WWE Superstar Power Rankings for 4/13/2015

As WWE Extreme Rules 2015 quickly approaches, there's been a few changes in the WWE Superstar Power Rankings.  

In less than two weeks, the WWE will go extreme, and there's already three big matches scheduled.  United States champion John Cena will defend his title in a rematch against Rusev, intercontinental champion Daniel Bryan will defend his championship against Bad News Barrett and WWE world heavyweight champion Seth Rollins will defend WWE's greatest prize against former ally-turned-rival Randy Orton.

Speaking of John Cena, the U.S. Champion was interviewed by Chris Jericho live after Raw on the WWE Network this past Monday.  He talked about his early years, his thoughts on his character and his passion for the business.  More on this a little later.

There were also a few firsts this week in the rankings.  Former NXT tag team champions The Lucha Dragons cracked the top 10, and a former NXT champion appeared for the first time on the Watch List.  If these Superstars continue to build momentum, they could be major players in WWE in no time.

Moving on to the actual rankings, this past week's action will be discussed in greater detail in the following slides.  But beforehand, please read how these rankings are determined.

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

Neville

New to the WWE main roster, Neville continues to impress.  After a great debut week, he found himself in a non-title match against WWE world heavyweight champion Seth Rollins.  The Man Gravity Forgot, as Neville is known, took the champion to the limit but ultimately fell to the more experienced Rollins.  Neville may have lost but showed he could hang with the best in WWE.

Later in the week on SmackDown, he got back into the win column with a victory over Curtis Axel.  While that was a step down in competition, Neville is showing he's got what it takes to compete on pro wrestling's biggest stage.  Neville is turning heads, and the champions at WWE better keep an eye on him.

Big Show

Big Show had a bad week and fell out of the top 10.  He lost to Roman Reigns on Raw, and then on SmackDown his team lost in a Six-Man Tag Team match.  Since winning the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, Big Show has not had much success.  Can he get back on track this week?

10. Lucha Dragons

Previous Rank: Watch List

Movement: Into Top 10

The Lucha Dragons continue to separate themselves from the pack in the tag team division.  Sin Cara has reinvigorated his career thanks to his partner Kalisto, who looks like he might be the second coming of Rey Mysterio.  

On Raw, they defeated The New Day.  And with The Usos out of commission for the time being, they may be the next-best team in WWE after Cesaro and Tyson Kidd.  If they stay on a roll, they may well get a shot at the tag team titles at Extreme Rules...

9. Ryback

Previous Rank: 9

Movement: None

Ryback had a busy Raw, competing in two matches and going 1-1 in the process.  He was placed in a match against Luke Harper and won.  That match was followed by a No. 1 Contender's match against Randy Orton and Roman Reigns to decide Seth Rollins' opponent at Extreme Rules.  

J&J Security got involved, which distracted Ryback, allowing Randy Orton to RKO him and pin him for the win.  It was the closest Ryback has been to the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in a while.  And while he wasn't able to get a title shot, is Ryback moving back into contention?

8. Sheamus

Previous Rank: 8

Movement: None

Sheamus had a mixed week, picking up one win and one loss.  On Raw, he defeated The World's Strongest Man, Mark Henry.  On SmackDown, though, he was part of a much larger match.

At the beginning of the show, intercontinental champion Daniel Bryan, Bad News Barrett, Sheamus, Dolph Ziggler, Big Show and Roman Reigns all took turns interrupting each other, at which point a brawl broke out.  That brawl led to a Six-Man Tag Team match that pitted Sheamus, Barrett and Big Show against Bryan, Ziggler and Reigns.  Ziggler, Bryan and Reigns' team won when Reigns speared and pinned Barrett. 

Are all these men vying for the IC title?  If so, that would mean a long list of tough opponents for Bryan...

7. Rusev

Credit: WWE.com

Previous Rank: 5

Movement: Down 2

Rusev didn't have any matches this past week, nor did he have anything to say.  As a result, Rusev drops two spots to No. 7 in the rankings.

As the No. 1 contender for John Cena's United States Championship—he's guaranteed a rematch for the title he lost—his recent slump could be rendered a temporary setback if he can regain the title at Extreme Rules.  But will he?  Cena, a 15-time World Champion, is no slouch.  Rusev will need to be at the top of his game if he hopes to take back the title.

