WWE Superstar Power Rankings for 4/27/2015: WWE Extreme Rules 2015 Edition
WWE Extreme Rule 2015 is in the books, and in the aftermath of WWE's most extreme event of the year, the WWE Superstar Power Rankings have been shaken up. No. 1 and No. 2 remain the same, but there are significant changes throughout the rankings this week.
Only one championship changed hands on Sunday, the WWE Tag Team Championships. All titles were originally set to be defended, but Daniel Bryan was unable to compete, meaning the Intercontinental Championship was not defended. All other titles were defended as advertised.
During Extreme Rules, it was revealed that WWE will be bringing back the King of the Ring tournament as a WWE Network exclusive show. It appears that most of the matches will happen on Raw, with perhaps the semifinals and final airing on the WWE Network on Tuesday. It may be short notice, but this prestigious tournament could catapult someone's career or be a further notch in an experienced Superstar's belt.
Finally, WWE also put out an open casting call for Tough Enough, which is returning once again after a several-year hiatus.
This past week's action, including WWE Extreme Rules 2015, 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 and 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
1 of 11
Cesaro and Tyson Kidd w/ Natalya
Cesaro and Tyson Kidd had a rough week. Cesaro lost to Kofi Kingston on SmackDown, and the team lost the WWE Tag Team Championships at Extreme Rules. They'll get a rematch, but can they regain the titles against three top-quality athletes who work well together?
Nikki Bella w/ Brie
Nikki Bella successfully defended her Divas Championship at Extreme Rules, and as of Monday, April 27, her reign stands at 156 days, which places her fourth all time in the ranking of the longest reigns in the title's history. Will Paige, who missed Extreme Rules through injury, get another shot at Nikki Bella?
Lucha Dragons
The Lucha Dragons have been white hot lately, but that all changed this past Monday on Raw. They lost a No. 1 Contender's match to the New Day via count-out, missing out on a chance to compete for the tag team titles. They made up for the loss by defeating the Ascension on Main Event, but they will have to get back on a roll to get a shot at the tag titles.
Sheamus
Sheamus destroyed Zack Ryder on Raw but lost in a tag match on SmackDown to Neville and Dolph Ziggler while teaming with Bad News Barrett. He also lost to Ziggler at Extreme Rules in the Kiss Me Arse match, but he refused to kiss Ziggler's "arse" and beat him down instead. What's next for the Celtic Warrior?
Dean Ambrose
Dean Ambrose finally got a big win at a pay-par-view when he defeated Luke Harper in a Chicago Street Fight that took the two into the streets of Chicago before finally ending in the ring. He also battled Harper to a no contest on Raw and teamed with Roman Reigns on SmackDown in a win over Seth Rollins and Harper. Ambrose is popular, but can he get on a roll and compete for a title?
No. 10: Dolph Ziggler
2 of 11
Previous Rank: Watch List
Movement: Into Top 10
Dolph Ziggler had a fairly good week all things considered. On Raw, he lost a tough match to WWE World Heavyweight champion Seth Rollins. On SmackDown, he teamed with Neville in a win over Sheamus and Bad News Barrett.
At Extreme Rules, he actually won the Kiss Me Arse match, meaning Sheamus would have to kiss his "arse." Instead of an "arse" kissing, though, he got an "arse" kicking after the match. Sheamus walked away afterward without ever puckering up. Will Ziggler have his revenge?
No. 9: Neville
3 of 11Previous Rank: Watch List
Movement: Into Top 10
Neville hasn't been in WWE very long but has already become one of WWE's most exciting and popular Superstars. On SmackDown, he teamed with Dolph Ziggler against Sheamus and Bad News Barrett and won the match.
At Extreme Rules, he got a big opportunity. With Daniel Bryan sidelined with an injury, Barrett was looking for an opponent. Enter Neville, who defeated BNB on the Kickoff.
Neville potentially has a huge future in WWE. But can he use the biggest win of his career to date as a way to get into a title feud in the near future?
No. 8: The New Day
4 of 11
Previous Rank: Unranked
Movement: Outta Nowhere!
The New Day were considered a joke. They were seen as a novelty act—a way for three guys with nothing going on to be moderately relevant. They tried being positive and tried getting the crowd excited. Nothing was working, and it seemed the alliance of Kofi Kingston, Big E and Xavier Woods was a failure. The crowd turned on them.
But in spite of everything, they achieved what perhaps no one expected. They defeated the Lucha Dragons on Raw and earned a chance to compete for the WWE Tag Team Championships. They made the most of this chance, beating Cesaro and Tyson Kidd to win the titles at Extreme Rules.
Suddenly, they are atop the WWE Tag team division. The big question now is will they defend the titles under the Freebird Rule, or will Kofi Kingston and Big E (the team that won the titles) be the sole pair able to defend?
