WWE Superstar Power Rankings for 2/16/2015: Pre-WWE Fastlane 2015 Edition

The first edition of WWE Fastlane is upon us, and the WWE Power Rankings have seen a few changes heading into the pay-per-view.

With the WWE Network free for February, more eyes will be on WWE than normal. That means we can probably expect big things from Fastlane. But with only three matches booked at the time of this article's publication, this week promises to be eventful too.

This past week on Raw, Triple H called out Sting to make sure the Vigilante would be at Fastlane. Kind of absurd, but Sting did accept. Sting is now set to appear at Fastlane, but will the confrontation lead to a match between Sting and Triple H at WrestleMania XXXI? And will we find out why Sting has targeted Triple H?

It was announced this week that Sheamus would soon be returning to WWE. Will we see him at Fastlane? And finally, did you see NXT TakeOver: Rival? If you didn't, you missed out big time. Watch it on the WWE Network or Hulu Plus. If you enjoy wrestling, you won't be disappointed.

We'll get into all this past week's action and possible Fastlane matches in the following slides. But before we do, please read how these rankings work.  

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 in-storyline power rankings.

These rankings consider all active WWE Superstars and Divas on the main roster and exclude talents who primarily or exclusively wrestle 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 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. 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

Seth Rollins

It was another toutgh week for Mr. Money in the Bank Seth Rollins. With a loss via disqualification to Ryback on Raw, followed by a loss in the 5-on-2 Handicap match later that same night, Rollins continued his slide. With no WWE World Heavyweight Championship match scheduled for Fastlane, he'll have to hold onto his briefcase a bit longer before he'll get another shot at cashing in.

Cesaro and Tyson Kidd

Cesaro and Tyson Kidd have earned a shot at the Usos' WWE Tag Team Championships. By defeating the Usos in tag action on Raw, as well as Cesaro defeating Sin Cara on Main Event, they're all but assured a title shot. Can they keep rolling this week?

No. 10: Ryback

Previous Rank: Watch List

Movement: Into Top 10

Ryback notched a decent win on Raw, defeating Seth Rollins via DQ after J&J Security interfered. He was Curb Stomped after the match but still got the win. Later that night, he came to the aid of Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns and was involved in the huge brawl that allowed Bryan and Reigns to win.

Ryback didn't appear after that, but one can reasonably assume the Authority isn't pleased with him. Will Ryback be "punished" this week or at Fastlane?

No. 9: Bad News Barrett

Credit: WWE.com

Previous Rank: 10

Movement: Up 1

Bad News Barrett didn't have a match this week but did have words for Dean Ambrose. If you recall, Ambrose defeated Barrett a few weeks back, and the Lunatic Fringe has been challenging Barrett to a match for the Intercontinental Championship since. This past week, Barrett rejected the challenge again.

Barrett was also one of the WWE Superstars to be re-imagined as a Viking on WWE.com this week, which is cross-promoting the return of History Channel's Vikings  TV series. The artwork is well done, but one has to wonder why English Superstars such as Barrett, Paige and Adrian Neville are being imagined as Vikings when the English had to fight off the Vikings, but I digress...

Will Barrett relent and accept Ambrose's challenge for an Intercontinental Championship match at Fastlane?

No. 8: The Usos

Previous Rank: 7

Movement: Down 1

The Usos had a bad week. On Raw, they lost to Cesaro and Tyson Kidd. Now, it's highly likely they'll have to defend their WWE Tag Team Championships those two at Fastlane or at a later date.

Then, on SmackDown, they were eliminated by Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns during the Tag Team Turmoil Match. They scored no eliminations in the match, either.

Will a match with Cesaro and Tyson Kidd be announced this week? And if so, can the Usos walk out of Fastlane as WWE Tag Team champions?

No. 7: Dean Ambrose

Previous Rank: 9

Movement: Up 2

Dean Ambrose may have taken a back seat to other Superstars lately, but he's in line for a shot at WWE's second-most prestigious championship, the Intercontinental title, come Fastlane. On Raw, he defeated Curtis Axel, and then had something to say to Bad News Barrett.

He again called Barrett out, demanding a shot at the IC title. Will he get it?  Or will he have to find another way to get Barrett's attention?

