SK Power Rankings: July 29th

Our Power Rankings are back this week and we have a brand new #1 at the top our rankings! With exceptional Great Balls of Fire and Battleground PPVs in the books, our rankings have taken on a bit of a different look than the previous edition. And with "The Biggest Party of the Summer", Summerslam, just a few weeks away, much is going to change in our rankings

Before we reveal which Superstars have performed well enough recently to earn a spot in our Rankings, let’s take a look at the Superstars or tag teams that just missed out on making the top 10 this week:

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Cesaro and Sheamus - Personally, there was not one person in the world that was more against the formation of this tag team than me when these two men began their partnership.

But now, there is really no doubt that they are one of, if not the, best tag teams in all of WWE and ever since turning heel at Payback a few months ago, “The Swiss Superman” and “The Celtic Warrior” have been the highlight of the Raw tag team division.

Their long feud with The Hardyz, that saw the champs finally get the best of Matt and Jeff in an Iron Man match at Extreme Rules, cemented their spot in the division on Monday nights and the two men have shown an uncanny chemistry and displayed some of the most innovative offense tag team matches have ever seen.

The team just missed out on making the rankings because RAW has been trying to build the rest of the division back up, while keeping Sheamus and Cesaro either off camera or doing segments backstage.

With The Club and The Revival making a resurgence over the past couple weeks and The Hardyz still hanging around 'unbroken', opponents for the RAW Tag Champs are aplenty, but the champs have proved they are up for any task that comes their way.

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Bray Wyatt - Much to the surprise of most of the WWE Universe, Bray Wyatt defeated Seth Rollins at Great Balls of Fire, then picked up another win over Rollins the following night on RAW. Even more shocking is that Bray Wyatt hasn't lost a match on WWE TV since June 5th and is on one of the bigger win streaks of recent memory.

After getting the best of Seth over the past month, a couple weeks ago on RAW, "The Eater of Worlds" planted the seeds for an upcoming feud with Finn Balor, which is a dream match of sorts for many fans, especially if Finn brings back his Demon persona. This past week, he interfered in Finn's No-DQ Match with Elias Samson, delivering a Sister Abigail to Balor and causing him to lose.

With news of Wyatt possibly facing the Universal Champ after Summerslam, one would expect "The New Face of Fear" to continue his hot streak. A pretty successful 2017 for Wyatt so far could continue for the next month or so, much to the pleasure of his "Fireflies", and another successful feud for Wyatt would definitely elevate him into our Power Rankings going forward.

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Baron Corbin - Since winning his Money in the Bank briefcase a few weeks ago, Corbin has had his hands full with Shinsuke Nakamura. At Battleground, "The Lone Wolf" and "The King of Strong Style" finally got their hands on each other.

After a bit of a underwhelming contest, the match was cut short when Corbin hit Nakamura with a blatant low-blow and got himself disqualified. However, two nights later on Smackdown Live, Nakamura got his chance at revenge, and this time, the match did not disappoint.

The two gifted strikers gave us a match on Tuesday night that ran circles around their match at Battleground. The contest was a very hard-hitting affair and a back and forth battle, but Shinsuke eventually got the best of Corbin, picking up the win after a deadly Kinsasha.

There's no question that "The Lone Wolf" is one of the huge pieces of the future for WWE, and with a marquee match-up with one of the company's biggest stars last Sunday at Battleground, Baron Corbin took a huge step in becoming a major main event player on Smackdown Live.

And even though Nakamura picked up a win over Corbin this past week that may have put an end to their feud, "The Lone Wolf" may also look to cost his newest rival his #1 contender's match next week against John Cena.

Other Superstars who dropped out of the Rankings: The Miz, The Usos, Naomi

#10 Kevin Owens

This picture is very indicative of KO's fortunes of late

There hasn't been a WWE superstar that's had a more tumultuous 2017 than Kevin Owens. From starting the year as Universal Champion on RAW to playing hot-potato with the U.S. Title on SD Live, KO's year has been a wild ride, so far.

After initially losing the U.S. Title at a house show in Madison Square Garden, KO got a rematch for the title at Battleground this past Sunday. The match was a bit underwhelming, considering the talent of the participants, but Owens was able to win back his title from Styles after countering the crossface that AJ had him in into a pinning predicament.

