WWE Post-WrestleMania Power Rankings: Where Does Everyone Stand Now?

Even a week after WrestleMania XXVIII took place, there is still a lot of fallout coming from the massive event. Has an era truly ended from the Hell in a Cell match? Is this the end of Daniel Bryan's journey to relevance?

What is left for Chris Jericho and his claim of being the best in the world? Has John Cena truly lost it all after his WrestleMania match? Didn't they fire Drew McIntyre a few weeks ago?

Here is a power ranking of 25 competitors who were at WrestleMania or debuted at the RAW and Smackdown episodes since then. This does not include anybody from the Hell in a Cell match at WrestleMania on this list. That was likely the final match for both men and they have been kept off the list because of that.

As sad as it is, when you are off to retire, you don't belong in power rankings anymore. Before I get comments wondering where The Undertaker is, he's not on this list because he has taken his ball and gone home.

With all of that out of the way, here are the rankings going forward. There is a lot to look forward to this upcoming week as we are just one week removed from WrestleMania and three weeks from Extreme Rules in Chicago.

25) Beth Phoenix

Do you know who the longest-reigning champion currently is in WWE? It isn't CM Punk, but rather Beth Phoenix. The Divas Champion has reigned since Hell in a Cell and has been champion for seven weeks before Punk's most recent reign began.

In that time, there has been little competition thrown the way of The Glamazon. This has not removed her from some bad losses to some even worse Divas.

In the last week, she lost a WrestleMania match to Maria Menounos and fell to a Bella twin in a non-title match on Smackdown. It's a rough week to be the Divas Champion and with little reason to see a title change happening in the near future, it will continue to be tough to be the champ.

Phoenix is still the most talented Diva in the company, earning her a spot on this list. However, it's the last spot, mostly due to her lack of competition around her and the need to have her lose out of her comfort zone.

24) Zack Ryder

The Long Island Iced Z took a great journey that culminated in a United States Championship reign late last year. From then on, it was the beginning of the end for Ryder. A short and disappointing reign would commence, as a returning Kane would have his way with The Woo Woo Woo Kid.

Injuries would pile up as he was forced to compete while injured and lost his championship to Jack Swagger that way. He couldn't earn it back and still had Kane to deal with.

Eventually, The Big Red Monster left him alone and Ryder tried feverishly to make the WrestleMania card. He was successful in joining Team Teddy in the match for total control of both brands.

With Ryder rolling, he was distracted by Eve yet again, which led to him being pinned in the match and costing his team victory. Eve screwed him once again and, without Teddy Long in charge, it could be a tumultuous few months for Zack Ryder.

23) Ryback

The man formerly known to fans as Skip Sheffield finally returned to Smackdown this week as Ryback. He faced a local competitor who cut a short promo, reinforcing that he was a heel. This was only done so that WWE could guarantee a face pop for Ryback. That barely happened, but the Internet did buzz for Ryback's return.

It was an impressive display from the returning superstar, but actual superstars as opponents will help Ryback's stock. This could include a feud with one of the guys in the back watching and mocking Ryback, which included Hunico. Maybe they were laughing at Ryback's identity complex, which has him acting like Goldberg and dressing like Rob Van Dam.

22) R-Truth

Eight months ago, when R-Truth changed his attitude and level of craziness, he was main-eventing pay-per-views. Now, he is all but a forgotten man. Now a fan favorite again but still crazier than ever, R-Truth enjoyed a decent run alongside Kofi Kingston in the tag team division.

That may still continue, but don't be surprised if it doesn't. Truth is on the older side and his comedic gimmick will make people laugh. For Kingston, it will only weigh him down.

I don't know how much R-Truth really has left in terms of serious impacts within the company. His age comes in to question and his Wellness Policy violation last fall may have some in the back fearing to push him too high (no pun intended) or give him a championship.

21) Brodus Clay

The Funkasaurus made it to WrestleMania after all this year. Sure, it was in a ridiculous way that saw him dance with a bunch of African-American "mama" stereotypes, but he was there. He has been undefeated with the new look and, judging by his appearance on RAW, may be headed to an actual program with someone.

After weeks of squashing low-card superstars, progressively letting in more and more offense, it may be time for Dolph Ziggler or Jack Swagger to have an actual long-lasting match for Clay. Since it is RAW we are talking about, it will probably be only five minutes long. That's like an hour in Funkasaurus time.

