WWE Superstar Power Rankings for 12/01/2014

In the aftermath of WWE Survivor Series 2014, The Authority is now gone, Daniel Bryan made his return to TV (but not to action) and we have a new No. 1 in the WWE Superstar Power Rankings.  In all, the week after Survivor Series was very eventful.

John Cena had the power to appoint a new authority figure and made the most of it, bringing in Daniel Bryan to do the job for Raw and also SmackDown.  We also saw what can only be called "the Curse of the Intercontinental Championship" continue.

We'll get into all this past week's action in the following slides.  Before we move on, though, please read how these rankings work.

Holding a championship, being a No. 1 contender or holding a Money in the Bank briefcase counts for much of a wrestler's ranking, and these honors are therefore the most heavily weighted components in the rankings.  If a wrestler is deemed to be level with another wrestler, holding a title will be a tiebreaker.

Wins and losses account for the bulk of the week-to-week movement—wins and losses are, after championships, the most important component of the rankings.  The quality of a wrestler's opponents and whether they are ranked is considered in the week-to-week movement.  

Getting the better of someone—like beating someone down—also counts, though not as much as wins or losses.  Being over with the fans is considered but not heavily weighted in the ranking decisions.  It is a minor factor.  Pay-per-view performances take on added importance.  

Only the top 10 wrestlers are ranked.  Wrestlers on the Watch List were considered for top-10 status but were ultimately nixed.  They are unranked, and their listing is in no particular order.  

Generally speaking, these rankings do not break kayfabe, though any major non-storyline information (serious injury, WWE Wellness Policy violations, suspensions, legitimate hirings, firings, contract information, "sabbaticals," etc.) may be taken into consideration, especially if WWE confirms them publicly.

Domestic and international WWE live events are not included in these rankings unless WWE incorporates them into television storylines.  Nothing that could be explicitly considered a spoiler is included unless WWE acknowledges it as well.

In short, all WWE shows, televised or digitally distributed, as well as anything from WWE.com, the WWE App, the WWE Network and any WWE or Superstar social media accounts that don't break kayfabe may be taken into consideration for these rankings.  This may include but is not limited to WWE Raw, WWE SmackDown, WWE Main Event, WWE Superstars, NXT, WWE pay-per-view, any storyline-driven content from the WWE Network.

Watch List

Brock Lesnar

Once again, WWE World Heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar does not make an appearance.  With TLC less than two weeks away, will he defend his title against John Cena, the No. 1 contender?

Jack Swagger

The Real American is likely the No. 1 contender for the United States Championship.  Swagger saved Sgt. Slaughter from Rusev on Raw and then was the last man eliminated in the 20-man Battle Royal for the U.S. title on SmackDown.  That performance likely has earned him another shot at Rusev.  Will Swagger be able to take advantage this time around?

AJ Lee

The former Divas champion is due a rematch.  But losing to Brie Bella on Raw doesn't inspire confidence.  Her promos before and after the match, however, were classic.  Her "lesbi-honest" line, as well as telling the Bellas that talent "is not sexually transmitted," may be worthy of a Slammy.

10. Nikki Bella

Previous Rank: 10

Movement: None

Newly crowned Divas champion Nikki Bella picked up a win this week over Emma on SmackDown, and she helped her sister Brie defeat AJ Lee on Raw.  It appears the sisters have an alliance that will last a while.  But why would Brie side with Nikki?  What is the endgame?

Nikki will likely have to face AJ Lee in a rematch for the title, but when that will take place is still a mystery.  With TLC so close, it's likely we see the match there.  When will we get the official announcement?

9. Tyson Kidd

Previous Rank: 9

Movement: None

Tyson Kidd keeps on winning.  At least, on WWE TV he wins.  On Raw, he once again defeated Adam Rose and The Bunny while teaming with Natalya.  On SmackDown, he was among the final four competitors in the 20-man Battle Royal for the U.S. title.  He's showing skill and tenaciousness, and it may only be a matter of time before he gets a shot at a title.

But in NXT, it was a different Story.  He lost to Finn Balor, who recently made his NXT debut.  Can Kidd keep up the winning on WWE TV?

8. Luke Harper

Previous Rank: 7

Movement: Down 1

What is it about winning the Intercontinental Championship that causes WWE Superstars to lose?  Luke Harper is now the latest victim of the curse that comes with carrying the Intercontinental Championship.

After winning the title, his team lost at Survivor Series, and then this past week, he lost by disqualification to Dean Ambrose on Raw and Dolph Ziggler by count-out on SmackDown.  Can Harper turn this losing streak around this week?

