Top 5 WWE Performers of the Week (22nd to 28th June, 2019)

WWE presented it's curiously named, Stomping Grounds pay per view on June 23, 2019, and followed that up with some better than usual episodes of Raw and Smackdown as the long build to Summerslam and medium term build to the always entertaining Extreme Rules show in July began to take place.

So, once again, in this countdown, it's time to look at the top 5 WWE performers of the week.

Agree? Disagree? Let us know in the comments!

#5 Ricochet

Few expected Ricochet to dethrone United States Champion, Samoa Joe at Stomping Grounds but the NXT graduate upset the odds to win his first title on the main roster. It was an excellent match too. Ricochet portrayed the role of resilient babyface to perfection and had the fans in attendance at the Tacoma Dome in Washington cheering his every move as he eventually outmaneuvered Joe's aggressive offense with an array of dazzling aerial and athletic moves to score the pin and the belt.

The win was made to feel even bigger with the new champion being congratulated by other stars backstage and his NXT mentor, Triple H most significantly.

WWE followed up Ricochet's win by pitting him against former two time WWE Champion, AJ Styles on the June 24, 2019 episode of Raw. In another terrific match-up, this time Ricochet came up short, falling to defeat by pinfall.

You can argue whether it was a sensible move for Ricochet to lose cleanly 24 hours after his biggest WWE win to date, but if the follow up is an extended feud with Styles where Richochet can earn a win, that will be a stature enhancer for sure.

This has to go down as a successful week for the 30-year-old grappler and he is the best bet out of the current crop of NXT graduates to have a successful main roster career.

Hopefully, his career trajectory can continue to rise and he can become a regular fixture on this list.

#4 Lacey Evans

Lacey Evans: Performed double duty at Stomping Grounds

Lacey Evans is a star.

It's true that no-one buys that she is a legitimate threat to Becky Lynch's Raw Women's Title and there are still numerous gaps in her repertoire as a main roster WWE performer. However, she is in a stronger position now than when she made her WWE debut back in January at the Royal Rumble.

She played a very large role at the Stomping Grounds pay per view. Firstly, she challenged one of the biggest stars in the whole of WWE, Becky Lynch for the Raw Women's Title. Despite some rough patches (namely there was a back elbow spot, that Lynch audibly called and Evans found herself out of position for the subsequent backward kick, that Lynch had to re-do, which looked awful), but in the main her performance was solid for someone with her lack of experience in a high-pressure spot.

Secondly, she was given another vote of confidence by the WWE higher-ups by being booked as the special guest referee in the main event Universal Title match, pitting Seth Rollins versus Baron Corbin.

Evans displayed boatloads of personality as she refused to count for Rollins and attempted to screw him at every turn, only to be subdued by Rollins's real-life squeeze, Lynch which allowed Rollins to retain his title.

This storyline was followed up again in the opening segment of Raw, wherein a mixed tag team match with the Universal and Raw Women's Championships was set up for the next pay per view, Extreme Rules, pitting Rollins and Lynch versus Evans and Corbin.

This will presumably be the main event and will be the third high profile pay per view match in a row for Evans. Hers is a star on the rise, that is for certain.

#3 Drew Gulak

Drew Gulak finally won the Cruiserweight Championship at Stomping Grounds

Drew Gulak is the new Cruiserweight Champion. Unfortunately, his big moment did not take place on the Stomping Grounds pay per view proper; instead occurring on the pre-show.

Nevertheless, this was a significant moment in the career of a man who has been grafting on the main roster for the past three years.

Gulak unquestionably has been one of the top names on 205 Live for quite some time and after undergoing numerous alterations to his character, has found a persona which has led him to Championship gold.

It came in a brilliant triple threat bout versus defending champion, Tony Nese (who was not setting the world on fire as titleholder) and Akira Tozawa. It was high-intensity action throughout at a frenetic pace and the finish came when Gulak hit the Argentine Cutter on Tozawa for the win and the strap.

Truly a career moment for Gulak.

#2 Becky Lynch

Becky Lynch: Had Lacey Evans's number at Stomping Grounds

Becky Lynch had a busy night at Stomping Grounds, where she successfully defended the Raw Women's Title versus persistent challenger, Lacey Evans and also played a decisive role in the outcome in the main event Universal Title match.

Defending her title versus Evans for the second month in a row, Lynch carried her inexperienced foe to a decent match, though at times was visibly frustrated with Evans being out of position for several spots. Nevertheless, Lynch has elevated Evans in their program and deserves plenty of praise for carrying her to her best matches in WWE.

Evans is a bigger star now than she was before her program with Lynch began.

Lynch underlined her superstar status with a well-received run in during her boyfriend, Seth Rollins's Universal Title defence versus Baron Corbin.

After Evans, who was installed as the special guest referee for the bout continually refused to count Rollins's pinfall attempts, then low-blowed the champion, Lynch made a monumental impact storming the ring and taking out the biased referee.

This enabled her partner to retain his Universal Title. The next night on Raw, a tag team main event was set up for Extreme Rules, with Lynch and Rollins's straps at stake. This is the bout that will surely go on last and will mark another pay per view main event for Lynch.

Lynch is a legitimate headliner and is currently outshining her boyfriend as Raw's most popular champion.

#1 Kofi Kingston

Kofi Kingston: Fairy tale WWE Championship run continues

Kofi Kingston's WWE Championship reign is not exactly setting the world alight right now but the fact of the matter is that the New Day member does keep winning, even if his title defences to date have been against primarily mid-card opposition.

Kingston defeated Dolph Ziggler at Stomping Grounds for the second time in a fortnight to retain his WWE title in an entertaining Cage Match with an innovative finish. As Ziggler was crawling out of the cage door, seemingly set to win, Kingston utilized his trademark athleticism to leap over Ziggler to the floor to earn a memorable victory.

Kingston also appeared on Raw wherein he defeated Sami Zayn in a decent bout, then Kevin Owens in a sub-two minute squash immediately afterward, but was attacked post-match by former United States Champion, Samoa Joe, setting up his next title program.

The WWE Champion main-evented Smackdown one night later on June 25, 2019, where he once again overcame Ziggler, this time in a two out of three falls bout to ensure his title defence at Extreme Rules remains a singles match between himself and Joe.

With four wins out of four in the space of three days and an entertaining title program with Joe on the horizon, Kingston undoubtedly is WWE's premier performer in the past week.