WWE Superstar Rankings Ahead of August 15 Raw

As WWE SummerSlam 2016 approaches, the company's product seems to have taken a step back from the momentum it built coming out of the WWE draft. Many Superstars who made this round of power rankings represent hope and a much-needed change in philosophy as WWE continues to please only the smallest section of its audience.

With ratings eroding as WWE nears one of its biggest shows of the year, it needs to take a hard look at some of its rising stars and consider shaking up the main event picture so it doesn't look so much like a Ring of Honor tribute show.

Wins and losses and strong booking were taken into account for this week's power rankings. And while Brock Lesnar will be appearing in the main event of SummerSlam, he is ineligible for this list due to his status as a part-time performer.

10. Nia Jax

It's becoming clear who the New Era is invested in, and Nia Jax is a Superstar to watch. WWE has showcased Jax in squash matches, and although she did not compete this past week on Raw, she was featured in a vignette highlighting her dominance.

This is a slow burn that will likely result in Jax receiving a Women's Championship opportunity. If her calculated push continues to gain momentum, Jax could be a dominant, money-drawing monster heel champion like Mark Henry in 2011.

9. Braun Strowman

With three pedigreed, independent wrestling stars in world championship matches at SummerSlam, WWE has done all it can to appease the hardcore audience. As a result, it's getting hardcore-audience television ratings, per Showbuzz Daily (h/t Raj Giri of Wrestling Inc.).

With smaller main eventers and aging indy alumni peppered all over the product, droves of casual fans seem to be tuning out, as WWE's audience has shrunk every week since the start of the brand split.

WWE is in desperate need of a mainstream, bona fide star who will demand the attention of viewers who have no loyalty to WWE programming, and Braun Strowman could be an answer.

Strowman is a big, strong, dominant athlete who WWE is booking perfectly through the first month of the brand extension. Each Strowman opponent, in addition to being entertaining in his cameo, is presented as a fearful challenger who wants no part of this big hoss. His squash matches typically begin with an enhancement talent attempting to run away before getting vanquished.

WWE needs to stay the course with Strowman, and if Finn Balor eventually becomes the universal champion, it needs to seriously consider having Strowman squash him down the line and carry the Universal Championship for a few months.

8. Roman Reigns

The feud between Roman Reigns and Rusev is a perfect spot for The Big Dog at the moment, as he will have an opportunity to regain the trust of the front office on a smaller stage. As an anti-American nationalist, Rusev is the perfect heel to present Reigns as a more contemporary babyface.

Reigns' straightforward attack on Rusev two weeks ago was the perfect use of the former world champion. Fans were on his side as he stood up to the United States champion on behalf of that title's namesake.

His hackneyed roast of Rusev and Lana this past week on Raw, however, did not do him any favors. Reigns is best utilized as a silent assassin who speaks softly and carries a big stick. He is not a comedian.

It will be interesting to see how Reigns ascends or descends on this list depending on whether he becomes a United States champion at SummerSlam.

7. Rusev

Rusev is knocking it out of the park as a heel as he steadily approaches the roll he was on during his rookie year in WWE.

As an anti-American heel married to an infuriatingly attractive woman, Rusev only has to be minimally talented to garner significant heat. But the character is even more effective due to his immense talent both in and out of the ring.

Rusev mixed subtle comedy with rage as he and Lana celebrated their nuptials on the Aug. 8 edition of Raw. Although Reigns may be considered a slight favorite in their upcoming tilt at SummerSlam, don't be surprised if Rusev retains his United States Championship with or without help from his bride.

Should Rusev pick up a monumental victory at SummerSlam, he'll be right back to his 2015 form and could even receive consideration for a future world championship program.

6. Finn Balor

WWE is taking its time with Finn Balor. Seth Rollins has done much of the heavy lifting on the microphone, while Balor has had limited speaking roles, including a contrived vignette on Aug. 8 that revealed more about his demon character.

Balor is a star, and as long as he stays healthy, his charisma will transcend both in the ring and through the fanfare of his once-in-a-lifetime entrance.