He's just so popular with fans now, but you gotta wonder how long it will be and how big he will get before he becomes that destructive monster heel again. Clay is like a ticking time bomb that is ready to explode.

20) Lord Tensai

A man known as A-Train or Albert prior in WWE returned to the company as Lord Tensai this week. Tensai was certainly dominant and looked a little bit different than everything else WWE is offering right now.

It wasn't a normal squash match as Tensai took his time and picked Alex Riley apart. He never pinned Riley, but rather just forced the referee to end the match for the concern of Riley's health.

This seems to be Tensai's wheelhouse. He won't pin opponents or make them submit. He will simply destroy superstars. This sets up a few things for Tensai's future.

For one, challenges from superstars like Yoshi Tatsu seem to be coming in. There's a possibility that Tatsu could face Tensai as soon as this upcoming week, and it could be the last we see of Tatsu.

It also means that Tensai will keep up a massive warpath leading up to a big pay-per-view match with a big face, possibly CM Punk or John Cena. That match will probably be a Last Man Standing match and would end up with Tensai's first loss in WWE. That may not even come until the summer, so settle in and get ready to keep watching Tensai dominate.

19) Alberto Del Rio

Del Rio made his return to television this week, appearing on RAW and wrestling in a match on Smackdown. Those who questioned why he never appeared on WrestleMania can be rewarded by what is probably going to end up being a better path for his character.

Instead of being built into a storyline with micarders, Del Rio launched right back into the World title scene by going right after new World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus.

The two fought on Smackdown with the stipulation of a future world title reign is Del Rio was victorious. An underhanded way to victory helped Del Rio get such a title opportunity.

Will it come up at Extreme Rules as the first title defense for The Great White, or will it happen on a live Smackdown this upcoming week? Either way, Del Rio is back and this modest spot on the power rankings will only go up in the coming weeks.

18) Santino Marella

He probably deserves a higher spot, which would have sounded crazy a few months ago. Santino is the United States Champion and captained a team at WrestleMania.

Fans of his should be doing the trumpet celebration, but the instruments should probably be put away for a while. In the next few weeks, Santino is either going to fall massively or gradually rise in popularity and ability. That's what happens when John Laurinaitis has it out for you and wants to take your championship away from you.

Marella could be in for it because the general manager has him in his crosshairs. Hopefully, Marella can outlast much of the assault, but there's only so much hope you can give a superstar who is more comfortable as a comedy act than a fighting champion.

17) Cody Rhodes

So, the reign is over for Cody Rhodes and his Intercontinental Championship. There's no need to worry, because Rhodes is greater than that. He's only down this low because of his loss to Big Show, who has made a career of failing at WrestleMania.

If RAW is any indication, Rhodes will have Show to deal with for a while, costing him matches and continuing to be a thorn in his side. Rhodes will get a shot to get the belt back, but it all seems to happen for the payoff of Rhodes moving to the main event.

The problem is that Rhodes doesn't quite fit into those plans just yet. If Daniel Bryan moves out of the main event, it may be a spot for Rhodes. Don't hold your breath for that, but the move will happen for Rhodes. The real question is how long will he need to wait.

16) Mark Henry

The World's Strongest Man was a big cornerstone for Team Johnny to lean upon at WrestleMania. It helped give Henry an authority figure that actually believed in his ability.

Case in point, Henry was given a WWE Championship match against CM Punk on Monday night. Henry just could not get it done. If he could, believe me that he would be higher on this list. The reason he isn't is because he isn't nearly as destructive as he has been in the past.

There's something missing from Henry, and Abraham Washington may know just what that is. Keep an eye out for A.W. and let's see if that can generate one more world title run for Henry. Hopefully, it would be one without so much injury.

15) Kofi Kingston

Kofi Kingston is about as lost as a popular character can be. His talent is so immense, but there is just nothing for him to do. Air Boom is all but dead as Kingston should not expect Evan Bourne to come back in the next few months.

His tag team with R-Truth still exists and a tag team title match is forthcoming for them to challenge Primo and Epico. Beyond that, anything else is possible for Kingston.

What Kofi really needs is a drastic change that usually comes from two things. One is from the start of a program with another superstar. The other is to change a wrestler's gimmick. Even a little bit of a tweak has the chance to do wonders for Kofi.

