WWE Power Rankings: Breaking Down WWE's Top 25 Superstars for Week of Sept. 23

With John Cena in a sling due to surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow, it is quite clear that the WWE's pecking order has been shaken up a bit this week. Cena appeared on RAW, but he was unable to compete and likely won't wrestle for at least the next few weeks.

He still managed to make an impact by hitting WWE Champion CM Punk with a lead pipe, but that wasn't enough for him to keep the top spot in the power rankings. Perennial contenders such as Punk, Daniel Bryan, Kane and Dolph Ziggler maintained their lofty standing, but some up-and-comers made a move as well.

There was a lot to keep track of on RAW and it certainly resulted in a changing of the guard to some degree. Hell in a Cell is still five weeks away, but some big steps were taken when it comes to building toward that pay-per-view, and that had a major effect on this week's rankings.

Here are my top 25 current superstars in the WWE ranked on the basis of entertainment value rather than kayfabe factors like wins and losses.

25. Santino Marella

Previous Week's Ranking: 22

Santino Marella's comedic act works for some people, but I'm simply not a very big fan of it. I'm glad that Santino lost the United States Championship at SummerSlam; however, I wish he would be removed from the title scene completely.

Marella defeated Antonio Cesaro in a non-title match on SmackDown due to accidental interference from Aksana. It seems like the writers are angling toward making Santino and Aksana an item, but I'm really hoping that doesn't come to fruition.

24. David Otunga

Previous Week's Ranking: 19

The more we see of David Otunga backstage the better, but the more we see of him in the ring, the worse he gets. Otunga is a guy who is much better in an authoritative role than a wrestling role, so hopefully his in-ring competition is lessened.

Otunga was fine in the six-man tag match on Monday where he teamed with Alberto Del Rio and Ricardo Rodriguez in a losing effort to Sheamus, Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara, but I don't see a bright future for him as an actual wrestler because of his limitations.

23. Tensai

Previous Week's Ranking: 20

If nothing else, at least the WWE has been utilizing Tensai on RAW and SmackDown lately. Even so, I can't figure out why he isn't in a more prominent position. Perhaps he wasn't getting over, but the WWE should have had much more patience and molded him into a monster heel.

Tensai has lost to Randy Orton a couple of times lately, and technically beat Brodus Clay by disqualification on RAW when Big Show interfered. I doubt it's leading anywhere, but I wouldn't mind seeing those three big men do a quick program together.

22. Heath Slater

Previous Week's Ranking: 21

Heath Slater continues to do fairly well for himself despite his jobber status, and SmackDown was another example of that. Slater lost to Brodus Clay by disqualification when Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal interfered on Slater's behalf. The trio then proceeded to beat down the Funkasaurus.

I'm not sure if this was a one-off thing or the start of a stable, but I'm hoping it means good things for Slater. He's never going to be a main eventer, but he's entertaining and could be a solid contender for the mid-card belts.

21. Brodus Clay

Previous Week's Ranking: 23

Brodus Clay still has the potential to be something special, but it seems like the WWE's confidence in him is waning. His dancing gimmick has gone over massively, and I continue to enjoy it; however, he hasn't been put in particularly advantageous positions as of late.

He was beat down by a group of jobbers on SmackDown and knocked out by Big Show on RAW, so I'm pulling for Brodus to feud with Antonio Cesaro over the United States Championship, which was teased last week.

20. Antonio Cesaro

Previous Week's Ranking: 15

I understand that Antonio Cesaro was great on the independent scene, but I haven't been overly impressed with him in the WWE to this point. I hoped that he might bring some legitimacy back to the United States Championship, and he still may, but the lack of a concrete feud is hurting him right now.

He isn't over enough with the WWE crowd to go off on his own yet, so breaking he and Aksana up seems like a big mistake. If he feuds with someone like Brodus Clay, though, maybe he can prove me wrong with a strong performance.

