9 Promises AEW Have Made Since Launching (And HAVE Kept)

2. Wins & Losses Will Matter

"Wins and losses will matter in AEW like they have never mattered before," is what Cody told Jacksonville. The promotion would operate under a competitive framework held up by rankings and other statistics. Win, and you move up the table; lose, and you slide. Simple, straightforward, easy to understand, and something that AEW has done well to adhere to thus far.

It isn't a binary. Wins and losses should be weighted, and they are. Defeating Cody means more than pinning QT Marshall. Similarly, losing to a Chris Jericho or Jon Moxley brings less shame than dropping a fall to Brandon Cutler. This is factored into an effective rankings system that compiles year and career records, creating clear roster tiers and a balanced talent pool in which title shorts are earned, not thrown around like confetti.

Consider the muck Jon Moxley had to rake through to earn his spot at the top. Jake Hager recently went 5-0 to create his opportunity, Cody and Scorpio Sky ran similar gauntlets, while Darby Allin scored his by proving himself equal the top-ranked 'American Nightmare' in their singles match and besting a bitter rival in Jimmy Havoc, because again: these things are weighted.