WWE Power Rankings: Breaking Down WWE's Top 25 Superstars for Week of Oct. 28

While most things that happened at Hell in a Cell on Sunday were fairly predictable, the night closed with a bang as Big Show surprisingly beat Sheamus for the World Heavyweight Championship and CM Punk retained his WWE Championship against Ryback thanks to help from referee Brad Maddox. Those results certainly shifted the balance of power in WWE.

Now the WWE is just three weeks away from Survivor Series, so things are sure to be pushed into overdrive in an effort to build toward one of the company's "Big Four" pay-per-views. With a traditional Survivor Series match already announced for the event in the form of Team Punk vs. Team Mick Foley, the WWE will have a lot of mouths to feed moving forward.

It won't be easy to make everyone look strong, but the writers will have to do their best to ensure that all superstars are on equal footing. No other matches have been announced, but a world title rematch between Big Show and Sheamus, as well as a contest between John Cena and Dolph Ziggler seems likely, so the next few weeks will be of the utmost importance.

Here are my top-25 power rankings for the week beginning on Oct. 28. Remember that all rankings are based on entertainment value through in-ring work and promos and don't take kayfabe factors like wins and losses into account.

25. Santino Marella

Last Week's Ranking: NR

Since dropping the United States Championship a couple months ago, Santino Marella hasn't been much more than a lower midcard jobber, but he plays his role well. Santino has been teaming with Zack Ryder a lot lately against 3MB, and while the face team has lost all of those encounters, the fans are still solidly behind them.

Simply appearing regularly on WWE television is good enough to make this list since the company really only utilizes part of its roster, and Santino is one guy who the WWE believes it can count on. I'm not a huge fan of his over-the-top comedy act, but the kids still seem to love it and I can respect that.

24. Brodus Clay

Last Week's Ranking: 22

When Brodus Clay burst onto the scene several months ago with his Funkasaurus gimmick, he took the WWE by storm and went on a huge winning streak. It seems as though the writers have lost confidence in him, however, as he has been putting over the likes of Antonio Cesaro and Heath Slater lately and hasn't been on Raw or SmackDown in a couple weeks.

In terms of the comedic acts on the roster, Clay is one of the better ones, but he is definitely stuck in a rut right now. I'm not really sure what can be done to get him back on track, however, the WWE needs to figure out something for him to do because he has great size, a big personality and plenty of potential to thrive in this business.

23. R-Truth

Last Week's Ranking: NR

R-Truth hadn't been seen on WWE programming since deciding to dance rather than face Brodus Clay in a match a few weeks ago, but he made his triumphant return on Monday. Truth's former tag team partner, Kofi Kingston, was the recipient of a two-on-one attack at the hands of Antonio Cesaro and The Miz, but Truth made the save and stood tall next to the Intercontinental champion.

Since Miz and Kofi are set to take part in the traditional Survivor Series match in a few weeks, it seems likely that Truth will challenge for the United States Championship. I've never been a big fan of Truth, but there is a real lack of midcard faces, so he fills a role and could have a decent feud with Cesaro.

22. Zack Ryder

Last Week's Ranking: 21

If Zack Ryder were given enough television time, then I have no doubt that he would be much higher on this list. Instead of challenging for a midcard title, though, Ryder is constantly teaming with Santino and jobbing to 3MB. While I have no problem with WWE trying to give three underutilized wrestlers a push, Ryder should be far above that.

His crowd support has waned admittedly, but when a guy is having inconsequential tag team matches on Raw and wrestling mostly on Superstars, that is to be expected. Ryder still has tons of personality and is very underrated in the ring, so I hope the creative team gives him another chance to succeed in the near future.

21. Justin Gabriel

Last Week's Ranking: 19

Justin Gabriel is one of many talented guys on the roster who has been lost in the shuffle, but over the past few weeks, he has been used much more often. Gabriel pulled off an upset win over United States champion Antonio Cesaro on Raw last week and even earned a title shot at Hell in a Cell. Although he lost, he still acquitted himself quite well.

Gabriel's potential is capped due to a lack of charisma and mic skills, but there are few more exciting in-ring competitors. Since the odds of Evan Bourne ever returning to a WWE ring seem pretty low, I wouldn't mind seeing Gabriel assuming his role. He can be the high-flying, plucky underdog who the fans love to get behind, and perhaps that will lead to a midcard title run at some point.

20. 3MB

Last Week's Ranking: 20 (as only Heath Slater)

I had been ranking Heath Slater has an individual for the past several weeks, but since he seems entrenched as part of 3MB with Jinder Mahal and Drew McIntyre, it's logical to just clump them all together. On the surface, it seems ridiculous to put these guys in a stable since they have nothing in common, but it has worked fairly well so far.

