Bully Ray blasts Tony Khan’s concept in AEW: “They’re only hurting you”
WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray recently blasted Tony Khan's ranking system. Since its inception in 2019, AEW has emerged as an alternative to the Sports Entertainment juggernaut. Furthermore, many believe that AEW is WWE's first proper rival since the Monday Night War days.
There are several reasons for AEW's monumental success in such a short time. Reports suggest that its founder, Tony Khan, offers wrestlers creative freedom and many other things that WWE lacks. Interestingly, they also had a ranking system whose purpose was to give the company a sports-centric feel and further legitimize its operation.
Even though not everyone supports this endeavor, it has led to several memorable moments, like Sting and Darby Allin winning the World Tag Team Championship, Swerve Strickland becoming the number one contender to the World Championship, and more. This system was heavily implemented during the promotion's early days. However, it was soon removed. At the start of this year, it was brought back, but yet again, it was silently dropped.
Interestingly, in a recent appearance on Busted Open Radio, WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray harshly critiqued Tony Khan's ranking system. The veteran said that it should be "thrown away" because it's limiting the company's creative opportunities.
"The rankings in AEW mean absolutely zero, nothing, nil, garbage; throw them away. They're only hurting you and your ability to do whatever the hell you want and be creative with your roster," he said. [H/T: WrestlingInc]
ECW legend Tommy Dreamer is a fan of the AEW ranking system
Earlier this year, former ECW Champion Tommy Dreamer appeared on Busted Open Radio and revealed that he liked Tony Khan's ranking system because it gave the roster a purpose to participate in matches.
"I like them [the rankings]. It's an easier way to have men and women fight for a purpose if you're looking at just straight-up wins and losses," Dreamer said. [H/T: WrestlingInc]
In 2019, Dreamer appeared at the promotion's Double or Nothing pay-per-view event to participate in a Casino Battle Royale. The 21-man showdown ended with "Hangman" Adam Page's victory