No. 7: Rusev w/ Lana
5 of 11
Previous Rank: 5
Movement: Down 2
Rusev had a mixed week running up to Extreme Rules. On Raw, he beat down John Cena backstage and locked in the Accolade with a chain. On SmackDown, he lost to Ryback via disqualification when he beat him with a chain during their match, once again applying the Accolade with a chain.
At Extreme Rules, he had the chance to regain the United States Championship, and he failed to do so. He and Cena beat each other down in a brutal match. But at the end, Cena emerged victorious from the Russian Chain match and retained the title.
After the match, Rusev sent Lana to the Authority, who apparently granted Rusev another shot at the title in an I Quit match at Payback. Will this be Rusev's last shot at Cena?
No. 6: Randy Orton
6 of 11Previous Rank: 4
Movement: Down 2
Randy Orton only had one match this week and didn't win. He delivered RKOs to a handful of Superstars on Raw, including Seth Rollins, since he would not be able to use the RKO at Extreme Rules.
At Extreme Rules, he faced WWE World Heavyweight champion Rollins in a Steel Cage match. Late in the bout, Kane entered the ring and, after a number of Chokeslams, allowed Rollins to escape with a win.
Orton may have lost his chance at the title, since he is not guaranteed another match. Will he get one, or will he have to go to the back of the line?
No. 5: Ryback
7 of 11Previous Rank: 7
Movement: Up 2
Ryback has continued to quietly climb the rankings through a combination of his wins and others' losses. This week, he defeated Adam Rose on Raw. On SmackDown, he faced off against Rusev.
He looked to be closing in on a possible win when Rusev attacked him with a chain, giving Ryback the DQ win. It is the highest-ranked opponent he's defeated in a singles match for a very long time.
At Extreme Rules, he beat down Bo Dallas, who was insulting the crowd. The crowd was into Ryback too. He's got momentum, and he's got crowd support. Can Ryback translate those factors into continued success?
No. 4: Daniel Bryan
8 of 11
Previous Rank: 3
Movement: Down 1
There's not much to say about Daniel Bryan this week. As previously mentioned, Bryan was unable to compete at Extreme Rules due to injury, which also kept him out of action on Raw and SmackDown.
Questions remain about the extent of his injury. Also, it's unknown when he may be back in action. There's also the possibility that, like last year, he could be stripped of a title. It has been over a month since he won the Intercontinental Championship and almost as long since he last defended it. Will WWE again invoke the 30-day rule?
No. 3: Roman Reigns
9 of 11Previous Rank: 6
Movement: Up 3
Roman Reigns is back to winning big matches, and he had the best week he's had in some time. On Raw, he beat down Bo Dallas. He teamed with Dean Ambrose on SamckDown in a win over Luke Harper and WWE World Heavyweight champion Seth Rollins. Reigns pinned Rollins for the team win.
At Extreme Rules, he took a lot of punishment from Big Show but dealt out as much as he received. He finally buried Big Show under an announce table to win the pair's Last Man Standing match. Will his pinning Rollins and win over Big Show earn him another shot at the WWE World Heavyweight Championship?
No. 2: John Cena
10 of 11
Previous Rank: 2
Movement: None
John Cena did what he usually does this past week: won. On Raw, he defeated Kane in an open challenge for the United States title. He was beat down back stage by Rusev, but he was undaunted.
At Extreme Rules, he faced Rusev in a Russian Chain match, which had the same rules a strap match, only with a chain replacing the rawhide. Cena and Rusev punished each other, but in the end, Cena touched the final corner after hitting Rusev with an AA. They had both touched three other corners, but Cena got to the fourth first.
He's not done with Rusev, though. Lana asked the Authority for another shot, and Rusev now will face Cena in an I Quit match at Payback. Can Rusev make Cena quit? As yet, no one else has.
No. 1: Seth Rollins
11 of 11
Previous Rank: 1
Movement: None
WWE World Heavyweight champion Seth Rollins won't be accused of having an abundance of courage, but he gets the job done by hook or by crook. And more often than not, it's by crook.
He defeated Dolph Ziggler on Raw before being RKOed by Randy Orton. He followed that up with a loss when he teamed with Luke Harper against Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns on SmackDown. Rollins was pinned by Reigns in the match.
At Extreme Rules, he finally faced Orton for the title. For most of the match, no one got in the cage. But near the end, J&J Security and Kane found their way in. Kane Chokeslammed everyone, but his final Chokeslam on Orton gave Rollins the chance he needed to scurry out of the door and retain the title.
Will Orton get another shot, or will Rollins face a new opponent, such as Roman Reigns, going forward?
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