WWE Superstar Power Rankings Ahead of Dec. 19 Raw

With all 2016 pay-per-views complete, WWE enters the holiday week poised to reset and provide the ignition for rivalries that will carry both Raw and SmackDown into the new year.

Superstars—both champions and contenders alike—will be seeking opportunities to remain at the tops of their fields, not to mention the top of this week's power rankings.

Kevin Owens, Roman Reigns, Chris Jericho and Seth Rollins all had eventful nights at Roadblock: End of the Line, but would any of the four be able to carry over their momentum into the Dec. 19 episode of Raw and the top spot in this week's countdown, or would SmackDown Live's Phenomenal One upset them all?

What about Charlotte Flair, who regained the Raw Women's Championship in a brilliant match Sunday?

Then there is the new No. 1 contender to the WWE title, Dolph Ziggler, who continues to hang around the championship picture.

Any one of the aforementioned stars could rise to the top spot in this week's rundown.

Who did, though, and why?

Take a look for yourself.

10. The New Day

Tag team champions no more, The New Day's historic reign over the division came to an end Sunday night with a loss to Cesaro and Sheamus in what was Roadblock's finest match.

Kofi Kingston, Big E and Xavier Woods pulled out every trick in the book, including the numbers advantage that had earned them so many wins over the course of their 400-plus days as champions, but could not overcome the determination of their challengers.

Now without the gold that had come to define it over the last year, the trio is instantly more interesting and compelling than it was prior to Sunday's event.

What is next for The New Day? Can fans expect the smiles and fun-loving to go away as it chases the titles it did so much to elevate?

It is an exciting time to reinvest in the former titleholders.

9. The Wyatt Family

The SmackDown tag team division has been put on notice by a destructive, dangerous force in Bray Wyatt, Randy Orton and Luke Harper.

The Wyatt Family has torn through the competition to this point, picking up multiple wins, including two over standard-bearers American Alpha. As a team, Orton and Wyatt overwhelm and pummel before dispatching the opposition with an RKO.

It is sudden, quick and definitive, and the result is another impressive victory for a group that has come together to reign supreme.

It remains to be seen which team will step up to the plate and take on the challenge of the sadistic champions, but one thing is for sure: Whichever team does will have to pry the titles from the seemingly unbreakable grip of Harper.

8. Cesaro and Sheamus

The improbable duo of Sheamus and Cesaro had been showing signs of tag team cohesion leading into Sunday's Roadblock pay-per-view, nearly upsetting The New Day on numerous occasions. Eliminate "nearly" because The Celtic Warrior and The Swiss Superman are the new tag team champions following an impressive victory over the longest-reigning team in WWE history.

From the get-go, the challengers took the fight to the champions and, throughout the bout, overcame every attempt the trio made at cheating. It was chicanery on the part of Sheamus and Cesaro that netted them the championships and ignited new and exciting rivalries within the tag division.

Two hard-hitting Europeans, expect them to unleash a new brand of punishment on the unsuspecting teams they combat.

7. Dolph Ziggler

SmackDown Live has done wonders for Dolph Ziggler, helping to spark his career and raise his profile higher than it has been in years.

The Dec. 13 episode of SmackDown saw The Showoff compete in a Fatal 4-Way match to determine the No. 1 contender to AJ Styles' WWE Championship on the Dec. 27 broadcast.

He would go on to outlast The Miz, Dean Ambrose and Luke Harper to win the match and now has one more shot at adding another world title to his resume.

Can Ziggler superkick his way to the title, or will this opportunity end as so many of his others have—with him on his back, staring at the lights, while the referee slaps the mat for the three-count?

Only time will tell, but how SmackDown spends this week's show building to that match will determine whether fans can buy into the Cleveland native as a credible threat.

6. Chris Jericho

Chris Jericho lost another pay-per-view match Sunday, eating a Pedigree from Seth Rollins to put their feud to rest.

Or so we thought.

Y2J reared his head later in the night, delivering an intentional Codebreaker to best friend Kevin Owens as he attempted to defend his Universal Championship against Roman Reigns. It was a clever ploy, though, as his attack on his friend drew a disqualification win for KO and helped him retain the title in the face of a surging opponent.

