WWE Superstar Power Rankings for 12/15/2014: TLC 2014 and Slammy Awards Edition

WWE TLC 2014 is in the books, and the top four in the WWE Superstar Power Rankings have not changed.  But there's been quite a few that have.  

We saw only one title change at TLC, and it was a big one.  And we finally heard when we'll see Brock Lesnar again.  We also know who his opponent will be at the Royal Rumble (John Cena).  

We'll get into all this past week's action, including all the results from WWE TLC 2014 and The Slammy Awards, 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.  It is a minor factor.  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, suspensions, legitimate hirings, firings, contract information, "sabbaticals," etc.) may be taken into consideration, especially if WWE confirms them publicly.

Domestic and international WWE live events are not included in these rankings unless WWE incorporates them into television storylines.  Nothing that could be explicitly considered a spoiler is included unless WWE acknowledges it as well.

In short, 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 may include but is not limited to WWE Raw, WWE SmackDown, WWE Main Event, WWE Superstars, NXT, WWE pay-per-view, any storyline-driven content from the WWE Network.

Watch List

Brock Lesnar

Brock Lesnar did not appear at WWE TLC Sunday night, but there were two important developments concerning the WWE world heavyweight champion.  First, we know he'll be defending the title at WWE Royal Rumble 2014 in January.  Secondly, he'll be facing John Cena at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view after Cena defeated Seth Rollins at TLC.  Lesnar was nearly beaten last time the two faced off.  Can he put down John cena, or will Lesnar struggle again?

Roman Reigns

On Raw, Roman Reigns was voted by the fans as the Superstar of the Year and was awarded the Slammy for the category.  Then he officially returned at TLC and made a big impact.  He basically saved John Cena from Big Show's chokeslam, which would have ended the match had Cena gone through the table in the ring.  The question now is, what's next for Reigns?

Seth Rollins

Since the defeat of Team Authority, Seth Rollins has been in free-fall mode. His latest losses were enough to knock him out of the top 10 for the first time in a long time.  After Big Show lost to John Cena on Raw by disqualification, he helped beat down Cena and his allies.  And then, despite heavy interference, lost to Cena at TLC.  What can Mr. Money in the Bank do to get back on track?

10. Bray Wyatt

Previous Rank: Unranked

Movement: Outta Nowhere

Prior to Sunday, Bray Wyatt had not been up to much.  He rarely had a match and was busy playing mind games with Dean Ambrose.  But at TLC, Wyatt returned to relevance in a big way, winning a brutal Tables, Ladders and Chairs match against Dean Ambrose.  

With that win under his belt, will he move past Ambrose or continue his quest to bring Ambrose to his side?  Perhaps we'll get answers this week.

9. Big Show

Credit: WWE.com

Previous Rank: Into Top 10

Movement: Outta Nowhere!

On Raw, Big Show was involved in the brawl that took place after the main event that saw him and his allies stand tall over John Cena, Ryback, Dolph Ziggler and Erick Rowan.  Then on SmackDown, he teamed with Kane and Luke Harper in a losing effort against Ziggler, Ryback and Rowan.

But Show defeated up-and-comer Rowan in the inaugural Stairs match at TLC.  That dropped Rowan from the rankings for the time being, though it would not be a surprise to see a rematch.  

Big Show later attacked John Cena and was in turn attacked by Roman Reigns.  Is Reigns a possible opponent for Big Show?

8. Nikki Bella with Brie Bella

Previous Rank: Watch List

Movement: Into Top 10

WWE Divas champion Nikki Bella picked up a win on SmackDown over Alicia Fox and then attacked Fox after the match.  Since AJ Lee, her opponent at TLC, was ringside, this was clearly a message to AJ.  Nikki had talked a good game, but then at TLC, she backed it up (with an assist by Brie).

At TLC, AJ looked to have the match under control when Brie interfered.  That got her ejected, but as the referee dealt with Brie, Nikki sprayed something in the eyes of AJ Lee, allowing Nikki to hit the Rack Attack and retain her title.  

Will Nikki move past AJ Lee?  If so, who will step up next for a shot at the title?

7. Dean Ambrose

Previous Rank: 5

Movement: Down 2

Dean Ambrose won the Slammy for Breakout Star of the Year as well as Faction of the Year for his run in The Shield.  Then he had a chance to really show why he is a top-tier star at TLC.  Instead, the match blew up in his face...literally.  He faced Bray Wyatt in an TLC match and seemed to have the match under control.

That is, however, until he found a TV monitor.  Apparently, the WWE technical crew set up a functional monitor under the ring in the event of technical issues.  Well, Ambrose had other plans for the device.  But when he tried to use it, he yanked the cable out and the device shorted, causing an electrical explosion in his face.  Stunned, he was hit by Sister Abigail and pinned.

