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Hello friends and welcome to this weeks edition of the AEW Rankings. This week we look those whose philosophy to wrestling is why be by yourself when you can have a mate in the corner.
These rankings are done in kayfabe taking into account each wrestlers role in the world of AEW, their recent records, rankings and strength of schedule.
#1- FTR
For the first time in PWM's Power Ranking history, the current reigning champs do not hold the top spot of their division's ranking. Why? Well, The Top Guys have a recent win over the champs, The Lucha Brothers after beating them for the AAA Tag Titles on the 16th Oct episode of Dynamite. The win was controversial with confusion over which companies rules the match was wrestled under with experts claiming that the Lucha Brothers should have been disqualified for unmasking FTR who started the match under masks as the Super Ranas as per AAA rules but it became clear that the match was under AEW rules and despite their plan to disguise themselves unravelling within minutes of the opening bell, Dax and Cash would beat the current AEW Champs and lay claim to be the next team to challenge for the belts that FTR never got a rematch for after their loss to the Young Bucks at Full Gear 2020.
#2- Lucha Brothers
Despite their loss to FTR, Rey Fenix and Penta El Zero M have been on a run of success in 2021 and after victories against The Acclaimed and The Butcher and The Blade, the brothers from Mexico City have been worthy AEW champs so far. But after defeat to The Top Guys, Penta and Fenix will probably see the new AAA Champs in the other corner for their next defence of their All Elite belts in what will be a pick 'em contest.
#3- Sting/Darby Allin
On first view this placing looks very controversial but with victories over FTR and a Top 10 team in our last rankings in 2point0, Sting and Darby have a good case to be up there in the Power Rankings. Whether Darby wants to concreate on the singles ranks after attempting to avenge MJF's attacks verbally and physically in the past weeks will be something to observer in the next few weeks and months. Sting himself has only wrestled to avenge wrongs inflicted on himself and his protegee but should FTR add AEW gold to their AAA titles, could Sting and Allin claim a chance to fight for the belts.
#4- Men Of The Year
Since forming an alliance in the early parts of spring this year, Scorpio Sky and Ethan Page have not put many feet wrong only losing once to the team of Sting and Darby Allin. Now under the management of Dan Lambert, the founder of the MMA gym, America's Top Team which has won Gym of The Year the last four years at the World MMA Awards, Page and Sky could be contenders to be reckoned with in the future. A victory over the team of Chris Jericho and Jake Hager has been one of many occurrences of ATT having the number of Jericho and his Inner Circle and should Page and Sky win the feud over Jericho and co at Full Gear and take the AEW Tag Titles down the line, Lambert could add the AEW tag belts to his vast collection of historic wrestling belts.
#5- Young Bucks
So, The Young Bucks have not wrestled a tag team since losing the AEW Tag Titles at All Out. Instead the Bucks have prioritised their time making up for lost time by teaming with Superkliq buddy Adam Cole in trios victories over Jurassic Express and The Dark Order. It's their prowess in the months before their reign as tag champs ended that puts them in the top 5 but also the lack of activity from the teams 6th to 10th on AEW television that put Matt and Nick in the position they are in at this time.
#6- Santana and Ortiz
After gaining revenge for their loss to FTR on the final Dynamite before All Out, thoughts were that the tag team representatives for the Inner Circle would have pressed the accelerator and made their case for tag team gold. But after joining the Lucha Brothers in dispensing of Private Party and The Butcher and The Blade at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Santana and Ortiz have been drawn into their leader Chris Jericho's war with America's Top Team.
As much as their loyalty to Jericho is admired, the honest truth is that if Santana and Ortiz's dream of winning tag gold is to come true, they are going to need to prevent themselves from being distracted by events concerning their Inner Circle buddies.
#7- Cody Rhodes and Lee Johnson
Bear with me for a second guys. I know what you are thinking
"Cody and Lee Johnson have only wrestled one tag match in the past month"
"Cody is a singles wrestler primarily and has no business being in these rankings"
You're right on the first point. Rhodes and his Nightmare Family student Lee Johnson has only wrestled one tag match in the past 28 days. But its the same amount as Private Party, The Varsity Blonds and the Dark Order's primary team of Evil Uno and Stu Grayson and Rhodes/Johnson solitary victory is a better win than the three teams I have mentioned beating Dante Martin and Matt Sydal on the 29/9 edition of Dynamite.
Is it a damning indictment on the tag division that Cody and Lee are in this top ten? Yes, but as of today Cody and Lee deserve their spot in the top 10
#8- Private Party
Speaking of Private Party, their solitary win in the past 28 days came at Universal Studios when they beat Carlie Bravo and JDX in 4:37. Isiah Kassidy and Marq Quen have taken part in multiple multi-man tags in the past month beating Brock Anderson/Lee Johnson/Chuck Taylor/Wheeler Yuta and losing to The Dark Order in Rochester but like Santana and Ortiz, while their loyalty to their leader in the Hardy Family Office is admirable it might be the barrier between them and tag team gold
#9- The Acclaimed
After Max Caster's time away to contemplate his actions in Charlotte, North Carolina in July, The Acclaimed were undefeated and earned a shot at the Lucha Brothers' tag team titles. However, their match didn't go to plan with defeat coming in 5:16, the shortest AEW Tag Title match in company history. For your records, the second shortest is Lucha Bros first defence of their titles against The Butcher and The Blade at 9:38.
This unfortunate record is a strike against The Acclaimed in a company where until September, no AEW Tag Title matches had gone under 10 minutes. Will The Acclaimed return to the top riches of the rankings in AEW? Absolutely, but they will need to beat those in and around them to get another shot at glory.
#10- Shawn Spears/Wardlow
In a sea of 1-0 records in the past month, Shawn Spears and Wardlow's victory over Fuego Del Sol and Marko Stunt was the most brutal (Wardlow's pop-up powerslam on Marko Stunt is a OMG moment). However the dynamic between the pair has surely changed since Spears was made Wardlow's "accountabili-buddy" on Dynamite this past Saturday. What does it do for Spears and Wardlow's so-far promising pairing? While the betting is that tensions will be high, it might somehow get the pair working together more often and make them a dark horse for a title shot down the line.
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