WWE Superstar Power Rankings for Week of January 26

The Royal Rumble is Sunday, and whoever wins the titular Battle Royal will get a huge boost heading into WrestleMania 33 and the rest of 2017.

The usual crop of main event players will be part of the match, but WWE has also stacked the field with a handful of part-timers who add star power.

Goldberg, Brock Lesnar and The Undertaker shared the ring in the final segment of Raw in a surreal moment, but it was also evidence of a bigger problem.

WWE is running out of time to build new megastars so it doesn't have to rely on guys who work fewer matches in a year than most Superstars do in a week.

The roster is filled with some of the best wrestlers WWE has ever employed, but skill and name recognition don't always go hand in hand.

While guys like Taker, Lesnar and Goldberg are important right now, this week's power rankings will list only full-time Superstars. Let's take a look at who made the top 10.

10. Mickie James

Revealing Mickie James as the woman behind the La Luchadora mask wasn't exactly shocking, but her second week back was much more interesting.

James delivered a promo directed at the so-called women's revolution, and when from a logic standpoint, her character feeling this way is the best storyline WWE could have given her.

Charlotte, Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch and Bayley have been given so much credit for changing the way women's wrestling is portrayed, but the contributions of women like James, Lita, Victoria and Trish Stratus cannot be underestimated.

Making James the angry veteran who wants her due puts her in a position to be a driving force in the women's division moving forward. Nobody else on the roster has her level of experience, and adding her to the mix creates the possibility for several fresh matchups.

Aligning with Alexa Bliss seems more like a means to an end than a long-term union, so be on the lookout for a betrayal by one of them in the near future.

9. Dolph Ziggler

Dolph Ziggler's heel turn has given him a chance to succeed after years of being kept down as a babyface, and his decisive win over Kalisto on SmackDown made him look like a dangerous man with a mission.

He didn't just defeat The Lucha Dragon—Ziggler put him down with one superkick in the shortest match of the night. Quickness doesn't usually make a match better, but in this case, it worked to tell the story.

The Show Off is on the same level as guys like AJ Styles and Seth Rollins, but for one reason or another, management has never treated him the same way.

As someone who has officially reached veteran status, Ziggler is at a point where he needs to choose either pursuing outside interests or staying with WWE for the long haul. How 2017 goes could be the deciding factor in how long he remains part of WWE.

8. The Miz and Dean Ambrose

The Miz made the WWE Intercontinental Championship look better than it has in years in 2016, and he and Dean Ambrose look poised to continue this trend in 2017. As rivals, The Miz and Ambrose are as different as you can get.

Ambrose is the loose cannon who is just as comfortable in a bar fight as he is inside the ring, while The Miz is the flashy showman who is more than willing to let his wife do his dirty work for him.

Their differences at a core level are what make them the perfect enemies, and having the IC title as the prize they are fighting over makes it feel important.

Unless one of them wins the Royal Rumble, WWE needs to continue their feud through WrestleMania so they can end their story on a big stage.

7. Roman Reigns

Roman Reigns is one of the most polarizing figures on the roster, but over the past few weeks, the reactions he has been getting have been a little more positive.

Being in a storyline with two popular Superstars like Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens was never going to be easy on Reigns, even when he was going into it as the good guy.

The upside is Jericho and Owens are so good at generating heat that they can create cheers for any opponent.

WWE has to make a choice in 2017 between continuing to push Reigns down our throats or pulling back on his push so he can connect with the crowd organically.

6. Mojo Rawley

Zack Ryder's injury came at a terrible time for The Hype Bros, but it looks like WWE may have plans for Mojo Rawley to keep him busy until his partner is ready to return.

The former Green Bay Packer won a Battle Royal to earn a spot in the Royal Rumble match, and while this in no way indicates he will win the actual Rumble, it was a standout moment for him as a singles star.

Rawley's energy is unmatched, and while his excited nature can turn some adults off, it endears him to all the children who are watching at home.

He has the potential to be a solid midcard talent, and a good showing in the Rumble could kick-start a singles push and get him into the hunt for the IC title.

5. Sami Zayn

Sami Zayn's push has started and stopped more times than a city bus, but a win over Rollins on Raw may be a turning point.

Zayn's feud with Braun Strowman made him look like someone who will never give up, but he didn't exactly come out on top in the end. He is not a favorite to win the Rumble, and that is exactly why having him win could be the best possible conclusion.

The Royal Rumble hasn't been as unpredictable in recent years as it used to be, and WWE should use this year as an opportunity to shock the fans and give someone like Zayn the push he deserves.

We have seen him steal the show against multiple opponents, and it's clear he has a special connection with the fans. He could be WWE's next great underdog, but only if the company takes a chance and puts him in a position to get ahead.

4. Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens

WWE struck gold with the pairing of Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens, but like all alliances between villains, it can only go on for so long.

Locking Jericho in a shark cage during Owens' match with Reigns is only going to work because Y2J and KO can sell anything, no matter how ridiculous the concept is.

Their storyline led to Jericho winning the one title that eluded him throughout his career, and both men have been the high point of Raw every week for months.

When they eventually have their fallout and subsequent showdown, it's going to be bittersweet. While they will have an incredible match, it will also end one of the most entertaining partnerships to come along in years.

3. John Cena

Cena has reached a different level of stardom than most of the roster, and it has put him in a position to play the cocky veteran more than the hero who is fighting against the odds.

For years, WWE tried to make us think Cena was the underdog, no matter how many people he defeated. It got stale, and fans began to turn on him.

Recently, he has started to show more of the confident persona we saw when he first adopted the hip hop gimmick, minus the hip hop.

His exchange with Styles on SmackDown not only made him look more determined than ever, but it gave us the Cena we have needed him to be for years.

It's a matter of when, not if, he will get to his 16th title reign. The real question is how long it's going to take him to get to No. 17.

2. Braun Strowman

Braun Strowman has been on the fast track to the top for the past few months, but the amazing thing is how WWE has restrained itself from going all out on his push.

The company will often see someone catch fire, and it will throw all its weight behind them. Sometimes they become big stars, but there are just as many examples of the fans turning on someone they feel is being forced on them. Just look at Reigns.

Strowman is still decimating midcard talents most of the time, but he is regularly associating with top stars in other segments and doing better than expected.

His size and speed make him a unique Superstar, and with Big Show returning in the best shape of his life on Monday, seeing them collide should be more fun than the average giant vs. giant match.

1. AJ Styles

At this point, AJ Styles has a weekly reservation for the No. 1 spot in these rankings. No matter what he is asked to do, he succeeds.

His mic skills were his biggest weakness for years, but his time in Japan fixed the problem. Now he can stand in the ring with anyone for a promo and seem at home.

When it comes to his wrestling ability, even his biggest critics will admit he is among the best to ever step foot in the ring. He can work any style and makes it look easy.

Seeing WWE treat him like the big international star he is has been great, and if 2016 was any indication, he will continue to make a name for himself as the top guy in the industry.

When Styles and Cena meet Sunday at The Royal Rumble, it's going to be one for the ages.