Top 5 Wrestling Performers of the Week (15th to 21st June 2019)

Mid-June historically is not usually a hotbed of electrifying action in wrestling and that has never been truer than in 2019, where dissatisfaction with the WWE product is at a two-decade peak, but optimism is high in American wrestling circles with the fledging AEW that another boom period could be on the horizon.

Across the pond, in Japan, NJPW is rebuilding in a post-Elite era and building dynamic new stars and there is still plenty of top-notch wrestling action on display across the world right now.

In the following countdown, we look at the top 5 performers from the week that was.

#5 Roman Reigns

The "Big Dog" is not as featured as he was before his unfortunate cancer diagnosis but he is currently involved in a high-profile feud in the mid-card with the authority figure, Shane McMahon.

The younger McMahon has made it his mission to make Reigns' life miserable. This week's Raw saw Reigns in traditional babyface fashion call Shane out to earn a spot of vengeance for his tainted loss to Shane at Super Showdown. Shane declined but Reigns not content with the excuses sought Shane out and smashed through Shane's lackeys, The Revival, Elias, and Drew McIntyre before finally catching up with Shane and decimating him. It was the perfect revenge for the "Big Dog."

Does anyone at this point think Reigns is not going to defeat McIntyre this weekend at the Stomping Grounds pay per view?

Despite his recent loss to Shane, Reigns has plenty of momentum right now and don't expect him to be outside of the WWE Championship picture for long.

Raw is not exactly must-see television right now and Reigns is supposed to be a SmackDown Superstar, but make no mistake he is the top face on either brand, and his dominance this week demonstrated exactly why.

#4 Ricochet

Richochet: Earned his biggest win to date on Raw

It's been a rather middling experience on the main roster so far, ever since Ricochet made his debut on Raw on the February 18. Initially paired with fellow NXT call up Aleister Black, Ricochet formed a makeshift tag team before settling into the singles ranks on Raw.

After winning and losing in equal measure on the main roster, Ricochet finally gained some much-needed momentum with a huge win on this week's episode of Raw.

Pitted against Braun Strowman, The Miz, Cesaro and Lashley, Richochet outlasted all of them in a five-man elimination encounter to earn a United States Championship match at Stomping Grounds this weekend.

Ricochet impressively pinned Strowman and Miz in a typically energetic performance to earn his shot at Samoa Joe. Richochet versus Joe is easily one of the most anticipated matches on this Sunday's pay per view.

Can Ricochet go one better and defeat Joe and become the new US Champ? If he does, expect him to feature on this list next week as well.

#3 Shane McMahon

Shane McMahon: All over WWE programming in June 2019

Once again, Shane McMahon was central to WWE programming this week.

It is perplexing that the 49-year-old Shane is so pivotal to WWE right now but like it or not, he is WWE's premier heel performer right now.

At least he is booked that way.

Shane appeared on Raw where he was called out by Roman Reigns (whom he defeated at Super Showdown don't forget).

Reigns wanted Shane one on one but the "Best in the World" politely declined. When Reigns didn't take no for an answer, Shane was pummelled backstage and in the ring. No matter. Shane's character wasn't hurt by the beating. He is expected to be battered by Reigns. What Shane did do, however, was take up a huge chunk of television airtime.

He was an even bigger part of SmackDown, where he laid down the law by making matches to punish the babyfaces such as Kofi Kingston, Seth Rollins, and The Miz and appeared in multiple segments across the show.

Shane threw his weight around during an in-ring segment with The Miz in which he initially booked the A-lister in a handicap match versus Drew McIntyre and Elias unless Miz could find a partner in the next 10 seconds. Surprisingly, R-Truth appeared on the scene re-establishing his 2011 Awesome Truth team with Miz but alas the pair could not overcome Shane's heel stable.

The junior McMahon did not have the same success in the main event when Kingston and Rollins overcame his pals, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. However, it may yet be a different story at Stomping Grounds.

Regardless, Shane, is not "The Man" in WWE right now, like it or not. Perhaps that rumored WWE Championship win isn't that ludicrous after all.

#2 Jon Moxley

Jon Moxley: One of the hottest commodities in wrestling today

The former Dean Ambrose followed up a superb couple of weeks in which he won the New Japan United States Championship from Juice Robinson at Dominion on June 5, 2019, with more high powered in-ring performances.

Jon Moxley made a return to the Independent circuit to take on and defeat Darby Allin on June 14 on a Northeast Wrestling card in Connecticut and defeated former WWE Superstar Big Cass (now known as CazXL) on another Northeast Wrestling event on June 15, 2019. Moxley's performances have been unlike anything ever seen from Jonathan Good in a WWE setting for many years. Electrifying promo's, crisp, more dynamic in-ring contributions and a superstar buzz surrounding his every move; Moxley is on fire right now.

The high profile outings continue for Moxley as he gets set to wrestle Joey Janela in his AEW debut match at Fyter Fest on June 29, 2019, before he takes on Kenny Omega at All Out on August 31, 2019.

#1 Bray Wyatt

Bray Wyatt: "Let Him In"

Once again the shining light of WWE, Bray Wyatt knocked it out of the park with another electric episode of his Firefly Funhouse on the June 17 edition of Monday Night Raw.

Easily the best thing on this week's episode, Wyatt began by talking about gardening, before telling the audience that everything our parents and teachers had taught us was wrong.

His increasingly creepy and less than innocent companions in the Funhouse then engaged in a troubling Evil Dead style "join us" chant as the safe surroundings of Wyatt's Funhouse descended into darkness as Wyatt advised, "people worship what they fear... fear is power."

A host of subliminal messaging then followed interspersed with dark and light images from previous episodes of Wyatt's Funhouse.

The final message Wyatt had for viewers? "Let Me In." Those words were spoken while he sported the creepy mask we have seen on prior editions.

What does this all mean?

Regardless, Wyatt still has the wrestling world talking and looking forward to the next installments of the Firefly Funhouse. Even more so, now this week's edition definitely stepped up a gear.