7. Miz and Mizdow

Previous Rank: 8

Movement: Up 1

The Miz and Damien Mizdow picked up two wins in tag team matches this week.  On Raw, they defeated Gold and Stardust in a rematch for the WWE Tag Team Championships.  Then on Main Event, they dispatched Los Matadores.

On SmackDown, both Miz and Mizdow were in the 20-man Battle Royal for the United States Championship, but when Miz was eliminated, Mizdow eliminated himself.  With TLC right around the corner, who will step up to face them for the titles?

6. Seth Rollins

Previous Rank: 3

Movement: Down 3

Seth Rollins has not had much success lately. After his team lost at Survivor Series, he came into this week needing to prove he could get the job done without The Authority.  So far, he's failed to do that.

On Raw, he was placed in a 3-on-2 Handicap match against John Cena and Dolph Ziggler.  The WWE Universe got to pick his partners and fans elected to go with J&J Security (Joey Mercury and Jamie Noble).  His team lost, and he fled the scene as both Mercury and Noble were pinned by Cena and Ziggler.

Then on SmackDown, he lost to Ryback via DQ.  It looked like Ryback was closing in on a win when Kane came out with a chair.  The match was called in Ryback's favor, and Kane and Rollins proceeded to destroy Ryback afterwards.

Can Mr. Money in the Bank get back on track?  He needs to if he hopes to stay high in the rankings and relevant on WWE TV.

5. Ryback

Previous Rank: 6

Movement: Up 1

Ryback got two more wins this week and looked good in both.  On Raw, he was placed in a match with Mark Henry.  He won the match quickly, punishing Henry.

Then on SmackDown, he faced Seth Rollins.  He looked poised to pick up a clean win when Kane interfered, guaranteeing Ryback the win via disqualification but also earning him a beating at the hands of Rollins and Kane.  The remnants of The Authority just won't go away.  

It was announced on WWE.com that Kane and Ryback will face off in a Chairs Match at TLC.  Can Ryback get a big win?  And can he keep up his momentum heading into the event?

4. Dean Ambrose

Previous Rank: 5

Movement: Up 1

Dean Ambrose had two matches this week and won both of them.  On Raw, he faced Luke Harper in a match for the Intercontinental Championship and defeated him via disqualification when Luke Harper got himself intentionally disqualified.  He was attacked by Bray Wyatt afterwards.

Then on Main Event, he faced Kane and defeated him via pinfall after rolling up The Big Red Monster.  Bray Wyatt has kept up the head games, and he'll face the Lunatic Fringe at TLC in a Tables, Ladders and Chairs match.  Can Ambrose shake off Wyatt's words and get a big win in two weeks?

3. Rusev

Previous Rank: 4

Movement: Up 1

Rusev might be the most dominant Superstar in WWE today, and in his one match of the week, he showed why again.  On Raw, he was forced to either say the Pledge of Allegiance or defend his title in a 20-man Battle Royal.

Sgt. Slaughter was called upon to lead the Pledge, but Rusev and Lana were having none of it.  As Rusev backed Sarge into a corner, Jack Swagger made the save and drove off Rusev.

So on SmackDown, the Battle Royal was a go.  Rusev survived, eliminating Swagger as the last opponent to retain his title.  Will he face a new challenge from the Real American?

2. John Cena

Previous Rank: 1

Movement: Down 1

John Cena is still the No. 1 contender for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, but with no Brock Lesnar, that doesn't mean too much.  And now, Dolph Ziggler has eclipsed him, dropping Cena to No. 2 in the rankings.

In his only match, Cena and Ziggler defeated Seth Rollins and J&J Security.  But perhaps more importantly, Cena picked Daniel Bryan to run the show this week.  Cena's team defeated The Authority, and then he twisted the knife by selecting Bryan to usher The Authority out of the building.  What's next on Cena's agenda?

1. Dolph Ziggler

Previous Rank: 2

Movement: Up 1

Dolph Ziggler kept up his momentum this week and has earned himself the No. 1 ranking in this week's Power Rankings.  This past week, he picked up two wins.

The first was on Raw, where he teamed with Cena against Seth Rollins and J&J Security.  He and Cena simultaneously pinned Mercury and Noble while Rollins got out of town.  The second win came on SmackDown against Luke Harper, the man who defeated him for the IC title two weeks ago.

Ziggler won by count-out, which may well earn him another title shot.  If he gets it, can he reclaim the title from Harper?