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It was one of those weeks in which the B show of WWE proved to be better than the A show that they hyped to the core. The buildup to Night of Champions took some big twists and turns over the course of seven days as new matches and storylines sprouted for the pay-per-view.Multi superstar tag team matches were the big take away from the otherwise drab week when WWE used the formula for both Raw and SmackDown. The momentum that Cena had during last week cooled down, as he looked to be heading back into the old path.There were some winners and some losers from the week as usual when it came down to the Power Rankings, so here is a look at how the final list shaped up.
#25 Kane (Previous Rank 19)
Kane’s pretty much stuck with the corporate gimmick for the near future. He headlined both Raw and SmackDown this week but could not pick up a win. The big red monster was merely a background character in the mix who didn’t have much of a say in between all the other stars.
#24 Summer Rae (Previous Rank Nil)
WWE tried to hype Total divas with a main event match which made headlines for the wardrobe malfunction of Rosa Mendes. However, it was Summer who got the most out of the match as she managed to jump into the Power Rankings thanks to that win at Main Event.
#23 The Miz (Previous Rank 25)
The Miz is getting all the notes correct as he heads to Night of Champions to reclaim the Intercontinental title. He got the upper hand over both Ziggler and Sheamus in the week and managed to climb three places in the rankings as he piled up momentum for the rematch.
#22 Adam Rose (Previous Rank 23)
Despite being an experienced in-ring performer, WWE is not letting Rose drop his current gimmick and do something productive. However, this doesn’t stop him from getting random wins here and there just like what he did at Raw when he defeated Titus O’Neil.
#21 Bo Dallas (Previous Rank 22)
The undefeated streak might be long gone but Bo is having a meaningful storyline at this moment which will benefit him in the longer run. His feud with Jack Swagger looks set to make it to NOC while it was the win against Ziggler that allowed Bo to improve his rank.
#20 Nikki Bella (Previous Rank 20)
Aligning with the Authority is clearly giving Nikki the gifts that she wished for. She got thrust into a Divas title match at Night of Champions by Stephanie McMahon even though she didn’t deserve it while the friction with Brie continued to roll on the other side.
#19 Big Show (Previous Rank 21)
The World’s largest Athlete carried forward his run after securing another good week under his belt. His team not getting a shot at the tag team titles isn’t what Show would’ve wanted but should be encouraged by a top twenty spot in the power rankings.
#18 Cesaro (Previous Rank 17)
The Swiss Superman might’ve secured a title shot for Night of Champions against Sheamus but his booking still isn’t what he wants at the moment. He split a win and a loss over the week with the latter being a disappointing result for a No. 1 contender.
#17 Stardust and Goldust (Previous Rank 18)
The Rhodes Brothers are having a good run thanks to their heel turn and looks poised to capture the gold from the Usos. The writers are doing a great job in depicting the duo in a way that the fans are not used to seeing which will ultimately bear some benefits.
#16 Jack Swagger (Previous Rank 16)
There were expectations of Swagger being out of relevance once the Rusev feud was over but the Creative intelligently paired him up with Bo Dallas who didn’t have much of anything to do himself. It’s a good prospect for both superstars especially for the Real American who has to prove a point.
#15 Wyatt Family (Previous Rank 11)
The Wyatts are having a creepy drop down the ranks as they are in danger of getting knocked out of the top twenty. The losing streak that they are having right now is doing no good for the situation as all three members are desperate for some good credible booking.
#14 Mark Henry (Previous Rank 15)
Henry has secured a date with Rusev for the Night of Champions while he was picking wins alongside his partner. The World’s strongest man is carrying a lot of momentum at this moment and would be looking to make his country proud again when he faces the Bulgarian Brute.
#13 Rusev (Previous Rank 13)
Rusev was seen taking some shots at Henry this week and secured a fight against the former World Champion. It is the biggest challenge that the Russian has faced during his main event run. Its added on pressure for Rusev but he will be looking to replicate what he did with Swagger.
#12 AJ Lee (Previous Rank 12)
AJ Lee crossed swords with the McMahon girl this week and made it clear that she is the No.1 contender for the Divas title. AJ might not be impressed with the triple threat scenario at NOC but would be looking for nothing less than a win.
#11 Chris Jericho (Previous Rank 14)
Jericho was back this week and went on to be an instrumental part in how both Raw and SmackDown went down. He picked up some momentum thanks to this but there isn’t still any sign of where the company wants to take Jericho next as he is still not booked for NOC.
#10 Dean Ambrose (Previous Rank 7)
The lunatic fringe is nowhere to be seen and this is starting to affect his place in the rankings big time. Taking away Ambrose while he was one of the hottest commodities in the roster wasn’t what the company was supposed to do and they should bring him back at the earliest.
#9 Usos (Previous Rank 9)
One half of the Usos, Jey is currently selling a knee injury which let Jimmy get some singles time in between the ropes. His outing at Raw wasn’t something he would’ve wished for but covered up at SmackDown by picking up a well-earned win.
#8 Paige (Previous Rank 8)
When the company decided to combine the top two divas storyline, it is Paige now who has been put under danger. She has to worry about both AJ and the Bellas with a prospect of Stephanie McMahon also casting shadows over the Championship.
#7 Sheamus (Previous Rank 6)
The Celtic Warrior is running on a lighter schedule that he is used to. This meant that he had to compete only at Raw which ended on a losing note while his SmackDown outing gave a head start as he is preparing to brawl with the Swiss Superman at NOC.
#6 Dolph Ziggler (Previous Rank 10)
Ziggler is continuing his roller coaster ride after winning the intercontinental title. A good win against Cesaro was the stand out result for the Showoff this week as he prepares himself to knock down the challenge raised by the Awesome one.
#5 Seth Rollins (Previous Rank 4)
Mr. Money in the Bank had a forgetful week when he got laid out by a hot Cena on Raw. SmackDown didn’t prove to be anything better for Rollins as the absence of Ambrose is haunting him and dragging him down the Rankings.
#4 Randy Orton (Previous Rank 5)
Orton returned to the WWE program after a week’s absence and drove himself right into the title picture. He still hasn’t given up the championship dreams while still having a score to settle with Roman Reigns who will face him next week on Raw.
#3 John Cena (Previous Rank 3)
The Cenation leader was out again to silence his critics who doubted him for that one performance he had at SummerSlam against the Beast. The message came out as strong as Cena would’ve wanted and he now has the biggest rematch of his career lined up for Night of Champions.
#2 Roman Reigns (Previous Rank - 2)
Reigns couldn’t be at the level he was last week as a certain John Cena overshadowed the Samoan to some extent. Reigns is apparently still being kept away from the next level push as he might be continuing his feud with Orton for the near future.
#1 Brock Lesnar (Previous Rank 1)
The champions pulled off another disappearing act but the brilliance of Paul Heyman was enough to keep the fans rooted to their seats at Raw. Lesnar however needs to be on the television to keep the fans buzzing more about the Night of Champions encounter.
