WWE Superstar Power Rankings for 3/23/2015: Pre-WrestleMania 31 Edition

WrestleMania 31 is just six days away, and the WWE Superstar Power Rankings remain largely static in the final rankings before pro wrestling's biggest event of the year.  Nos. 1-6 remain unchanged from last week, and only one slot has been taken over by another, sending one Superstar down to the Watch List.

But don't conflate the lack of movement in the rankings with an uneventful week.  There's plenty to dig into, not least of which is that Sting finally spoke live on Raw—well, sort of, since it was on the WWE Network immediately following Raw, but it was close enough.

In the Tag Team division, there's still no match scheduled for WrestleMania 31, and with Jey Uso's status unknown after an injury, another team (or teams) could get a shot at the Tag Team Championships.  

In all, there are, as of this writing, eight scheduled matches.  A Tag Team Championship match would bring the total to nine matches, which is about the number of matches WrestleMania sees every year.  That means the card would likely be set, barring any surprises.

This past week's action and this Sunday's WrestleMania event will be discussed in greater detail in the following slides. But beforehand, please read how these rankings work.

These rankings are not a popularity contest and are not designed to determine who has the best matches or the most ability. They are strictly in-storyline power rankings.

All active WWE Superstars and Divas on the main roster are considered, excluding talents who primarily or exclusively wrestle in 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, 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 and rank of a wrestler's opponents are considered in the week-to-week movement.

Getting the better of someone—such as 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 or addresses it publicly.

WWE's non-televised domestic and international live events are not included in these rankings unless WWE incorporates them into television storylines or acknowledges the event on WWE television. Also, nothing that could be explicitly considered a spoiler is included unless WWE acknowledges it as well.

In short, all WWE main-roster 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

Randy Orton

Randy Orton continues to make waves and now heads into WrestleMania 31 for a match against Seth Rollins.  On Raw, it appeared he was going to take a beating, but he was saved by Sting, who spoke on WWE TV live for the first time.  The two cleared out The Authority.  He attacked Rollins at the end of SmackDown as well, though he escaped.  

Will Orton get revenge on Rollins for the Curb Stomp that cost him months?

Nikki Bella w/ Brie Bella

WWE Divas Champion Nikki Bella got a much-needed win over AJ Lee on Raw this past week.  She used a distraction by her sister Brie to steal a win that gives her some momentum heading into WrestleMania.  Brie lost to Paige on SmackDown, and now the Bellas and the team of AJ and Paige will meet at WrestleMania.  

Which team will emerge victorious?

Bray Wyatt

Bray Wyatt was idle again this week, though he did respond to The Undertaker's message from two weeks ago (you can see his response in the video above).  

The question now becomes whether or not Bray Wyatt can defeat The Deadman at WrestleMania—something only one man has ever done.  Will Undertaker confront Wyatt face-to-face before WrestleMania?

10. Seth Rollins

Previous Rank: 8

Movement: Down 2

Mr. Money in the Bank had a rough week.  He thought he was playing Randy Orton for a fool on Raw when The Authority appeared to leave Orton in the lurch.  But instead of putting a massive beatdown on Orton, Sting appeared and put an end to The Authority's party.

Then on SmackDown, Orton and Rollins lost in a 2-on-1 Handicap match to Roman Reigns after Mark Henry, who was supposed to be Reigns' partner, was mysteriously attacked in the back.  Orton appeared after the match, but Rollins escaped.

Seth Rollins might not have looked that dominant lately, but he's got two chances to make a real statement at WrestleMania.  He could defeat Randy Orton and dispel any doubts as to his skill, but he theoretically could leave WrestleMania 31 as world heavyweight champion as well, seeing as he carries the Money in the Bank briefcase.  

Will he accomplish one or both of those goals this Sunday?

9. Ryback

Previous Rank: 10

Movement: Up 1

Ryback quietly moves up a spot after picking up two more wins this past week.  He defeated The Miz on both Raw and again in Main Event.  

Say what you want about The Miz, but he's held every title in WWE and was ranked No. 1 by Pro Wrestling Illustrated in 2011.  In short, Miz may not be where he once was, but he's no slouch.

Oddschecker has Ryback's odds as 7-1, making him one of the favorites to win the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.  Can Ryback win the match and catapult himself back into the main event picture?

8. Dolph Ziggler

Previous Rank: Watch List

Movement: Into Top 10 

Dolph Ziggler had a big week.  On Raw, he teamed with Daniel Bryan and Dean Ambrose against Luke Harper, Stardust, and Bad News Barrett.  His team won after Ambrose pinned Barrett.  

Then on SmackDown, he competed in and won the Gauntlet match that featured all challengers in the Intercontinental Championship Ladder match scheduled for WrestleMania 31.  He pinned Daniel Bryan as the final elimination, but afterward, he and Bryan were hit with Bull Hammer Elbows by Barrett.

