WWE veteran says CM Punk did a favor talking Tony Khan out of the AEW rankings system

CM Punk's days in AEW might be over, but his time in Tony Khan's promotion is brought up on numerous occasions. This time, a wrestling veteran credited him for talking Khan out of their rankings system.

The veteran in question is Dutch Mantell. The AEW rankings system was introduced early by the Jacksonville-based company as a unique proposition for the wrestling fan base. All members of the roster were ranked on the basis of their win-loss records and moved up the ladder of opportunities accordingly.

However, the Best in the World was not behind the idea. His influence backstage and star power were enough to convince Tony Khan to abandon the concept.

While speaking on the recent edition of his Story Time with Dutch Mantell podcast, former WWE manager Dutch Mantell credited CM Punk for getting the rankings system scrapped and called it irrelevant. According to Dutch, the rankings did not define an AEW star's credibility as a top star.

"Well actually CM Punk did him a favor, because if you go by those rankings, I don't give a s**t, because if you rank a guy, say you would rate I don't know... Who is the kid that almost killed himself coming off the ladder, what's his name?... (answers Dante Martin) you could rate him number two but guess what? Just because you ranked him number two don't mean he would draw a dime," Dutch Mantell said. [1:04 - 1:34]

You can watch the full podcast below:

Tony Khan, however, recently decided to bring back the rankings system to his company as a way of building excitement among the fan base.

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CM Punk is currently sidelined with an injury in WWE

As far as CM Punk is concerned, he exited AEW last summer and returned to WWE in November 2023.

The Second City Saint openly declared his intentions to achieve his goal of main evening WrestleMania 40. However, an untimely triceps injury at the 2024 Royal Rumble Premium Live Event pushed him to the sidelines, with Punk announcing that he would miss The Show of Shows this year.

It has been discussed, however, that the former WWE Champion could be inserted into the WrestleMania plans in some other capacity. We will have to wait and see what happens next on the Road to WrestleMania 40.

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Do you think CM Punk will be a part of WrestleMania 40 in some capacity? Sound off in the comments section below!