What are AEW’s ‘Power Rankings’? Get to know about the refreshed returning system

In the latter half of 2022, AEW toned down the power rankings, but they will be brought back to life this January.

What are AEW’s ‘Power Rankings’? Get to know about the refreshed returning system

AEW Rankings (via Wrestling Observer)

In 2019, AEW was started as an alternative to the longtime dominant mainstream wrestling. Their motive was to offer the wrestling fans a bunch of new talents and some older yet rejuvenated ones. From the very start, AEW had a sports-based approach to delivering wholesome professional wrestling content. To spice things up, the Rankings System was implemented for choosing the right opponent for a title shot.

From the day of inception, up until August 31, 2022, AEW had a ranking system in place. These Power Rankings were meant to highlight the fact that wins and losses truly mattered and set up a framework for the No. 1 contenders. This separated AEW from any other promotion, relying on the fact that a title shot needs to be earned. An example of this was Scorpio Sky being undefeated for a year and getting a chance to dethrone Sammy Guevara for the TNT Championship.

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In the final four months of 2022, the rankings were toned down due to their repetitive nature. Not only AEW but also fans were ignoring the system and focused on storylines developing the opponents. But now, in 2024, Tony Khan is bringing back the rankings system for putting down a wide array of matches. The CEO did not confirm a date, but January was booked for its return, as announced on Collision.

FS Video
The Rankings are coming back to AEW going forward, starting this month!
AEW CEO Tony Khan announcing the return of Power Rankings

The seeds for this return were planted by Hook, a few weeks ago on a promo. The FTW Champion stated his 28-1 win/loss record and made him suitable for an AEW World Championship title shot. A controversy then arose later on at this point, having Khan take his shots at their approach. Nevertheless, Hook’s wish was brought to life when he faced Samoa Joe but came out unsuccessful.

The success of Continental Classic revamped the return of power rankings

AEW let go of their overly protective bookings and conducted a twelve-person star-studded tournament: Continental Classic. Right after Full Gear, the participants were divided into two leagues and competed for the new Continental Championship. Eddie Kingston, being modest and competitive, put his NJPW and ROH titles as the prize and made the ultimate goal to be the Triple Crown Champion.

Jon Moxley vs. Eddie Kingston
Jon Moxley vs. Eddie Kingston (via AEW)

The tournament was spread over six weeks and saw numerous first-time matches, which interested the fans. The C2 told compelling stories even after having stars that weren’t quite related earlier. The rankings after every win or loss mattered and helped every participant reach their end goal. Thus, AEW might have traced their path back to the power rankings and brought them back to offer a wide array of bouts.

The clashes between Blackpool Combat Club were saved for the very last of the Blue League finals. Claudio Castagnoli losing the match against Bryan Danielson just on time kept the fans on their toes. A triple-threat match in the Gold League final had the audience pick between the likes of Jon Moxley, Swerve Strickland, and Jay White. The C2 was an eye-opener for AEW to carve their future.

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