WWE Power Rankings debut, Shinsuke Nakamura among best of a standout week
Breaking down the week that was in WWE from power rankings to a weekly grade
The world of WWE is growing by the day and with so much going on, we felt it was best to begin a series where we break down where the company stands at the end of every week. Enter the first edition of CBS Sports' WWE Power Rankings.
Each week we will determine the top 10 talents in the company based on a variety of factors including in-ring ability, mic work, overall brand prestige, championships, recent pushes and importance to current storylines. These rankings are voted on by a small panel helmed by your's truly, Brian Campbell.
We will also get into the best of the week in WWE, singling out the top superstar, match, move and promo over the last seven days. And last but not least, WWE will get a grade for the product they produced. So let's get to it.
Big fan of WWE? Be sure to subscribe to my podcast In This Corner with Brian Campbell where I break down everything you need to know each week.
WWE Power Rankings
| Wrestler | Title / Brand | Last Week | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. AJ Styles | SmackDown | n/a | -- |
| Despite losing at Backlash via countout, Styles remains the most over star in WWE. He continues to elevate whomever joins him in the ring and will likely remain an integral part to the introduction of Shinsuke Nakamura. | |||
| 2. Kevin Owens | United States Championship (SD) | n/a | -- |
| You can argue that Owens has done enough to be main eventing on SmackDown and not holding the secondary title, and you would be right. His ability to tweak his gimmick on the fly and get heat no matter the situation is stellar. | |||
| 3. Roman Reigns | Raw | n/a | -- |
| No matter who else gets featured on Raw, Reigns is always there. With Braun Strowman out, WWE has found a way to keep Reigns relevant, though it's doubtful he wins at Extreme Rules next Sunday. | |||
| 4. Finn Balor | Raw | n/a | -- |
| Though he lost to Reigns two weeks ago, Balor went face-to-face with Paul Heyman on Monday and put on a tremendous performance against former Bullet Club teammate Karl Anderson. | |||
| 5. Alexa Bliss | Women's Championship (Raw) | n/a | -- |
| There's no female superstar doing a better job week to week than Bliss, who continues to improve every Monday. You'll see plenty of women in these rankings going forward, but as of right now, Bliss is the only one who deserves a spot. | |||
| 6. Jinder Mahal | WWE Championship (SD) | n/a | -- |
| Mahal's spot here is mostly due to his sudden rise into a main eventer and title holder. It's unlikely he remains this high unless he improves in the ring and on the mic. He's very much a work in progress despite his enhanced status. | |||
| 7. Seth Rollins | Raw | n/a | -- |
| Rollins got tapped out by Samoa Joe to close Raw and appears poised to continue that feud through Extreme Rules. He's still ranked, but WWE is not putting all its eggs in his basket anymore with so much talent now on Monday nights. | |||
| 8. Shinsuke Nakamura | SmackDown | n/a | -- |
| The King of Strong Style has fought two matches in WWE and earned pinfall victories over Dolph Ziggler and Kevin Owens (in a tag team match). Not too shabby. He will never be strong on the mic but got the job done on Tuesday. | |||
| 9. The Miz | SmackDown | n/a | -- |
| The addition of Maryse has rejuvenated Miz, who is getting massive heat even as he repeats a feud with Dean Ambrose. His heel antics on Monday were tremendous, and the intercontinental title may be around his waist again soon. | |||
| 10. Bray Wyatt | Raw | n/a | -- |
| Prior to WrestleMania 33, Wyatt would have been way up on the list. Afterwards, he would have easily been off it. Now he checks in at No. 10 as he is finally starting to regain some of his mojo in his new role on Raw. | |||
First five out (no order): The Hardy Boyz, The Usos, Neville, Baron Corbin, Charlotte
Best of the week in WWE
Wrestler -- Shinsuke Nakamura: If we are including his in-ring debut on the main roster from Sunday's Backlash card with the work he put in during Tuesday night's strong SmackDown Live main event, WWE's "rock star" was finally given room to showcase the foundation of why he's so beloved. And despite his frustratingly cheesy new nickname, Nakamura's beloved strong style was on full display. WWE also did well to reward independent wrestling fans by pairing him in a tag team with AJ Styles.
Match -- Akira Tozawa def. The Brian Kendrick (205 Live): This "street fight" between cruiserweights was the culmination of a strong two-month program in which the heel veteran Kendrick failed in his quest to take the Japanese newcomer under his wing. The final payoff on Tuesday was physical and intense with Tozawa leaping high off the top rope to land a senton through a table onto Kendrick at ringside.
Move -- Finn Balor's tope con hilo onto Karl Anderson: The move has unfortunately become routine at times as more and more WWE superstars make a point to showcase their athleticism in high spots regardless of the importance of the match. But Balor reminded on Monday during Raw just how breathtaking it can look when done by an expert professional.
.@FinnBalor TAKES ROLLINS AND REIGNS OUT WITH A TOPE CON HILO! #RAW pic.twitter.com/O3zEBB0sY4
— Italo Santana (@BulletClubItal) May 16, 2017
Promo -- Alexa Bliss: The Raw women's champion was at her diabolical best during a backstage interview on Monday, reiterating her belief that Bayley simply doesn't have what it takes to get extreme ahead of their June 4 rematch at Extreme Rules. Dropping an evil laugh while watching pictures of Bayley's bruises from the previous week's kendo stick attack was the perfect accoutrement.
Show -- Raw: The race between WWE's top two brands was close this week with SmackDown providing the bigger moments overall. But Raw was consistent and fast-paced, which is everything you can ask from a three-hour show that often drags. This week just plain worked, featuring strong in-ring action and attention to detail in the minor feuds.
Grade
Week ending May 26: A-
















