WWE Superstar Power Rankings for 8/17/2015: Pre-WWE SummerSlam 2015 Edition
WWE SummerSlam 2015 is upon us, and there's been some reshuffling in the WWE Superstar Power Rankings after the latest week of action.
For starters, Sheamus attempted to cash in his Money in the Bank contract. And on a related note, there may be a new No. 1 Contender for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
Also, most, if not all, of SummerSlam's matches are set. So far, there are seven scheduled bouts.
Team Bella (WWE Divas champion Nikki Bella, Brie Bella and Alicia Fox) will face Team B.A.D. (Tamina, Naomi and NXT Women's champion Sasha Banks) and PCB (Paige, Charlotte and Becky Lynch) in a three-team elimination match. Also, in another large match, the Prime Time Players will defend the WWE Tag Team Championships against the New Day, Los Matadores and the Lucha Dragons in a Fatal 4-Way tag team match.
WWE intercontinental champion Ryback will defend his championship against Big Show and the Miz in a Triple Threat match. Bray Wyatt and Luke Harper will face Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns in a tag team match.
If WWE United States champion John Cena is healthy and cleared for action, as he indicated he was on Tough Enough, he'll face WWE world heavyweight champion Seth Rollins in a match in whcih both championships are on the line. Neville will team with Stephen Amell of Arrow fame against King Barrett and Stardust.
And in the main event, Brock Lesnar will face the Undertaker in an epic rematch of their WrestleMania XXX contest that saw Lesnar end the Undertaker's undefeated streak at the Showcase of the Immortals.
At four hours long and with every championship on the line, SummerSlam is set to be a huge event, perhaps rivaling WrestleMania.
We'll get into all the SummerSlam matchups and this past week's events in greater detail throughout 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 Superstars and Divas on the WWE roster are considered, excluding talents who primarily or exclusively perform in NXT. Exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis, but any NXT Superstar deemed eligible for these rankings will remain on the Watch List until officially named as a part of the WWE main roster.
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 weighed components.
If a wrestler is deemed to be tied with another, holding a title will be the primary tiebreaker. However, holding a championship, being a No. 1 contender or holding the 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 components 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 (i.e., 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 and "sabbaticals"—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 them 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.
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
1 of 11Cesaro
Cesaro had two big matches this past week, and he lost both of them. On Raw, he lost in a Triple Threat match that presented him with an opportunity to face Seth Rollins for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship later that night. He lost. On SmackDown, he teamed with Neville in a loss to Rollins and Kevin Owens. Can Cesaro get back on track this week?
Rusev
Slowly and steadily, Rusev has been picking up wins since his return from injury. He faced Mark Henry on Raw, but that match was thrown out when Summer Rae beat down Lana in the ring. He defeated Fandango via Accolade on Main Event later in the week.
No. 10: Neville
2 of 11Previous Rank: Watch List
Movement: Into Top 10
Neville had a mixed week. On Raw, he defeated King Barrett but was attacked by Stardust after the match. Stardust also got in Arrow star Stephen Amell's face and shoved him. Amell jumped the barricade and attacked Stardust. He had to be hauled away by security.
Backstage, Neville and Amell lobbied Triple H for a match against Barrett and Stardust. Triple H finally relented and granted the two the match they wanted.
On SmackDown, Neville interrupted WWE world heavyweight champion Seth Rollins' promo and demanded another title opportunity. But Cesaro appeared shortly after, only to be attacked by Kevin Owens. That led to a match later in the night that saw Neville and Cesaro face Owens and Rollins. The New Sensation's team lost when Cesaro was rolled up by Rollins, who got a handful of tights in the process.
Can Neville and Amell be the heroes and defeat Stardust and Barrett on Sunday?
No. 9: Brock Lesnar
3 of 11Previous Rank: 7
Movement: Down 2
Brock Lesnar didn't appear on WWE TV this past week. Neither did Paul Heyman. But on Sunday, he'll try to finish what he started at WrestleMania XXX.
He'll face the Undertaker, whom he defeated at the Showcase of the Immortals last year, in a rematch. Undertaker will look to punish Lesnar and Heyman for constantly boasting about the win, which signalled the end of Undertaker's streak. Can Lesnar finish off Undertaker once and for all, or will Undertaker get a measure of revenge?
No. 8: Roman Reigns
4 of 11Previous Rank: 9
Movement: Up 1
Roman Reigns had a decent week. On Raw, he was ringside during Dean Ambrose's loss to Luke Harper. He and Bray Wyatt brawled during the match.
On SmackDown, Reigns faced Harper. Wyatt and Ambrose were ringside for the match. Reigns was about to pin Harper for the win, but Wyatt attacked Reigns and gave him the win via disqualification.
Reigns and Ambrose will face Wyatt and Harper at SummerSlam in a renewal of the old Wyatt Family-Shield rivalry. Reigns and Ambrose don't think the rivalry will ever truly end, so this match could set the tone for it for some time to come.
