WWE Superstar Power Rankings for 5/11/2015: Pre-WWE Payback 2015 Edition

WWE Payback 2015 will air on the WWE Network in less than one week, and there have been a few big changes in the WWE Superstar Power Rankings before the big event.  

Speaking of Payback, though, there are still only two announced matches for the night.  

First is Rusev vs. John Cena for the WWE United States Championship, and secondly is the WWE World Heavyweight Championship match.  That match was originally set to be a Triple Threat but is now a Fatal 4-Way, with Dean Ambrose joining Roman Reigns and Randy Orton as the challengers for Seth Rollins' title.  

Aside from those matches, none others have been scheduled.  With Daniel Bryan out indefinitely with an undisclosed injury, there's almost no chance there will be an Intercontinental Championship match. Other matches are possible and will be discussed in later slides.

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.  These rankings 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 (re: getting a strong reaction) 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.

These may include but are 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

Neville had a mixed week, which cost him his place in the top 10.  

On Raw, he teamed with Dolph Ziggler against King Barrett and Sheamus in a loss in which he took the pin from Barrett.  But on SmackDown, after Sheamus had interfered in Ziggler's match with Barrett, the teams squared off in a rematch.  Neville and Ziggler won this time, as Ziggler pinned Barrett.  

It's looking like these four men may have to settle their differences at Payback.

Dolph Ziggler

Ziggler, like Neville, also had a mixed week.  On Raw, he teamed with Neville against Barrett and Sheamus in a loss.  On SmackDown, he faced Barrett but was attacked by Sheamus, leading to the tag team rematch that he and Neville won.  

Will Ziggler and Neville face Barrett and Sheamus in a rubber match at Payback?

10. Daniel Bryan

Credit: WWE.com

Previous Rank: 6

Movement: Down 4

WWE intercontinental champion Daniel Bryan is still on the sidelines.  As of now, there's still no official word as to what's wrong with him or why he's not even on television at this point.  

Strangely, even though he's now passed the 30-day threshold for a mandated title defense, there has been no talk of stripping him of the title.

With no timetable to reference, it's impossible to know when Bryan will return to WWE TV.  It could be this week, it could be months from now.  He clings to a top-10 ranking due to his title, but that won't help him after this week.  

More information is desperately needed from WWE on this issue.

9. King Barrett

Previous Rank: 9

Movement: None

King Barrett's week was pretty much the same as those of both Neville and Dolph Ziggler: mixed.  He and Sheamus defeated Ziggler and Neville on Raw, then lost to them on SmackDown.  

It's looking increasingly likely that either he and Sheamus will team up against Ziggler and Neville at Payback, or that he'll face one of the two of them.  

Can he get rolling again?

8. Ryback

Previous Rank: 5

Movement: Down 3

Ryback had plenty to say about Bray Wyatt on Raw.  He fought through the "Goldberg" chants and got a "Feed Me More" chant going.  He talked about his injuries and about turning fear and negativity into positives in his stomach.  

Bray Wyatt wasn't impressed.

His week wouldn't get better.  On SmackDown, Ryback teamed with Cesaro and Tyson Kidd in a loss to The New Day.  

The question now is: Will Ryback face Bray Wyatt at Payback, or will this match happen later?

7. Rusev

Previous Rank: 7

Movement: None

Rusev got back on track this week with a win over Fandango on Raw, but the fact that Lana fandango-ed during the match did not sit well with Rusev.  

Lana would catch Rusev's ire again later in the week. On SmackDown, Lana asked the crowd to stop cheering for her.  Rusev then sent her to the back and decreed that he'd force Cena to say "I Quit."  

If Rusev can get Cena to give up, he would be the first.  Can Rusev reclaim the United States title this Sunday at Payback?  And are he and Lana having real problems, or is this just a ruse to throw off Cena and the rest of the WWE Universe?

6. Dean Ambrose

Previous Rank: Unranked

Movement: Outta Nowhere!

Dean Ambrose has been popping in and out of relevance lately, but this past week he exploded back into the top 10.  

On Raw, he was placed in a match against WWE world heavyweight champion Seth Rollins with the stipulation that if he won, he'd be added to the title match at Payback.  

He won.  He'll now compete in a Fatal 4-Way at Payback for the title against Rollins, along with Roman Reigns and Randy Orton.  Later that night on Raw, he saved Orton and Reigns from a beatdown at the hands of The Authority, only to then hit Orton with Dirty Deeds (after Orton hit an RKO on Reigns, who had earlier speared Orton accidentally).

