5 Key Focus Areas For AEW Dynamite Year 3

Wins and losses matter in AEW. It’s a statement that has been frequently cited since the company’s establishment, but it isn't really true is it? Though every wrestler’s win/loss record is usefully highlighted during their ring entrance, the fact that they’re almost entirely padded by Dark victories is unknown to virtually nobody at this point and it can be cringeworthy to hear somebody presented as a threat on commentary when they’ve lost every significant match they’ve contested in recent memory.

The algorithm for how the top five contenders for each of the company’s titles are determined has never been explained, which might have something to do with the fact that it doesn’t exist. There is no logical points-based system that applies weighting to wins and losses and individuals/teams are suddenly thrust to the top of the table in order to justify a title match. The Butcher & The Blade, for example, were presented as the number one contenders for the tag team championships on the recent September 15th edition of Dynamite, despite having just a singular non-Dark win in 2021.

Whilst this is effective for creating mini-storylines for each title in between the feuds that are settled on the company’s quarterly pay-per-views, it was a messy way of doing things in Dynamite’s first year on air and has remained so in the second. Like the Casino Battle Royale format, the rankings don’t work and should be phased out rather than stubbornly clung to.