WWE Power Rankings: Breaking Down WWE's Top 25 Superstars for Week of Aug. 12

The WWE releases power rankings on a weekly basis, with order being based on how each individual superstar fared the previous week. Those rankings are kayfabe in nature, however, as they focus on actual win-loss records rather than the work that the wrestlers have done in the ring and on the mic.

There is no question that power rankings based on predetermined success and power rankings based on entertainment value are very different. That is why I decided to make a departure from the WWE's system and create some power rankings of my own.

These rankings will reflect the feelings of the educated fans much more so than the ones that are produced by WWE. I don't blame WWE for situating the rankings like they do since they try to make the product seem real, but fans are looking for something that is based more in reality than fantasy.

With that said, here are my top 25 superstars for the week starting on Aug. 12 and after the conclusion of Monday's edition of RAW.

25. Christian

Since losing the Intercontinental Championship to The Miz, it has been all downhill for Christian. He did manage to beat Antonio Cesaro on SmackDown, but he put over Damien Sandow on RAW and appears to be stuck in the mid-card as a face that is meant to make the up-and-coming heels look good.

Christian is still excellent in the ring and on the mic, but he isn't being given the opportunity to show it. It seemed like there were big plans for Christian when he returned as a face, but he was thoroughly dominated by Sandow and I'm not sure where he fits in moving forward.

24. Cody Rhodes

Much like Christian, Cody Rhodes has fallen off the face of the Earth since losing the Intercontinental Championship. Rhodes dropped that belt to Christian and I'm not sure he has won a match since. He seemed like a guy who was heading toward the main-event scene in the near future, but Rhodes' push has been derailed and he is suddenly a forgotten man.

He had an entertaining match with Sin Cara on SmackDown, but he was more worried about unmasking Sin Cara than winning, so Sin Cara beat him with a roll up. I can't help but think that Rhodes is being punished for something and I doubt that he'll suddenly turn things around any time soon.

23. Brodus Clay

Brodus Clay was once being built the way that Ryback is currently, but once he suffered his first loss to Big Show, Clay took a big tumble from his once lofty perch. Over the past couple weeks, he has been feuding with Damien Sandow. Clay was attacked by Sandow last week and then he tried to distract Sandow during his match with Christian this week, but Sandow still picked up the win.

It seems to me like Clay is being led to slaughter and will ultimately be putting Sandow over. I'm fine with that since I'm a big Sandow supporter, but the WWE had a chance to do something good with Clay and ruined it by sticking with the squash match formula for too long.

22. Kane

Kane hasn't really had much going on as of late, but he is scheduled to face Daniel Bryan at SummerSlam. Kane and Bryan were told by AJ to shake hands on SmackDown, but Kane attacked Bryan instead. I'm not a huge fan of face Kane since the creative team spent all that time trying to make him a credible heel, but I suppose they have settled on making him a face for now.

I can't complain about Kane's in-ring work and overall performance at his age, but he is constantly put in lame feuds. His current one with Bryan doesn't make much sense since Kane was removed from the AJ saga a couple months ago. But I'm hopeful that they can have a strong match on Sunday.

21. Antonio Cesaro

It has been nice to see Antonio Cesaro being utilized on SmackDown over the past couple weeks, but I'm a bit confused about his direction. He beat Santino a couple weeks ago and will face him for the United States Championship on the SummerSlam pre-show, but he lost to Christian on SmackDown, so he lost some of his momentum.

Cesaro clearly has a lot of potential, so I hope that he beats Santino on Sunday. That doesn't guarantee that the creative team will put him in a good storyline, but at least the likelihood of that happening would go up if he has some hardware.

20. Mark Henry

Mark Henry has been out of action for the past few months due to injury. But he resurfaced on Monday as the former Olympic weightlifter sent out some touts from the Summer Games in London. Henry was much more jovial than the most recent character that he played and many fans are wondering if he'll be a face or heel when he returns.

