WWE Superstar Power Rankings for 2/2/2015

It was a blizzard-shortened week in WWE, but the WWE Superstar Power Rankings did see a few changes based on the SmackDown and Main Event Results.  It was also a week of news, both good and bad.

The good news was that the WWE Network, with the aide of fans from the UK and Ireland, finally surpassed the 1 million subscribers.  Officially, the number is 1,000,648.  With a million subscribers, the WWE Network has finally broke even, meaning the company is no longer losing money operating it.

But bad news came as well.  In addition to the cancellation of Raw as we know it, leading to an in-studio/replay show, one thing became very apparent: Many fans are very unhappy about Roman Reigns winning the Royal Rumble.  

In fact, as a response to his win, #CancelWWENetwork trended on Twitter to the point that mainstream media picked up on it.  

And it's not just fans who were unhappy, either.  WWE Hall of Famer "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, arguably one of the greatest wrestlers in history, declared on his podcast that Roman Reigns is "not ready" to main event WrestleMania in a WWE World Heavyweight Championship match against Brock Lesnar.

Finally, Triple H promised to make an announcement on Raw that would shake the WWE Universe to its core.  What is the announcement?

We'll get into all this past week's (limited) action and the controversy over Roman Reigns in the following slides. But before we do, please read how these rankings work.  

Note: These rankings are not a popularity contest and are not designed to determine who has the best matches, the most ability, etc.  They are strictly storyline rankings.

These rankings consider all active WWE Superstars and Divas on the main roster and exclude talent that primarily or exclusively wrestles on NXT.  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 tied in the rankings with another wrestler, holding a title will be the primary tiebreaker.  However, holding a championship, being a No. 1 contender or holding a Money in the Bank briefcase in no way guarantees a spot in the top 10.

Wins and losses account for the bulk of the week-to-week movement and, after championships, are 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 nearly as much as wins or losses.  Being over with the fans (read: extremely popular) is considered but not heavily weighed 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; however, any major non-storyline information (serious injury, WWE Wellness Policy violations, suspensions, legitimate hirings, firings, contract information, "sabbaticals," etc.) may be taken into consideration, but generally only if WWE confirms it 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 accounts on social media 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-views and any storyline-driven content from the WWE Network.

Watch List

Nikki Bella (with Brie)

There were no matches this week for WWE Divas Champion Nikki Bella or her sister Brie.  But they appeared on SmackDown and interrupted Paige's interview, insulting and then attacking her.  This was in response to word that WWE Fast Lane's second booked match would be between Nikki and Paige for the Divas title.  

Will Paige have a response for the Bellas this week?

Cesaro and Tyson Kidd

Tyson Kidd and Cesaro are two of the most technically gifted athletes in WWE today and have been threatening to emerge as contenders for the Tag Team Championships for weeks now.  On SmackDown this past week, they took one step toward that goal when Kidd defeated Jey Uso in a singles match.  

While they still haven't officially earned a title shot, they might be the front-runners.  The New Day and The Ascension may have something to say about that, though.

Ryback

Ryback was edged out of the top 10 this week after having no matches, though not for lack of trying.  Seth Rollins issued an open challenge on SmackDown, which Ryback answered.  The match never began, though, as J&J Security and Rollins attacked him.  Erick Rowan and Dolph Ziggler came to his aide, and the three of them drove off Rollins and Company.  

Is Ryback heading toward a confrontation with Rollins at Fast Lane?

Bad News Barrett

Intercontinental champion Bad News Barrett had no matches this week and made no appearances.  He stays on the Watch List based on his IC title but will need to pick up a win this week to stay relevant.

10. Dolph Ziggler

Previous Rank: Watch List

Movement: Into Top 10

Dolph Ziggler snuck back into the top 10 this week, his first appearance here since being rehired several weeks ago.  He came to the aid of Ryback on SmackDown, saving him from Seth Rollins and J&J Security.  On Main Event, which aired on Hulu this past Saturday, he faced and defeated Luke Harper.  

Ziggler and Harper have history, having feuded over the Intercontinental Championship in the past.  Will they renew their rivalry, or was this a one-off match?  

9. Seth Rollins

Previous Rank: 7

Movement: Down 2

It was not a great week for Mr. Money in the Bank, Seth Rollins.  On Raw (which, as mentioned, was just a recap and interview show), he sat down with Michael Cole and talked about his loss at the Royal Rumble.  Rollins also made sure we didn't forget that he's still the future, as he still holds the Money in the Bank Briefcase, his so-called "Plan B."

On SmackDown, he told the live audience much of what he told Cole and issued an open challenge.  Ryback answered, but no match took place.  Instead, Rollins, along with J&J Security, attacked Ryback.  That prompted Dolph Ziggler and Erick Rowan to come to the ring, and after short brawls, Rollins and J&J Security escaped.

Can Seth Rollins get back on track this week?  And did he anger Ryback enough to have made a serious enemy?