On the Fallout show, he was irate.  But the loss was a tough one.  Will he get another shot at Bray Wyatt or have to get through Wyatt to move forward?

6. The Usos

Previous Rank: 10

Movement: Up 4

The Usos have quietly gone on a roll lately.  On Raw, they were awarded the Slammy for Tag Team of the Year.  Then they teamed with Ryback in a win over Miz, Mizdow and Kane.  On SmackDown, they defeated Cesaro and Tyson Kidd.

At TLC, they faced The Miz and Mizdow for the WWE Tag team Championships.  The feud had become personal since Miz was helping Naomi, Jimmy Uso's wife, break into Hollywood.  They technically defeated Miz and Mizdow by disqualification but failed to win the titles.  

It's likely they'll get a rematch.  But will Jimmy and Jey be on the same page with Jimmy obsessing over Miz being so close to his wife?

5. The Miz and Damien Mizdow

Credit: WWE.com

Previous Rank: 6

Movement: Up 1

By a strange combination of events, The Miz and Damien Mizdow actually moved up a spot after a bad week.  This is mostly due to Dean Ambrose and just about everyone else behind them moving down.  

On Raw, they teamed with Kane in a loss to The Usos and Ryback after Mizdow was awarded the Slammy for LOL Moment of the Year.  Then on SmackDown, they sat ringside during The Usos vs. Tyson Kidd and Cesaro.  Miz's professional assistance for Naomi was not well-received by Jimmy Uso.

At TLC, they lost to The Usos by DQ but kept their titles.  That almost assures The Usos a rematch.  But can Miz and Mizdow stay on the same page?  Miz has shown a hint of jealousy over his stunt double's popularity, after all.

4. Rusev

Previous Rank: 4

Movement: None

Rusev had a relatively slow week, but it was another successful one.  On Raw, he and Jack Swagger came to blows and had to be separated by referees.  He'd then face The Real American for the United States Championship at TLC.

AT TLC, Swagger put up a good fight, even battling his way out of the Accolade submission maneuver.  But Rusev again proved to be too much for Swagger.  Rusev won via submission when the referee declared Swagger unable to continue.  At this point, can anyone stop Rusev?

3. Ryback

Previous Rank: 3

Movement: None

Ryback's week didn't start too well, but it ended very well.  On Raw, he was involved in the big brawl that ended with Ryback and his allies being left on their backs.  But on SmackDown, he got retribution.  He teamed with Dolph Ziggler and Erick Rowan in a win over Luke Harper, Kane and Big Show.  Ryback pinned then-intercontinental champion Harper for the team win.

At TLC, he faced Kane in a Chairs match and won.  Ryback continues to look dominant week after week.  But what's next for the Big Guy?  Is a title shot in his future?  

2. John Cena

Previous Rank: 2

Movement: None

John Cena's week got off to a rough start on Raw when he defeated Big Show via disqualification after J & J Security and Seth Rollins assaulted him during the match.  Cena and his allies would ultimately be beaten down.  On SmackDown, he and Rollins would spar verbally, but they'd wait for TLC to get in the ring.

At TLC, Cena faced off against Rollins in a Tables match.  If Cena lost, he'd lose his guaranteed title shot against Brock Lesnar.  Cena won the match, but it took some time for it to be made official.  Cena put Rollins through a table, but the ref was down and didn't see it.  Then, Cena and Rollins went through a pair of tables at the same time, causing the referee to restart the match.  

Big Show appeared and was about to put Cena through a table for Rollins when Roman Reigns made the save, hitting Big Show and Rollins with a Superman Punch, which allowed Cena to AA Rollins through the table for the win.  Cena now will face Brock Lesnar at Royal Rumble for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.  Can Cena win his record-tying 16th world title next month?

1. Dolph Ziggler

Credit: WWE.com

Previous Rank: 1

Movement: None

New Intercontinental champion Dolph Ziggler had a great week and remains atop the WWE Superstar Power Rankings.  On Raw, he won the Slammy Award for Best Match as part of Team Cena as well as the Slammy for Best Twitter Handle or Social Champion.  Later that night, he would be put through a table by Luke Harper during the chaos after the main event.

On SmackDown, though, he'd get a measure of revenge.  He teamed with Ryback and Erick Rowan in a win against Kane, Harper and Big Show.  

But he really shined at TLC.  He had a brutal Ladder match with Luke Harper, in which he was busted open and hit every which way with ladders by Harper.  But in the end, Ziggler overcame the beating he'd taken, climbed the ladder and pulled down the IC title in his home town of Cleveland.  It's his fourth reign with the championship and cements him as WWE's premier Superstar today.