Whatever the case, the WWE could certainly use Henry's services. My hope is that he feuds with World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus. The two of them had a brief feud last summer, but it was never resolved and Sheamus would benefit from a rivalry with a legitimate tough guy.

19. Prime Time Players

The Prime Time Players may have lost their manager as A.W. was released because of his controversial Kobe Bryant remark, but they have continued to roll as of late. Darren Young and Titus O'Neil attacked R-Truth after his victory over Heath Slater on Monday and will receive another shot at the Tag Team Championships at SummerSlam.

I'm honestly not a huge fan of the Prime Time Players, but Truth and Kofi Kingston are beyond stale as the titleholders, so it's time for a change. They may not be much, but I suppose the Prime Time Players are the best the tag division has to offer right now.

18. Randy Orton

Randy Orton hasn't been used much since returning from his suspension and I'm beginning to wonder whether he will even be on the SummerSlam card. Orton did face Alberto Del Rio two weeks ago on SmackDown and there isn't currently a World Heavyweight Championship match scheduled, but Orton has been off of television for a week.

Perhaps the WWE is still punishing Orton for his suspension, but there are better ways to do that. The creative team easily could have booked him for a match against The Miz at SummerSlam with Miz going over and legitimizing the Intercontinental Championship, but instead, The Viper is being wasted.

17. Rey Mysterio

The WWE has been getting its money's worth out of Rey Mysterio since his return from injury and suspension as he has been involved in quite a few matches. But like much of the roster, he lacks a good direction as well. Mysterio is scheduled to face The Miz for the Intercontinental Championship at SummerSlam, though, after beating Miz on SmackDown.

It wouldn't make a lot of sense to have Mysterio win that match since he doesn't need the title to be over with the fans, so I have to believe that The Miz will beat him. I can't help but think that Mysterio would have been better as part of a fatal four way for the World Heavyweight Championship.

16. Wade Barrett

Wade Barrett is another guy who hasn't been in action for a few months, but that doesn't prevent him from making this list. Vignettes have aired over the past two weeks and fans are now anticipating his return. Barrett is sporting a full beard in the promo and it appears to be drawing from his background as a bare-knuckle boxer.

The SmackDown main-event scene is in shambles currently, so Barrett's return can't come soon enough. He has been wrestling some dark matches, meaning it should just be a matter of time. I would love to see Barrett feud with Sheamus over the World Heavyweight Championship since he has lacked a true threat during his reign, and I'm hopeful that is exactly what will happen.

15. Sin Cara

The WWE couldn't figure out what to do with Sin Cara when he returned from injury, but he has now scored back-to-back wins over Cody Rhodes and Tensai, and appears to be back in the company's good graces. Maybe Sin Cara hasn't lived up to the lofty expectations that everyone had of him when he came to the WWE amid great fanfare, but he has been better since his return.

He has kept the in-ring botches to a minimum and seems to have adapted to the WWE style. Unfortunately for Sin Cara, I'm not really seeing a spot on the card for him right now, but I would absolutely love to see him team with Rey Mysterio in an effort to freshen up the tag division.

14. Alberto Del Rio

The WWE has been trying to get Alberto Del Rio over as a legitimate contender for the World Heavyweight Championship, but it hasn't worked and I'm wondering if that is why the plug was pulled on his match with Sheamus on SummerSlam. If nothing else, Del Rio has been getting the better of Sheamus quite a bit lately, but he hasn't been built well enough to come off looking like a true threat.

I'm guessing that Del Rio will still be in the title match on Sunday, but it will probably be made into a triple threat or fatal four way. Del Rio lost his momentum when the creative team failed to capitalize on his Royal Rumble win and he hasn't been the same since.

13. Sheamus

Sheamus is a solid World heavyweight Champion as he is strong in the ring and on the mic, and has a unique look. But he has really suffered due to the lack of any true contenders. Del Rio simply hasn't helped make Sheamus look strong throughout this entire process and that is part of the reason why Sheamus isn't being viewed as a quality main-eventer.

