WWE Superstar Power Rankings for 11/9/2015

It was a shockingly eventful week outside the ring for WWE this week, and as a result, the Superstar Power Rankings have seen massive changes.  To begin with, the news that rocked the company this week is that WWE World Heavyweight champion Seth Rollins injured his knee in Ireland and will miss significant time.  According to WWE.com, the title is now vacated as of November 5, 2015.

A tournament will now be held at Survivor Series 2015 to crown a new champion, though neither the participants of that tournament nor the exact format has been revealed.  It is also unclear at this time if Roman Reigns, who is the No. 1 contender, will be in the tournament or will eventually face the winner.

In other ranking news, both John Cena and Brock Lesnar have been removed from the top 10.  With Cena basically vanishing and with Brock Lesnar's habit of not appearing for months at a time, they can't be reliably ranked at this time.  

That means that three of the top 10 WWE Superstars are no longer ranked, causing upheaval in the rankings themselves.  

We'll get into all this past week's events more thoroughly 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 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 weighed 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 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

Ryback

Ryback has fallen a long way lately.  After peaking at No. 2 in the rankings not long ago, he lost his championship and fell out of the top 10 in short order.  But thanks to a combination of Rollins, Cena, and Lesnar all being removed from the rankings, a win in a Survivor Series-style tag match on Raw and his victory over King Barrett on SmackDown, he finds a way to stay on the Watch List.  

With the upper ranks of WWE thin right now and a World Heavyweight Championship tournament coming up, Ryback could have an opening to get himself back into the top 10 in a big way.

The Usos

After being away for months, Jey Uso finally is healthy.  He and his brother Jimmy made their return on Raw this past week, teaming with Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose and Ryback in a Survivor Series-style tag match on Raw.  Their team won and then got another win over The Ascension on SmackDown.  

They've returned with a bang, and bolster an increasingly loaded tag team division.  

10. Paige

Previous Rank: Unranked

Movement: Into Top 10

Paige finds herself in the top 10 this week after defeating Brie Bella, Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch in a Fatal 4-Way match to determine the new No. 1 contender for the WWE Divas Championship.  She pinned her old ally Lynch in the match to earn the victory.

She now heads into Survivor Series set to face Charlotte for the title.  It was the first announced match for the event and is still the only match with known participants.  Can Paige win the Divas title for the third time?

9. The Lucha Dragons

Previous Rank: Watch List

Movement: Into Top 10

The Lucha Dragons had a mixed week, but it was good enough to earn a spot in the top 10.  On Raw, they defeated King Barrett and Sheamus, two men who were either in the top 10 or Watch List.  It was a solid win for the exciting tag team.

But on SmackDown, they were forced to team with The Prime Time Players against the full Wyatt Family in a four-on-four Survivor Series-style elimination match.  Needless to say, they lost.  The Wyatts showed how dominant they can be.

In spite of that, though, The Lucha Dragons still have a strong case for being the next in line for a shot at The New Day's tag team titles.

8. Charlotte

Previous Rank: Watch List

Movement: Into Top 10

WWE Divas champion Charlotte didn't compete last week but moves into the top 10 from the Watch List.  On Raw, Paige won the right to face Charlotte for the title at Survivor Series, and Charlotte had a message for her opponent.

Charlotte is glad that Paige won, because she'll now get a chance at revenge for Paige's attack a few weeks ago.  Until then, can she stay on track and keep Paige at bay?

7. Dean Ambrose

Previous Rank: Watch List

Movement: Into Top 10

Dean Ambrose finds himself back in the top 10 after a week out.  That was mostly due to the separation of his ranking from that of Roman Reigns.  But after a shakeout period, he's back.  

On Raw, he teamed with Roman Reigns, Ryback and The Usos against Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens and The New Day in a Survivor Series-style elimination match, and his team won.  Rollins attacked Ambrose and Reigns with a chair and got disqualified as the final elimination.

On SmackDown, he faced WWE intercontinental champion Kevin Owens in a non-title match.  Owens pulled a fast one on Ambrose, pretending that he'd been hit with a low blow.  The referee disqualified Ambrose, and Owens fled through the crowd to safety from an angry Ambrose.

Ambrose is a solid choice for the WWE world heavyweight title tournament, but nothing is official yet.  Will he find himself in contention for the title?

