AEW’s Rankings System No Longer As Important
Although the rankings system has remained crucial for AEW performers to be granted a championship opportunity, they’ll have less of an impact moving forward.
Since its inauguration in 2019, a rankings system has been used throughout All Elite Wrestling. Updated weekly and displayed during entrances, this was mainly used to determine championship contenders, which made contests such as a Casino Ladder match more intriguing by allowing anyone entered to in essence jump the queue.
However, eagle-eyed viewers will have noticed these haven’t had as big of an impact in recent weeks. Dave Meltzer addressed the rankings’ status on the latest Wrestling Observer Radio, claiming they’ve been “toned down”:
“They’re not dead but they have been toned down. They’re not dead. There was a decision not to emphasise them as much on television but they can always go back to doing so.”
The rankings were last updated on 31 August, per AEW’s official website. It’s unknown to what extent they’ll be toned down but at the very least, wrestlers will no longer be numbered when their lower third graphic appears during entrances.
It’s unknown if rankings will still matter as it pertains to championships. As it stands, the AEW World Championship is vacant, while Wardlow, PAC, HOOK, Thunder Rosa, Toni Storm, Jade Cargill, Swerve In Our Glory, and Death Triangle hold AEW’s other championships.