It isn't as if Slater, Mahal or McIntyre had anything going on to begin with, so there is no harm in giving it a try. The interview segment on Raw was pretty interesting since it's obvious that none of them have any musical talent, and that figures to be part of their gimmick moving forward. This team can only move so far up the ladder, but I'm interested to see where they go from here.

19. Prime Time Players

Last Week's Ranking: 24

The top of the tag team division is currently occupied by Tag Team champions Team Hell No and the No. 1 contenders, Team Rhodes Scholars, but The Prime Time Players are still a very important piece of the puzzle. Darren Young and Titus O'Neil may not compare to the other teams in terms of in-ring prowess, but they have some personality and come off as a true team.

There are four teams that have separated themselves from the rest of the pack, and The Prime Time Players are one of them. All of the focus is still on Kane and Daniel Bryan since they are still trying to solidify the tag team scene, but Young and O'Neil should play a big part in it moving forward.

18. Sin Cara

Last Week's Ranking: 17

Sin Cara was in real danger of fading into obscurity when he returned from injury as there were no immediate plans for him and his sloppy in-ring work held him back. Since teaming up with Rey Mysterio, however, Sin Cara has regained much of the popularity he lost and his wrestling has been much cleaner, while remaining equally exciting.

I realize that Mysterio is Sin Cara's mentor from a storyline perspective, but I wouldn't be surprised if Mysterio is a big help to Sin Cara in real life too. Sin Cara's WWE run hasn't been as good as many people hoped so far, but there is still hope that he can succeed and his performance alongside Mysterio proves that.

17. Rey Mysterio

Last Week's Ranking: 16

One of the best things about Rey Mysterio is that he is a chameleon who can blend in to any situation. He has been a main-eventer, a midcarder, a tag team wrestler and everything in between over the course of his career, and he has played all of those roles well. Right now, not only is Mysterio helping himself remain relevant, but he is a vital part of Sin Cara's evolution from a Mexican star to a guy who is comfortable with the WWE style.

Mysterio and Sin Cara are just outside the Tag Team Championship picture right now, but I have no doubt that they will capture the titles at some point. Team Hell No isn't going to stay together forever, so whenever Kane and Daniel Bryan decide to go their separate ways, the masked marvels will assume the role of top face team in the division.

16. Randy Orton

Last Week's Ranking: 15

Randy Orton continues to have excellent matches on a weekly basis with his bout against Alberto Del Rio at Hell in a Cell serving as the most recent example, but there is just something missing. Orton hasn't been in the world title hunt for a year, and while I'm glad that other guys have gotten a chance to shine during The Viper's stay in the upper midcard, he needs some sort of push to get back to relevancy.

I normally don't like to propose rash changes, but Orton has gone as far as he possibly can with his current face character. I realize that fan support essentially forced the WWE to make him into what he is today, but he was so much more entertaining as an unstable heel. Once Sheamus' feud with Big Show comes to an end, he'll need to move on to something else and a rivalry with a heel Orton would be highly entertaining.

15. Alberto Del Rio

Last Week's Ranking: 18

Alberto Del Rio is essentially a heel version of Randy Orton, so it was fitting that they faced each other at Hell in a Cell. The build toward the match was sub-par and I want to fall asleep every time Del Rio gets on the mic, but he came through from an in-ring perspective against Orton as he so often does. The fact that Del Rio and Orton put on one of Sunday's best matches is a testament to them as wrestlers since nobody was excited to see that contest heading into the night.

I do like that Del Rio is being made to look vicious and merciless in the ring, but the fact that he lost to Sheamus about 10 times over a three-month period really made him damaged goods. Perhaps a win over Orton could have legitimized him a bit, but he came up short in that match as well. Del Rio's character is simply stale and he just doesn't have the mic skills to turn that around.

14. Cody Rhodes

Last Week's Ranking: 14

It could be argued that Cody Rhodes is the weak link of Team Rhodes Scholars, but I believe that they each bring something important to the table and that is what makes them such a strong team.

Rhodes is hot and cold when it comes to cutting promos, but his wrestling is always fantastic. Rhodes has largely carried the mail in that regard for Team Rhodes Scholars, and he has helped legitimize them as a top team in the company.

Many fans used to think that Rhodes was a surefire, future world champion, and while that isn't so certain anymore, I still believe that can happen. Rhodes is one of the younger guys in the company and he has loads of potential, so he has nothing but time. For now, teaming with Damien Sandow is really good for Rhodes as it has helped thrust him back into the spotlight.

13. Antonio Cesaro

Last Week's Ranking: 12

I have really enjoyed Antonio Cesaro's run as United States champion and I believe that many fans would like to say the same, but the WWE hasn't given most people a reason to care about him. His character is slowly transitioning to the prototypical European heel who badmouths the United States. I believe that could help him get over if he executes it correctly, but he still hasn't had a meaningful feud and that is the big issue.

