WWE Superstar Power Rankings for 11/03/2014

In the aftermath of WWE Hell in a Cell 2014, the WWE Superstar Power Rankings saw a lot of movement, but interestingly, it was a lot of flip-flopping between pairs of WWE Superstars.  No. 1 and No. 4 remain unchanged, however.

John Cena regained the No. 1 spot last week and held onto it again this week.  And with WWE Survivor Series 2014 less than three weeks away, he's not going to have much time to build a team.  Can he?  Who might join him against Team Authority?

We'll get into all this past week's action in the following slides. Before we move on, though, please read how these rankings work.

Holding a championship, being a No. 1 contender or holding a Money in the Bank briefcase counts for much of a wrestler's ranking, and these honors are therefore the most heavily weighted components in the rankings. If a wrestler is deemed to be level with another wrestler, holding a title will be a tiebreaker.

Wins and losses account for the bulk of the week-to-week movement—wins and losses are, after championships, the most important component of the rankings. The quality of a wrestler's opponents and whether they are ranked is considered in the week-to-week movement.  

Getting the better of someone—like beating someone down—also counts, though not as much as wins or losses. Being over with the fans is considered but not heavily weighted in the ranking decisions. Pay-per-view performances take on added importance.  

Only the top 10 wrestlers are ranked. Wrestlers on the Watch List were considered for top-10 status but were ultimately nixed. They are unranked, and their listing is in no particular order.  

Generally speaking, these rankings do not break kayfabe, though any major non-storyline information (serious injury, WWE Wellness Policy violations, legitimate hirings, firings, contract information, "sabbaticals" etc.) may be taken into consideration, especially if WWE confirms them publicly. Nothing that could be explicitly considered a spoiler is included unless WWE acknowledges it as well.

All WWE shows, televised or digitally distributed, as well as anything from WWE.com, the WWE App, the WWE Network and any WWE or Superstar social media accounts that don't break kayfabe may be taken into consideration for these rankings. This includes but is not limited to WWE Raw, WWE SmackDown, WWE Main Event, WWE Superstars, NXT and any WWE pay-per-view.

Watch List

Ryback

Ryback has returned with a vengeance.  He answered Bo Dallas' open challenge and destroyed him.  Ryback then took care of business against Heath Slater on SmackDown.  The question now is what's next for Ryback.  He could end up on Team Cena at Survivor Series.  

The Usos

The Usos defeated The Miz and Damien Mizdow twice in the span of about 24 hours, both times using the "twin magic" switch behind the referee's back to pull out the wins.  Can they get back into the WWE Tag Team Championship picture?  After all, there's not much competition in the division these days.

10. Gold and Stardust

Previous Rank: 9

Movement: Down 1

Gold and Stardust escaped Raw with their WWE Tag Team Championships intact thanks to Mark Henry's betrayal of Big Show.  Otherwise, it's almost certain there would be new champions right now.  

Their lackluster performances continued on SmackDown when they lost to Los Matadores, who have generally been a non-factor in the tag division.  That could set up a title opportunity for Los Matadores.  

Gold and Stardust can't afford to keep playing down to their competition.  They are more than capable of beating any active team right now.  Can they right the ship before it's too late?

9. Randy Orton

Previous Rank: 10

Movement: Up 1

Randy Orton made a statement on Raw this past week, defying The Authority and RKOing Seth Rollins right in front of Triple H.  It seems that Orton's alliance with The Authority is officially over.

Could we see Randy Orton align himself with Team Cena in an effort to further his burgeoning feud with Rollins?  Or is this all a ruse in an attempt to plant Orton on Team Cena, who will ultimately betray Cena and give Team Authority the win?  

8. Brock Lesnar

Credit: Alex Musso via ImageChef.com

Previous Rank: 7

Movement: Down 1

Another week has gone by without WWE World Heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar making an appearance.  And now with No. 1 contender John Cena set to lead a Survivor Series team, it's abundantly clear we won't see Lesnar at Survivor Series.  

Unless Triple H can somehow recruit Lesnar for his team, it now appears WWE TLC 2014 will be the next time we see Lesnar at a pay-per-view.  Lesnar drops another spot this week.

7. AJ Lee

Previous Rank: 8

Movement: Up 1

AJ Lee picked up a win this week on Raw over Alicia Fox, who was attacked by Paige after the loss.  AJ now can look forward to a new No. 1 contender, Nikki Bella.  It looks like, for now at least, that AJ will not have to worry about Paige, who might be preoccupied with Alicia Fox.