19. Prime Time Players

Previous Week's Ranking: 18

The Prime Time Players are generally very sloppy in the ring, but I find them fairly entertaining as characters and believe they can be a big part of the suddenly-revitalized tag division. Titus O'Neil and Darren Young beat Zack Ryder and Santino Marella on Monday, and they seem to be taking aim at Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara.

That is a feud that I am pretty interested in, seeing as it could really help launch O'Neil and Young to new heights as a team. Whatever the case, The Prime Time Players seem fairly entrenched as one of the top tag teams in WWE.

18. Zack Ryder

Previous Week's Ranking: 14

Just when it seems like Zack Ryder is back on the rise, he gets knocked down another peg. Ryder scored a couple wins on RAW and won the No. 1 contender's battle royal to challenge for the United States Championship, but he lost to Antonio Cesaro and it's been all downhill from there.

Ryder teamed with Santino for no apparent reason on RAW and lost to The Prime Time Players. Ryder would be the perfect guy to challenge for a mid-card title since the crowd remains hot for him, but I'm not confident that the writers feel the same way.

17. Sin Cara

Previous Week's Ranking: 17

Sin Cara and Rey Mysterio appear to have formed an official tag team, but until things become clearer, I'll continue to rank them separately. Sin Cara teamed with Mysterio and Sheamus to beat Alberto Del Rio, Ricardo Rodriguez and David Otunga on Monday night, and the high flyer looked very good.

All signs point to Sin Cara and Mysterio feuding with The Prime Time Players, and hopefully that leads to the lunchadors getting a shot at the Tag Team Championships as a program with Kane and Daniel Bryan; that would be excellent.

16. Big Show

Previous Week's Ranking: NR

After more than a month off television, Big Show returned to RAW with a bang on Monday as he interrupted a match between Tensai and Brodus Clay, delivering a massive WMD to each of them. Big Show didn't say a word and he simply exited the ring.

I'm not much of a Big Show fan, but his heel run was pretty good, so I'm intrigued to see where this is heading. Rumors have come out that Big Show might be next in line to challenge for Sheamus' World Heavyweight Championship title, and while I'd rather that not happen, it seems pretty likely at this point.

15. Kofi Kingston

Previous Week's Ranking: 24 (with R-Truth)

In the previous editions of these rankings I listed Kofi Kingston and R-Truth as a team since they didn't compete in singles matches much, but after Kofi's dynamite bout with Dolph Ziggler on RAW, I decided to split them up. Kofi looked great in a losing effort, and I'm hoping this leads to him returning to the singles scene.

Kofi and Truth held down the tag division for as long as they could, but their partnership has gotten boring. I'm not sure what more can be done with Kofi as he has held each of the mid-card titles multiple times, but if he continues to put on matches like the one he had Monday, then he'll be a useful commodity.

14. Cody Rhodes

Previous Week's Ranking: 16

Cody Rhodes is another guy who has gone from being an aimless singles competitor to an important part of the tag-team division as he and Damien Sandow officially announced the forming of a partnership on Monday. The pair lost to Kane and Daniel Bryan on SmackDown, but we'll be seeing more from the team that has been dubbed Rhodes Scholars.

Rhodes beat Bryan in a singles match on SmackDown thanks to a distraction from Kane, and he has been much more effective as of late. The WWE wasn't sure how to utilize Rhodes after he lost the Intercontinental Championship, but at least he has a direction now.

13. Alberto Del Rio

Previous Week's Ranking: 12

As much as I want to like and enjoy Alberto Del Rio, it's very difficult to do so when the creative team has no idea what direction to take him in. Del Rio's seemingly endless feud with Sheamus may have actually come to an end at Night of Champions, but for some odd reason he continues to face Sheamus in tag-team matches.

Del Rio and Sheamus need to be separated and Del has to face somebody else. There aren't a ton of great options for him, but an upper mid-card feud with Randy Orton would probably be good. They've had a couple matches with each other over the past month and both men might benefit from a program.

