10 Moves Tony Khan Must Make To Save AEW
8. Make A Rule #3: Emphasise The Rankings
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that AEW is de-emphasising the rankings framework.
This is a terrible move.
At present, the roster feels muddied. So many acts feel like they're just existing, no closer to the title picture, no better or worse than so many of their peers. Consider the babyface midcard scene. Orange Cassidy, Ricky Starks, Darby Allin, HOOK, Eddie Kingston: who among them is truly being readied for a significant run worth the investment?
At the exact same time as Tony Khan is asking the audience to invest in so many acts, he has ignored the narrative mechanism with which he gives you the answer; to compound the lack of focus, he has removed the clarity. And now, the audience is only mildly investing in a bunch of guys they quite like.
The Tag Team Gauntlet match of August 27, 2020 was incredible; it pit the four highest-ranked teams against one another, made the Young Bucks' chase that bit more agonising, got FTR further over as d*ckhead heels, and, by threatening their dream match on free TV, made you realise just how big you wanted it to be. It drove a significant chapter of the Elite's company-long saga, too. It was majestic booking that further established a tier of credible talent. You were once able to trace the steps without quite knowing where you were going: it was the best blend of logical but unpredictable booking.
The ranking system isn't the only way in which AEW must rediscover its own identity - and there's a grim reason why it is only barely in place now...