WWE Power Rankings: The Top 10 Wrestlers as It Stands After Monday Night RAW

After it was announced on Monday afternoon that the Finals of the WWE Championship Tournament would be the first match on RAW, it became obvious that the winner would have a short title reign. Rey Mysterio's fans were elated when he won the match, but knew in the back of their minds that the odds of him leaving Hampton, Va. with the belt were infinitely small.

Sure enough, Triple H set-up a match between Mysterio and John Cena for the WWE Championship later in the night. There was never a doubt that Cena would win the match, the only question was, what will happen after the match?

Either Alberto Del Rio was going to come out, cash in his briefcase and claim the WWE Championship, setting up a rivalry with Cena leading up to SummerSlam. This would have meant CM Punk would remain “unsigned” until the pay-per-view. The second option, which came to fruition, was that Punk would come out and start a storyline leading up to a unification bout at SummerSlam.

With Punk back in the mix, here are the top 10 wrestlers in the WWE right now. When I say wrestlers, I don't mean the best technical wrestlers in the business, but rather power rankings much like you would see for a major sports league.

10. Rey Mysterio

You have to give credit to Rey Mysterio for putting on two solid matches, even though he didn't look to be 100 percent last night. He claimed the WWE Championship for the first time in his career and although his reign didn't last long, it is another thing he can add to his long list of accomplishments.

Unfortunately for fans of the man who hails from the 619, he will likely return to mid-card matches for the foreseeable future. With CM Punk, John Cena and Alberto Del Rio all squarely in the title picture, there just isn't enough room for Mysterio. He might be due for some time off anyway, so it won't be surprising to see him suffer an “injury” in the coming weeks.

A lot of fans were hoping for Mysterio to eventually face off with Sin Cara. Following Sin Cara's less than impressive in-ring work since joining the WWE coupled with his recent steroid suspension, however, it will take some time for him to get out of the doghouse and back into the good graces of the WWE brass.

9. Ezekiel Jackson

Although he is the current Intercontinental Champion, Ezekiel Jackson's rise toward the top of the WWE seems to have slowed quite a bit since his feud with Wade Barrett. It is unclear whether the lack of fan reaction during his matches or poor mic skills–or both–are the reason, but Jackson is in a state of flux right now.

He is obviously an imposing presence, exactly the type of figure Vince McMahon likes to push, but judging by fan reaction and the fact he didn't even have a match at Money in the Bank, he might have reached his peak.

Based on his loss to Christian last week on Smackdown and recent house show results, WWE is still deciding who Jackson's next feud will be with. He has defeated Heath Slater, Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes in the past few weeks to retain at house shows.

8. Randy Orton

If there is one thing WWE fans have come to learn in recent months, it is that if Randy Orton or John Cena don't have a title, it's only a matter of time before they get one. The Viper is already angling toward his re-match with Christian at SummerSlam, and he'll be a heavy favorite to take back the World Heavyweight Championship.

In all likelihood, Christian will have his “lawyers” set up more stipulations for the match at SummerSlam, and Orton will come very close to breaking them. While Christian is busy arguing with the referee about a possible rule violation, he will turn around and walk right into an RKO, and Orton will send his fans home happy.

Orton is clearly the most well-received superstar on Smackdown, which not only speaks to his popularity, but also the lack of depth on the roster. After the announcers raved about the great night Smackdown had at the annual WWE Draft, it hasn't materialized into a better overall show.

7. Alberto Del Rio

Since he unmasked Rey Mysterio and won the RAW Money in the Bank ladder match, Alberto Del Rio has continually attempted to cash it in, only for the bell never to ring. Despite the fact this angle is growing old quick, it will make the time he actually cashes it in a bit of a surprise.

Del Rio has taken longer than most fans expected to reach the pinnacle of the WWE, but it would seem he is one (real) cash-in from reaching his self-proclaimed destiny. His in-ring performance is still a work in progress, but he is tremendous on the mic and gets a lot of heat from the fans, which is what the WWE loves to hear.

I can't see the WWE using Del Rio as the first person to unsuccessfully cash-in his briefcase, so whenever that bell does ring, he will become champion. It will likely be awhile yet though, as the WWE still has to sort out the CM Punk and John Cena storyline.

