AEW launched three years ago and as should be the goal of a new promotion of this size, it has aimed to be different from WWE in a number of ways. One of the biggest differences outlined by Tony Khan and co. right off the bat was the use of a ranking system. Positions that would be dictated by wins and losses and ultimately earn wrestlers title shots should they rack up enough victories.
A WWE Ranking System
While the system has enjoyed mixed success, it remains in place three years later. It even seems as if the idea of implementing a similar system has at least crossed the minds of certain higher-ups in WWE. In a recent survey emailed to select fans, and highlighted by Wrestling Inc, WWE asked if there would be any interest in a wrestler ranking system. No additional information on how exactly that would work was included.
If it were to ever happen, odds are it would be very different from the system used by AEW. Not only because WWE wouldn't want to appear as if they were coying a rival company's idea, but also because that system has proved to be imperfect. While the idea sounds great on paper, it doesn't take storytelling into account and often results in lower-ranked stars getting titles shots for the purposes of an angle.
Remember WWE's Power Rankings?
WWE's take on a ranking system would more likely be similar to the Power Rankings it used to have a few years ago. A fictional rundown that was dictated by the impact a wrestler had in any given week and wasn't based on wins and losses alone. It also didn't play into who would get title shots or not. It was more of an optional extra fans could check out through WWE's social media channels for a bit of fun.
WWE has been sending a lot of surveys recently as it attempts to gauge what exactly its fans are looking for. The company wants to know how often you're watching its weekly shows, which of its social media platforms you engage with, and if you would be interested in more NFTs. WWE appears to be all-in on that last one even though the NFT balloon already appears to have burst, or at least significantly deflated.
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