Cesaro has been champion since SummerSlam and there is absolutely no excuse for the lack of a storyline. I understand that there aren't many credible midcard faces right now, but the writers are paid good money to figure something out. It looks like he may finally be entering a feud with R-Truth if what happened on Raw is any indication, and while that may not be the most exciting rivalry, at least it's something.

12. Kofi Kingston

Last Week's Ranking: 13

Kofi Kingston is a guy who is probably always going to be a bridesmaid but never a bride. His impressive athletic ability and in-ring skills along with a sizable following make him more than qualified to be Intercontinental champion, but his speaking is so poor that I can't ever see him reaching that world title level.

Mic skills aren't everything, but it's usually embarrassing when he's given a chance to talk. A fine example was him saying that The Miz caused him to "release the wildcat" after he beat him at Hell in a Cell. Kofi was probably told to say that, but it came off as a corny and I just can't take him seriously. With that said, Kofi is a guy who can be trusted to hold down the midcard and have great matches, but that is probably all he'll ever be.

11. Wade Barrett

Last Week's Ranking: 10

There is a triumvirate of world title-level heels on the WWE roster right now that is being misused, and Wade Barrett is most definitely a part of it. I had high hopes for Barrett when it was revealed that he would be returning from an elbow injury that kept him out for several months, but instead of immediately putting him in an important storyline, he squashed Yoshi Tatsu and has wandered around aimlessly since.

Barrett had three excellent matches with Sheamus that have led nowhere and he even beat Randy Orton on SmackDown, but Orton returned the favor on Raw for no apparent reason. Had Sheamus retained the World Heavyweight Championship at Hell in a Cell, Barrett would have been the perfect challenger as their styles mesh well. For whatever reason, though, the WWE is perfectly content leaving Barrett in flux.

10. Damien Sandow

Last Week's Ranking: 9

Damien Sandow has all the makings of a potential top heel in the WWE, and he has done an excellent job as part of Rhodes Scholars along with Cody Rhodes. It is still very early in Sandow's WWE tenure under his current gimmick and there is no direct path to the main-event scene, so having him and Rhodes pursue the Tag Team Championships makes a lot of sense.

It is especially beneficial since Sandow is going up against two main-event-level guys in Kane and Daniel Bryan. Tag teams are usually made up of guys who have had limited singles success, but Kane and Bryan are two of the best in the business and they are only going to elevate Sandow. Not only are Sandow's mic skills excellent, but his in-ring ability is coming along, so we'll be hearing from him for years to come.

9. The Miz

Last Week's Ranking: 7

The WWE has a bona fide star on its hands in The Miz, but it just seems like the creative team has no clue how to use him. He appeared to be a good fit for the Intercontinental Championship, but he lost basically every non-title match he was in and was made to look like a chump. He has since dropped the belt to Kofi Kingston and lost to him three times in a row. At this point, I'm really questioning what the plans are for him.

My hope was that he would transition directly to a feud with Sheamus over the World Heavyweight Championship, but Sheamus lost the title to Big Show, so that isn't going to happen. Miz is a former WWE champion who is extremely personable and capable of representing the company in outside ventures, but if he continues to toil in the midcard, nobody is going to care about him.

8. Big Show

Last Week's Ranking: 11

I'm far from being a huge Big Show fan, but even I have to admit that I was impressed by his performance at Hell in a Cell. Big Show's matches are usually pretty formulaic and boring, but his slug fest against Sheamus was one of the best showings I've seen from Big Show in a long time. He looked strong and dominant throughout the match and ultimately won the World Heavyweight Championship when he caught an unsuspecting Sheamus with a KO Punch.

The issue, however, is that Big Show's mic skills are less than stellar, and it's tough for me to get excited about his feuds because of that. A rematch between Big Show and Sheamus at Survivor Series is pretty much a forgone conclusion, but I don't anticipate the build toward it being particularly good. I respect Big Show for what he has accomplished and how good he looked on Sunday, but I'm hoping that his title reign is a short one.

7. John Cena

Last Week's Ranking: 6

Another episode of Raw has come and gone, and once again John Cena refrained from wrestling. He said last week that he was cleared to compete, but the fact that he hasn't had any physical contact aside from a couple punches since then leads me to believe that he hasn't been told he can go full bore.

To make up for that, Cena has been involved in a storyline with A.J. Lee and Vickie Guerrero as Vickie has accused them of having an inappropriate relationship.

I honestly have no clue where this is leading, but I do know that Cena will be facing Dolph Ziggler at Survivor Series. Cena has three weeks to get ready and if he is held out of action until right before the pay-per-view, the odds are that he'll be ready.

I'm not very interested in the Cena/A.J. angle at all, but I do commend the WWE for keeping him out of the WWE Championship picture for the time being and putting him up against someone new.