12. Sheamus

Previous Week's Ranking: 11

Sheamus may be the World Heavyweight Champion, but that isn't enough to land him a top-10 spot in my rankings. Sheamus has all the tools necessary to be a top star. However, like Alberto Del Rio, poor creative choices have damaged him. The writers seem to be waffling as to what to do with him, but the solution seems obvious.

Wade Barrett is the perfect guy for Sheamus to feud with, but it doesn't seem like WWE is going in that direction. To be honest, though, I'd be fine with anyone other than Del Rio, and Sheamus will almost certainly move up this list if he moves on.

11. Rey Mysterio

Previous Week's Ranking: 10

Rey Mysterio may not be as quick and flashy as he once was, but every time he steps in the ring, he performs. Mysterio has had several great matches over the past month or so and his partnership with Sn Cara is very exciting. The tag-team division has needed a shot in the arm for years, and both Mysterio and Sin Cara can provide it.

Mysterio and Sin Cara are such a perfect fit that I honestly can't believe it took this long for them to be paired. The tag-team scene is looking up now that they've teamed up, though, and it is probably only a matter of time before they take on Kane and Daniel Bryan.

10. Wade Barrett

Previous Week's Ranking: 7

Based on pure talent, Wade Barrett should be much higher on this list, but based on the way he has been used, No. 10 seems appropriate. I figured Barrett would immediately enter the World Heavyweight Championship scene and challenge Sheamus upon returning from an elbow injury, but all he has done is face Yoshi Tatsu, Justin Gabriel and Tyson Kidd.

If the WWE isn't careful, it's going to squander Barrett's incredible ability, so hopefully a feud with Sheamus is on the horizon. My gut tells me it isn't, though, so I worry about how Barrett is going to remain relevant.

9. Randy Orton

Previous Week's Ranking: 6

Randy Orton is the case of a guy who is very solid in the ring, but extremely boring otherwise. I understand why he has a large fan following. However, his current character is played out, and he needs to change things up. I'm not usually one to say that everyone needs to turn heel, but I can't help but think Orton would benefit from that.

There isn't an immediate direction for Orton, which is a theme for many top guys right now, and I'm not sure where he goes from here. Perhaps he can continue his feud with Dolph Ziggler or start one with Alberto Del Rio, but there doesn't appear to be a path to the main-event scene for him right now.

8. The Miz

Previous Week's Ranking: 9

The Miz is the Intercontinental Champion and should be featured as one of the top stars in the company, but that hasn't happened as he constantly loses non-title matches. It happened yet again on Monday as Miz put over Ryback. Miz got some offense in and looked decent, but nobody is going to take him or the IC title seriously if he continues to lose.

Miz is the total package and he deserves to be a main eventer. However, the WWE hasn't booked him that way. If Randy Orton could use a heel turn, then maybe Miz would benefit from a face turn. He has the personality to make it happen, and I have to believe he would get a much better push than what he's been getting lately.

7. Damien Sandow

Previous Week's Ranking: 8

Damien Sandow's momentum as a singles competitor has stalled a bit lately, but he is likely to remain relevant thanks to his new partnership with Cody Rhodes. Sandow and Rhodes teamed up against Kane and Daniel Bryan on SmackDown, and Sandow scored a singles win over Kane as well. Now Rhodes Scholars will pose a stiff threat to the Tag Team Champions.

If the writers don't feel as though they can book Sandow correctly as a singles wrestler, then I'm fine with him joining the tag-team ranks for the time being. He's ultimately going to be a star as a singles competitor, but due to the popularity of Kane and Bryan, this angle should be very good for him.

6. Ryback

Previous Week's Ranking: 13

After months of meaningless squash matches, it appears as though Ryback's push has finally started. Ryback defeated Intercontinental Champion The Miz in a non-title affair on RAW, but that wasn't the extent of his impact. Many WWE fans were shocked when Ryback came to the aid of Mick Foley after an attack at the hands of WWE Champion CM Punk.

