WWE Superstar Power Rankings for 11/16/2015: Pre-Survivor Series 2015 Edition

WWE Survivor Series 2015 is less than one week away, and the WWE Superstar Power Rankings have seen a bit of change.  While the top of the rankings are about the same, the lower part of the top 10 has seen some jostling.

Of note this week is the WWE World Heavyweight Championship tournament (which will be referred to as simply "the tournament" in this article), which will culminate with the semifinals and finals at Survivor Series and is already under way.  The first round of the tournament is complete, with eight men set to compete in the quarterfinals this week on Raw.  

Another interesting note is Triple H's offer to Roman Reigns.  Triple H gave Reigns the opportunity to skip the tournament entirely and face the winner directly for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.  Reigns refused and was then entered into the tournament.  More on that in the following slides.

Speaking of Survivor Series, there are, as of this writing, only two matches set: Charlotte vs. Paige for the WWE Divas Championship and The Brothers of Destruction vs. two undetermined members of The Wyatt Family.  There will be at least three more matches related to the tournament, with both semifinal matches and the finals taking place at Survivor Series.  The participants are undetermined as of now.

We'll get into all this past week's events more thoroughly throughout the following slides. But beforehand, please read the "How These Rankings Work" slide for more information on how the rankings are determined...

How These Rankings Work

Credit: WWE.com

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 Watchlist 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 weighted components.

If a Superstar 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 Watchlist 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-affiliated or Superstar accounts on social media that don't break kayfabe may be taken into consideration.

These may include but are not limited to Raw, SmackDown, Main Event, WWE Superstars, NXT, WWE pay-per-views and any other storyline-driven content from the WWE Network.

Watchlist

Paige

The No. 1 contender for the WWE Divas Championship had one match this week and took a loss.  On Raw, she was rolled up by Becky Lynch.  She attacked Lynch after the match, but Charlotte came out and prevented further damage.  With a title shot at Survivor Series against Charlotte, can Paige claim her third Divas Championship reign?

Dolph Ziggler

Dolph Ziggler faced The Miz in the opening round of the tournament.  He got the win and now will move on to face Dean Ambrose in the second round this week on Raw.  A win puts him in the semifinals at Survivor Series.  Can he get past Ambrose, though? 

The Usos

The Usos had a mixed week.  On Raw, they teamed with Neville in a loss to The New Day.  But on SmackDown, they faced Erick Rowan and Luke Harper and got a win the hard way, picking up a disqualification win after Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman attacked.  

Neville

Following a controversial loss on Raw, Neville found his way into a first-round tournament match against King Barrett on SmackDown.  Neville won an now advances to the quarterfinals this week on Raw.  He'll face Kevin Owens this week, and should he win, he'll face the winner of Dolph Ziggler and Dean Ambrose.  Neville's path to the WWE World Heavyweight Championship won't be easy, but he's shown in the past he can hang with the best.

10. Cesaro

Previous Rank: Unranked

Movement: Into Top 10

Cesaro got a huge win this past week.  He faced Sheamus in an opening-round tournament match.  The then No. 4-ranked Superstar had his ally, King Barrett, at ringside as well.  But when King Barrett and English footballer Wayne Rooney got into it at ringside, Sheamus got distracted.

He turned his attention to the commotion and Cesaro capitalized.  A European uppercut and a roll-up pin felled Sheamus and secured Cesaro's place in the second round.  But Cesaro has a huge test this week.  He'll face Roman Reigns in the quarterfinals.  Can Cesaro get past Reigns?  

9. Charlotte

Previous Rank: 8

Movement: Down 1

WWE Divas champion Charlotte had no matches this past week.  Her only appearance of note was her saving Becky Lynch from a post-match beating at the hands of her Survivor Series opponent Paige.  

This Sunday, Charlotte will defend her title against Paige, who is seeking a third Divas title reign.  Charlotte, however, will look to keep her first reign intact.  With Paige possessing more experience, can Charlotte's athleticism deliver a win, or will Paige find a way to take the title from Charlotte?

8. The Lucha Dragons

Previous Rank: 9

Movement: Up 1

As a tag team, The Lucha Dragons didn't compete this week.  Sin Cara didn't compete, either.  But Kalisto may have delivered the biggest upset thus far in the tournament. 

On SmackDown, Kalisto faced Ryback in an opening-round match, and most fans could be forgiven for thinking that Ryback would advance easily.  But that's not what happened.  Ryback never looked right, and Kalisto hit a big maneuver off the top rope into a pinfall to secure the major upset.  