However, social media erupted after the match, with pictures surfacing that proved "The Phenomenal One" had a shoulder up during the pinfall.

Therefore, the next night, Styles and Owens were set for a rematch for the coveted US title. However, Chris Jericho made his return to SD Live, after missing several months due to Owens, and demanded a rematch for the title he lost to KO initially. So, Commissioner Shane McMahon had no choice but to make a triple threat main event for the US title involving all three superstars.

After one of the better TV matches from WWE this year, Styles would re-capture the title pinning Jericho after Y2J was hit with a Pop-Up Powerbomb from KO. KO was livid, considering Styles tossed him from the ring right before he was going to retain his title, and demanded that he get his rematch next week on SD Live.

Owens has been a huge part of WWE programming on Tuesday nights and has seen his stock rise and fall more than most superstars see in an entire year. However, he's done enough recently to earn a spot in our Rankings, and winning the US Title back next week could catapult him into our Top 5.

#9 The Revival

The Revival have returned to RAW's tag division with a vengeance

Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder had been missing from action on Monday nights for months now because of an injury to the latter. However, The Revival returned to RAW a couple weeks ago the same way they debuted - with an impact.

"The Top Guys" returned and attacked The Hardy Boyz after a match, leaving the former RAW tag champs laying on the floor (much the way they did New Day when they debuted).

Last week on RAW, Dash and Dawson squared off with The Hardyz in tag action. After a fantastic showing from "The Top Guys", targeting limbs on Matt and Jeff and displaying some of the best tag team chemistry we've seen in recent years, Jeff looked to seal the deal with a Swanton Bomb on Dawson. However, again displaying unbelievable chemistry, Wilder made the save by shoving Jeff off the top turnbuckle, and Dawson capitalised, grabbed the tights, and got the 1, 2, 3.

This week they took on another budding tag team, The Club. Much like their match with the Hardyz the week before, Dash and Dawson displayed tremendous chemistry. However, this time, The Revival were helped out by a distraction from The Hardyz, who came down to ringside to get a good look at the two teams, and capitalised by hitting Karl Anderson with a Shatter Machine for the victory.

With Cesaro and Sheamus finally moving on from The Hardyz, the RAW Tag Title scene is wide open for the taking. And with news coming out recently that "The Top Guys" will find themselves in the tag title picture sooner rather than later, it's only a matter of time before The Revival become staples in our Power Rankings.

#8 Shinsuke Nakamura

The King of Strong Style and John Cena go head-to-head next week!

"The King of Strong Style" has been missing from our Rankings since making his WWE debut back in April. After a strong showing at the Money in the Bank ladder match, Nakamura set his sights on exacting revenge against the superstar that jumped him before the MITB match and probably cost him the briefcase, Baron Corbin.

This past Sunday at Battleground, the two rivals finally met in a one-on-one match-up. While it was a decent contest, the match was less than thrilling and, like most matches in WWE nowadays, ended in controversy when Corbin connected with a low blow to The Artist, causing a DQ and giving Nakamura a cheap win.

Thanks to the ending at Backlash, however, we did get a rematch the following Tuesday night on Smackdown Live, and this time, the match did not disappoint one bit. A much more intense and hard-hitting match this time around and a clear victory for Nakamura earned him a spot at #8 in our Rankings this week. Now, "The King of Strong Style" faces the biggest test of his WWE career, a #1 contender's match against John Cena next week on Smackdown Live for a shot at Jinder Mahal at Summerslam.

Obviously, a win next week would be the biggest win of Nakamura's short career on the main roster, and would give him his first WWE World Title shot. Not sure if the plan is for a Triple Threat Match to take place at Summerslam or whether "The Lone Wolf" is going to cost Shinsuke the match next week, and the two go at it one last time. Regardless, it's clear that WWE isn't going to be able to hold off on making Nakamura a main event player for much longer, so it's only a matter of time before he's a staple in our Rankings.

#7 The New Day

The New Day are your new Smackdown Live Tag Team Champions!

The New Day made it their goal when they moved from RAW to Smackdown Live to become the first team since the brand split to win tag titles on both shows. And this past Sunday night at Battleground, they did just that.