6. Cesaro and Tyson Kidd with Natalya

Previous Rank: 6

Movement: None

Cesaro and Tyson Kidd had a good week.  In their only match, they defeated The New Day on SmackDown.  Later in the evening, Kidd's wife and WWE Diva Natalya defeated Alicia Fox.

Cesaro and Kidd have solidified themselves as the best team at WWE, but it looks like The Lucha Dragons may be coming for the titles sooner rather than later.  And if Jey Uso can get healthy, Cesaro and Kidd may be hard-pressed to fend off their challengers.

5. Randy Orton

Previous Rank: 7

Movement: Up 2

Randy Orton has found his way into the top five following a great past few weeks.  Last week, he won two more matches, both on Raw.  He first defeated Kane in singles action, then faced Roman Reigns and Ryback in a Triple Threat match to determine the No. 1 Contender for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

Randy Orton won the match after J&J Security got involved.  Orton RKOed a distracted Ryback and pinned him for the win.  He was immediately attacked by Seth Rollins after the match but had already accomplished what he wanted.  

Orton will now finally get his long-awaited rematch against his former ally.  Can Orton win his 13th world title at Extreme Rules?

4. Daniel Bryan

Previous Rank: 3

Movement: Down 1

Intercontinental champion Daniel Bryan didn't have a bad week but drops a spot nevertheless.  He didn't have a match on Raw and made his only in-ring appearance on SmackDown.  He opened the show to discuss various things and was quickly interrupted.

Sheamus, Bad News Barrett and Big Show were out for blood, and Bryan got backup from Roman Reigns and Dolph Ziggler.  The ensuing brawl led to a Six-Man Tag Team match, which Bryan's team won after Reigns pinned Barrett.

Bryan now needs to prepare for Barrett, who will look to regain the IC title at Extreme Rules.  If Bryan gets past Barrett, there's a long line of challengers waiting in the wings.

3. Roman Reigns

Previous Rank: 4

Movement: Up 1

Roman Reigns had a good week, though it could have been better.  On Raw, he defeated Big Show in a singles match.  Then he was in a Triple Threat to determine the No. 1 Contender for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Randy Orton and Ryback.  He failed to win the match when Orton pinned Ryback to earn the title shot.  

On SmackDown, he got back on track with a win in a Six-Man Tag Team match.  he teamed with intercontinental champion Daniel Bryan and Dolph Ziggler against Big Show, Bad News Barrett and Sheamus.  He led his team to victory and pinned Barrett in the process.

The question now is: Will Reigns continue pursuing the WWE World Heavyweight Championship?  Or is he getting involved in the IC title picture?  

Reigns has never held a singles title.  The IC title isn't a bad place to start.

2. John Cena

Previous Rank: 2

Movement: None

John Cena had one match this past week but made the most of it.  In another open-challenge match in which he defended his United States Championship, he faced Stardust.  After a competitive match, he defeated Stardust to retain.

After Raw, he was interviewed by Chris Jericho on his latest podcast for the WWE Network.  Cena had a lot to say.  He talked about, among other things, his time in OVW and how he knew their roster was stacked.  He touched on his charity work, discussed his relationship with Vince McMahon and even told an interesting story about how he's the first "reverse second-generation wrestler." 

In all, it was an interesting and illuminating interview that may be the most candid Cena has ever done.

1. Seth Rollins

Previous Rank: 1

Movement: None

Seth Rollins picked up a win this week and also found out who he'd be facing at Extreme Rules when he defends his WWE World Heavyweight Championship.  

On Raw, he was forced by Kane into a match against Neville.  Neville gave Rollins a run for his money, but Rollins emerged victorious.

Then he learned he'd be facing Randy Orton at Extreme Rules when Orton defeated Ryback and Roman Reigns in a Triple Threat match.  Rollins sent Orton a message after the match, though, beating Orton down as Raw went off the air.  

Orton and Rollins squared off at WrestleMania, and Orton came out on top.  So Orton knows that he can win, and Rollins knows he's vulnerable.  Rollins will likely try to stack the deck against Orton any way he can, meaning he'll use J&J Security if he has the chance.  

Rollins seems perfectly content to lose a match via disqualification if it means he'll keep the title.  But seeing as the match is at Extreme Rules, will a stipulation be added that eliminates his "champions' advantage"?