8. Dean Ambrose

Previous Rank: 8

Movement: None

Dean Ambrose stands pat at No. 8 this week, with his only appearance coming on Raw, where he apparently overcame a number of obstacles and had quite an adventure getting to WWE Headquarters.  Check out the video to see more about that.

Going forward, where does Ambrose end up?  With no obvious feuds on the horizon, does he pick a new target?  Or will he be targeted by someone else?

7. Daniel Bryan

Previous Rank: 9

Movement: Up 2

Daniel Bryan only had one appearance this week but made the most of it.  His longstanding feud with Kane was renewed one last time this week on SmackDown, where Bryan faced The Big Red Monster in a Casket match, one of the rarest formats in WWE.

Kane may specialize in this kind of match, but it was Bryan, with the crowd firmly behind him, who emerged victorious.  Can he use this win as a springboard back into the WWE World Heavyweight Championship picture?

6. The Usos

Previous Rank: 5

Movement: Down 1

It was not a great week for The Usos.  In their lone appearance, Jey Uso faced off against Tyson Kidd.  Jey lost, and in doing so may have opened the door for Cesaro and Kidd to challenge for the WWE Tag Team Championships.  

It's starting to look like The Usos will have some competition again, with The Ascension on the rise and The New Day consistently winning.  Who will be the next team to face The Usos?

5. Bray Wyatt

Previous Rank: 6

Movement: Up 1

Bray Wyatt moves up one spot due to The Usos' drop.  Otherwise, it was a slow week for Wyatt.  He did have a message for the WWE Universe, though (see the video above for live spot on SmackDown).

Wyatt sounds like he's building up to something big.  But what?  He targeted Dean Ambrose before, so does he have a new Superstar in his sights?  

4. Rusev

Previous Rank: 4

Movement: None

Rusev and John Cena are officially set to face off at Fast Lane.  Their match stems from an encounter backstage after the Royal Rumble (which you can see above).  And this week, Rusev came face-to-face with Cena in the ring.  

Rusev and Lana called Cena a loser and a man of the past.  Needless to say, Cena had an issue with those statements (more on that in the next slide).  When Cena told Rusev he wanted to fight that moment, Rusev backed away.  

Not only will Rusev face his toughest opponent yet, but he'll be putting the Unites States Championship on the line.  Can Rusev keep the gold against WWE's premier Superstar?

3. John Cena

Previous Rank: 3

Movement: None

John Cena made an appearance on SmackDown this week, responding to the insults leveled against him by Lana and Rusev.  They had called him a loser, a man of the past and more.  Clearly, Cena disagreed.

Cena promised that Rusev was making the biggest mistake of his life by underestimating him and then challenged Rusev to a fight on the spot.  Rusev backed away.

Cena will have a chance to win the United States Championship.  He last held the title in 2005, losing it to Orlando Jordan on the March 3, 2005 edition of SmackDown.  If he wins, it will be his fourth reign with the title and first in nearly a decade.  But he'll have to pin or submit Rusev to make that happen, and so far, no one has been able to do so.  

Can Cena do what no one else can?

2. Roman Reigns

Previous Rank: 2

Movement: None

Roman Reigns holds steady at No. 2 this week.  Reigns talked at length on Raw about the fans' reactions, as well as his opportunity at WrestleMania XXXI against Brock Lesnar.  Whatever controversy there may be in the fans' eyes, Reigns sees none.  He won the Rumble and makes no apologies for it.  

Reigns and Lesnar later had a face-to-face chat, with Paul Heyman asking the questions after kicking Michael Cole out of the interview.  At the end of the "interview," Lesnar told Reigns he didn't respect him.  Reigns simply replied, "But you will."

On SmackDown, Reigns interrupted Triple H, who then forced Reigns into a match against Big Show right then and there.  Reigns won but looked to have injured his leg in the process.  

Is Reigns healthy?  He has plenty of time to recover for WrestleMania, which needs to be his singular focus at this point. 

1. Brock Lesnar

Previous Rank: 1

Movement: None

Brock Lesnar appeared on Raw for an interview with Michael Cole and had an encounter with Seth Rollins.  Rollins, as a sign of disrespect, knocked over the seat Lesnar was due to sit in.  

Lesnar seemed to have no interest in getting into it with Rollins, though.  He confirmed that he does have a broken rib courtesy of Seth Rollins but also called himself a steamroller and said that everyone should just get out of his way.  

Later, Lesnar met face-to-face with Roman Reigns.  Heyman reminded Reigns that it was Lesnar who took out The Rock in 2002, and that the beating was so bad The Rock never asked for his rematch.  Heyman then said that a similar fate awaited Reigns.  Reigns disagreed, vowing to defeat Lesnar.

Lesnar has never faced Reigns, and Reigns has very little experience in big-time matches.  Perhaps Lesnar will eat Reigns alive.  Or maybe Reigns' inexperience in big matches means that he doesn't know what to fear yet, making him dangerous to Lesnar.  

Will Lesnar be able to retain his title against the upstart Reigns?  Or will Reigns take the title and cement his place among the WWE elite?