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One of the most important things that a WWE Superstar needs when preparing for a pay-per-view has to be momentum.Though the shows running in the company are scripted, theyve always given some special care to build up some good momentum for the superstars who will be exposed to pay-per-view spotlight in the near future.It has been the same for Battleground also and the best indicator to check who has the upper hand heading into the pay-per-view is the power rankings.Some superstars saw ups and downs in the rankings during the go home week and with just hours to go for Battleground; here is a look at how the Power Rankings shaped up.
#25 The Miz (Previous Rank Nil)
After having an irrelevant return to the WWE roster, Miz finally made it to the headlines when he got a win over the United States champion Sheamus. Thanks to this, he has secured a place in the Power Rankings and would be looking to climb further up by winning the Battle royal on Sunday.
#24 Naomi (Previous Rank 25)
The Funkadactyls are officially over now and Naomi seems to be the one benefiting from the situation. She is all set to face Cameron on Sunday and the win against Rosa Mendes on Superstars helps Naomi build up some kind of momentum before she faces her former friend.
#23 Dolph Ziggler (Previous Rank Nil)
Ziggler was seen picking up two big victories over the week and sets himself nicely for his big match at Battleground. In addition to this, the showoff also reaped the fruits of Fandango’s misery with Summer Rae and Layla which rounded up a good week for Ziggler.
#22 Jack Swagger (Previous Rank 23)
Swagger has drawn the battle lines against Rusev for Sunday and the feud was fueled by the debate held between Lana and Zeb Colter. Swagger was projected strong during the buildup and he will be looking to continue that run by being the first one to defeat Rusev cleanly.
#21 Rybaxel (Previous Rank 19)
Curtis Axel and Ryback have turned their sight away from Goldust and Stardust but it hasn’t improved their situation. The duo picked up another loss during the week after Big E and Kofi Kingston produced a good performance. The only hope for the two now will be the battle royal where it will be individual success at stake.
#20 Chris Jericho (Previous Rank 20)
Jericho was out to seek answers from Bray Wyatt this week but failed to explore the eater of the worlds. He took multiple attacks from the Wyatt family as well with Usos coming to his save on SmackDown. On Sunday it will be an all-out war between Jericho and Wyatt with the former keen to deliver a big message.
#19 Alberto Del Rio (Previous Rank 21)
Alberto Del Rio brushed up his old rivalry against Rob Van Dam this week and came up on top as well. He also got a win over Kofi Kingston during the week and is looking strong heading into Battleground, where he will have a chance to seek some revenge against Sheamus.
#18 Bo Dallas (Previous Rank 18)
The inspirational Bo Dallas was out to do what he does best this week. He overcame a big challenge in the form of Great Khali to extend his undefeated streak and has promised to come out as the intercontinental champion from the battle royal on Sunday.
#17 Stardust and Goldust (Previous Rank 17)
WWE still hasn’t revealed the long term plan for the duo and has kept the mystery level to a maximum. This idea however, is turning out to be a success among the fans. Both the superstars will be taking part in the battle royal on Sunday and the fans might end up with a weird champion if one of them wins.
#16 Adam Rose (Previous Rank 16)
The rumors of WWE’s backstage officials not being interested in Rose is getting stronger as each week pass. He was kept away from in ring action this time as well but managed to stay rooted to his previous spot thanks to the wins he had in the past.
#15 Rob Van Dam (Previous Rank 14)
It was a week for forget for Mr. Monday Night as he suffered a loss against his former rival Alberto Del Rio. The loss turns out to be a big blow for Van Dam’s buildup to the Intercontinental championship match which might be his last opportunity to have a last hurray.
#14 Paige (Previous Rank 15)
Paige had a tag team win in the week which has helped her to climb up in the rankings. Paige’s mysterious admiration for AJ Lee still continuous to keep the fans buzzing and the situation is expected to be clearer once these two square off for the title at Battleground.
#13 Rusev (Previous Rank 12)
The Bulgarian brute seems to be facing his biggest road block till now as he is going head to head with Jack Swagger. Swagger’s involvement is adversely affecting Rusev’s run in WWE and it is reflecting in the power rankings where he dropped one place.
#12 Big E (Previous Rank 13)
The former intercontinental champion was back in the fold this week picking up back to back victories. He looks more than ready to win the title back at Battleground. The wins help him to progress in the rankings and a title win would take him further up.
#11 Cesaro (Previous Rank 10)
Cesaro’s bad run continued this week as he picked up a loss against Big E. Absence of Paul Heyman made look Cesaro even weaker and hopefully he would pick himself up when he needs it most. Till then, Cesaro has been relegated to a superman who is wearing a kryptonite suit.
#10 AJ Lee (Previous Rank 11)
The Divas champion remained undefeated after her return and has found a place in the top ten. However, she still keeps a keen eye on Paige who is turning out to be a mysterious friend. AJ could end up in a higher rank after Sunday if she manages to dispatch Paige successfully.
#9 Kane (Previous Rank 9)
The big red monster might’ve not picked up any win this week, but he made a large impact as usual. Most of the WWE universe doesn’t give any chance to Kane when it comes to wining the WWE championship, making him the most explosive surprise in the match.
#8 The Usos (Previous Rank 8)
The tag team champions are still in preparations for their two out of three falls championship match against Wyatt family at Battleground. And they also got one over their rivals on SmackDown when they saved Chris Jericho from the clutches of the creepy guys.
#7 Wyatt Family (Previous Rank 6)
Bray Wyatt remained cryptic about his motives in attacking Jericho while Erick Rowan and Luke Harper were looking to weaken the Usos. The Wyatt Family had nothing to show this week other than an attack from the back against the Tag team champions and this drags them down one place in the rankings.
#6 Dean Ambrose (Previous Rank 5)
Ambrose was eager to run wild over Seth Rollins once again but got hit by the Authority’s hound dogs. Kane, Randy Orton and Seth Rollins were just making a statement by attacking Ambrose and has left him in an awkward situation heading into Sunday’s pay-per-view.
#5 Seth Rollins (Previous Rank 7)
Though Rollins was in the mix with WWE champion John Cena, the ideal situation for a cash-in never rose up for the architect. However, he got an upper hand over Ambrose throughout the week and this helps him to get back into the top five of power rankings.
#4 Randy Orton (Previous Rank 3)
The Viper lost the Raw main event and ended up having a spat with Kane. The latter incident in particular might backfire at Orton on Battleground where the apex predator will be looking to reestablish himself as the face of WWE.
#3 Sheamus (Previous Rank 4)
The Celtic warrior has rose up to his highest position in the rankings after return thanks to two wins during the week. The loss against Miz was covered up by the wins and Sheamus is looking all set to win the Intercontinental championship on Sunday and hold two titles at a time.
#2 Roman Reigns (Previous Rank 2)
Reigns was playing John Cena’s body guard this week and ensured that the champion will be a cent per cent fit for Battleground. However, it will be a whole different story when the bell rings for the fatal four way as Reigns will be looking to lay down Cena for a the pin.
#1 John Cena (Previous Rank 1)
The Cenation leader continues his reign on top of the power rankings despite not making a big impact this week. He however will be having the opportunity to show the fans that he deserves the ranking when he will defend the title against three men at Battleground.
