AEW released their latest rankings (Dec. 29, 2021). They failed to post the list for Dynamite last week, so let’s check out the movers and shakers with the extra cushion of time.
Men:
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Cody Rhodes bopped over to the championship side after winning the TNT title from Sammy Guevara on Rampage. Adam Cole shot up the charts aided by a cheap win over Orange Cassidy when he received physical interference from the debuting Kyle O’Reilly. Wardlow powerbombed his way into the ranks anchored by recent wins over Matt Sydal and Shawn Dean. Kenny Omega dropped out from #2, and Miro did the same from #5. Scorpio Sky fell two spots to #5 due to inactivity.
It is odd to see Cole ranked so high given that he arrived so late without time to build a strong record. His strength of schedule is pretty solid though. Cole worked his way through Frankie Kazarian, Jungle Boy, Anthony Greene, John Silver, Wheeler Yuta, and Orange Cassidy.
In contrast to another superstar in a similar position, CM Punk is also undefeated with victories over Darby Allin, Will Hobbs, Daniel Garcia, Matt Sydal, Bobby Fish, Eddie Kingston, QT Marshall, and Lee Moriarty. I’d argue that Punk deserves to be ranked if Cole found a place already. One thing that might have propelled Cole is that he has the most impressive win from the bunch by defeating #4 Jungle Boy. That was likely the deciding factor to fast-track Cole into a strong position heading into next year when the records reset.
Women:
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Ruby Soho dumped Nyla Rose in the ring and took her spot in the rankings. The Native beast dropped out completely from #4. Kris Statlander cruised in to #5 thanks to a win over Leyla Hirsch on Rampage.
Dynamite will feature a top 5 matchup when #2 Jade Cargill competes against #3 Thunder Rosa in the TBS Championship tournament semifinal.
Tag Team:
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No changes for the tag team division. Jurassic Express claims they are #1 contenders, but they have done very little to earn it. Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus only have three tag team bouts since losing to the Lucha Bros in August during the title eliminator tournament. Jurassic Express went on to defeat Luther & Serpentico, Adam Cole & Bobby Fish, and Brandon Tate & Brent Tate.
Do you agree with AEW’s rankings this week? If not, what would you change?
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