AEW World Champion Samoa Joe Reacts To Return Of Rankings System

Tony Khan only recently decreed that he would be bringing back the rankings system to AEW. The rankings system was used until late 2021 as a way of tracking those worthy of a title shot, but the company abandoned the process for a more "sports-entertainment" friendly way of booking. In his first reign as AEW World Champion, Samoa Joe will be the first titleholder under the returning system, and shared his thoughts on the change during an interview with Sportskeeda. 

"It doesn't change anything I do. I mean, what I do is obviously effective; I'm the World Champion," said Joe, "What it changes is the quality of the competitor that I have to actually deal with. I don't have to deal with every scrub that starts a beef on the outside. Some moron in the parking lot thinks he should be the number one contender, I don't get to deal with that anymore. Now, there is a system in place that keeps the less-than-desirable away from the desirable competitors. That's what the rankings are all about." Elaborating further, Joe said he sees the rankings keeping those who "suck" away from him to not contract "suckiness" by osmosis. 

"I absorb a lot of my environment. So if there's people who suck around me, then you know, I might start sucking because of all the suckage that is in my general vicinity. Now, you know, like all I absorbed is the very best of vibes, because only the best are around me. If you're not that type of person, then you suck. You're kept away from me. That's the science behind what we're doing here. You know, people ask, why are they doing [rankings]? Then please point them to this interview and say, Joe broke down the science of why suckiness can't be around him. They will understand what I mean.