Jericho paid the price, though, enduring a double powerbomb through the announce table as Reigns and Rollins reunited to lay waste to their rivals.

Now, one must wonder if Jericho will take it personally that he was so helpful to Owens because, when the time came for the champion to return the favor and save him from certain agony, the champion was nowhere to be found.

That narrative is one of the most interesting in all of wrestling and will dominate the Raw airwaves for the foreseeable future, perhaps leading to one last great run for Jericho and a showdown with his best friend.

5. Seth Rollins

Seth Rollins should mean so much more than he does at this point.

An undefined babyface whose motivations start and end with "I want Triple H," he was the recipient of apathy by the fans in Pittsburgh.

In fact, opponent Jericho was cheered more heavily than the babyface, highlighting the issues that exist with Rollins' role.

As the new year arrives and a date with Triple H at WrestleMania (presumably) looms, WWE Creative will have to put in the work to ensure that Rollins comes off as the sympathetic babyface or risk the hated COO becoming more popular and over than his supposed foil.

Moving him away from Jericho, who is red-hot at this point, would be a wise first step in achieving that.

4. Kevin Owens

In a perfect world, the lead champion on the flagship show of WWE would take up residence in the top spot in these rankings.

Unfortunately, the booking of Owens has been so lackluster that placing him ahead of any of the three Superstars ahead of him would be unfair.

One of Owens' strengths has been his in-ring work, but Sunday night, both him and Roman Reigns failed to deliver a dynamic main event that inspired the sleepy crowd in Pittsburgh. Factor in questionable booking that again made him look weak in comparison to his opponent and in need of Chris Jericho's interference to retain, and you have a lame-duck champion who has lost all of the edge that once made him so special.

The silver lining?

A presumed feud with Jericho, whose thirst for gold appears to be outweighing his love for his best friend, as seen in the dissension that has reigned supreme in recent weeks.

3. Roman Reigns

The United States champion has more credibility on Monday nights than the universal champion, thanks to management's never-ending support of Roman Reigns.

Contrary to popular belief, that support is not a bad thing. The company needs a main event star it can count on to carry it into the future. While the execution of Reigns' push is not always what it should be, there is no denying the fact that he is being utilized far more effectively than rival Kevin Owens. 

That he was the last man standing as Roadblock went off the air only helped the perception that he is Raw's biggest star.

Do not expect that to change, especially as WrestleMania season approaches.

Reigns is a marquee star and the most polarizing and talked-about performer in the sport. He will always have a tremendous effect on Raw and will consistently remain a focal point of the writing staff.

His in-ring performances, more times than not, back up that support, so as long as he avoids injury or stupid extracurricular mistakes, he should remain the face of Raw for many years to come.

2. Charlotte Flair

No, Charlotte Flair was not included in last week's rankings, but that does not matter.

The second-generation star from the Queen City became a four-time women's champion Sunday night, outlasting Sasha Banks in an Iron Man match that saw her win three falls to two.

She was dominant, controlling the pace of the match and succumbing to falls that were more fluky than convincing. The way she targeted the knee of her opponent and proceeded to pick it apart through her use of the Figure Eight represented some of the smartest in-ring psychology she has displayed to date.

As sympathetic as Banks appeared, Flair looked that much more determined to regain the title that defines her.

Now, with Bayley waiting in the wings, the daughter of wrestling's greatest antagonist will have the opportunity to be the great heel she has proved capable of since her arrival to the main roster.

1. AJ Styles

The WWE champion resumes his reign over these power rankings—almost by default.

Kevin Owens was unable to deliver a performance that catapulted him to the top spot. Roman Reigns lost by disqualification. Chris Jericho lost. Seth Rollins is not a No. 1 wrestler by any means at this point. 

Thus Styles, the Wrestler of the Year and best in the industry, returns to the spot he should have held down since he captured the top prize in WWE in September.

With a championship defense upcoming against Dolph Ziggler, Styles figures to play a key role in the Dec. 20 episode of SmackDown. Will he be able to compete, or will he find himself stuck at the announcers' table again, forced to watch No. 1 contender Ziggler compile another victory and build momentum ahead of their showdown?