After coming up short at Money in the Bank when The Usos walked out on the match, New Day was more focused than ever to win the tag titles. A surprising decision to leave Big E out of the match and go with Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods paid dividends in the long run, as Woods and Kofi were able to outlast Jimmy and Jey in one of the best tag team matches of 2017.

However, the rivalry seems to be far from over. The Usos attacked New Day as the new champs were about to come out to the ring and celebrate their win on Sunday. As Big E started his routine intro, The Usos jumped E, then dragged Woods and Kofi to the stage area and continued to beat the heck out of the tag champs.

It looks like we are in for a third and final match between these two teams at Summerslam, and if the first two matches are any indication, we are in for a treat.

#6 Roman Reigns

"The Big Dog" gets his shot at Lesnar and the Universal Title at Summerslam

What a year it's already been for Roman Reigns. After defeating and possibly retiring The Undertaker at Wrestlemania this past April, Reigns has been involved in a feud that has to be the leader for "Feud of the Year" in 2017 with Braun Strowman. But now, "The Big Dog" has even bigger plans heading into Summerslam, and his focus has shifted to finally becoming WWE Universal Champion.

A couple weeks ago on RAW, Roman squared off with Samoa Joe to determine who would face Brock Lesnar at Summerslam for the Universal Title. As the absolutely brutal match was nearing the end, "The Monster Among Men" returned to lay waste to both his rival and Joe, causing the #1 contender match to end in a No Contest.

With no winner determined, Summerslam plans for the Universal Title were still undetermined, until this week's episode of RAW. General Manager Kurt Angle announced a Fatal 4-Way for Summerslam, where Brock Lesnar will defend his Universal Title against Reigns, Joe, and Strowman.

If that wasn't enough, next week we get a triple threat match between three of the men in the Summerslam main event (the ones that actually show up to RAW).

#5 Samoa Joe

Joe has proved his worth as a main eventer on Monday nights

I cannot name one other Superstar on RAW that has come out of a program with Brock Lesnar looking better than he did before, but that's exactly what has happened with Samoa Joe. And his momentum really hasn't slowed down at all since coming up short against "The Beast" at Great Balls of Fire.

Last week, Joe was given another opportunity to earn a shot at "The Beast Incarnate" and the Universal Championship when he squared off with Roman Reigns to determine the #1 contender.

However, another Superstar entered the main event fold, as Braun Strowman interfered in the match, taking out both Joe and Reigns, and leaving the match a No Contest.

This week on RAW, all three men made their way to the ring to make their case for a shot at "The Beast" and his Universal Title at Summerslam. While Joe, Roman, and Braun each made compelling cases, General Manager Kurt Angle was forced to make a Fatal 4-Way match for the main event of "The Biggest Party of the Summer" pitting all four men against each other for a chance to become Universal Champion.

No matter the outcome at Summerslam, Samoa Joe has shown that he belongs at the top of the card on the main roster; he may have even earned himself a future Universal Title reign with his performance during his feud with Brock.

#4 AJ Styles (United States Champion)

Styles has gone through hell trying to become/remain United States Champion

In a somewhat shocking move earlier this month, AJ Styles won the United States Title from Kevin Owens during a house show at Madison Square Garden. Since winning the title, Styles and Owens have squared off in tag team matches over the past couple weeks leading up to Battleground, with each person picking up a victory over the other.

This past Sunday at Battleground, the two finally got their hands on each other in their title rematch.

And although this match featured two of the best pro wrestlers on the planet, the match did disappoint a bit. KO won back his precious US Title after reversing a cross-face Styles had locked it into a pinning situation. If that sounds like it was weird, it's because it definitely was. The entire match just felt a bit off, and even ended in controversy when it was made clear that Styles had one of his shoulders up during the entire pin.

Therefore, of course, we were set for a rematch two nights later on Smackdown Live. However, Chris Jericho returned to SD Live for the first time since the show after Mania, and let Styles, Owens, and the WWE Universe know he was back for a shot at the United States Championship, and Commissioner Shane McMahon obliged, making a triple threat match for the US Title between the three superstars.

