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This week's episode of SmackDown mainly revolved around the first part of the 2019 WWE Draft, with the second one scheduled to take place on Monday Night Raw. A lot of interesting things went down in WWE this week.
Two new matches were confirmed for Crown Jewel, Brock Lesnar was confronted by his old rival, a new champion was crowned and we witnessed several interesting matches on the Blue brand.
The latest episode of SmackDown wasn't as good as last week's, but a lot of noteworthy things took place on the show, which reflected on the Power Rankings as well. Which Superstar managed to make it to the top of the rankings? Let's take a look at the first WWE Power Rankings of 2019 to find out.
#10 Shorty Gable
Chad Gable has had a couple of solid matches with King Corbin in recent weeks. The two Superstars battled it out in the King of the Ring finals, with Corbin ultimately getting the win. Gable was mocked by the King of the Ring for being short, leading to him being cleped 'Shorty' Gable. Gable is a former Olympian, and he's one of the best technical wrestlers in the company right now.
WWE officially referring to him as 'Shorty' Gable isn't doing anything for him or anyone, and it's uncalled for. Gable does hold one or two victories over Corbin, but on SmackDown last night, it all came crashing down when he suffered an End of Days at the hands of Corbin. Regardless of this loss, Gable still put on another interesting match, which gives him a place on our list.
If he continues to do what he does best in the ring and gets someone to feud with and keeps fans on their feet, perhaps he'll be ranked higher next time.
#9 Seth Rollins
Seth Rollins has not had the best time lately. He has to look over his shoulders wherever he goes, as The Fiend Bray Wyatt has him in his sight. The Beastslayer entered Hell in a Cell as Universal Champion and left with the title on his shoulders. However, he didn't show up on Monday Night Raw this week, presumably due to what transpired on Sunday.
Rollins returned on SmackDown this week where he took on his former Shield brother Roman Reigns, but the match ended via disqualification after The Fiend emerged from under the ring and attacked Rollins. The Universal Champion got the DQ win, putting an end to what was a good opening match.
This win wasn't impressive enough for Rollins to get ranked higher on our list, but it'll be interesting to see what happens on RAW next week.
#8 The New Day
Last week on SmackDown's premiere on FOX, Kofi Kingston lost his WWE Championship to Brock Lesnar in a matter of seconds. Lesnar is currently scheduled to defend his newly won championship at Crown Jewel, while Kingston is back to being a smiling pancake-throwing third member of The New Day.
The former WWE Tag Team Champions took on The OC in a six-man tag team match, and Kingston pinned the current United States Champion AJ Styles to win the match. Perhaps this was done to make Kofi look strong after his devastating loss to Lesnar, but who knows?
The New Day defeated The OC in a solid tag team match, ranking them at number 8 on our list.
#7 Brock Lesnar
The Beast Incarnate Brock Lesnar set the record for the shortest WWE Championship match last week when he defeated Kofi Kingston in 8 seconds to win the title. After the disappointing match, Lesnar was confronted and attacked by the man who knocked him out and left him bloodied in UFC, Cain Velasquez, who was accompanied by former World Champion Rey Mysterio.
The WWE Champion made his presence known on SmackDown this week when he and his advocate Paul Heyman entered the ring and vowed to conquer Velasquez at Crown Jewel. Heyman did all the talking, as always, while Lesnar stood in the ring with the title around his waist.
Nothing really big went down between Cain and Brock, so the number 7 spot is a suitable place for Brock Lesnar.
#6 Becky Lynch
The Man Becky Lynch is one of the company's biggest stars, and it made sense that both FOX and USA wanted her on their network. The RAW Women's Champion didn't show up on SmackDown this week, but she was still a part of the show in a big way. Lynch was the first draft pick, which proves how big of a star she is.
She is officially part of the RAW roster, and with Sasha Banks now part of SmackDown, it'll be interesting to see who The Man feuds with next.
#5 Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns teamed up with Daniel Bryan to take on Erick Rowan and Luke Harper at Hell in a Cell, and boy, what an interesting match it was. Reigns and Bryan won the match after a Spear from The Big Dog. Neither Bryan, Rowan or Harper showed up on WWE TV this week, so perhaps the feud has been settled.
The Big Dog was the first face we saw when SmackDown went on the air. He had a pretty good match with Rollins, which ended in a not-so-exciting fashion. As soon as the lights went out and came back on again, Reigns disappeared from the ring, and so did the referee.
Who are we kidding? We would do the same thing too. The Fiend is a sadistic monster, and he reminded us of that when he shoved his fingers down Seth Rollins' throat and dragged him under the ring. The match was good, but the outcome wasn't so good, and since Reigns wasn't involved in any controversy at Hell in a Cell, he gets a plus, ranking him at number 5 on our list.
#4 Cain Velasquez
Cain Velasquez could make history at Crown Jewel if he defeats Lesnar and captures the WWE Championship. This will make him the first person ever to win the most prestigious prize in the industry in his first match in WWE.
The former UFC Heavyweight Champion, along with Rey Mysterio, confronted The Beast on SmackDown this week, and they reminded Lesnar that at Crown Jewel, he'll pay for what he did to Dominik.
Cain cut a decent promo, and with Rey Mysterio by his side, he doesn't need to do much talking on the mic. He should rather do all the talking in the ring. He gets a special place on our list.
#3 King Corbin
King Corbin might be the most despised man in WWE right now, but in 2019, a time where heels are cheered and babyfaces are booed, he plays his role as a heel excellently. Plus, playing a ruthless king makes fans want to boo him even more, which is even better.
Not only does he play his character to perfection, but he also knows how to put on a decent match. His matches with Gable had fans cheering and when he won, fans were not happy, which is a good thing.
He had another match with Gable on the blue brand this week, which he won after delivering a devastating End of Days. This puts him at number 3 on the Power Rankings.
#2 The Fiend Bray Wyatt
Bray Wyatt has been drafted to SmackDown. The Fiend made his presence known on the blue brand when he emerged from under the ring and attacked the Universal Champion Seth Rollins.
The Fiend was the hottest thing in the entire company until Hell in a Cell, where his head was smashed with a ladder, chair, toolbox, and a sledgehammer.
That might've slightly hurt his momentum, but he is still a big name and a fan favorite. Now that he is officially part of the blue brand, it's only left to see what the company has planned for him.
#1 Bayley
Bayley, who was once considered to be a role model to kids around the world, solidified her heel turn when she destroyed her inflatable Bayley buddies and proceeded by dissing the fans after defeating Charlotte Flair to capture the SmackDown Women's Championship for the second time. This was something she desperately needed, and fans have been begging for it for a long time.
Along with her new character, she also got a new hairstyle, ring attire, and new theme song as well. She closed this week's episode of SmackDown, which was the right call. The Superstar who made kids smile is now bringing them to tears.
Once in a while, Superstars need to evolve, or else they'll become unpopular with fans, which will lead to them being kept down the card. Bayley earns the right to be #1 on our list.
Keep up the good work, champ!
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