WWE Superstar Power Rankings for 5/18/2015: WWE Payback 2015 Edition

WWE Payback 2015 is officially in the books, and the WWE Superstar Power Rankings have seen a number of changes in the aftermath of the latest pay-per-view.  The event featured a number of very good matches, but zero title changes out of three possible opportunities.  More on all that later.

The Kickoff show also featured two bonus matches.  First was R-Truth winning over Stardust, and second was "The Mega Powers" (featuring Macho Mandow and Axelmania) losing to The Ascension.  It's probably the biggest win for The Ascension in a while.  Other Superstars also got big wins, including Bray Wyatt and Neville.  

This past week also had some unfortunate news.  The WWE Universe has wondered for a long time now what would happen with Daniel Bryan.  Well, just like last year, he has relinquished a title due to injury.  It's still unknown exactly what's wrong with him, but it's reasonable to guess that he's re-aggravated the same shoulder injury that cost him the WWE World Heavyweight Championship last year.  

Now, the Intercontinental Championship is vacated, and a new champion will be crowned at WWE Elimination Chamber 2015.

In other news, the Elimination Chamber event is returning in less than two weeks, May 31, as a WWE Network exclusive event.  As mentioned above, a New Intercontinental Champion will be crowned inside the Chamber.  We also know that The New Day will defend its titles at the event.  But what other matches can be expected?  And most importantly, will there be a WWE World Heavyweight Championship match?

Finally, it was revealed that Stone Cold Steve Austin would be returning to the WWE Network to host a podcast featuring Paul Heyman.  It will air immediately after Raw on June 1.

This past week's action, including WWE Payback 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.  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 not heavily weighted in the ranking decisions; it is effectively the last tiebreaker. Pay-per-view wins and losses 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 it's 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

Ryback 

Ryback did not have a good week.  On Raw, he tossed Bray Wyatt out of the ring after he had insulted Ryback, but that was as good as it got.  On SmackDown, he was attacked by Wyatt before his match with WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins and would later lose that match.  

Then at Payback, he lost to Wyatt after his ribs were rammed into an exposed turnbuckle, allowing Wyatt to hit Sister Abigail and score a pinfall win.  What's next for Ryback?  Will he seek revenge against Wyatt?

Rusev 

It's been some time since Rusev won a meaningful match.  He only had one match this past week, an I Quit match against John Cena at Payback for the United States Championship, and he lost.  He attacked Neville and Cena on Raw and vowed on SmackDown to make Cena say "I Quit."  He didn't.  

But when Cena locked in the STF using a ring rope that Rusev had disassembled, did he actually say he quit? He screamed something, and then Lana insisted he gave up.  But later on backstage, he didn't seem too happy with Lana, implying she effectively threw in the towel and he didn't give up.  Will we see another match between Rusev and Cena?  Is this the end for Rusev and Lana?

No. 10: King Barrett

Previous Rank: 9

Movement: Down 1

King Barrett had a mixed week. On Raw, he defeated Dolph Ziggler, thanks to a Sheamus distraction.  On SmackDown, he made fun of Neville for his cape.  Perhaps Barrett should take a look at his current attire.

Anyway, he got his hands on Neville again at Payback in what amounted to a King of the Ring Finals rematch. When the going got tough, Barrett got himself counted out and lost.  He then beat down Neville, but he was in turn attacked by Neville as he celebrated the beating he had just delivered.  

Barrett, technically speaking, is still the No. 1 Contender for the Intercontinental Championship.  So it's highly likely he'll be competing in the six-man Elimination Chamber match for the title.  Will that be official this week?

No. 9: Cesaro and Tyson Kidd w/Natalya

Previous Rank: Unranked

Movement: Outta Nowhere!

Cesaro and Tyson Kidd had a good week that ended on a sour note.  On Raw, Cesaro defeated Big E.  It was then announced that they'd face The New Day in a 2-out-of-3 Falls match at Payback for the WWE Tag Team Championships.  Then on SmackDown, Kidd forced Kofi Kingston to tap out.

Having defeated the tag champs in singles matches, the odds of them winning the tag match at Payback looked to be tilting their way.  But, after splitting the first two falls, Xavier Woods (who was technically not in the match at all) pinned Cesaro.  The referee apparently thought Woods was Kingston and counted the fall.

Technically, Cesaro and Kidd lost.  But they have a legitimate claim to another rematch, since the match ended with a non-participant pinning a participant.  But will they get another shot at the titles?  After all, a loss is a loss.

No. 8: Bray Wyatt

Previous Rank: Unranked

Movement: Outta Nowhere!

Bray Wyatt finally backed up his words.  He's been calling himself "The New Face of Fear," but he really hadn't proven it yet.  With high-profile losses and forgettable feuds, he's not yet lived up to his own billing. But with a win over Ryback at Payback, he has started to show that he can in fact cash the checks his mouth writes.

His match with Ryback was hard-hitting, and it looked like Ryback might be closing in for the win.  But Wyatt turned the tables, ramming Ryback's ribs into an exposed turnbuckle.  That led to Sister Abigail and then a pinfall win.  

What's next for Wyatt?  Is he finished with Ryback?  Or will he seek out a new target?

No. 7: Neville

Previous Rank: Watch List

Movement: Into Top 10

Neville had a good week, though you might be forgiven for not realizing it.  On Raw, he answered John Cena's U.S. Open Challenge and competed for the United States Championship.  He went toe-to-toe with Cena and even looked poised to defeat the 15-time world champion.  He hit Red Arrow, and had Rusev not attacked him, he may have been the United States Champion.