Still, with Raw drawing poorly in the midst of his Universal Championship chase, viewers seem to be getting impatient with just what the heck is supposed to make him tick. SummerSlam can't come soon enough, and if Balor becomes the first-ever universal champion, WWE cannot afford to waste any time making the 35-year-old rookie seem like a big deal.

5. Dolph Ziggler

Dolph Ziggler and Dean Ambrose have a promising feud in the works, but it feels like it's going to be over before it gets good. On the Aug. 9 edition of SmackDown, Ambrose attacked Ziggler after The Showoff accidentally superkicked The Lunatic Fringe earlier in the night.

Ziggler has been planting the seeds of a heel turn during the buildup to this SummerSlam match, but with just over one week until SummerSlam, this matchup still has all the makings of the typically bland babyface vs. babyface program.

Ziggler is an elder statesman in the New Era, and if WWE stays the course with his character, it's hard to see a scenario where Ziggler wins his third world title. If he makes a much-needed turn this Tuesday, not only will his feud against Ambrose become more interesting, but also his chances of shocking the world will increase.

4. Randy Orton

Between his brilliance in promoting his upcoming main event match against Brock Lesnar and regular in-ring appearances, Randy Orton is still one of the premier full-time Superstars in WWE.

Orton has done just as much as Lesnar and Paul Heyman to make his SummerSlam fight a highly anticipated bout. Despite WWE's admirable campaign to promote the upcoming Orton-Lesnar dream match, the best moment of the entire feud is still Orton's surprising RKO on Lesnar two weeks ago on Raw.

With two different yet athletic styles, it's likely that Orton vs. Lesnar could be one of the best matches of the year, especially given the grand stage.

Furthermore, it would not be surprising if Orton defeated Lesnar at SumerSlam and became a huge threat to ending Dean Ambrose's current reign as WWE world champion.

3. Eva Marie

Eva Marie is reviled in circles that take pro wrestling too seriously. But as of this writing, her segment on the Aug. 9 edition of SmackDown drew just under four million views on YouTube. Her segment from Aug. 2 cleared one million views. With five million views in two weeks, it's becoming apparent that, in pro wrestling, love and hate are the same thing.

Consequently, Finn Balor, a favorite among that aforementioned circle, drew just over 500,000 views for his weird demon vignette on Raw.

Throw in Raw's historically low rating this past week, per Showbuzz Daily (h/t Raj Giri of Wrestling Inc.), with a Balor-Rollins main event, and a pattern is beginning to develop. WWE's hardcore fanbase isn't always the best indication of what brings in the largest audience.

Following a perplexing choice to book her as a babyface leading up to WrestleMania 32, WWE has been self-aware in booking one of its top heels in the women's division.

Everything from her obnoxious entrance to her weekly false starts are adding to her built-in heat. If WWE continues to lean in on its booking of Eva Marie, she will be an effective women's champion who will bring the best out of Becky Lynch as a babyface.

2. Dean Ambrose

Dean Ambrose is doing just fine as WWE world champion. On a depleted roster with limited opponents, he is taking what WWE is giving him. With every passing week, it's becoming clearer that, while the SmackDown brand has just as much spirit and heart as Raw, it is still secondary.

Ambrose has been doing fine work as a babyface, and he continues to receive support from live crowds, but he is in need of a more traditional heel opponent. Bray Wyatt seems to have more chemistry with Ambrose than Ziggler, and should Ambrose retain, Wyatt would be a much-needed change of pace for a future feud.

1. Seth Rollins

Remember when Paul Heyman called Randy Orton the best surfer on the beach? On a product that is cold and lacking of WWE's traditional star power and main event identity, Seth Rollins is the best milk in the dairy section.

Rollins is a talented all-around performer who is doing all he can to establish himself as the face of WWE. He is the biggest star on Raw at the moment, but similar to his lengthy world title run in 2015, the ratings just haven't been there with Rollins as the featured act.

Rollins being No. 1 on this list is similar to Justin Gatlin being the best Olympic sprinter in the United States. It's a great feat, but all it will ever amount to is a sliver medal. That's where WWE programming is at right now. It's a crop of silver-medal performers desperate for a breakout, gold-medal Superstar.

Alfred Konuwa is a Featured Columnist and on-air host for Bleacher Report and Forbes. Like him on Facebook.