No. 7: Prime Time Players
5 of 11Previous Rank: 8
Movement: Up 1
The Prime Time Players have a tall order ahead of them. The WWE tag team champions will face the New Day, Los Matadores and the Lucha Dragons in a Fatal 4-Way tag team match for their belts at SummerSlam. This is happening because no one tag team was able to separate from the pack to earn a title shot.
This past week, Titus O'Neil and Darren Young picked up a win over the New Day on SmackDown. It was a good win against their stiffest competition, but can they withstand three teams on Sunday?
No. 6: Big Show
6 of 11
Previous Rank: 5
Movement: Down 1
Big Show did not have a match this week and drops a spot in the rankings. However, he did make an appearance. On Raw, the Miz had Daniel Bryan on MizTV. Big Show interrupted the segment before the returning Ryback interrupted shortly thereafter.
The Miz tried to get Ryback and Big Show to fight, but Bryan tossed him into the ring, where Big Show and Ryback took out Miz, and then Big Show was taken out by Ryback.
Big Show will face the Miz and the WWE intercontinental champion in a Triple Threat match with the Ryback's championship on the line. Can Big Show win the title at SummerSlam?
No. 5: Ryback
7 of 11Previous Rank: 6
Movement: Up 1
After missing weeks of action with a staph infection, this past Monday on Raw, WWE intercontinental champion Ryback finally made his return to WWE television. He interrupted MizTV and beat down the Miz. He took out Big Show, who had helped him take out Miz, immediately afterward.
He appeared again this past Thursday on SmackDown, announcing his intention to defend and retain his title at SummerSlam. But before he was finished speaking, Bo Dallas interrupted him. Dallas demanded to be let into the title match, and when Ryback refused, Dallas attacked. However, Ryback put him down quickly, finishing him off with a Meathook.
Will Ryback be rusty after having so much time off, or will he be well-rested and ready to go?
No. 4: Sheamus
8 of 11
Previous Rank: 3
Movement: Down 1
Mr. Money in the Bank Sheamus drops a spot this week after making just one appearance, which didn't go as well as he hoped it would. On Raw, Randy Orton was battling WWE world heavyweight champion Seth Rollins for his title. During the match, when it looked like Orton might have Rollins right where he wanted him, Sheamus struck.
His attack gave Orton the win by DQ, but Orton failed to win the title. After clearing Orton, Sheamus took out Rollins and tried to cash in. Before the referee could start the match, though, Orton took out Sheamus and prevented the cash in.
Sheamus isn't scheduled to compete at SummerSlam. But that doesn't mean he won't play a role. Like this past Monday, Sheamus could attempt a cash in. But will he?
No. 3: John Cena
9 of 11Previous Rank: 2
Movement: Down 1
WWE United States champion John Cena has apparently been cleared by WWE to compete at SummerSlam, so his potential title-versus-title match with Seth Rollins is seemingly now official. If he is free to fight, he has the chance to hold both the United States and WWE World Heavyweight Championships simultaneously.
A win in that match could net him his 16th world championship, which would tie him with Ric Flair for the most of all time. Or he could find himself without a title if Rollins is able to defeat him.
No. 2: Randy Orton
10 of 11
Previous Rank: 4
Movement: Up 2
Randy Orton had a good week, but even still it could have been much better. On Raw, he faced Kevin Owens and Cesaro in a Triple Threat match to decide who among them would face WWE world heavyweight champion Seth Rollins later in the night for the championship. He won that match, pinning Cesaro to earn the title opportunity.
Later in the night, he faced Rollins for the title. After a tough match, Orton seemed to have Rollins where he wanted him, but Sheamus attacked Orton, giving Orton the DQ win. Sheamus then tried to cash in his Money in the Bank Contract, but Orton put a stop to that and laid him out.
If WWE United States champion John Cena can't compete on Sunday at SummerSlam, Orton has a legitimate claim to a title opportunity based on his win on Raw. But with Cena seemingly cleared for action, Orton may have to wait for such an opportunity.
No. 1: Seth Rollins
11 of 11Previous Rank: 1
Movement: None
WWE world heavyweight champion Seth Rollins' week got off to a bad start but ended on a high note. On Raw, he faced Randy Orton for his championship after Orton defeated Cesaro and Kevin Owens to earn the shot.
Rollins was in a tough spot, having been RKO'd by Orton and seemingly about to be pinned. Sheamus saved his title reign, though. Sheamus attacked Orton, giving Orton the DQ win but allowing Rollins to escape with the title.
On SmackDown, Rollins started the show by proclaiming himself one of the greatest athletes of all time. But after interruptions by Neville and Cesaro, and after Cesaro was attacked by Kevin Owens, a tag match was made. Rollins and Owens faced and defeated Neville and Cesaro. Rollins rolled up Cesaro, pinning him for the win after grabbing a handful of tights.
With WWE United States champion John Cena apparently ready to compete, Rollins looks set to defend his championship this Sunday at SummerSlam in a title-versus-title match. But if Cena can't compete, and with Orton picking up a win over him on Raw, Rollins could find himself in a match with Orton with nothing to gain and everything to lose.
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