WWE Power Rankings: August 30, 2014

The heel section in the WWE roster stole the show this week as the company made another long stride towards the ever important Night of Champions.Brock Lesnar gave another chilling video package to make his intentions clear for the pay-per-view while the WWE Universe got to see a Cena which they hadnt seen for a long while. Cesaros rise back to relevance was another big story that came up and the Swiss Superman now has a credible title shot in his hands.A long running criticism about Roman Reigns not seeking revenge for the betrayal of Rollins was also cleared by the company as Ambrose looks like he will be gone for some time. The interesting developments were reflected in the Power Rankings as well so here is a look at how the final list turned out.

#25 Miz (Previous Rank 25)

Miz is slipping back into the depths of irrelevance once again after he dropped the Intercontinental title to Ziggler. He had no other job than saving his money maker this week as another title shot against the show off is still a long way.

#24 Heath Slater (Previous Rank Nil)

Slater couldn’t help his team from getting beaten by the Los Matadores but somehow found a way to get into the Power Rankings. The one man band will be looking to build on this and get some more upsets under his belt just like he did a couple of weeks ago.

#23 Adam Rose (Previous Rank 24)

The Exotic Express still doesn’t have a good booking from the WWE writers but still manages to get his numbers sorted out. He got a win over Curtis Axel this week on Main event and this helps him to jump one place up in the rankings.

#22 Bo Dallas (Previous Rank Nil)

Bo showed to his followers that dropping out of the power rankings isn’t enough to keep him down as he pounced right back into it. Bo also has an interesting angle with Jack Swagger at this moment which will most probably land him a pay-per-view match.

#21 Big Show (Previous Rank Nil)

The World’s largest athlete along with his new partner is making big strides in the tag team division. Big Show was instrumental in picking up two wins over the week against Wyatt Family and has found a place in the Power Rankings because of that.

#20 Nikki Bella (Previous Rank 20)

The heel turn that happened at SummerSlam is still keeping Nikki in the rankings as she continues to haunt her sister. The acting limitations are there to be seen in the segments but at least the girls are having something good to do.

#19 Kane (Previous Rank 16)

The Big Red Monster has made a name for himself interfering in matches. This week he had the job of keeping Rollins safe from Reigns however failed to materialize his aim as Reigns proved too hot for the devil’s favorite demon to handle.

#18 Stardust and Goldust (Previous Rank 19)

Heel turn has given the Rhodes Brother a new stage to showcase their talent. The former tag team champions are on a mission to take down the Usos and might be getting a shot at the title at Night of Champions.

#17 Cesaro (Previous Rank 18)

A couple of weeks back Cesaro was at the danger of getting knocked out from the Power Rankings. He however has picked up well and has also secured a title shot against Sheamus. Without Heyman by his side, Cesaro will be looking to get some gold around his waist and climb further.

#16 Jack Swagger (Previous Rank 15)

Swagger resumed his feud with Rusev this time around but the result wasn’t anything new for the Real American. And to add some salt to the wound Bo Dallas came out to give an inspirational speech adding more friction between the two superstars.

#15 Mark Henry (Previous Rank 17)

Henry’s latest run in the WWE has been fruitful to say the least. Alongside Big Show, Henry is out to dismantle the Wyatt Family and picked up two wins in the process. The team has all the momentum to challenge Usos at this moment with only an initiation needed or the same.

#14 Chris Jericho (Previous Rank 11)

The feud between Jericho and Bray is nowhere near over. However, Jericho being away this week proved costly for both the parties as the human highlight reel drops down three places in the rankings while Wyatt Family didn’t have anything to smile as well.

#13 Rusev (Previous Rank 13)

The Bulgarian Brute hurt the American emotions once again when he strolled over Jack Swagger two at both Raw and SmackDown. His friction with Henry was nowhere to be seen which means that WWE is still puzzled about the future of Rusev.

#12 AJ Lee (Previous Rank 12)

The former Divas Champion was out to play mind games with Paige once again and proved effective to the core. AJ is acting weirder as weeks go by and is desperate to get the gold back around her well-shaped waist at the earliest.

#11 Wyatt Family (Previous Rank 9)

Instead of looking like the creepy monster they are, the Wyatt Family were closer to the jobber category. Bray was simply humiliated by a changed Cena while Show and Henry piled up the misery. A strong showing in the coming week is the only way WWE could save the characters from drowning.

#10 Dolph Ziggler (Previous Rank 14)

The Showoff couldn’t get his hands on the real Miz this week but had to adjust with the madness of Sandow. Having a couple of wins while being champions builds up the momentum of Ziggler who looks eager to defend his title against the Awesome one.

#9 The Usos (Previous Rank 8)

With a lot of competition getting piled up in the tag team division, Usos is in need of having eyes behind their heads. Stardust and Goldust seems hell bound to take down the tag team champions which is forming an intriguing story for the brothers.

#8 Paige (Previous Rank 10)

After losing to Natalya last week, Paige looked more focused this time around as she picked up two wins. The ‘frenemy’ angle with AJ however hasn’t found any new developments other than the usual weirdness which is a small disappointment.

#7 Dean Ambrose (Previous Rank 7)

The Lunatic Fringe pulled off a no show this week as the mystery behind his disappearance deepens. Rumors suggest that Ambrose is going to be out till Hell in a Cell which also explains the reason why WWE is pitting Reigns against Rollins.

#6 Sheamus (Previous Rank -6)

The United States Champion got mixed in the other midcard title this week which might be an indication on how WWE is planning to execute the unification of the titles. Cesaro will be Sheamus’ bigger concern right now after the Swiss Superman became the No.1 contender.

#5 Randy Orton (Previous Rank 4)

WWE apparently pulled away Reigns from Orton to get a new program for Rollins. This means that the viper doesn’t have a good angle. His absence this week also suggest the same and WWE should find something good for the apex predator as soon as possible.

#4 Seth Rollins (Previous Rank 3)

The ghost from the Shield past haunted Rollins once again this week. The only difference from his past encounter was in form of his opponent as Reigns took over from Ambrose. The briefcase is not having a role right now which is something that the writers need to address.

#3 John Cena (Previous Rank 5)

The Cenation leader showed his darker side this time as he was out there to make a statement. He looks more determined than ever and the emotions are there to be seen in his eyes whenever he stepped in between the ropes to send a message to the Beast.

#2 Roman Reigns (Previous Rank 2)

Reigns had a score to settle with Rollins and he did it even after Kane proved to be a roadblock. He is getting some strong booking as the weeks go by and it would only be a matter of time before Reigns would be at the top of the pyramid.

#1 Brock Lesnar (Previous Rank 1)

WWE will be having limitations in bringing Lesnar out every week in and week out but they’ve found an effective alternative. The video packages are letting the aura of Lesnar seep into the arenas which is what WWE wants if they are building him as the new face.