
WWE Superstar Power Rankings for Week of April 11
Following Baron Corbin's main-roster debut at WrestleMania 32, five other NXT talents were brought in to shake things up.
Apollo Crews, Enzo Amore, Colin Cassady and The Vaudevillains all had what could be described as successful debuts, but the fans seemed most excited about Amore and Big Cass.
We also saw a title change hands when The Miz defeated Zack Ryder for the Intercontinental Championship just 24 hours after Long Island Iced Z won the belt at WrestleMania.
AJ Styles became the No. 1 contender to Roman Reigns' WWE World Heavyweight Championship, and Natalya appears to be going after Charlotte and the women's title.
The rankings have shifted quite a bit this week. Let's take a look at who made the top 10.
Honorable Mention: The Vaudevillains
1 of 11Previous Rank: N/A
Simon Gotch and Aiden English debuted on SmackDown in a winning effort against their former rivals from NXT, The Lucha Dragons.
It looks like they are maintaining their heel alignment from NXT, which means they could end up in the running for a title shot against the now-babyface The New Day.
Gotch and English have an odd gimmick, but they make it work. It's too early to tell if mainstream WWE fans will take to them like the hardcore NXT crowd did, but with hard work and good matches, just about anyone can get over.
10. Apollo Crews
2 of 11Previous Rank: N/A
Six Superstars from NXT debuted at WrestleMania or during the following week, and one of them was a talented guy by the name of Apollo Crews.
This is a Superstar who has impressive power, agility and speed. Outside of Brock Lesnar and Cesaro, you just don't see that combination of attributes in one wrestler.
He won his first two matches against Tyler Breeze and Curtis Axel on Raw and SmackDown, respectively, but has yet to be inserted into any kind of real storyline.
Officials wouldn't bring him up without some kind of plan in place, so hopefully he'll start a feud with someone so he can have a match at Payback.
9. Roman Reigns
3 of 11Previous Rank: No. 1
Roman Reigns fell down the list quite a bit this week, but it was mostly because he didn't wrestle on Raw or SmackDown and delivered two lackluster promos.
Repeating the line, "I'm not a good guy. I'm not a bad guy. I'm the guy" was likely meant to signal a heel turn in the near future, but it felt lazy saying the same thing twice.
With The Authority out of the picture for the time being, Reigns will finally have a chance to defend the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against any of the long list of worthy challengers on the roster.
We know he is set to face AJ Styles for the title soon, and that would be the perfect time for him to embrace the hate he gets from the crowd and become a bad guy.
8. Natalya
4 of 11Previous Rank: N/A
Natalya has been one of the most talented performers in the women's division for a long time, but she had to take a back seat during the rises of Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks and Charlotte.
Now that the whole Divas Revolution has died down and the Women's Championship replaced the awful butterfly design, it's time for her to make her move.
She entered into a feud with Charlotte on Raw after the champ insulted every other woman in the ring during her championship celebration, so Natalya will likely be granted a shot at the title at Payback.
Charlotte has been the champion since winning the belt from Nikki Bella at Night of Champions last September. She has had a good run, but it's time for the veteran of the division to re-establish her dominance.
7. Zack Ryder
5 of 11Previous Rank: No. 4
Zack Ryder may have lost the Intercontinental Championship 24 hours after winning it at WrestleMania, but the important thing to remember is that he went from obscurity to being in three title matches in one week.
Ryder is still popular with the crowd, which speaks to the connection he has with the WWE Universe. Most people wouldn't get the same kind of reaction after nearly a year of being used less than a snow shovel in Florida, but the fans still love him.
The match he had with The Miz on SmackDown exceeded expectations, proving both men have been mishandled for a long time.
It will be interesting to see if Ryder goes back to being used primarily on Superstars or continues to be used on Raw and SmackDown going forward.
6. The Miz
6 of 11Previous Rank: N/A
The Miz became a five-time IC champion on Raw, which puts him in an exclusive club of Superstars who have held the title that many times.
His last reign wasn't that great, but the level of talent on the roster is a lot higher than it was the last time he held the title in 2014, so he will have better opponents to work with.
The Miz is one of the few heels who can get real heat from the crowd while still having great matches. Most bad guys are cheered when they perform well, but The Miz is so easy to hate.
Maryse is back with the company, so let's hope she continues to accompany him to the ring for his matches. Having her at ringside will add an extra level of uncertainty to his matches, because you never know if she is going to help him cheat.
5. Cesaro
7 of 11Previous Rank: Unranked
Cesaro returned from an injury on Raw, and it doesn't look like he lost a step during his four months on the shelf.
He might not have won the right to challenge Reigns for the title, but he definitely stole the show during the main event by being his usual entertaining self.
It would have been nice to see him get a chance to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, but his time will come. For now, it's just nice to see him back in the rotation.
The way the crowd erupted when his music hit showed the level of respect the WWE Universe has for his talents. He is easily one of the most versatile wrestlers in the world, and if he can stay healthy, 2016 could be the year he finally gets the push he deserves.
4. Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady
8 of 11Previous Rank: N/A
Of all the Superstars who have been called up from NXT in 2016, Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady made the biggest impact.
One of the best moments from Raw was seeing the crowd say every word of Amore's signature introduction along with him. Just because he looks like a member from A Flock of Seagulls after a fight with a Flowbee doesn't mean he isn't loved.
They were thrust into a feud with The Dudley Boyz, who are one of the greatest tag teams in WWE history. A storyline with Bubba Ray and D-Von might be more valuable to them than getting a shot at the tag titles at this point.
It's a shame Carmella wasn't brought up with them, but it's just a matter of time. She is a solid wrestler and an even better valet, so we shouldn't have to wait long before she graces our screens with her charisma and beauty.
3. The New Day
9 of 11Previous Rank: No. 8
The New Day retained the Tag Team Championships on Raw against The League of Nations once again, cementing its place at the head of the division.
Now that the group has turned face, it opens up the possibility of some new feuds. Amore and Big Cass, The Vaudevillains and The Colons would all make great challengers, because the storylines would be fresh.
Even Golden Truth could work, but that would require Goldust and R-Truth to stop messing around and actually start teaming together.
Kofi Kingston, Big E and Xavier Woods are always one of the best parts of any WWE show, and since the WWE Universe is on their side now, they are finally getting the kind of reactions they have deserved for a long time.
2. Chris Jericho
10 of 11Previous Rank: No. 9
Chris Jericho may not have won the right to challenge Reigns for the title, but knowing he has his eyes set on becoming champion again is reassuring.
We never know how long Y2J will be around since he takes long hiatuses to focus on other projects, but it appears this run may be longer than expected.
Going back to his heel persona has given Jericho the chance to show everyone why he is considered one of the best bad guys in the business.
He may not have a title shot at Payback, but there is a good chance we will see him challenging the champion within a few months.
1. AJ Styles
11 of 11Previous Rank: Unranked
AJ Styles jumped up the list to claim the top spot after defeating Jericho, Kevin Owens and a returning Cesaro to become the new No. 1 contender to the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
Seeing Styles receive such a strong push so early in his run is a good sign that WWE knows what he is capable of. Styles has held gold in over a dozen promotions, and it looks like he may soon add WWE to the list.
Putting a popular babyface like Styles against someone as divisive as Reigns is guaranteed to get the champion even more boos than he was already getting.
If the plan is to turn Reigns heel, pairing him with The Phenomenal One is a great way to make that happen. The condescending pat on the shoulder he gave Styles on SmackDown is just one of many signs he is starting to develop a cockier persona.
When these two have their big showdown for the title, Styles is going to make sure they tear the house down with his signature brand of exciting offense.
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