WWE Survivor Series 2011: Power Rankings Combatants in Team Orton-Team Barrett

One of my favorite things about Survivor Series is the traditional 5-on-5 match.

Though we see tag team bouts similar to these on TV all the time, there's something about this pay-per-view that makes all the wrestlers involved step up their game a notch or two, and these matches are usually among the show's more memorable ones.

I think that'll be true again this Sunday, when Team Orton takes on Team Barrett inside Madison Square Garden.

As you can see in the picture, Team Orton consists of captain Randy Orton, Sheamus, Sin Cara, Mason Ryan and Kofi Kingston, while Team Barrett consists of Captain Wade Barrett, Christian, Cody Rhodes, Jack Swagger and Hunico.

This match is loaded with some of the WWE's top talent, so let's sort things out, shall we?

Here are my power rankings of all the combatants in the Team Orton vs. Team Barrett at Sunday's Survivor Series pay-per-view.

10. Mason Ryan

Mason Ryan looks like he was chiseled out of granite by Michaelangelo, but he hasn't been around long enough to prove that he's anything more than the same big, jacked-up guy that we've seen dozens of times in the WWE.

He's as green as goose poop, and until he develops his in-ring skills, he's going to be the weak link in every match he participates in.

I'm not hating on Ryan because, for all we know, he could develop into a pretty solid big man down the road. But at the moment, he's just going to be someone who looks like a beast and hits a few big power moves.

That's all.

I'm not sure I like seeing Ryan as a face, though, because he's so huge that it's hard for us to ever feel bad for him when he should probably just beat the crap out of anyone who gets in his way.  

9. Sin Cara

I don't really know what to think of Sin Cara.

When the man formerly known as Mistico first came into the WWE, he received so much hype and publicity that I expected to come in and tear the house down night after night. But he hasn't really done that yet.

In fact, Sin Cara's early WWE career has been marred by bad botches and his 30-day suspension for violating the WWE's Talent Wellness Program.

I think he can and likely will turn his fortunes around at some point, but unless he suddenly gets more accustomed to the WWE style, he's going to be someone who can only put on good matches with the right opponent.

That being said, Sin Cara's still good for a few jaw-dropping moves per match, and I enjoy watching him to see what he's going to pull off next. 

8. Hunico

Sin Cara may be considered the bigger Mexican star by most, but I've been more impressed by Hunico.

When Hunico worked under the Sin Cara mask, I thought he did a better job than Mistico did, and since taking off that mask, he's done equally as well under his new "Mexican gangster" gimmick.

Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that he spent a good bit of time in WWE's developmental territory, but the fact is that I've been much more impressed by Hunico than Sin Cara.

Hunico's become a pretty interesting TV character, and now that he's got both Primo and Epico by his side, he is poised to become a big-time player on the Smackdown brand.

7. Jack Swagger

Jack Swagger is one of the most agile and athletic big men that the WWE has seen in the past several years.

But it doesn't really matter because he's been booked like crap.

Ever since his failed World Heavyweight Championship run in 2010, Swagger can't seem to get back on track. He's had flashes of some serious potential (like during his pairing with Dolph Ziggler), but for the most part, he's been portrayed as a complete loser.

Whether he was working as Michael Cole's trainer or jobbing to Santino Marella, he's straight-up looked like a total moron at times.

That's a real shame, though, because Swagger's more talented than a number of guys who are in a better position on the WWE totem pole than he is.

6. Kofi Kingston

Very few wrestlers on the WWE roster as reliable as Kofi Kingston.

He's not someone who's had very many classic matches in his career, but he consistently puts on good ones and gets some of the biggest baby face pops in the company.

Kingston has held the United States and Intercontinental titles in the past and is currently one half of the WWE Tag Team Champions. That's probably where he belongs at the moment.

He doesn't really talk that much and has been great as a tag team competitor, so he should stay in the tag team division and help rebuild it for the foreseeable future.

I wouldn't mind seeing Kingston elevated to the main event scene, but I'm just not sure that's going to happen anytime soon.

5. Cody Rhodes

Cody Rhodes is the future of the WWE.

Despite being only 26 years old, Rhodes already has a boatload of experience under his belt, and he's gotten better and better as each year has progressed.

Everything from his look to his mic skills to in-ring skills has improved in a relatively short span, and he's even managed to get three gimmicks—his Legacy one, his "Dashing" one and his current "Undashing" oneover with the fans.

Not many wrestlers can do that during the course of an entire career, but Rhodes managed to do it before he even hit the prime of his.

And if his recent feud with Randy Orton is any indication, then Rhodes is undoubtedly on the path toward superstardom.

4. Wade Barrett

The whirlwind career of Wade Barrett continues.

After winning the inaugural season of NXT and subsequently being catapulted into huge main event angles with the likes of Randy Orton and John Cena, Barrett was brought back down to reality when he moved over to Smackdown early in 2011.

He led the completely forgettable stable known as The Corre and had largely wallowed in mid-card hell until the WWE brass recently decided to start pushing him again.

Now, Barrett seems to have surpassed Cody Rhodes on Smackdown's heel pecking order, and it looks he could be the next young gun to be competing for a World title.

With recent wins over Daniel Bryan, Air Boom and Orton, the "Barrett Barrage" is definitely in progress.

3. Dolph Ziggler

I originally had Christian in the No. 3 spot, but he's going to miss Survivor Series because of injury.

I thought I was going to have to rearrange my list, but then I realized just how good Dolph Ziggler has been as of late. Though the knock on him used be that he wasn't very good on the mic, he's slowly but surely getting a lot better in that area.

And, if he continues to improve his promos, then he'll definitely become the total package.

Ziggler oozes charisma, has a great look and is one of the top five in-ring workers in the entire WWE. I think that once he loses the United States Championship, he's going to move up the card and prove just how good he is.

The former Spirit Squad member just may be the WWE's next breakout star. 

2. Sheamus

While I wasn't thrilled with the way that Sheamus skyrocketed up the WWE roster right after his debut, I've grown to become a big fan of the Celtic Warrior.

Obviously, his unique look makes him stand out. But I've been even more impressed by his charisma, his mic skills, his humor and the fact that he made a seamless transition from heel to baby face.

All those factors rolled into one have made Sheamus one of the most complete wrestlers in the WWE, and you could argue that the only wrestlers more valuable to the company at the moment are CM Punk, Randy Orton and John Cena.

That's good news for Sheamus.

He will be one of the main guys that the company builds its future around, and he definitely deserves it.

1. Randy Orton

We all know about Randy Orton's accolades—his nine World titles, his Royal Rumble victory, etc.

But his resume doesn't do the man any justice.

Though I agree that Orton isn't all that great on the mic and that his character might be somewhat stale, there is no one in the WWE whose mannerisms, facial expressions and in-ring psychology are better than Orton's.

Orton draws me into his matches because of the passion and intensity you can see on his face and the fact that he rarely puts on bad matches these days.

I direct you to his recent feuds with Cody Rhodes and Christian as proof of just how great Orton is in the ring and why those who say "Orton can't wrestle" have no idea what they're talking about.