6. Dolph Ziggler

Last Week's Ranking: 4

I honestly don't understand what the WWE is trying to do with Dolph Ziggler. I was beyond excited when he won Money in the Bank as it meant that he would become World Heavyweight champion, but he has been used terribly since then.

Not only did he lose to both Chris Jericho and Randy Orton on pay-per-view, but he constantly loses on Raw and SmackDown and was left off the Hell in a Cell card completely. He didn't even attempt to cash in his contract despite promising that he would.

Ziggler needs something to make him look legitimate before he truly pursues the world title, and perhaps a feud with John Cena will fit the bill. I have no doubt that he'll lose to Cena at Survivor Series, but a loss to Cena would probably cause more people to take notice of Ziggler than a win over anyone else. Ziggler can mix it up with the top guys in the company, and hopefully he will prove that against Cena.

5. Sheamus

Last Week's Ranking: 8

It would be fair to say that Sheamus' run with the World Heavyweight Championship was uneventful, but he always managed to put on solid matches regardless of his opponent. Sheamus' feud with Alberto Del Rio was absolutely awful, but many of their matches were good.

His feud with Big Show hasn't been all that exciting either, but they put on a firecracker at Hell in a Cell. Sheamus has shown the ability to adapt to his opponent's style time and again, and he did precisely that against Big Show.

I don't desperately want to see Sheamus regain the title at Survivor Series, but he is slightly better on the mic and much better in the ring than Big Show, so it would probably be the right move. He can possibly feud with either Wade Barrett or The Miz upon winning the title back and both of those angles would be entertaining. Seeing Sheamus finally lose a match was a good change of pace, but he shouldn't stay down for too long.

4. Kane

Last Week's Ranking: 5

Kane's character development over the past several weeks has been great to see, and while Team Hell No's exposure has decreased in a big way, it has been to the benefit of both Kane and Daniel Bryan.

They couldn't possibly sustain the popularity they had when they first teamed up, so scaling it back and sticking with the dysfunctional team angle has worked. Also, it has gotten to the point where Kane is playing the straight man with Bryan acting psychotically, which is a change of pace for Kane's character.

Team Hell No is technically a tweener team leaning face, but Kane is the one who garners the squad such a favorable reaction. Bryan is much more heel-like in his tendencies, while Kane tries to be reasonable. On top of that, Kane's in-ring work remains crisp even as he ages, so there is no doubt that Kane is a modern marvel in the wrestling business.

3. Daniel Bryan

Last Week's Ranking: 2

It could be argued that Daniel Bryan's partnership with Kane is preventing him from entering the world title picture, but I believe that it has been a huge help to him as a character. Bryan had just began to gain some traction when he lost the World Heavyweight Championship to Sheamus and the formation of Team Hell No has launched him to new heights.

I have no doubt that Bryan will be a world champion again one day, but he is now much more prepared to be a main-eventer.

The fans love him no matter what he does, and it's very difficult to get that type of reaction. If he wasn't teaming with Kane, I doubt he would be challenging for a world title anyway. CM Punk is tied up with John Cena and Ryback, while he already feuded with both Sheamus and Big Show, so his inclusion would be repetitive. Bryan will have his time in the sun one day, but Team Hell No is perfect for him right now.

2. Ryback

Last Week's Ranking: 3

I haven't taken to Ryback like many fans seem to have, but there is no denying that he is one of the hottest things going in WWE right now. He suffered his first loss on Sunday thanks to referee Brad Maddox assisting CM Punk, but it doesn't seem like he has lost any of his momentum.

Now that he will essentially lead Mick Foley's team against Punk's team at Survivor Series, he should gain even more popularity moving forward.

Ryback has even been given the opportunity to speak a bit more lately, and while I haven't been particularly impressed, it's a process. Ryback looked strong at Hell in a Cell in defeat, especially after hitting Punk with his finisher atop the cell, and he remains a hot topic of conversation. I can't bring myself to move him past No. 2 because of his obvious deficiencies, but Ryback has done some great things despite some of the skills he lacks.

1. CM Punk

Last Week's Ranking: 1

There is growing disdain for WWE champion CM Punk, but that won't stop me from putting him at the head of this list yet again. Say what you will about Punk, but he is still at the forefront of the WWE and he is still the company's top champion.

While Ryback is lacking in some areas, Punk has it all from in-ring work to mic skills. He had a tough task ahead of him at Hell in a Cell as he had to essentially carry Ryback through the match, but he did a nice job even though the match was kept very short.

Also, many are upset that Punk has been made to look cowardly, but that is precisely how he is supposed to look and I have no issue with it. Punk is willing to do anything necessary to retain his title, even if it means enlisting a crooked referee. Punk and Paul Heyman denied their involvement, but they obviously have something to do with it. Since Punk won't be defending his title at Survivor Series, he will eclipse the one-year mark as champion, so that tells you the WWE must be happy with how he has performed.

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