With Roadblock just a week away, WWE came up with some interesting booking decisions, in the week that went by, which has set the tone for the upcoming pay-per-view. Monday Night Raw saw the return of Big Show after a long layoff.
Elsewhere, the Enzo Amore – Lana segment turned out to be a talking point as well. SmackDown saw James Ellsworth come back to bother Dean Ambrose once again and cost him the Intercontinental Championship. All these developments have shaken the Power Rankings and here is how it has stacked up, after last week.
#10 Alexa Bliss (-1)
Alexa Bliss got hold of the SmackDown women’s championship at TLC when she defeated Becky Lynch. This week, it was time for a celebration, and as expected, Becky ended up interrupting proceedings, indicating that the feud is far from over. Becky and Bliss are bound to face off again for the championship at some point in the near future.
The way the segment ended and the lack of inactivity this week around, costs Alexa one place in the rankings, as she goes down to tenth. Unless she has a strong comeback, she could be heading out soon as well.
#9 Rich Swann (+1)
The reigning Cruiserweight champion faced former champion TJ Perkins this week on Raw. Swann had two huge victories last time around, and he managed to keep the momentum going this week as well. Swann defeated TJ Perkins on Monday Night and then went on to get one over Brian Kendrick at 205 Live.
The championship reign of Swann is looking strong so far and considering that it was done to create hype for 205 Live, Swann is a winner. Another week filled with challenges awaits Swann and a similar performance like the one this week, could see him move up in the rankings.
#8 New Day (NC)
New Day is on the verge of breaking Demolition’s record. The trio was on the sidelines this week around, as Cesaro & Sheamus battled it out with Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows for the number one contender spot. The match ended in a no-contest and this week, New Day will be forced to defend their title in a Triple Threat tag team match.
A successful defence could mean a lot for the team, as they would go down in history as one of the best tag team champions. They have a huge hurdle to clear and if they do, they will have success in the Power Rankings as well.
#7 Sasha Banks (NC)
After her huge win on Raw a couple of weeks ago, Sasha Banks returned this week as the reigning Women’s Champion of the brand. As expected, she once again reignited the feud with Charlotte, and as per the announcement, the championship would be on the line at Roadblock in a 30-minute Iron Man match.
The announcement doesn’t sound good for Sasha, as she has a reputation of losing the gold when it comes to pay-per-view matches. Throughout her feud with Charlotte, Sasha is yet to get a win over Charlotte in pay-per-view matches, and this is a trend that she needs to change at Roadblock.
#6 Charlotte (-1)
Charlotte had the limelight this week. She headlined Monday Night Raw alongside her father and Sasha Banks and showcased her brilliant heel persona. The segment started off with a public apology from Charlotte, but it soon escalated. She went on to slap her own father, and things got all the more personal.
Having some heel heat on Charlotte ahead of the match at Roadblock was a good thing, and this week around, WWE could build on the momentum. The inactivity in the ring, however, ensures that she drops by a spot.
#5 Wyatt Family (+1)
The domination of the Wyatt Family continued this week, as the team got the better of former champions Heath Slater and Rhyno on SmackDown Live. The match turned out to be the first successful title defence for Orton and Bray Wyatt, and from the looks of it, they are going to have a whole lot of them in the coming weeks.
The newly introduced tag team finisher could be an indication that the team is here to stay and if this was not enough, it was also confirmed that they would be defending the championships under the free bird rule. Luke Harper getting involved would be interesting, and we will get a clearer idea of the whole situation soon.
#4 AJ Styles (-2)
AJ Styles successfully defended his championship against Dean Ambrose at TLC and got Ellsworth’s help to do so. Ellsworth claimed he did so, in order to get a shot at AJ Styles’ WWE Championship but unfortunately, the latter could not compete on Tuesday night, leaving him inactive.
While Ellsworth and Ambrose moved their storyline forward, Styles, despite being the champion, had a day off. The inactivity costs AJ two places in the ranking and unless WWE gives him a solid feud in the coming weeks, it’s going to be hard for AJ to keep his spot in the top half of the rankings.
#3 Kevin Owens (+1)
Kevin Owens will take on Roman Reigns at Roadblock for the Universal Championship and before that, he went up against his old friend on Raw this past week. Owens faced Sami Zayn at the show and went home with a much-needed win. The win keeps the momentum rolling for Owens ahead of his big match with Reigns.
Apart from this, the relationship between Owens and Jericho has been a major plot on Raw, and it will also be a huge factor when it comes to Owens’ future in the Power rankings. For now, he comes back into the top three.
#2 The Miz (+1)
Miz had a huge role to play this week on SmackDown. He initially hosted Dean Ambrose at the Miz TV and later, Miz would go on to defend the Intercontinental Championship against Ambrose in the main event. After a solid match, it was a distraction from James Ellsworth that came as a blessing for the Miz.
He not only did get a win over Ambrose but also managed to keep hold of his gold. Miz is currently enjoying a lot of momentum, and the win helps him edge closer to the top in the power rankings. This time around, he makes it to second place.
#1 Roman Reigns (NC)
Roman Reigns’ potential journey to being a double champion in the WWE continued this week on Raw. He defended his United States Championship against Chris Jericho this week and secured a win, to no one’s surprise. Reigns manages to keep the top spot in the rankings, thanks to this win and it is a great way to go into the week, where he’d face Owens for the gold.
The upcoming week would be crucial for Reigns, and if he manages to capture the WWE Universal Championship on Sunday night, then Reigns would cement his place on top of the rankings.
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