When he isn't involved in anything important, like the time right now, is perfect for such a change. Will it even be a heel turn?

14) Randy Orton

It was a little bit hard to imagine, but Randy Orton lost at WrestleMania to Kane. Not only that, but WrestleMania took place on Orton's 32nd birthday. Now, it is hard to figure out what exactly is on the horizon for Randy Orton. Does he fall back into the world title hunt? or is there more of a need for him to

Some may think that he is just biding his time until Wade Barrett returns, but that could be months from now. If rumors of Barrett winning Money in the Bank are true, Orton could be the first challenger for Barrett once he cashes in his briefcase or may even try to take the briefcase away. For now, Orton is in a holding pattern.

13) Jack Swagger

Jack Swagger seems poised for something rather big in the near future. There's nothing to really go on that, other than just an inkling. That's what normally happens when you deal with a storyline involving two comedic superstars.

If he is headed for a feud with Brodus Clay and Santino Marella, Swagger has to be getting something decent at the end of this rainbow. An ally of Vickie Guerrero's, a former world champion and a friend of John Laurinaitis: three reasons to believe in Jack Swagger in a storyline perspective.

12) Dolph Ziggler

Dolph Ziggler is just better than all of this, not just because he would probably tell you that. Ziggler is an incredible worker who can go from a great match with CM Punk one week to a match against Zack Ryder the following week.

There's no real rhyme or season for some of what happens to Ziggler and he doesn't really care about that. He's a more valuable worker than most of the other superstars due to his ability, versatility and overall mentality of being a company guy.

Ziggler is meant to get his eventually, but when Ziggler gets his, it will be much deserved. Until then, Ziggler will still get a spot around this area. He just deserves that much. The real question is when he will finally get the chance for the next part in his career.

11) Kane

Kane's career seems to be dwindling down, but a WrestleMania victory does enough to justify keeping him around for a little longer. Once again, though, there just isn't any direction for him. It's now time for Kane to do his nearly-patented way to start a new feud: attack someone randomly. He's a monster. He does that. That's more or less how this Randy Orton match at WrestleMania happened.

Who does Kane attack next? Who really cares? Let's just hope that there is just some substance to it this time around or at least a motive. I'll also put an extra clause to this. I challenge WWE to make Kane's next feud with a youngster who is up-and-coming.

Even if it is Zack Ryder, who has unresolved issues with the Big Red Monster, at least it will give Kane a reason to get a younger guy over. Kane has the ability and the mind for the business to do the right thing there. It isn't about him anymore, and Kane is okay with that. If he wasn't, he would have left already.

10) David Otunga

I'll be sure to get at least one person calling me a mark or just idiotic for doing this. Why shouldn't I put David Otunga this high on the list?

He's a rising star with a nice look and much improved skills inside the ring. He is also aligned with John Laurinaitis, so if you think he doesn't put the "power" into power rankings, you're nuts.

Honestly, he could give himself a championship match whenever he wants to. Don't cross the boss, and that goes double for his legal adviser.

9) Big Show

Big Show's legacy is officially safe as he has won every active championship WWE has to offer. He is a Grand Slam Champion and one of the all-time great big men in wrestling history. From here on out, it doesn't quite matter what Big Show does, but it will mater for the immediate future.

As long as he is Intercontinental Champion, Big Show will have the responsibility of that title and its contenders to validate the title and elevate the other men. That's what Cody Rhodes had as his job for about eight months.

Big Show may be in his final situation as a champion, so he will enjoy it and make something useful out of it. It will not go to waste, but the real thing to watch is who Big Show will be facing and how good he will be at making them relevant.

8) Daniel Bryan

Daniel Bryan doesn't need relevance. He's a former World Heavyweight Champion and just about as popular as they come in wrestling today. Bryan has extended his influence to just about everywhere he could.

His "Yes!" chants have gotten louder and louder as weeks have gone on, hitting an all-time high this past Monday on RAW. His chants were louder than almost anyone else's and they were consistently placed throughout the night. Bryan wasn't even in the ring at all that night.

Bryan will likely get a rematch against Sheamus, but may not have another chance at the title after that for quite some time. I don't know if it will lead to another run as a face for Bryan, but it's hard to change anything about Bryan right now. It isn't broken. Don't fix it.

