Another action packed week of WWE is in the books, and it was capped off with some brilliant booking decisions at TLC, which has resulted in its fair share of controversy and talking points.
Roman Reigns was crowned as the new Number One Contender for the WWE Universal Championship, while Seth Rollins took out Chris Jericho, but the biggest talking point of Monday Night Raw has to be Sasha Banks winning the Women’s Championship.
As far as SmackDown was concerned, all the noteworthy incidents came at TLC. The show hosted two title changes and one great main event, which came along with a surprise twist in the end. All of this had an impact on the Power Rankings as well.
#10 Rich Swann (NR)
Rich Swann got a taste of gold this week when he defeated Brian Kendrick, at the first 205 Live episode. WWE’s decision to let the title change hands at the show is understandable, as they would’ve wanted to create a buzz.
This, however, could be a big problem for Swann in the long run. He would have to work extra hard to prove that he is ready to hold the Championship and carry the division.
Before getting the big win over Kendrick on Tuesday night, Swann had got a big win over Noam Dar on Monday Night Raw, and both these victories help him get a place in this week’s Power Rankings.
#9 Alexa Bliss (NR)
Alexa Bliss was one of the biggest winners at TLC. After getting a strong booking in the Women’s division throughout the buildup, she challenged Becky Lynch for the Women’s Championship on Sunday. Alexa was clearly the underdog, as far as expectations were concerned, and this is why the win came across as a surprise to many fans.
Alexa is now the Champion of SmackDown’s Women’s division and considering the amount of work that she has been putting in; it’s safe to say that she deserves the position. The title win helps Alexa get into the Power Rankings, and if she manages to keep hold of the gold, she could move forward as well.
#8 New Day (+1)
New Day’s journey to breaking Demolition’s record, continued this past week when they faced Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. After the win over Cesaro and Sheamus, a couple of weeks ago, Gallows and Anderson, gave the champions a run for their money but they managed to keep the gold.
New Day is on the brink of making history and classifying themselves as one of the best tag teams in the history of WWE, and after winning on Raw, they moved one step closer. The stable also improves its ranking by one thanks to this win, as the trio moves up to eighth in the power ranking.
#7 Sasha Banks (NR)
Sasha Banks makes her return to the Power Rankings thanks to her impressive win over Charlotte on Monday Night Raw. Sasha and Charlotte headlined the show in a falls count anywhere match, with Sasha submitting Charlotte in the end to grab the gold.
Though there is criticism about how fast WWE is letting the title change hands, none of the fans can argue about the quality of the match that Sasha and Charlotte delivered. Sasha’s title win opens the door for another match between the two. And if WWE decides keeps Sasha the champion, then she could go up in the rankings.
#6 Wyatt Family (+1)
The addition of Randy Orton has really shaken up the luck of the Wyatt Family. After a dominating run in the Survivor Series, the team secured a shot at the Tag Team Championships and on Sunday night, they went on to win the gold.
Bray and Orton are bound to become dominating champions, and the entire tag team division could struggle to keep up with them. The title win helps the Wyatt family improve one position in the Power Rankings, and from the looks of it, the only direction for them is up.
There are rumours about the Wyatts relying on the free bird rule, and if that is the case, they could be more dominating.
#5 Charlotte (-2)
A lot was said about the Charlotte – Sasha Banks match in the earlier slides. Charlotte was on the losing side of the match, and this reflects on her ranking as well, as the ‘Queen’ Charlotte drops two spots. Charlotte made it clear that she is going to get the championship back and a match between the two at Roadblock could be on the cards.
The loss against Sasha is a setback for Charlotte, but all the momentum that she had piled up during her championship reign helps her hold ground. Charlotte is still one of the best booked female wrestlers in the promotion, and the trend is unlikely to change anytime soon.
#4 Kevin Owens (-2)
Kevin Owens now has a date for Roadblock in the form of Roman Reigns. While it is natural to decide a challenger for the pay-per-view, the way it was for this one, the match on Monday night was probably not something that he wanted.
He suffered a clean loss to Reigns on Raw this week, and this combined with the bad booking he has been getting throughout the last few weeks, drops him to fourth in the rankings. Owens needs a strong booking ahead of Roadblock if he is to come across as a credible challenge to Roman Reigns, who has been on a run lately.
#3 The Miz (+2)
Miz is proving again and again that he is one of the most credible heel champions in the WWE right now. He was challenged by Dolph Ziggler at TLC for the Intercontinental Championship. Miz went on to win the match and also made a statement.
He rubbed his win in Daniel Bryan’s face as well. With another great win under his belt, Miz makes it to the third spot in the rankings.
Miz is also showing no signs of slowing down, meaning that he could have more title defences coming his way shortly. He has turned into one of the most valuable players for SmackDown live and would have a crucial role to play, heading into WrestleMania season.
#2 AJ Styles (+4)
AJ Styles headlined TLC where he defended the WWE Championship against Dean Ambrose. The TLC match lived up to expectations, and in the end with a little help from James Ellsworth, AJ Styles retained the gold. The way he retained the title is not important, but the fact that he is still Champion is worth noting.
Styles gets another title defence, and it helps him make a huge leap to the second spot in rankings. He has a defence coming up with Ellsworth this week on SmackDown, and a dominating win could get him on top of the rankings.
#1 Roman Reigns (+3)
Roman Reigns is all set to headline Roadblock against Kevin Owens, and he has the chance to become a double champion in the WWE. Rumours suggest that WWE wants to book him just like Conor McGregor in the UFC, meaning that Reigns could go all the way and become a double champion at Roadblock.
But what gets him to the top of the rankings this week, is his win against the WWE Universal champion Kevin Owens. Reigns got the win along with a title shot at Roadblock, and if he gets the gold at the show, he could stay on top for a long time.
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