much on television, but they can always go back to doing so," Meltzer said.
It's possible that, between CM Punk's post-All Out comments, the locker room brawl that resulted in more than half a dozen suspensions and the stripping of Punk and The Elite of their world and trios championships, AEW is holding off on rankings until things calm down again. As for this week, here's what the Grand Slam card looks like:
Dynamite (Sept. 21)
- AEW World Championship: Jon Moxley vs. Bryan Danielson
- AEW World Tag Team Championships: Swerve In Our Glory vs. The Acclaimed
- Interim AEW World Championship: Toni Storm vs. Serena Deeb vs. Athena vs. Dr. Britt Baker
- AEW All-Atlantic Championship: PAC vs. Orange Cassidy
- ROH World Championship: Claudio Castagnoli vs. Chris Jericho
Rampage (Sept. 23)
- Hook & Action Bronson vs. Jericho Appreciation Society
- Sting & Darby Allin vs. House of Black (No Disqualification Match)
- TBS Championship: Jade Cargill vs. Diamante
- Eddie Kingston vs. Sammy Guevara
- Golden Ticket Battle Royale (AEW World Championship Match)
- Rey Feni vs. Jungle Boy
- Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Ricky Starks
- Wardlow & Samoa Joe vs. Tony Nese & Josh Woods