No. 6: John Cena

Previous Rank: 6

Movement: None

John Cena had no matches this week and only holds onto the No. 6 spot because Dean Ambrose didn't defeat a higher-quality opponent. Otherwise, he had a pretty down week.

On Raw, his only appearance, he responded to Rusev and Lana, which only got him hurt. His eye, which has been bothering him for a while now, was further injured by Rusev when the two brawled. Cena has the chance to win the United States Championship for the first time in nearly 10 years, but he will need to be healthy to do it. 

Rusev is no slouch. He's tough but also highly skilled. It will take more than just talk to defeat him, as he's still never been pinned or submitted. Can Cena do what no one else has been able to do thus far and pin or submit Rusev?

No. 5: Rusev

Previous Rank: 3

Movement: Down 2

Rusev drops a couple of spots after being mostly idle for the last couple of weeks. On Raw, he and Lana called out John Cena, called him vulnerable and ultimately said he'd crush Cena's body and break his spirit. This Sunday at Fastlane, we'll see if he can back those words up.

On Raw, though, he showed he may well be able to. He attacked Cena, focusing on his injured eye. Rusev beat Cena down. Can Rusev do that at Fastlane? After all, Cena always seems to rise to the occasion, no matter the odds.

No. 4: Daniel Bryan

Previous Rank: 5

Movement: Up 1

Daniel Bryan keeps on climbing up the rankings. After picking up two big wins this week, he arrives at No. 4 prior to a big week in his career. On Raw, he teamed with Reigns in a win over Big Show, Kane, Seth Rollins and J&J Security. Dolph Ziggler, Ryback, and Erick Rowan provided an assist.  

Then, on SmackDown, he personally picked up three decisions out of four in the Tag Team Turmoil match in which he teamed with Roman Reigns. He and Reigns would go on to win and is heading into Fastlane on a roll.  

But this week, his teammate will become his enemy. He will face Reigns at Fastlane in a match that will determine who will face Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania XXXI. Will Bryan earn the right to headline WWE's biggest show two years in a row?

No. 3: Bray Wyatt

Previous Rank: 4

Movement: Up 1

Bray Wyatt continued his ascent up the rankings this week with two more wins. On Raw, he went to war with Dolph Ziggler, earning a hard-fought win over the former world champion. On SmackDown, he defeated R-Truth. Wyatt looked impressive in both wins.  

Of greatest interest, though, are his promos. It sure sounds like Bray Wyatt is calling out the Undertaker, last seen when he lost to Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania XXX. While Undertaker may not be Wyatt's target, there are few others he could be referencing.

What's the meaning of his cryptic promos? Will we find out at Fastlane?

No. 2: Roman Reigns

Previous Rank: 2

Movement: None

Roman Reigns got two big wins this past week heading into his big battle with Daniel Bryan at Fastlane.

On Raw, he teamed with Bryan in a 5-on-2 Handicap match. After a major brawl broke out, he tagged himself into the match, speared Joey Mercury of J&J Security and scored the pinfall. Daniel Bryan was less than enthused about the way that went down, though.  

He teamed with Bryan again on SmackDown, this time in a Tag Team Turmoil match. His team won, but of the four teams eliminated, he eliminated only one: Slater-Gator. However, wins are wins. Reigns won the Royal Rumble and will defend the right to face Lesnar for the WWE World Heavyweight title at WrestleMania XXXI against Bryan at Fastlane.

Can Reigns successfully retain his title shot? Or will the Daniel Bryan steamroller crush Reigns on its way to WrestleMania?

No. 1: Brock Lesnar w/ Paul Heyman

Previous Rank: 1

Movement: None

Brock Lesnar clings to the No. 1 spot again this week and made an appearance on Raw in which Paul Heyman addressed Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan. Heyman referenced the Brian Williams scandal and compared Bryan and Reigns' proclamations that they'd win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship bigger lies than those told by Williams.

That remains to be seen, but what's certain is that Lesnar and Heyman will be paying close attention to Fastlane. Reigns is a powerhouse who could go blow-for-blow with Lesnar in an all-out war. Bryan represents the smaller wrestler who could either be annihilated by Lesnar or be quick and technically skilled enough to steal a win from the Beast Incarnate.  

Ultimately, Lesnar's opponent will be decided in the ring this Sunday. If he has a preferred opponent, who would it be?