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Holy smokes what a few weeks we've had! Last time I ranked AEW factions was immediately following All Out and within a day of that PPV we had suspensions and title changes. The previous faction ranking was quickly out dated and I felt compelled to re-visit the standings.
Groups to Watch
The Firm- Now that Stokley Hathaway's group has a name they gain a modicum of purpose. Since they are "on retainer" to MJF I'm not including Maxwell as part of the group officially. Although individual members have strong win/loss records (W. Morrissey being the exception) The Firm will need to build up some more wins before they can be in consideration for the rankings.
Trustbusters- There are cases in pro-wrestling where potential is evident, but not yet realized. A worker who has talent but just needs a new look (Steve Austin) or a tag team that needs to split (the Rockers). I feel that the Trustbusters have lots of potential yet they're missing something to rise to the next level. As of now the exposure they are getting is a good starting point.
Best Friends- Long time bridesmaids, never the brides. While consistently popular in their time with AEW, the Best Friends have never held gold although they've been in contention several times. Orange Cassidy has made a habit of challenging for titles and always coming up short. While I find it difficult to picture Orange with a title (how would he wear it?) I do think he'll be a champion sometime within the next few months.
Ass Daddies/The Acclaimed- All it would take for The Acclaimed to jump into the faction rankings would be for Billy Gunn (aka Daddy Ass) to return to in ring action. His last match was a month ago when he lost to his son Colten. As of now I see him more as a manager but that could change. With a solid w/l record and a high attainment (ie tag championships), this group could make moves.
How Rankings are Determined:
Strength: The combined win % of team members. Special thanks to @AEWmetrics who keeps better records of win/loss than AEW's own roster page. I also went to cagematch.net to check on workers not signed with AEW (like Julia Hart for some bizarre reason). 100%-80% gets a "high", 79%-60% gets a "mid", while anything lower gets a "N/I" (needs improvement).
Cohesion: Ability of a group to work together. If they can avoid tripping over each other or hitting each other with moves they will score higher. Points will be lost if cracks are starting to form within the group. This category is fairly subjective.
Purpose: Even if not expressly stated, most groups have some form of a "mission statement". This could range from winning championships to simply the love of violence.
Attainment: The ability to win championships. Currently there are championships from AEW, ROH, and AAA in play although titles from Impact and NJPW have also been featured in the past. I will only count belts that have been featured on camera on AEW programing.
#5 The Elite (down 3 spots)
Strength: Mid- 71%
Cohesion: High - As unified as a trio of Musketeers.
Purpose: High - Currently their purpose is to honor any NDAs that are floating around AEW's backstage.
Attainment: N/I- Oh how fickle the winds of fate are. Two weeks ago and this group was was looking at a remaining year full of possibilities. Post-backstage brawl and several suspensions later and The Elite's entire future is in question.
Kenny Omega- A tasty hamburger.
Matt Jackson- A side of fries.
Nick Jackson- A refreshing beverage.
#4 The Baddies (down 1 spot)
Strength: Mid - 73% Jade's win streak remains the cornerstone of this group.
Cohesion: High - No drama here. So cohesive they're able to get cameos like Trina to align with the group.
Purpose: High
Attainment: High - Jade still has a solid hold on that TBS championship (currently the longest reigning AEW champion). I fully expect this to remain the case up to Full Gear.
Jade Cargill - Paragon Diamond (TBS Champion)
Red Velvet - Jubilee Ruby
Kiera Hogan - Bahia Emerald
Leila Grey - Blue Belle Sapphire
#3 Jericho Appreciation Society (up 1 spot)
Strength: Mid- 73%
Cohesion: Mid- Daniel Garcia still seems shaky about his commitment to the group. Jericho's affinity for cheating isn't sitting well with the ROH Pure champion.
Purpose: High- The rest of the group is riding the wake created by the good ship Jericho and they are sailing towards wins and titles.
Attainment: High- Lots of gold held by the JAS, just none of it AEW gold.
Chris Jericho - Blofeld (ROH World Champion)
Daddy Magic - Red Grant
Angelo Parker - Necros
Jake Hager - Stamper
Daniel Garcia - Sanchez (ROH Pure Champion)
Sammy Guevara - Nick Nack (AAA World Mixed Tag Team)
Tay Melo - May Day (AAA World Mixed Tag Team)
Anna Jay - Xenia Onatopp
#2 Death Triangle (previously unranked)
Strength: N/I -59% The worst record on this list, but records aren't everything. In 2006 the St. Louis Cardinals won the World Series despite barely having a winning record of 83-78. Death Triangle's strength almost made it into the "Mid" range, but Fenix's loss to Jungle Boy on Rampage (Grand Slam edition) was enough to push them down a category.
Cohesion: High- Death Triangle are a brotherhood and they're unified more than they've ever been in their history. To see a team that works hard and has no backstage drama (to my knowledge) get rewarded like this is a good thing.
Purpose: High- Be the best trios team in AEW. They've succeeded.
Attainment: High- Death Triangle weren't even ranked in my previous entry, but winning the big one goes a long way. The picture below shows an S+ level of attainment. God I love this team.
PAC: Honorary Mexican (All Atlantic Champion, Trios Champion)
Penta el Zero M: Lord of Lucha Libre (Trios Champion)
Fenix: Animo Spirit (Trios Champion)
#1 Blackpool Combat Club (still on top)
Strength: Mid- 79% Ironically it was the loss of Danielson to Moxley that dropped BCC under 80% wins.
Cohesion: High - Even in competition, they remain a brotherhood. After Danielson lost the championship match, he stuck around to put the title on Moxley's waist.
Purpose: High- Fighting around the world like a group of belligerent Russel Crowes.
Attainment: High- Phew, Moxley is champ once again. Despite a bumpy last few weeks, none of the turbulence was due to Mox. His 2022 run has been one for the ages and he has cemented himself as the Ace of AEW. I just hope he's able to get to that much deserved vacation at some point.
Brian Danielson: Earth
Jon Moxley: Fire (AEW World Champion)
Claudio Castagnoli: Water
Wheeler Yuta: Heart
After All Out I was feeling down on AEW. The backstage drama was taking away from my enjoyment of the final product. Luckily one of my favorite acts in wrestling (Death Triangle) won gold and turned me around. Pro-wrestling is all about re-invention, from the gimmicks to the storylines, and sometimes it's a reinvention of fandom its self. I'm looking forward to Full Gear and I'll be back with another installment of the faction power rankings after that PPV.
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