After one of the best SD Live matches of the year, Styles was able to win his title back, out-smarting KO and tossing him from the ring after he hit Y2J with a Pop-Up Powerbomb, then covering Jericho for the victory.

With the weird ending Sunday now in the rear view, and Styles once again U.S. Champion after his win on Smackdown Live, most of the WWE Universe can't wait to witness Styles' US Title run.

With plans seemingly in place for AJ to run with the US Title Open Challenge that made Cena's past US Title runs epic, we may be in line for an epic title reign from "The Phenomenal One", who is more than deserving after the short, yet fantastic WWE career he's had.

#3 Braun Strowman

Strowman has become the most destructive (and entertaining) force in WWE

The rise of Braun Strowman is one of the few bright spots WWE has presented its fan base over the course of the past year. His feud with Roman Reigns has been absolutely fantastic, and "The Monster Among Men" has proved in a short time that he is more than capable of being the top heel on Monday nights.

Last week, the monster returned to RAW, interfering in "The Big Dog's" #1 contender's match with Samoa Joe. Strowman left both men laid out and motionless, leaving the Universal Title scene heading into the company's second biggest PPV of the year up in the air.

However, this past week, General Manager Kurt Angle announced that Strowman, the two men he destroyed the week before, and "The Beast Incarnate" would face off in a Fatal 4 Way match for the Universal Title at Summerslam. Naturally, a huge brawl ensued after the announcement between "The Monster Among Men", "The Big Dog", and "The Destroyer" that saw Strowman stand tall.

Needless to say, Braun Strowman is the future of RAW and will eventually become Universal Champion. Whether it happens at Summerslam or not, he has more than shown his ability to be the focus of a brand moving forward. His feud with Roman Reigns over the course of this entire year has to be the front-runner for "Feud of the Year" and a title victory could just cement his spot in the company and sky rocket him to the top of our Power Rankings.

#2 Jinder Mahal (WWE Champion)

With Orton now in his rear-view, what's next for the WWE Champ?

Jinder Mahal was given the choice a few weeks ago to choose which match he wanted to face Randy Orton in at Battleground this past Sunday, and the WWE Champ chose a Punjabi Prison Match. While some argued that he took away his biggest assets by choosing this match and seemingly eliminating the Singh brothers, "The Modern Day Maharaja" had a HUGE plan all along.

Even with the Singhs getting involved in the match, Orton had the contest well in hand and seemed to be well on his way to victory and becoming a 14-time WWE Champion. That was, until, The Great Khali returned to the WWE for the first time in three years. Khali, the inventor of the Punjabi Prison Match, interfered on behalf of Mahal, giving the Champ his third victory over Orton over the past couple months.

With Orton now in the rear-view, Mahal moved on to his Summerslam plans, coming out this Tuesday night demanding to know who he would face at "The Summer's Biggest Party", and not surprisingly, John Cena made his way to the ring to challenge Jinder at the PPV.

However, Daniel Bryan announced that next week Cena would face Shinsuke Nakamura to determine the #1 contender to the WWE title and face "The Modern Day Maharaja" at Summerslam.

#1 Brock Lesnar (WWE Universal Champion)

Lesnar has three of the baddest men on RAW vying for his Universal Title

Brock Lesnar has never been the type of guy to back down from a challenge. However, the challenge that is brewing for the WWE Universal Champion is something nobody has ever seen before.

After defeating Samoa Joe at the Great Balls of Fire PPV, Lesnar looked to move on to another opponent heading into Summerslam. RAW GM Kurt Angle booked a #1 contender's match two weeks ago on RAW between Roman Reigns and Samoa Joe.

However, the match did not determine a winner, as Braun Strowman returned and interfered in the match, leaving both competitors incapacitated in the ring.

With all three of these men having viable arguments for a shot at Lesnar's title, this past Monday night, Angle had no choice but to make a Fatal 4-Way Universal Title match for Summerslam between Reigns, Joe, Strowman, and the champ. This match may end up being the toughest challenge of "The Beast Incarnate's" WWE career and may end up being the biggest Fatal 4-Way in WWE history.

If Brock can somehow overcome those odds next month at Summerslam, he will not only stay #1 in our Rankings, but will cement his legacy as one of the greatest to ever step foot in the WWE.