Instead, he got a win by disqualification and didn't win the title.  But the record books will show he defeated Cena in a title match, which is huge for the burgeoning young star.  Later in the week on SmackDown, he defeated Bo Dallas in short order.  

At Payback, he faced King Barrett, and he won via count-out, when Barrett walked out of the match and got intentionally counted out.  Barrett attacked Neville, but Neville returned the favor as Barrett celebrated.  In the end, Neville got a win over United States Champion John Cena, Bo Dallas and the 2015 King of the Ring winner in one week.  Not too shabby.

No. 6: The New Day

Previous Rank: 5

Movement: Down 1

A bad week was salvaged at Payback by The New Day, but it took an illegal pinfall to do it.  Big E lost to Cesaro on Raw, and Kofi Kingston lost to Tyson Kidd on SmackDown.  They then had to face Cesaro and Kidd at Payback in a 2-out-of-3 Falls match.

Cesaro and Kidd won the first fall, and The New Day won the second.  The third, however, is the focus of much controversy.  Xavier Woods was not in the match, and yet he pinned Cesaro for the second and winning fall for his team.  Apparently, the referee must have thought Woods was Kingston and counted the fall.

The New Day will have to defend its titles at Elimination Chamber, though their opponents have yet to be announced.  Will they have to face Cesaro and Kidd one more time?

No. 5: Randy Orton

Previous Rank: 4

Movement: Down 1

Randy Orton started the week off strong, picking up a win over WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins via disqualification (DQ).  The Viper was starting to close in on a win when J&J Security attacked him, giving him the win.  That led to a series of events where Orton RKOed Rollins and was then promptly Speared by Roman Reigns.

Fast-forwarding to Payback, Orton finally got another shot at the title in a Fatal 4-Way match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.  During the match, Rollins, Reigns, and Dean Ambrose briefly joined forces to Triple Powerbomb Orton through an announce table (the English-language one), reminiscent of their days together in The Shield.

Orton later ended up being the one pinned by Seth Rollins, who retained his title.  So what's next for Orton after failing to win the title?  Will he get another shot?  If not, where does he go from here?

No. 4: Dean Ambrose

Previous Rank: 6

Movement: Up 2

Dean Ambrose may not be the WWE World Heavyweight champion after last night, but he proved last week that he deserves to be in the conversation for possible future champions.  On Raw, he took out Rollins and Reigns in the brawl that occurred after Orton vs. Rollins broke down.

On SmackDown, he defeated Sheamus and then participated in a backstage brawl that saw him confront Reigns.  That led to Payback, where he faced WWE World Heavyweight champion Rollins, Reigns and Orton in a Fatal 4-Way match for the title.  

During the match, a mini Shield reunion occurred when The Shield's former members performed a Triple Powerbomb on Orton.  Ambrose held his own against his opponents in the match, but Rollins ultimately got the win. Could Ambrose get another title shot in the near future, like at Elimination Chamber?

No. 3: Roman Reigns

Previous Rank: 3

Movement: None

Roman Reigns holds steady this week at No. 3 after having a good week, all things considered.  On Raw, he was set to face Kane, but the match never happened, as they brawled.  Reigns put Kane down, leading to a "rematch" on SmackDown that was basically a No Disqualification match, since the stipulation was that there had to be a winner.  It was a tough match that took a physical toll, but in the end Reigns got the win.

At payback, Reigns faced WWE World Heavyweight champion Seth Rollins, Ambrose and Orton in a match for the title.  Even though Reigns fought hard, including delivering a Triple Powerbomb through a table with his former Shield allies, he could not win the title, as Rollins retained.  

With the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view less than two weeks away, will Reigns have a quick turnaround for another title shot?  Or was this his last chance for a while?

No. 2: John Cena

Previous Rank: 2

Movement: None

United States Champion John Cena got off to a tough start this past week, but he finished it off by protecting his undefeated streak in I Quit matches when he faced Rusev at Payback.  On Raw, his U.S. Open Challenge was answered by Neville. It actually appeared that Neville might get the win when Rusev attacked Neville, giving Cena a DQ loss.

At Payback, though, Cena got his revenge.  As mentioned, Cena remains undefeated in I Quit matches.  But the way he won may mean he isn't done with Rusev quite yet.  Rusev had taken a ring rope apart, but Cena ended up using it to lock Rusev into an STF.  Rusev screamed something in Bulgarian, but did he actually quit?  Lana got in the ring and claimed he did, leading the referee to end the match.

Cena ultimately retained his title as a result, but he didn't look pleased with the outcome.  The question remains if Rusev actually gave up, because it sure didn't look like it backstage at Payback.  That's a question likely to be answered Monday night on Raw.

No. 1: Seth Rollins

Previous Rank: 1

Movement: None

WWE World Heavyweight champion Seth Rollins gets the job done when it counts.  He doesn't win all of his matches, as Raw proved when he lost via DQ to Orton.  And when he does win, oftentimes he gets lots of help, as he did on SmackDown when he defeated Ryback, thanks in large part to J&J Security.  

But for Rollins, it's all about the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.  Wins, losses and draws are all irrelevant so long as he holds the greatest prize in pro wrestling.

At Payback, he defended his title against Orton, Reigns, and Ambrose.  He helped Triple Powerbomb Orton through a table, and then he had Kane powerbombed on top of him moments later, sending him and Kane crashing through the Spanish announce table.

But though the odds were long, he got the job done.  He hit Orton with a Pedigree, pinned him and extended his title reign.  But with Elimination Chamber looming, he may not have time to celebrate.  Though there's only two matches announced for the event, it's possible Rollins could be defending his title against five other men in less than two weeks.