Nikki presents unique challenges for AJ.  While Paige may have been unpredictable, Nikki is aligned with The Authority.  That could mean she will have some backup in her corner.  But since Brie Bella is Nikki's assistant for a month, Nikki might have Brie do her dirty work.  Because Hell in a Cell was on October 26, that means Brie will still be Nikki's assistant at Survivor Series.  

Assuming Nikki gets her title shot at or prior to Survivor Series, Brie will surely have orders to do whatever it takes to ensure Nikki wins the title.  Can AJ overcome two Bellas at once?  

6. Dolph Ziggler

Previous Rank: 5

Movement: Down 1

Dolph Ziggler got off to a good start, but it ended badly.  Ziggler was seen speaking with John Cena backstage, and Kane took personal offense.  They faced off in a match, which Ziggler won via a roll-up pin.  Kane was then joined by Seth Rollins, who beat down Ziggler.  But Ziggler was saved by Cena.  Ziggler would return the favor later in the evening as Cena was being assaulted.

SmackDown was not nearly as good for Ziggler, though.  He faced Kane again and lost.  Kane then forced Ziggler to face Seth Rollins immediately following that match, which he also lost.  Now, the Intercontinental champion is almost certainly a lock for Team Cena at Survivor Series.  Can Ziggler get revenge this week, or will he have to wait until Survivor Series?

5. Sheamus

Previous Rank: 6

Movement: Up 1

Sheamus didn't have much going on this week until SmackDown.  He did get a win over Bo Dallas on Main Event, but the bigger news comes from his next challenger.  

Sheamus now finds himself squarely in the sights of Rusev.  Rusev wants the United States title, and he'll have to go through Sheamus to get it.  The challenge was made by Rusev on SmackDown, and Sheamus accepted.  We can now expect to see Rusev vs. Sheamus for the United States Championship.

Can Sheamus, an Irish citizen, do what no American thus far has been capable of and defeat Rusev in a big-time match?

4. Rusev

Previous Rank: 4

Movement: None

Rusev is on a roll.  Few men have been able to get the better of him, but none when it really counted.  Now Rusev wants Sheamus.  He wants to take the United States Championship and give it to Russian President Vladimir Putin as a gift.  And if the past is any indication, he probably will.

Rusev has beaten Real American Jack Swagger, World's Strongest Man Mark Henry, and the World's Largest Athlete Big Show, just to name a few of those he's defeated.  The question now is when the match will be.  Is it only a matter of time until he takes the United States Championship?

3. Seth Rollins

Previous Rank: 2

Movement: Down 1

Seth Rollins had a mixed week, losing to John Cena via disqualification on Raw after it looked like Cena had the match won.  Kane interfered, causing the disqualification, and with Dolph Ziggler's help, he and Kane were run off.  On SmackDown, he got a bit of revenge, defeating Ziggler immediately after Kane had just defeated the Intercontinental champion.  

Of greater importance was the RKO he received from Randy Orton on Raw.  It looks like their rivalry is developing into a full-blown feud.  Can Mr. Money in the Bank hold his own against The Viper?  

2. Dean Ambrose

Previous Rank: 3

Movement: Up 1

Dean Ambrose moves into the No. 2 slot this week after taking out his frustrations on Cesaro on both Raw and SmackDown.  On Raw, he called out with Bray Wyatt and then assaulted Cesaro with a microphone before the match could get underway.  

Then on SmackDown, he faced Cesaro in a "Trick or Street Fight," which featured weapons galore, including a pumpkin that ended up on Cesaro's head.  Ambrose won the match. 

But Bray Wyatt is always watching Ambrose these days.  And if Dean Ambrose is The Lunatic Fringe, then Wyatt is beyond the fringe.  Wyatt seems to have a plan, whereas Ambrose seems to be impulse-driven.  That could come back to haunt him against the cerebral Bray Wyatt.  Or it could be his trump card.  Only time will tell.

1. John Cena

Previous Rank: 1

Movement: None

John Cena holds on to the No. 1 spot this week after his Raw performance, his only appearance of the week.  He was placed in a match with Mr. Money in the Bank Seth Rollins, a contest that pitted the two men who hold guaranteed WWE World Heavyweight Championship opportunities.  

Rollins was No. 2 last week, and Cena was closing in on a win when Kane saved Rollins from the humiliation of a submission loss.  But Rollins still lost, and Cena got a win over one of the best in WWE today.  Ziggler saved Cena from the beating, and then the locker room emptied and a brawl ensued, ending when Cena cleared the ring and stood tall to end Raw.

Cena will now lead his own team at Survivor Series after refusing Stephanie McMahon's invitation to represent The Authority at the event.  That team will surely feature Dolph Ziggler, but what other three Superstars will join him?  Randy Orton?  Ryback?  Survivor Series could make strange bedfellows.