On top of that, the whole thing with him stealing and trashing Del Rio's car last week was extremely lame, as were the guys dressed like police officers beating him up on SmackDown. On his own, Sheamus is perfectly good and capable of being a strong world champion, but he needs some creative help moving forward.

12. Daniel Bryan

Daniel Bryan isn't involved in a particularly good storyline right now, but he has done his best to take those lemons and make lemonade. If nothing else, Bryan's new, psychotic character has been pretty entertaining and it has showcased his range as a performer. I don't see much good coming out of his feud with Kane, but I am certainly optimistic for Bryan moving forward.

I also like that he said on RAW that he should be in the WWE Championship match since that means that he isn't totally removed from the title scene. This rivalry with Kane obviously appears to be a holdover feud until something bigger comes along, and my hope is that a feud with John Cena might be on the horizon.

11. The Miz

Since winning the Intercontinental Championship, The Miz has been used absolutely terribly as he has lost to the likes of Kane and Rey Mysterio. I had high hopes for the title gaining some importance, but apparently it is as useless as ever. With that said, Miz has been very entertaining and his new cocky, movie star persona appears to be working pretty well.

Miz interrupted a Piper's Pit segment between Roddy Piper, Chris Jericho, Dolph Ziggler and Vickie Guerrero on Monday and I feel like he stole the show. Miz also took part in a fantastic triple threat match against Jericho and Ziggler afterward. Miz is a main-event talent in every sense of the word, so hopefully he gets his due moving forward.

10. Big Show

I'm not really a fan of Big Show, but I have to give him credit because he has played his heel role fairly well over the past couple months. He may be the third wheel in the WWE Championship feud between CM Punk and John Cena, but he definitely adds an extra element to the match at SummerSlam and seems likely to have a major bearing on the outcome of the bout.

All Big Show really has to do is be a giant and look menacing, and he has been doing that as of late. I don't believe that he will be a fixture in the main-event scene once SummerSlam comes and goes, but Big Show has at least held his own and has been one of the more entertaining things in WWE by default in recent weeks.

9. Triple H

With his match against Brock Lesnar set to take place at SummerSlam, Triple H has been much more visible over the past few weeks. He hasn't really been asked to cut promos since RAW 1000, though, and has mostly been trying to look like a physical threat to Brock. He has done a nice job in that regard and officially aided in getting me excited for the match on Sunday.

I really enjoyed his actions on RAW when Lesnar was threatening to break Shawn Michaels' arm. He seemed conflicted when it came to either helping his best friend or feeding his own ego, and that should bode well for the future. There is a thought that Triple H and Michaels could have a match at WrestleMania, and Monday's developments might support that.

8. Shawn Michaels

As much as I like Triple H, Shawn Michaels seems to steal the show every time he and Triple H are involved in an angle together, and that was the case on Monday. Something needed to be done in order to intensify the feud between Triple H and Lesnar, so Michaels played the role of sacrificial lamb. He was trapped by Lesnar and Paul Heyman, and then Lesnar proceeded to "break" his arm.

Suddenly, the Triple H vs. Lesnar match seems a lot more personal than it once did, so you have to give Michaels a lot of credit. The way he acted so afraid of Lesnar really helped put over Lesnar as a monster and it makes him look very strong heading into Sunday after he lost a lot of steam by losing to John Cena a few months back.

7. Ryback

Ryback is far from the most technically-sound wrestler in the WWE and he may be a bit one-dimensional, but it's hard to deny the fact that he is getting over with the fans. There was still a smattering of "Goldberg" chants during his match with JTG on Monday, but there were also some fairly thunderous "Feed Me More" chants, so perhaps the creative team can make something out of Ryback if it plays its cards right.

I would really like to see Ryback have a real feud against somebody other than Jinder Mahal moving forward since the squash matches are getting old. But it is at least mildly entertaining watching him throw guys around like rag dolls. Ryback is on fire right now, but the WWE has to strike while the iron is hot.