Ziggler has a big opportunity this Sunday, and Oddschecker has him listed at 3-1, behind only Daniel Bryan and Dean Ambrose.  Can he pull off the victory and walk out of WrestleMania 31 a champion?

7. Cesaro and Tyson Kidd w/Natalya

Previous Rank: 9

Movement: Up 2

Cesaro and Tyson Kidd got back on track this past week with two wins over possible challengers.  

On Raw, they defeated The New Day, and after the match, several teams fought with each other.  On SmackDown, they teamed with Natalya and defeated Los Matadores in the first ever 6-Being Interspecies Tag Team match.  Natalya pinned El Torito for the win.

The tag division seems to be the last loose end on the WrestleMania card.  Will we find out this week who they will face?  Will they even have a match on the card?

6. Dean Ambrose

Previous Rank: 6

Movement: None

Dean Ambrose picked up a win and a loss this past week.  On Raw, Ambrose pinned Bad News Barrett in a match that saw him team with Daniel Bryan and Dolph Ziggler against Luke Harper, Stardust and Barrett.  Then on SmackDown, Ambrose pinned Stardust and R-Truth in a Gauntlet match before he was pinned by Luke Harper.

Dean Ambrose is up there with Daniel Bryan as Oddscheckers favorite (odds are 11-8 and 5-4, respectively) in the Intercontinental Championship Ladder match at WrestleMania.  Can he live up to the expectations of the oddsmakers?  After all, a chaotic environment does seem to lend itself to his skill set.

5. Brock Lesnar w/Paul Heyman

Previous Rank: 5

Movement: None

WWE World Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar, in a sitdown interview that can be seen above, made it clear that he's ready for WrestleMania 31.  

He explained how he used to be in "chase mode," where he'd do anything to get to the top of WWE.  But now that he's at the top, he said that Roman Reigns should be even more worried, as he'd do whatever it takes to stay at the top.

Reigns is favored to take the championship this Sunday, but it's hard to bet against the guy who ended The Undertaker's streak and annihilated John Cena at SummerSlam last year.  Can he protect what's his and continue his reign as WWE champion?

No. 4: John Cena

Previous Rank: 4

Movement: None 

John Cena is the favorite this Sunday at WrestleMania, where he'll get the chance to win back the United States Championship after more than a decade without holding the title.  This past week on Raw, his match with U.S. champion Rusev was made official.

As is common in WWE, Cena and Rusev had a contract signing in the ring.  And as is common in WWE, that contract signing wasn't exactly civil.  Rusev flipped the table onto Cena and left the ring.  Later in the week, Cena sat down with Michael Cole and discussed what the match with Rusev means for him.  

Can Cena be the first to pin Rusev or make Rusev tap?  Or is Rusev too tough for Cena, who is likely at the end of his prime?

3. Rusev w/Lana

Previous Rank: 3

Movement: None

United States Champion Rusev is not favored to retain his championship at WrestleMania (10-3 odds), but it would still be hard to bet against him.  Having never been pinned or submitting in WWE, he's up there with Brock Lesnar in terms of dominance.

On Raw, he made it clear he's not intimidated by Cena and is even willing to agitate the 15-time world champion (which is what he did when he flipped a table on him).  

Rusev had better not take Cena lightly, as Cena has accomplished more than most wrestlers in the history of the sport. 

2. Daniel Bryan

Previous Rank: 2

Movement: None

Daniel Bryan had a decent week, picking up a win on Raw and doing well in the Gauntlet match on SmackDown.  On Raw, he teamed with Dean Ambrose and Dolph Ziggler in a win over Bad News Barrett, Luke Harper and Stardust.  Then on SmackDown, he eliminated Luke Harper before being pinned by Dolph Ziggler in the last leg of the Gauntlet match.  

Oddschecker has Bryan favored to win this Sunday (odds are 5-4).  A win would re-establish Bryan as one of the top Superstars in WWE, as it would be his first title win since missing half a year due to injury.  

Can he thrive in the hectic environment of the Ladder match?

1. Roman Reigns

Previous Rank: 1

Movement: None

Roman Reigns stays put at No. 1 this week after picking up a solid win on SmackDown.  

Earlier in the week on Raw, he confronted Paul Heyman in the ring, and as expected said he'd defeat Brock Lesnar and prove his critics wrong.  Then on SmackDown, as mentioned before, he picked up a win over Seth Rollins and Kane in a 2-on-1 Handicap match that was supposed to be a Tag Team match.  Henry was attacked in the back, and Reigns was forced to compete alone.  He pinned Kane for the win.

Even though Roman Reigns is favored this Sunday, he will have to throw everything he has at Lesnar in order to walk out of WrestleMania as WWE World Heavyweight Champion.  Even if he defeats Lesnar, he'll need to keep an eye on Seth Rollins, who could take advantage of an exhausted Reigns and take the title off him.  

Can Reigns do what so many think is impossible?  If you ask Reigns, he can, and he will.