The impact of Roadblock on the Power Rankings turned out to be huge. Exclusive to Raw, Roadblock had some strong performances overall, and being under such a big pay-per-view spotlight, helped the Superstars of Monday Night Raw get a slight upper hand over their counterparts on SmackDown.
But most importantly, with Roadblock in the books, we are now on Road to Royal Rumble. The importance of the Rumble cannot be stressed enough and before we begin our journey towards the grand event, here is a look at how the Power Rankings have shaped up ahead of this upcoming week of WWE programming.
#10 Cesaro and Sheamus (NR)
New Day broke Demolition’s record this past week. But the celebrations did not last long for the New Day as Cesaro and Sheamus ended the long reign to take home the Raw Tag Team Championships. The win is something that would shake up the entire tag team division, and it’s safe to say that these two deserve the gold.
Thanks to their win on Sunday night, Cesaro and Sheamus make an entry into the power rankings after a long break. And if they are going to have a long reign with the titles, then they could rise the rankings gradually.
#9 Sasha Banks (-2)
Sasha Banks has been getting the limelight thanks to her matches with Charlotte. But that does not mean her career is benefiting. Once again, Sasha failed to perform on the big stage when she lost the gold to Charlotte at Roadblock.
Though Sasha is able to pile up wins on weekly television, what matters is how she performs on the big stage and unfortunately, this is not happening for her.
Now that WWE has done the Sasha – Charlotte feud for a long time, the chances of Sasha returning to the title scene while Charlotte is on top is unlikely. The loss on Sunday night costs her two places in the rankings as Sasha slips to ninth.
#8 Rich Swann (+1)
Rich Swann continued his impressive run as the Cruiserweight champion at Roadblock. He defended the Championship in a triple threat match against former champions Brian Kendrick and TJ Perkins. After an action packed match, Swann managed to keep hold of the championship.
Such a solid win helps him improve his place in the Power Rankings.
The post-match segment involving Neville makes matters more interesting. With the introduction of Neville, the Cruiserweight division is bound to get elevated as he is a known face that the fans could relate easily. And as the reigning champion, Swann will be benefited big time if he manages to keep hold of the gold.
#7 Dolph Ziggler (NR)
Dolph Ziggler is back into the main event scene after becoming the new Number One Contender on SmackDown Live. Ziggler came out on top of three solid names on the show to get the shot, and despite his recent failures in the Intercontinental Championships scene, this is a big bounce back from the Showoff.
But at the same time, there is room for concern. The return of John Cena is around the corner, and rumours suggest that Cena would be heading into the WWE championship scene. This could leave Ziggler as a transitional contender, meaning that he might not get the best out of the shot that he has.
#6 Wyatt Family (-1)
Wyatt Family had an inactive week this time around. Luke Harper did feature in the main event of SmackDown, where he battled for a shot at the WWE Championship but apart from that, the reigning tag team Champions had a quite week.
They got new contenders on SmackDown Live after the Hype Bros won the battle royal. However, with Zack Ryder out injured, WWE might need to find new challengers for the Wyatts, meaning that the championship could sit out this week as well. For now, Harper’s loss makes them drop a place in the rankings.
#5 AJ Styles (-1)
Similar to Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton, all AJ Styles had to do this week was watch from the sidelines. Four men battled it out to become the new contender for his gold, and in the end, it was Dolph Ziggler that came out on top. The Styles – Ziggler storyline is bound to be a treat as far as wrestling is concerned.
The lack of activity for the second week in a row is what makes Styles drop one place in the rankings. With Ziggler and a potential feud with John Cena on the horizon, Styles could make a strong push to higher spots in the rankings in the coming months.
#4 Charlotte (+2)
Charlotte and Sasha Banks delivered yet another great ‘wrestling’ match at Roadblock. The Ironman match was a perfect setting to deliver drama, and this is exactly what WWE did. After being tied after the time limit, the match went into sudden death rules, and in the end, Charlotte regained the gold and kept her pay-per-view streak intact.
This is the fourth Raw Women’s Championship reign for Charlotte, and if we take away the hot potato booking that WWE has been delivering, this is an achievement indeed. She continues to grow as one of the top women wrestlers in the WWE roster, and the win helps her jump up in the Power Rankings as well.
#3 The Miz (-1)
Miz got a chance to be in the WWE Championship scenario when he took part in the Fatal Fourway match on SmackDown. Miz, however, was not successful in the outing but with the Intercontinental Championship around his waist, the defeat is not a big problem for the Miz.
As we have seen in the previous editions of the Power Rankings, Miz is still one of the strongest champions on WWE roster, and it would be a surprise if the promotion decides to change that in the near future. The defeat on SmackDown reflects on the Power Rankings as Miz drops down one place to settle down in third.
#2 Roman Reigns (-1)
Roman Reigns came into Roadblock with the possibility of being a double champion. The rumours of WWE wanting him to be a double champion (like Conor McGregor) in the promotion were strong, but unfortunately for Reigns, that wasn’t the case. He lost to Kevin Owens on Sunday night after interference from Chris Jericho.
Reigns did stand tall in the end, with some help from Seth Rollins but he lost his chance to get the Championship nevertheless. And this loss makes him drop in the rankings. Reigns will be looking to bounce back from the defeat this week on Raw and probably, WWE could give him a new path.
#1 Kevin Owens (+2)
Kevin Owens went into Roadblock as a clear cut underdog. A good portion of the fans thought that Owens was going to drop the WWE Universal Championship to Reigns at the show and when Chris Jericho came out, these assumptions strengthened. Jericho, however, proved to be a major help for Owens and in the end, the Champion lived to see another day.
Irrespective of the way he won the match, Owens is still the Champion, and this is what matters. And that too, he got the better of United States champion which makes the win look extra special. Retaining the title helps Owens slightly improve in the Power Rankings.
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