7) John Cena

John Cena, however, is broken. He was emotionally broken from losing to The Rock at WrestleMania. He may have been physically broken by Brock Lesnar on RAW the following night.

What happens to Cena from here on out is anyone's guess. All that we are for certain about now is that Cena is more sought after and more head-hunted than ever before.

Cena may be a little more low key in the weeks and months to follow. Fewer world title matches and more promos being cut.

He's got to be careful that that next claim he makes doesn't anger yet another man and yield another ambush from someone. Will it be another legend returning? What's Bruno Sammartino doing these days?

6) Brock Lesnar

It may seem like Brock Lesnar should be higher on this list, but this is plenty of credit being given to the dominant Lesnar. From his overpowering reaction to the chants before he even came to the ring and his powerful F-5 finisher to John Cena, it was an electric moment for all to enjoy.

What does the future hold for Lesnar now that he is back in the WWE? Well, his contract details show that we can expect Lesnar just about every other week.

It is believed that this will mean at least an appearance this week on RAW, but not a weekly dose of the pain from Lesnar. Still, the whole wrestling world, as well as the MMA world, is talking about Lesnar and the WWE together once again.

5) Chris Jericho

Sure, he lost the match at WrestleMania, but does Chris Jericho ever really lose the war? Jericho is far from done with CM Punk, embarrassing the WWE Champion and real-life straightedge by dousing him in whiskey.

There hasn't been anything from Punk about the attack on his Twitter account, which hasn't had any new tweets in over five days. While Punk is held silent, Jericho has gotten vocal, refusing to back down from the notion of being the Best in the World.

It's hard to argue with Jericho, despite losing the match when it mattered. One match does not define a legacy and Jericho is still an amazing performer. Jericho doesn't seem to be disappearing as quickly as others thought he would, so there's certainly more to this story.

4) The Miz

Yep, that's right. The Miz is No. 4 on this list. He was a struggling superstar who finally made it onto the WrestleMania card and took full advantage of that. A victory in the Team Teddy vs. Team Johnny match had The Miz as the one with the deciding pinfall victory. That means that The Awesome One is in the good graces of John Laurinaitis, a good place to be in this company now.

This new era in WWE may be getting billed as People Power, but for The Miz, it might as well be named "I Owe The Miz A Big Favor." For The Miz, believe that the favor will involve the WWE Championship. CM Punk has it, John Laurinaitis hates him and The Miz wants it. Fits together perfectly, don't you think?

3) The Rock

The Great One is surely on top of the world after slaying John Cena, a rare feat at WrestleMania. It took The Rock a while, but he got the job done and kicked off RAW to talk all about it.

The Rock even made a bold claim, or a dream as he called it. The Rock dreams of the day that he can be WWE Champion one more time and it may just happen after all. Haven't we all seen odder things happen?

Then again, wouldn't someone costing The Rock a chance at that title set up a good rivalry with The Rock? Doesn't that seem like a job for Brock Lesnar? Did I just set the main event of WrestleMania XXIX?

2) Sheamus

He's the World Heavyweight Champion and he did it in very quick time. Sheamus is back on top as a world champion and hopes to do it in a way that will give him some credit as a decent champion. His career is practically rebooted from January on and he will try to continue that into the future.

Both Sheamus and the championship had some weird ups and downs over the last year, so keeping both together and building credibility for both is a positive step in the right direction.

Del Rio is emerging as the first challenger, but Bryan is still lurking in the shadows. Either way, The Great White has not been able to be stopped as of late and that big belt proves it. Sheamus is a bad dude and justifies his spot on this list.

1) CM Punk

He's the Best in the world and the WWE Champion, so No. 1 is exactly where he belongs. CM Punk had the best match of the night with Chris Jericho, but they didn't quite steal the show in the way that Rock/Cena and the Hell in a Cell match did. Still, Punk is the world champion on the top brand of the top wrestling company in the world. That makes him the Best in the World for sure.

He returns to Chicago for Extreme Rules and, whether we will see him much from now until then is anyone's guess after his attack from Jericho last week. The shape that we will see Punk is kind of a mystery to this point.

Still, until we see a real seismic shift in WWE, Punk is still on top of the world in WWE. After weeks of playing second fiddle to legends and year-long hype for a WrestleMania match, the universe and righted the ship and Punk stands defiant atop the mountain.

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