6. The New Day

Previous Rank: 8

Movement: Up 2

WWE tag team champions The New Day had only one match this past week, teaming with Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens on Raw for a loss in a Survivor Series-style elimination match.  So it was not exactly a great week.  But Big E and Kofi Kingston were glad to get Xavier Woods back, trombone and all.  

The big question for The New Day now is who its next opponent will be.  With Survivor Series all about teams and elimination matches, could it face more than one team?  Or will a single team step up?

5. Sheamus

Previous Rank: 5

Movement: None

Mr. Money in the Bank didn't have a good week.  In his only match, Sheamus teamed with King Barrett against The Lucha Dragons and lost.  

It's also unclear where Sheamus goes from here.  He and Barrett, now sans Rusev, could be a force in the tag team division.  But with Sheamus holding the Money in the Bank contract, the tag team titles may not be on his radar.  

Another intriguing prospect is Sheamus' involvement in the WWE World Heavyweight Championship tournament at Survivor Series.  Will he be in it?  Or, as Mr. Money in the Bank, is he to be excluded?  And could it be the chance he's been waiting for to cash in?

4. The Wyatt Family

Previous Rank: 9

Movement: Up 5

The Wyatt Family is arguably stronger than ever after this past week.  On Raw, Bray Wyatt demonstrated that he had consumed the souls of Kane and Undertaker by summoning lightning and fire.  And with Erick Rowan, Luke Harper and Braun Strowman at his back, he could very well be unstoppable.

On SmackDown, The Wyatts exhibited their power against The Prime Time Players and The Lucha Dragons in a four-on-four Survivor Series-style elimination match.  They dominated the match and emerged victorious.  

The Wyatt Family should have WWE Superstars large and small very worried.  But the real question is: What will Bray Wyatt do with his power?  

3. Alberto Del Rio

Previous Rank: 4

Movement: Up 1

WWE United States champion Alberto Del Rio had a solid week.  On Raw, he defeated R-Truth in a rematch from the previous SmackDown.  And on this past SmackDown, he defeated Neville.  

After that match, he tried to attack Neville, but Jack Swagger, who had confronted Zeb Colter earlier in the week about his alliance with Del Rio, came out to make the save.  

It appears Swagger and Del Rio have unfinished business.  After all, they were rivals for a long time.  But with Colter on Del Rio's side this time, how will Swagger and Del Rio's renewed rivalry play out?

2. Kevin Owens

Previous Rank: 3

Movement: Up 1

WWE intercontinental champion Kevin Owens had a mixed week.  On Raw, he teamed with Seth Rollins and The New Day in a losing effort against Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, The Usos and Ryback.  It was a Survivor Series-style elimination match.  Owens was the second-to-last elimination for his team.

He got a measure of revenge on SmackDown, though the method was unconventional.  He faced Dean Ambrose, and when the referee wasn't looking, he pretended to have been the victim of a low blow.  The referee bought the ruse and disqualified Ambrose.  Owens fled through the crowd after the match.

Owens is one possible entrant in the world heavyweight title tournament but may be excluded as a current champion, especially if he defends his title at Survivor Series.

1. Roman Reigns

Previous Rank: 2

Movement: Up 1

Roman Reigns is officially No. 1 in this week's power rankings.  He's been here before, though that came prior to WrestleMania 31.  He had a good week this past week and easily was the top choice.

His only match came on Raw, where The Authority announced that he and Seth Rollins would form teams of five and compete in a Survivor Series-style elimination match.  Rollins recruited Kevin Owens and The New Day, while Reigns got The Usos, Ryback and Dean Ambrose to compete for him.  

At the end of the match, Rollins was the last member of his team, and Ambrose and Reigns remained from theirs.  Rather than fight them off, Rollins got himself disqualified by attacking them both with a chair.  That gave Reigns' team the win, but at the price of a serious beating.

Reigns is officially the No. 1 contender for the now-vacated WWE World Heavyweight Championship.  

With a tournament of unknown size and structure set for Survivor Series to determine a new champion, a few big questions loom.  Will Reigns be in the tournament?  If so, will he be upset about not getting the one-on-one match he thought he'd get?  If he's not in the tournament, will he be in line to face the winner?