With so much going on in WWE, we are back to break down where the company stands at the end of its latest week. After every set of WWE shows, 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 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 our podcast In This Corner with Brian Campbell where we break down everything you need to know each week.
WWE Power Rankings
Wrestler | Title / Brand | Last Week | Trend |
---|---|---|---|
1. AJ Styles | SmackDown (U.S. champion) | 1 | -- |
The best in-ring worker in the company continues to produce at an elite level. His U.S. title feud with Kevin Owens picked up from a confusingly slow start to peak with a mini-classic at SummerSlam. Styles, who has instituted an open challenge for his title, appears headed to a spinoff feud with Baron Corbin, where his challenge will be to get the big man over. | |||
2. Braun Strowman | Raw (No. 1 contender) | 5 | |
"The Monster Among Men" is the hottest superstar in the company at the moment, having manhandled Brock Lesnar during the Fatal 4-Way main event at SummerSlam. Fresh off a star-making feud against Roman Reigns, Strowman will have a chance to prove he belongs against Lesnar in a title feud which promises violence, if nothing else. | |||
3. Roman Reigns | Raw | 2 | |
The kickoff to Reigns' "dream feud" opposite John Cena has the WWE universe buzzing. Reigns has held his own trading shoot-style promos in the setup of a feud that is set to begin surprisingly early on the calendar despite having WrestleMania written all over it. | |||
4. Brock Lesnar | Raw (universal champion) | 6 | |
"The Beast" finally has an opponent big enough to allow him to believably sell while athletic enough to keep up with him in Strowman. These two are what "heavyweight wrestling" is all about. Even though Lesnar has already done well to put over (if not outright make) Strowman as his equal, don't discount what Braun's presence might do to bring out the best of Brock at age 40. | |||
5. John Cena | Raw (free agent) | NR | |
Back on Raw in an effort to help boost ratings (while exposing himself to a fresh group of opponents), Cena has looked fresh and renewed entering his feud with Reigns. The unique structure of this top babyface vs. top babyface feud also allows Cena to flash some heel mannerisms without needing to make a full turn. | |||
6. Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins | Raw (tag team champions) | NR | |
If you want to know whether this mini-Shield reunion has been a success, just listen to the roar of the crowd each week. Both superstars have been elevated by being joined together and the longterm potential of a spinoff feud when and if they turn on each other remains explosive. | |||
7. Alexa Bliss | Raw (women's champion) | NR | |
We can argue all we want whether taking the belt off of Sasha Banks just one week after SummerSlam was the right call, but that hasn't lessened the impact Bliss continues to have on Raw. She's arguably the best woman on the microphone in all of WWE and has worn the titles of both brands well. | |||
8. The Miz | Raw (intercontinental champion) | 7 | |
The intercontinental champion responded to the downgrade of a kickoff show opening match at SummerSlam by cutting a promo-of-the-year contender on Raw the next night. With the Miztourage stable behind him, Miz has proven time and again he's deserving of another major feud similar to what he received by working with Cena at WrestleMania. | |||
9. Shinsuke Nakamura | SmackDown | 4 | |
It would appear that WWE's "Rock Star" is on his way toward a a run with the WWE championship. The timing of Nakamura's push to the top has made sense after a rough early patch upon his main roster debut. But before he can wear WWE gold, Nakamura will need to find a way to make his current feud with Jinder Mahal worth watching. | |||
10. Asuka | NXT (women's champion) | NR | |
Though she was forced to relinquish her women's championship after a broken collar bone suffered at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III, Asuka is technically still the brand's women's champion (per WWE) as that episode of NXT has not aired yet. She appears headed to the main roster upon recovery, but her epic match with Ember Moon and unbeaten title reign is deserving of recognition among the very best -- male or female -- on WWE's roster. |
Dropped out: Samoa Joe, Finn Balor, Bray Wyatt
Best of the week
Wrestler -- Alexa Bliss: Getting a chance to main event Raw in a match that truly mattered, Bliss further showcased the amazing in-ring chemistry she has opposite Banks by regaining the women's championship on the red brand. Not only was the match strong, the extra curricular activity of Nia Jax beating down both after the match teased of good things to come. While seeing the belt come off of Banks' waist so quickly feels like a questionable move, Monday's execution of everything else involving the women's title was top shelf and anchored by Bliss.
Match -- 15-man battle royal (Raw): Opening Raw with a shot at The Miz's intercontinental title on the line for next week, this match set the tone for a strong episode to come and delivered with even better booking. Strong teases of predictable victories from either Jason Jordan or Finn Balor were pleasantly overturned by Jeff Hardy's late win. Considering the strong singles matches Hardy has already contributed on Raw since his WrestleMania turn, his title shot against The Miz has plenty of potential.
Move -- Adam Cole DDTing Drew McIntyre onto the stage (NXT): Just when it appeared as if the former Ring of Honor trio of Cole, Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish were no-shows on NXT, the new heel faction made their presence felt. In their first appearance on WWE television since Cole made his debut by attacking McIntyre at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III, their invasion continued Wednesday with a second blindside of McIntyre. The assault was punctuated by a DDT onto the stage from Cole to send the message that he's here to take over.
What are THEY doing here?!?! #WWENXT @AdamColePro @theBobbyFish @KORcombat pic.twitter.com/cEGsCF5eIt
— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) August 31, 2017
Promo -- John Cena and Roman Reigns (Raw): Was it scripted or was it a shoot? In the end, it really doesn't matter because it was awesome. Both Cena and Reigns exchanged the type of real-life trash talk that most of their respective detractors constantly state on social media. By removing the fourth wall, which Cena alluded to, this became quite possibly the best dialogue segment WWE has produced this calendar year.
Witness the INTENSE war of words between @JohnCena & @WWERomanReigns! How will this impact next week's #RAW? https://t.co/Cuxw3rVFvE
— WWE (@WWE) August 31, 2017
Show -- Raw: This was a hot episode from the battle royal which opened it to the Bliss-Banks championship match in the main event. In between, the red brand provided plenty of quick-hitting entertainment including a strong promo from Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman. Some have suggested Raw's hot run of late (which has included Cena jumping ship from SmackDown) has been a calculated move to lift ratings and build momentum entering football season. Either way, it has been great to see. SmackDown, meanwhile, continues to struggle in terms of consistent entertainment with Jinder Mahal as its champion.
Grade
Week ending Sept. 1: B