On SmackDown, Rollins got the usual contract-signing brawl underway, but got an RKO from Orton.  

Will Ambrose be able to avoid the fate he suffered on SmackDown and make Payback look like this past Monday's Raw?  Is Ambrose the next world heavyweight champion?

5. The New Day

Previous Rank: 8

Movement: Up 3

The New Day got a monster win this past week on Raw.  They teamed up against Roman Reigns and Randy Orton, who were (and still are) top-five-ranked Superstars and No. 1 Contenders for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.  

The New Day won, giving them what is surely the most important win in the short history of the group.

Then on SmackDown, they defeated Cesaro and Tyson Kidd as well as Ryback in a six-man tag team match.  The win may well have knocked Cesaro and Kidd out of the title picture.

That brings up interesting questions: Who are the No. 1 Contenders for the WWE Tag Team Championships?  Will that be determined this week?  Will New Day even defend their titles at Payback?

4. Randy Orton

Previous Rank: 4

Movement: None

Randy Orton stands pat at No. 4 after a rough week.  

On Raw, he first teamed with Roman Reigns against The New Day and lost after Reigns accidentally speared him.  Then later in the night, he faced off against Roman Reigns, but the match ended in a no-contest as The Authority assaulted both competitors.  Dean Ambrose made the save, and Orton eventually received Dirty Deeds from The Lunatic Fringe.

On SmackDown, Orton, Ambrose, Reigns and Seth Rollins were set to sign their Payback contract.  Of course, the signing broke down, and Orton ended up taken out by Rollins in the chaos.

Orton now heads into Payback with a shot at the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.  Can he become a 13-time world champion this Sunday?

3. Roman Reigns

Previous Rank: 3

Movement: Down 1

Roman Reigns and Randy Orton had very similar weeks.  

Reigns teamed with Orton in a loss to The New Day on Raw, then faced Orton one-on-one in a match that ended in a no-contest as The Authority attacked them.  Reigns ended up getting RKOed by Orton after the match in retaliation for the accidental spear Reigns delivered to Orton against The New Day. On SmackDown, in the chaotic contract signing, Reigns ended up taken out by Seth Rollins.  

Can Reigns avoid that outcome this Sunday?  Can he win his first world title at Payback?

2. John Cena

Previous Rank: 3

Movement: Up 1

United States champion John Cena issued another open challenge this week and got a surprise challenger.  Former NXT champion (and current No. 1 contender for said title) Sami Zayn made his first appearance on Raw.  

Zayn and Cena went blow-for-blow in a tough match.  In the end, Zayn couldn't defeat Cena, and Cena retained his title.  But Cena won't be facing Zayn at Payback; he'll be facing Rusev.  Rusev is battle-tested and tough.  

But Cena may have frustrated Rusev to the point that Rusev is letting emotion get in the way of business.  Can Cena defeat Rusev a third time, finally putting their feud to rest?  Or will Rusev be the first man in five attempts to make Cena say, "I Quit"?

Note: Last week's rankings incorrectly stated that Cena's upcoming match with Rusev would be his sixth "I Quit" match.  This will, in fact, be his fifth "I Quit" match.  He is thus far 4-0 in the match format.  It will be his first "I Quit" match in which he is not defending or competing for a world championship.

No. 1: Seth Rollins

Previous Rank: 1

Movement: None

WWE world heavyweight champion Seth Rollins hangs on at No. 1 after a pretty bad week.  

On Raw, he lost to Dean Ambrose, allowing Ambrose to gain a spot in the WWE World Heavyweight Championship match this Sunday at Payback.  Later that night, he took a spear from Roman Reigns.  

SmackDown was much kinder to Rollins, though.  When the contract signing for the title match at Payback broke down, Rollins used the chaos to his advantage.  He watched as Reigns took out Kane, then as Orton took out Ambrose.  He then finished off Reigns and Orton and stood tall in the ring.

Rollins will have to face Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns and Randy Orton in a Fatal 4-Way match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at Payback.  

Some may argue that Rollins has a poor chance of retaining.  But seeing as Fatal 4-Ways have no disqualifications, J&J Security could provide just enough of an advantage for Rollins to sneak out of the event with a win.  

But how will his ongoing issues with Kane affect the match?