Kalisto will face Alberto Del Rio in the quarterfinals this week on Raw.  Can he get another upset victory?

7. Sheamus

Previous Rank: 5

Movement: Down 2

Mr. Money in the Bank Sheamus had one match this week, an opening-round match in the tournament.  He faced Cesaro, a man with whom he has had numerous matches.  Cesaro and Sheamus are heavy-hitters, and it was a physical match.

But when Wayne Rooney and King Barrett got into it at ringside, Sheamus was distracted.  That cost him dearly, as Cesaro hit an uppercut and rolled him up.  But Sheamus still has an ace up his sleeve.  With the tournament winner having to compete twice at Survivor Series, it could be a perfect opportunity for Sheamus to cash in his Money in the Bank contract and take the title off the exhausted winner.

6. Dean Ambrose

Previous Rank: 7

Movement: Up 1

Dean Ambrose climbs in the rankings this week after picking up a win in his first-round tournament match.  He faced WWE rookie Tyler Breeze and earned the victory.  But Ambrose has bigger plans than just making the quarterfinals.

This past spring, Ambrose came tantalizingly close to winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.  This is the best chance he's had since then to claim the title, but he'll have to get past Dolph Ziggler this week to make the semifinals at Survivor Series.  

5. The Wyatt Family

Previous Rank: 4

Movement: Down 1

The members of The Wyatt Family have found themselves embroiled in a rivalry with The Brothers of Destruction.  While it appeared that Bray Wyatt had dispatched them after claiming to have consumed their souls, Undertaker and Kane returned with a vengeance.  

On SmackDown, Wyatt challenged the Brothers to a Survivor Series match that would see Undertaker and Kane face two members of The Wyatt Family of his choosing.  After The Wyatts got DQ'd and beat down The Usos, Undertaker and Kane accepted the challenge.

4. The New Day

Previous Rank: 6

Movement: Up 2

WWE Tag Team champions The New Day had one match this week, picking up a solid win over The Usos and Neville in six-man tag team action.  But the win was not without controversy.  Xavier Woods pinned Neville in the match, but he had his feet on the ropes for leverage when doing so.  

With no New Day member in the tournament, it's possible they'll defend the WWE Tag Team Championships at Survivor Series this Sunday.  But against whom they might defend their titles is still a mystery.

3. Alberto Del Rio with Zeb Colter

Previous Rank: 3

Movement: None

WWE United States champion Alberto Del Rio competed in one match this week, an opening-round matchup against Stardust in the tournament on SmackDown.  Del Rio got the victory and moves on in the tournament.

This week, he'll face Kalisto.  If he wins, he'll advance to the semifinals at Survivor Series against the winner of Cesaro and Roman Reigns' match this week.  Can he move on in the tournament, or will he be upset by Kalisto like Ryback was?

2. Kevin Owens

Previous Rank: 2

Movement: None

Intercontinental champion Kevin Owens competed in one match this week, an opening-round tournament match against Titus O'Neil.  It was a physical match, but Owens showed why he's a champion and why he belongs in the tournament.  He powerbombed O'Neil and got the pinfall victory.

He'll face Neville this week in the quarterfinals, and should he win, he'll face the winner of Dean Ambrose and Dolph Ziggler in the semifinals at Survivor Series.  Neville is no slouch, and he has competed with the best.  Owens should take care not to overlook Neville.

1. Roman Reigns

Previous Rank: 1

Movement: None

Roman Reigns gave up his status as the No. 1 contender for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship this past week after Triple H offered him an easy route to the title.  Triple H offered Reigns a shot at the tournament winner in exchange for joining The Authority.  But should he refuse, he would be forced to compete in the tournament itself.  

Reigns refused and was immediately entered into the tournament against Big Show in a first-round match.  Reigns took care of business, hitting Big Show with a Spear and pinning him for the win.  Reigns now heads into a quarterfinal matchup against Cesaro.

While Reigns may be the odds-on favorite to win the entire tournament, according to Wrestlezone's Nick Paglino, and inaugurate his first WWE World Heavyweight Championship reign, Cesaro is a tough opponent.  And with Dean Ambrose and Reigns in separate brackets, there's a real possibility he may have to face his friend and ally in the finals.  Should that happen, can Reigns set aside personal feelings?