Key
Rankings are based on the average position of each champion on our weekly What Mattered and What Didn't Matter list. Number one is the best you can do, and negative numbers are the worst you can do.
Male World Title Rankings
#1 Impact Champion, Average Position 3.75
Moose won best World Champion of the Month because he had the best title feud. Every time I saw Moose on Impact wrestling television, he was doing an interesting segment building towards a title match. Also, Moose's legend grew even more when I heard his opponents talk about him.
#2 AEW Title, Average Position 6.31
With Hangman Adam Page winning the AEW Title, AEW built a new star out of Page. He hasn’t had stellar feuds yet, but his Texas Death Match with Lance Archer was one of the best matches this month.
#3 NXT Title, Average Position 6.80
Similar to AEW, NXT was quick to pull the trigger and rocket strap Bron Breakker. Breakker is a suitable top of the mountain for NXT, and he has had intriguing feuds with Dolph Ziggler and Tommaso Ciampa.
#4 Universal Title, Average Position 8.00
Roman Reigns has maybe been the most credible champion in wrestling, but it’s almost to a fault. Smart fans are fairly confident he isn’t going to lose until he has a comparably credible champion, and his repeat feud with Brock Lesnar is not as engaging as the other champions on this list.
#5 WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Average Position -30.00
The Raw World Champion has been a complete afterthought. Bobby Lashley didn't wrestle the entire month, and every week he was undermined by Brock Lesnar. Creative was just laying out how Brock would win the title, and the current reign didn't matter. Also, it was so clear that the only thing that mattered was the Brock vs. Roman match. So the WWE title only ever made it to the What Didn't Matter list.
Women’s Championship Rankings
Women's Title Rankings
#1 ROH and Reina de Reinas Title, Average Position 3.30
Deonna Purrazzo comes in the first place because she has been holding weekly open challenges for either of her titles. The Virtuoso has been highlighting women in the division on a weekly basis and showing her dominance, and it's been entertaining to watch.
#2 Raw Women’s Champion, Average Position 4.50
Having Becky Lynch back has been a huge asset to WWE Raw. She elevates the whole Women’s Division around her. Her matches with newer stars and, specifically, her feud with Bianca Belair is a stupendous draw for WrestleMania.
#3 AEW Women’s Champion, Average Position 4.60
While AEW Women’s Division has continued to build momentum and depth, the consistent Britt Baker has championed the division. Her promo segments are some of my favorites to watch, and it sets her apart from anything else on the roster.
#4 Knockouts Women's Champion, Average Position 5.50
This month, Mickie James has been involved in an entertaining feud with Tasha Steelz. This feud mostly hit the mark for most of the month. When I tuned into Impact, after the WWE Royal Rumble, I expected to see a lot of Mickie, but Mickie actually did a great job highlighting Tasha and Chelsea Green.
#5 NXT Women's Title, Average Position 6.50
Mandy Rose is an entertaining champion, but I don't feel like we get enough of her. It felt relevant and important when she had her feud with Kay Lee Ray, but NXT snubbed her and did her title match a week before the big show. Also, it really felt like it was time for Mandy to win a match on her own, and instead, Mandy retained with very typical heel tactics. Mandy has more to offer than what she is doing right now. What they are doing is good, but it could be great if NXT expands Mandy's role on the show.
#6 TBS Women's Title, Average Position 8.00
Jade Cargill's undefeated streak is good long-term. However, it's not always enjoyable to watch in the short-term. Jade has never been on the What Didn't Matter list, but she rarely ever made the What Mattered list. AEW needs to find a way to add some flair to her weekly matches.
#7 SmackDown Women's Title, Average Position 9.00
This might seem low for the SmackDown Women's title, but it's actually lucky to be even be ranked positively. The SmackDown title was absolutely dead before the Royal Rumble. Ronda Rousey has resurrected the title from obscurity, and Naomi and Sonya Deville have lent the title to their storyline to save it from obscurity, and it has worked for the last month.
Mid-Card Title Ranking
#1 TNT Title, Average Position 5.50
This was easy to rank number one: show stealers on Dynamite and Rampage, a super over baby face champion, and everything the television title concept is meant to be. Sammy Guevara vs. Cody Rhodes was also one of the best matches this month, and the TNT Title is as important as any title in wrestling right now.
