Dax Harwood Weighs In On AEW's 'Subjective' Rankings System
All Elite Wrestling's team of FTR (Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler) have gone through quite the career renaissance in 2022, collecting a number of championships along the way, including the RIng of Honor, IWGP and AAA Tag Team Titles.
Harwood and Wheeler have been putting on highly-touted matches with the likes of The Briscoes in ROH, as well as stealing the show at the AEW-New Japan "Forbidden Door" pay-per-view, toppling Roppongi Vice and the United Empire in a Winner Takes All match to claim the IWGP Tag Team Championship.
That said, the "Living Legends" still take issue when it comes to being ranked by fans and critics, as well as when it comes to AEW's often-critiqued rankings system, as Harwood was apt to point out during a September 20 interview on the "Ringer Wrestling Show" podcast: "If we were worried about rankings, we would be (AEW) tag team champions right now. We've been number one since ... forever. For the love of God, Tony (Khan), give us a shot."
Harwood isn't exactly exaggerating on that point; as per AEW's official rankings, FTR have been ranked as top contenders to the company's Tag Team Titles going all the way back to April 7 of this year, ranking as such following a fantastic main event versus The Young Bucks on the April 6 episode of "AEW Dynamite," and have yet to receive a title match.
Harwood isn't phased, however, and doesn't let the 'subjectivity' of the fans or AEW's ranking system bog him and Wheeler down when it comes to their work inside the ring. Rather, it's the thoughts and feelings of their fellow wrestlers and veterans of the industry that he focuses on: "The thing is, is that ranking and stuff ... all that is subjective and cool, but the win for me is whenever Bret Hart texts me, or Randy Orton texts me, or Edge, or Arn Anderson ... and they say 'That was a f*****g classic' ... man, I love getting accolades, I love the fans. Caring about us, loving us and ranking us high, but when my peers and the people I look up to give us that praise, that's pretty cool."
If you use any quotes from the article, please credit "The Ringer Wrestling Show" podcast with a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.