WWE Superstar Rankings Ahead of August 1 Raw

The past week was a time of change in WWE. Raw and SmackDown put on their first episodes following the draft, a new championship was introduced and a few title matches were made for SummerSlam.

Raw won the week thanks to an outstanding Women's Championship match between Sasha Banks and Charlotte and the main-roster debut of Finn Balor.

However, SmackDown had its high points, with Apollo Crews winning a Battle Royal and Dolph Ziggler becoming the No. 1 contender for the WWE Championship.

WWE still has several weeks to fill up the SummerSlam card, and with a few main events already set, management will start planning the midcard bouts next week.

Let's take a look at how this week's Superstar Power Rankings changed from last week.

10. The Hype Bros

Zack Ryder may not be getting the push he deserves, but he has been used a lot more since WrestleMania 32. To make things better, he has even won a few matches.

The Battleground 2016 pay-per-view featured the debut of Ryder's tag team partner in NXT, Mojo Rawley. When it looked like Rusev was going to attack Ryder following their match for the U.S. title, Rawley came to his rescue.

The Hype Bros would fit right in with today's eclectic tag team division, and having worked together for several months in NXT will give them a leg up on the competition.

It will be interesting to see if officials choose to keep Ryder and Rawley as a tag team or if they have plans for either of them in singles competition.

9. Braun Strowman

Breaking up The Wyatt Family was a risky move by WWE, but it may end up being exactly what Braun Strowman needed to finally establish himself.

His only appearance during the week saw Strowman destroy a local jobber, finishing him off with a reverse chokeslam.

Beating enhancement talents will only work for so long. Eventually, Strowman is going to have to face some real competition.

His size and power make him dangerous. Now he just needs to work on his mic skills to make sure he doesn't become the world's biggest jobber.

8. Apollo Crews

Apollo Crews had been waiting for a chance to prove himself to the WWE Universe, and SmackDown gave him an opportunity to do just that.

In order to find the final participant for a Six-Pack Challenge No. 1 Contender's match, Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon put most of the roster in a Battle Royal.

Crews outlasted dozens of other Superstars to claim the coveted spot in the main event. He may have fallen short in the six-man melee, but his win in the Battle Royal proved WWE still has plans for him.

Crews has more agility and athleticism than most people could ever hope to have. As long as he can keep himself healthy, he will have a long, fruitful career.

7. Enzo Amore and Big Cass

If you didn't laugh during Enzo Amore's pre-match promo at Battleground, there's something wrong with you.

John Cena often gets more heat from the crowd than whichever heel he is facing, but the WWE Universe would rather cheer for Enzo and Big Cass than boo The Doctor of Thuganomics.

They kept the momentum going after defeating The Club at Battleground with a victory over Primo and Epico on Raw the following night.

Ending up on the same brand as the Tag Team Championships ensures The Realest Guys in the Room will have a chance to win gold, which is something they were unable to do in NXT before being called up.

6. Randy Orton

Randy Orton returned to the ring for the first time in nine months, defeating The Miz on SmackDown in an entertaining match.

The Viper appears to be re-energized after being away from the ring for so long, and a happy Orton is a dangerous Orton.

Moving forward, WWE needs to make The Viper look like a real threat to Brock Lesnar, especially if management's plan ends up being to put him over against The Beast Incarnate.

Lesnar has been booked as an unstoppable monster, but if anyone can use his wits to put him down, it's the man who made a career out of defeating legends and winning championships.

5. Dean Ambrose

Dean Ambrose managed to retain the WWE Championship against Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins at Battleground, but there is no rest when you're the top dog.

Ambrose's retention of the top title on SmackDown proves WWE wants the blue brand to be a real competitor against Raw in the fight for brand supremacy.

Ambrose has stepped up in a big way since winning the title. Many doubted his ability to lead the company, but he has been an outstanding champion. The fans love him, he can have a good match with just about anybody and his gimmick makes him unpredictable.

Even if he ends up losing the WWE Championship at SummerSlam, there is little doubt he will remain in the main event picture moving forward.

4. Seth Rollins

Seth Rollins didn't even have to compete for a spot in the Universal Championship match at SummerSlam, which means his spot as one of Raw's top stars is safe for the time being.

The main event of Battleground may have ended with Ambrose retaining the WWE title, but it was Rollins who did the most to make the match exciting.

It wouldn't be surprising to see WWE book him to win the Universal Championship, but as you will see in two slides, he will face an opponent who is more than capable of defeating him.

3. Dolph Ziggler

Dolph Ziggler is the definition of a workhorse, but it always seems like WWE pulls the rug out from under him every time he gets close to being a main event player.

That's why it was so surprising and satisfying to see him defeat John Cena, Baron Corbin, AJ Styles, Bray Wyatt and Apollo Crews to become the No. 1 contender to Ambrose's WWE Championship.

Management could have easily played things safe by giving the title shot to Cena or Styles, but Ziggler was the better choice.

A feud with Ambrose will be something fresh to help SmackDown in its fight against Raw for brand supremacy, and there is little doubt Ziggler will do anything less than steal the show at SummerSlam.

2. Finn Balor

Finn Balor's debut on the main roster could not have gone any better. Not only did he defeat Cesaro, Rusev and Kevin Owens in a great Fatal 4-Way match, but he also went on to do something few in WWE have been able to do: get a clean win over Roman Reigns.

It's great to see Balor's talents recognized by being thrown right into the main event scene on Raw, but it also puts a lot of pressure on the former NXT champion.

He has to continue performing at the same high level we have come to expect. It's a good thing he can draw on 16 years of wrestling experience all over the world.

If he can defeat Rollins at SummerSlam, it will go a long way toward proving WWE's New Era is more than just another marketing ploy.

1. Sasha Banks

Balor's win over Reigns and the creation of a new Universal Championship should have been the most memorable moment from Raw, but Sasha Banks made sure the women's division stole the show.

The Boss defeated Charlotte for the Women's Championship in an incredible match. Both women used every trick in their arsenals and came close to injuring themselves a few times in the process.

Banks is one of the most popular Superstars in the entire company, and it speaks volumes about how the perception of women in the wrestling business has changed over the past year for her to be in that position.

Seeing all her hard work validated with a huge win over Charlotte was a special moment, and with any luck, they will steal the show again at SummerSlam when they meet for a rematch.

Thanks for reading, and follow me on Twitter @BR_Doctor.