#2 United States Title, Average Position 6.00
It’s a testament to Damian Priest that he got a great reception online after his run as champion. He had consistently great matches on TV, even when creative gave them little to no build. Now, new champion, Finn Balor and Priest are headed toward an intriguing featured match at WrestleMania.
#3 North American Title, Average Position 13.50
Carmelo Hayes is very talented, but the North American Title has been coasting. The match quality between Melo and Cameron Grimes was good, but the stories Melo has had to tell have left much to be desired.
#4 Intercontinental Title, Average Position 13.50
Shinsuke Nakamura had as meaningless of a title run as you could have, but Sami Zayn’s character work and victory gave this title a push in the right direction this month.
#5 X Division, Average Position 14.00
X Division on Impact just wasn't on the radar at all this month. The biggest thing to happen in the X Division this month was the Triple Threat contender's match.
Tag Division
#1 Impact Tag Champions, Average Position 4.50
For just starting to watch Impact, the tag team champions were the main event feud. It was easy to pick up because of the rich history between the Good Brothers and Bullet Club, and it was executed so well that it puts them in the number one spot.
#2 AEW Tag Champions, Average Position 7.50
This company has the strongest tag team division, but new champions Jurassic Express are still getting their footing. They still had good matches, primarily on Rampage, and it is clear there is more to come with their reign.
#3 Raw Tag Champions, Average Position 14.50
This is another strong division, but it’s not quite firing on all cylinders. Sometimes, the segments with RK-Bro and Alpha Academy hit. At best, they usually end up in the lower part of the What Mattered list, comedy relief segments that aren’t on par with the champions above them on this list.
#4 NXT Tag Titles, Average Position 15.00
Imperium is a great tag team, but I don't know if someone who just started watching NXT this month would know that. We understand that they always deliver in the big matches, but they need more time on NXT to get over.
#5 SmackDown Tag Titles, Average Position -9.00
This is sad because the Usos are just as good as they have ever been. However, they only ever make the negative side of the list because they haven't been in a meaningful feud all month. The tag titles just don't feel important right now.
Women’s Tag Titles
#1 NXT Women's Tag Title, Average Position 3.50
This month, Toxic Attraction is the best women's tag team because they actually defended their titles this month. Not only did they defend their title, but they had the best women's tag team match of the month across all brands on Vengeance Day.
#2 Impact Women's Tag Champs, Average Position 6.00
The IInspiration haven't had as much in-ring stuff as Toxic Attraction, but they have the best storyline in women's tag team wrestling. I enjoy tuning in and seeing what the IInspiration will do to Kaleb next to cause turmoil with The Influence.
#3 WWE Women’s Tag Team, Average Position 6.00
This has been a poorly executed concept since WWE launched these titles. The teams are rarely well-developed creatively, and the women rarely get time to make an impact in-ring. As soon as a new team gets over, they win the titles, and WWE tends to abandon them. Despite all that, the women are talented enough that they’ve landed on the What Mattered List a few times.
The Best of the Rest
#1 AAA World Tag Team Title, Average Position 1.00
FTR got the number one spot off the strength of their instant classic against CM Punk and Jon Moxley. FTR had one of the top five best matches of the month, debatably the best match.
#2 FTW Title, Average Position 2.00
The FTW Title is in a weird territory, but it lends something credible to Ricky Starks. In his one defense this month, they were the highlight of that week’s Rampage.
#3 Digital Media Title, Average Position 2.50
We all know about TV titles, but Impact Digital Media title is a unique and well-executed concept. The feud between Matt Cardona and Jordynne Grace has been maybe the best thing on Impact since I started watching. I just want to see them incorporate the digital media part more.
#4 24/7 Title, Average Position 9.50
The 24/7 title has really made a bounce back. Ever since Valentine's Day, when Dana and Reggie's storyline got romantic, the title has gotten better. It has been less formulaic, and more comical and entertaining.
Superstar of The Month
MJF
MJF cut a promo that is already a contender for Promo of the Year. He has been involved in a feud with CM Punk that will probably be nominated for Feud of the Year. Also, MJF has separated himself from the wrestling world as the top heel in wrestling. MJF has been on one of the hottest runs of his career and has been praised by WWE and AEW superstars. For all these reasons and more, MJF is my Superstar of the Month.