6. Dolph Ziggler

Unlike Ezekiel Jackson, whose mid-card title reign has been less than impressive, Dolph Ziggler continues to put on strikingly better show with the United States Championship. Vickie Guerrero helps his cause by giving him the extra heat from the fans.

After his victory over Evan Bourne last night, Ziggler picked up a microphone and exclaimed “follow that!” The funny part about it was that the next match was a slow-paced Divas match. I don't think that was his intended target audience, but never the less he made his point.

Ziggler seems to be stuck in the mid-card level for now, because of the aforementioned crowded WWE Championship picture, but he could be in line for a long title reign. With John Morrison back in the mix though, it will be interesting to see where he slots into the card after his feud with R-Truth.

5. Daniel Bryan

One of the better pure wrestlers in the WWE, seems to have finally gotten back into the good graces of the powers that be. He won the Smackdown Money in the Bank ladder match and said he won't cash it in until next year's WrestleMania.

That is a smart move by the WWE because it will give them time to build him up into a legitimate superstar before cashing in. Bryan is well respected around the Internet wrestling community, but doesn't get much reaction from mainstream fans, so it will take some time before he gets the pop he needs to be the World Heavyweight Champion.

He is off to a good start, posting a funny YouTube video about his intent to “bury people.” But, as Zack Ryder will most certainly attest, a successful YouTube channel doesn't guarantee you anything but a 30-second match against Michael Cole.

4. Mark Henry

Although Mark Henry's best days are behind him, his current angle of basically being the person who sends people off to extended vacations, has been pretty entertaining. Don't say you didn't even chuckle when he said, “somebody gonna get they ass kicked!”

Smackdown was pretty bland before Henry starting becoming the resident enforcer, so he is doing his job of getting people to watch every Friday night to see what he does next. With the Big Show and Kane out of the picture, it will be interesting to see who is next on his hit list.

This is probably the highest spot Henry will ever attain throughout the rest of his career. Once his current run through the Smackdown roster ends, he will fade away into the background, but at least he had one last spurt of meaningfulness.

3. Christian

Christian's highly successful heel turn and the amount of heat he was able to draw from it has allowed him to earn at least a month-long title reign. Although he won it on a technicality drawn up by his “lawyers,” he will likely lose it the same way, as mentioned on the Randy Orton slide.

Christian has put in the hard work over the years and has earned his chance to be the top guy on a show, even it is only for a month. The problem for Christian is figuring out what will happen with him once his current storyline with Orton ends.

It would seem like he would be relegated to a role similar to that of The Miz on RAW. Too good to become part of the picture for a mid-card title in the short-term, but not likely to regain the World Heavyweight Championship for awhile. It will be interesting.

2. John Cena

After beating Rey Mysterio to earn the new version of the WWE Championship belt, John Cena was met in the ring by CM Punk in what seemed like a game of “who can raise their belt higher in the air.” CM Punk won that duel, as well as getting a better crowd reaction.

Other than the “little Jimmies” who chant for Cena each and every week, most of the WWE Universe has grown tired of the Super Cena gimmick. That said, his merchandise continues to fly off the shelves and even though his reaction is mixed, at least he gets a reaction. That's more than you can say for much of the WWE talent.

The lead-up to SummerSlam is going to be very intriguing. With two title belts floating around out there, it is likely that both will be successfully defended before the biggest event of the summer, as both men try to legitimize their title.

1. CM Punk

The WWE probably never dreamed that the CM Punk would bring them as much media attention as it did, so it appears like they were forced to bring him back quicker than they wanted to. It seemed like they could have waited another couple pay-per-views while allowing Alberto Del Rio to get a chance at a title reign, but they had to capitalize on his popularity.

If a unification match is set for SummerSlam as expected, it will be interesting to see if the WWE will allow Punk to beat Cena in two straight high-profile matches. Of course, there is always a chance Del Rio will be lurking to capitalize after another grueling match between Punk and Cena, as well.

There is no doubt Punk is the best thing the WWE has going right now. Between Punk, the likely return of The Rock at Survivor Series in some way, shape or form, and Triple H running the show, the WWE has a chance to have a real boost in ratings over the next couple months. Let's see if they can step up and provide the fans with some awesome storylines.