6. Dolph Ziggler

Many consider Dolph Ziggler to be the future of the WWE, and he continues to prove why each and every week. His feud with Chris Jericho is the best thing going in the company right now, in my estimation. He has really held his own in the ring and on the mic. Jericho may be a bit more polished than Ziggler in both of those areas currently, but Ziggler has shown that he is capable of reaching Jericho's level in due time.

His involvement on Jericho's Highlight Reel and Piper's Pit over the past week were both great and his triple threat against Jericho and The Miz was absolutely fantastic. Ziggler shockingly lost to Alex Riley last week, but having him beat Jericho on Monday was a great move and makes him look strong heading into SummerSlam.

5. John Cena

For the first time in a long time, John Cena hasn't really been asked to carry the load on RAW, but he remains a key cog in the operation. He reluctantly tagged with CM Punk against Daniel Bryan and Big Show on Monday and showed a bit of a cocky side that I and many other fans could get in to. He stole some of Punk's moves and showboated a bit before picking up the victory.

When Punk entered the ring to shake Cena's hand, Cena refused to reciprocate. It was certainly an interesting scene since Cena always does the right thing and sets a good example, so I like the precedent that it sets for SummerSlam. Punk is clearly miffed about the entire situation, so hopefully it leads to something big happening.

4. Damien Sandow

The mid-card is a veritable wasteland in the WWE right now, but one guy who has risen above that is Damien Sandow. I was a huge fan of his character as soon as he debuted and he has lived up to my expectations thus far. Sandow's promos are always excellent and hilarious, and he has proven to be pretty good in the ring as well. Although, he hasn't really been given an opportunity to work a full match.

I like the way he has been getting the better of Brodus Clay lately, and his decisive win over Christian on RAW made him look incredibly strong. Hopefully, the creative team continues to build on Sandow's recent success by having him beat Clay in a feud and then perhaps giving him the United States Championship.

3. Brock Lesnar

Prior to the past couple weeks, Brock Lesnar hadn't really been used effectively, but his actions on RAW really helped build some anticipation for his match against Triple H. Lesnar has been ducking Triple H, but he attacked Shawn Michaels on Monday and "broke" his arm in order to make a point. I'm glad that Lesnar was allowed to do the talking physically rather than on the mic since he is much better off that way.

One reason why Lesnar's original feud with John Cena didn't go so well was that he was forced into speaking far too much. Lesnar is supposed to be a legitimate tough guy. Having him break Michaels' arm was a great segue into SummerSlam as his feud with Triple H has suddenly become very personal and far more interesting.

2. Chris Jericho

Chris Jericho may be leaving to tour with his band soon, but he remains one of the biggest attractions WWE has to offer. Jericho's return as a heel really fell flat because he lost essentially every match and never seemed like a threat to win. His face turn has been great, however, and it has really refreshed his character. Jericho's interview segments have been absolutely fantastic and he continues to prove that he can work in the ring as well.

The one negative is that the WWE will be hurting once he leaves. It has taken a few months, but Jericho has finally hit his stride, and now he has to take tend to other ventures. The mid-card is generally a mess, but Jericho and Ziggler have been doing something special, so I wish the feud could last over the long term. Jericho has other commitments, though, so WWE will have to figure out a way to replace him.

1. CM Punk

Not everyone has been a big fan of the transformation of CM Punk's character, but after what happened on Monday I am very encouraged. The creative team has been trying to paint him as a tweener, but it seems to me like the official heel turn is coming on Sunday. Punk bailed on John Cena during their tag-team match on RAW, but after Cena picked up the win, Punk came back into the ring and offered a handshake, but Cena declined.

Punk then said that he would teach Cena and everybody about respect at the end of the night at SummerSlam. Something huge is planned, whether it's Punk's official heel turn, a partnership with Big Show or something to that effect. Ever since Punk first won the WWE Championship, fans have wanted him to be the focal point, and that has clearly come to fruition.

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