With John Cena injured, Punk needs a holdover feud until Hell in a Cell, and Ryback may slide into that spot. I'm not sure if Ryback is really ready for such a high-profile angle, but I'm intrigued, to say the least. This could lead to big things for the dominant beast.

5. John Cena

Previous Week's Ranking: 1

It isn't really through any fault of his own, but John Cena takes a tumble in the rankings from No. 1 to No. 5 this week. Cena did the best he could with one arm as he cut a promo and hit CM Punk with a lead pipe, but since he can't wrestle, he can't maintain the top spot. The way he was talking, it sounds like he will stop appearing on RAW until he's healed, so nobody knows when we'll see Cena next.

Truth be told, Cena's promo work wasn't particularly good on Monday, so both he and the fans could use a bit of a break. He'll be back in a few weeks to reclaim his spot as No. 1 contender, but for now he would be best off staying away and healing up.

4. Dolph Ziggler

Previous Week's Ranking: 5

As much as the creative team seems to be trying to hold Dolph Ziggler down, he is simply too good of a performer not to move up my list. Mr. Money In The Bank lost yet another pay-per-view match as he was defeated by Randy Orton at Night of Champions, adding to his loss to Chris Jericho at SummerSlam, but he wrestles each and every night and truly does steal the show.

There wasn't really much on the line when he faced Kofi Kingston on RAW, but the two of them put on a pay-per-view-quality match with Ziggler coming out on top. It doesn't cancel out the senseless pay-per-view losses that have piled up, but as long as Ziggler continues to do what he did on Monday, he may still become a credible World Heavyweight Champion.

3. Kane

Previous Week's Ranking: 4

It wasn't long ago that the WWE's tag-team division was essentially dead, but the writers dedicated an entire show to the division on SmackDown, with Kane and Daniel Bryan leading the charge, so business has definitely picked up. I always enjoyed monster heel Kane, but I have to admit that he has done incredible work as a comedic act alongside Bryan the past several weeks.

Kane and Bryan have been equals and it's hard to put one above the other, but since Bryan's in-ring work is better, I decided to go with Kane at No. 3. Kane and Bryan both held their own on SmackDown and did well in the comedy sketches on Monday, so they remain the hottest thing going in WWE.

2. Daniel Bryan

Previous Week's Ranking: 3

With each passing week I become more and more impressed with Daniel Bryan. I liked him from the time he debuted on NXT, as I was familiar with some of his independent-scene work, but I never imagined his character evolving like it has. He was initially just a great wrestler with little personality, but Bryan's personality is actually starting to overshadow his fantastic in-ring work.

The WWE has caught lightning in a bottle with the Bryan and Kane partnership, so I'm hoping it continues for the foreseeable future. Bryan undoubtedly has a bright future as a singles competitor and will probably even be WWE Champion one day, but he is doing the company a great service by revitalizing the tag-team division right now, and is very valuable in that regard.

1. CM Punk

Previous Week's Ranking: 2

WWE Champion CM Punk's stay at No. 2 in the rankings was certainly short-lived, as John Cena's elbow injury allowed Punk to regain the top spot. Even if Cena wasn't hurt, though, I probably still would have moved Punk up. His opening segment with A.J. Lee and Paul Heyman on RAW was highly entertaining, and his promo with Mick Foley was absolutely fantastic. Punk didn't even compete, but he still managed to make the show about him.

Punk was admittedly a bit shaky in the closing promo with Cena, but Cena was even worse, so Punk wins in that regard as well. I wasn't a big fan of Cena being allowed to get the better of Punk with one arm, but after seeing him go after Foley and have a stare-down with Ryback, I understand it. Not everyone has liked Punk's heel turn to this point, but I feel like it has gone swimmingly, as he is more relevant now than he has been over the course of his entire title run.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter and listen to him on Ring Rust Radio.