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Hello and welcome to this week's AEW Power Rankings looking at the Men's Singles Division. This is an in Kayfabe look at the division. Meaning we look at the fictional world of AEW and the landscape they are currently presenting on screen. Below you will find a Top 10 for the division based on Championships, Wins and Losses and positioning on the card.
1. MJF
It's the obvious thing to do when evaluating the AEW landscape, putting the World Champion at number one. However, the manner in which MJF has ascended to the top has been quite something in his own twister, now sinister way.
He defeated Jon Moxley, something Bryan Danielson, Adam Page, Chris Jericho and Hiroshi Tanahashi have been unable to do this year. But not only did he defeat Jon Moxley, he underhandedly sowed cracks in the very foundation of the Blackpool Combat Club. His recent attack on William Regal highlighted just how little he will allow to get in his way.
Add all that to MJF's resolution to defend the World Championship rarely and on only the biggest stages AEW has to offer, it seems he will not allow himself to be picked off easily.
2. Jon Moxley
Often when World Champions lose their belt in AEW there is quite a step down in terms of their 'power' within the AEW landscape. However, Jon Moxley walked out to confront William Regal on the very next episode of Dynamite, Bryan Danielson got on his knees in front of him, Adam Page returning to confront Moxley now gives him a huge opportunity to bounce back and the very manner in which MJF had to stoop to to overcome Moxley really underlines his position in the company.
Beating Jon Moxley in AEW is an almost impossible task, almost nobody does it clean. He's still the measuring stick and the most featured at top of the card.
3. Chris Jericho
The Ring of Honor World Champion is having a heck of a run. At Full Gear he came out on top of two former ROH World Champions as part of a 4-way match. He has now just beaten New Japan legend Tomohiro Ishii, but differently to most of his reign he did it clean this time. His position on this ranking is so high because of the strength of opposition he has bested this year and the position he has held on the card whilst doing so.
He also heads a powerful and influential stable within AEW, but all of this is in jeopardy in coming weeks. Claudio Castagnoli is a frightening challenger for Jericho and he is on a roll. Then there is the very make-up of his stable; are Garcia and Guevara content with their positions or is there a coming reckoning for the JAS.
4. Ricky Starks
Ricky Starks has had a huge couple of months. He is now out on his own having left Team Taz in the past, he then eventually bested Powerhouse Hobbs in the main event of Rampage: Grand Slam, before winning the World Championship opportunity tournament running through Lance Archer, Brian Cage and Ethan Page; three huge men!
Now with an opportunity against MJF at Winter is Coming, Ricky Starks may claim that he should be number 2 in this ranking, it is the difficulty in accomplishing that feat that holds him down in fourth; two spots below a former champion. Starks has to get himself healthy, beat a tremendous wrestler and overcome a terrifyingly dastardly man in MJF.
5. Orange Cassidy
Cassidy is cutting an interesting path of impressive victories in the latter part of 2022. He has defeated Hager, Shibata, Rush, Ten, Fenix and Luchasuarus, either directly or as part of a multi-person match since taking the belt from Pac.
Under his stewardship, this belt has become more featured than the TNT Championship and he has certainly done a more impressive job of defending it than Wardlow did. Cassidy is also raising his stock with an impressive attitude towards challengers; literally taking on anyone in any manner they wish.
6. Samoa Joe
Joe is going through one heck of a late career renaissance. He holds a number 2/3 belt in both AEW and ROH at the same time. It's not the first time in his career that Joe has held more than one belt at the same time, but to do it at 43 after everything he has put his body through over the years is unexpected.
Then add into the mix that he took the TNT belt whilst in the ring with young and prestigious wrestlers Hobbs and Wardlow and his accomplishments just look better and better. Yet, like Jericho, he finds himself in trouble of it all falling apart. On Wednesday he defends the TNT Championship against the man who defended that belt more than anyone else. Before defending the ROH TV Championship against Juice Robinson at Final Battle.
7. Darby Allin
The former TNT Champion finds himself on a three match winning streak going into a TNT Championship match against a man with split focus on Wednesday. With Allin being a former champion who was part of the continuous elevating of the belt, him being a step away from being able to continue his legacy with a belt that he said he had more interest in regaining than even winning the World Championship belt, makes him on the cusp of potentially something special.
8. Ethan Page
'All Ego' made it all the way to the final of the before mentioned tournament with huge wins over Eddie Kingston and Bandido. Add that to his high-profile heading of new and exciting stable; The Firm, and it feels like Ethan Page could be just waiting for the correct opportunity to surge his way up the card.
9. Jungle Boy
Jack Perry had the win of his career to date as he bested his former partner in a steel cage. The significance of this is boosted by the fact the deck had been so stacked against in in the lead up to the match by Luchasaurus and Christian Cage.
However he is in danger of losing all that momentum if he doesn't start heading towards bigger things soon.
10. Bryan Danielson
It's been an up and down few months for Danielson, he lost his chance at the World Championship to Moxley after huge wins over Jericho and Page. However it feels like he may have turned a corner with a win over Harwood and with MJF on top of his division, it seems likely he'll be motivated to hunt him down after what happened this week to William Regal.
Ones to Watch:
Powerhouse Hobbs - A man a lot of people thought would be TNT Champion now, he finds himself without a path. Anyone with a championship belt should look out over their shoulder for his threat.
Wardlow - Essentially, robbed of the TNT Championship by Joe. A revengeful win over Jow would send him in the correct direction again and his connection to MJF may lead to even more interesting things down the road.
Adam Page - The returning Cowboy has set his sights on Jon Moxley, who a victory over would catapult him into World Championship contendership.
Thank you for checking out this article. We will be back with an update on the AEW Men's Singles Division in a months time. However, next week we will have a Power Rankings look at the AEW Women's Singles Division.