The WWE.com in association with the Academy of Wrestling Arts & Sciences (AWAS) publishes a rank list every Saturday which ranks the WWE superstars on basis of their performance throughout the week. And this week, with the company on the last stage of a transition era, there were a lot of movements both up and down the list.
The Elimination chamber match got more buildup with some great one-on-one action which even included an epic match between John Cena and Cesaro. There were sky high tension between the Wyatt Family and Shield as well along with which we figured out the whole match card for the pay-per-view.
Titus O’Neil and Darren Young was subject of the biggest surprise this week as they found spot in the Chamber with superstars like Dolph Ziggler and the Miz still on the sidelines.
There wasn’t any lack of talking points this week so let’s take a look at how all those affected the Power Rankings.
25 – Cameron (Previous Rank – Nil)
The road block that Naomi had in the form of an eye injury seems to be working well for Cameron as she took the centre stage on Wednesday with a win over Aksana. However, it will be hard to stay in the ranking with random wins like this since the power rankings heavily depends on consistency.
24 – Rey Mysterio (Previous Ranking – 23)
Mysterio took another tag loss this week and his performance was nothing better than his average ones. a loss to Wyatt Family these days is nothing to be ashamed of but it costs him one place in the rankings as Mysterio edges close to the exit door.
23 – Mark Henry (Previous Ranking – 22)
Henry was filled into the role of a high profile jobber this week as well making him look weaker than ever. There were no positives for Henry to take away from his loss to Roman Reigns as well making him plummet in the rankings once again.
22 – Darren Young (Previous Rank – 24)
Young got himself booked in the Elimination Chamber for a singles match against Titus O’Neil which is arguably the biggest moment of his short career. He kept getting the better of Titus during the week also which helps in climb deeper into the rankings.
21 – Christian (Previous Ranking – 19)
Captain Charisma showcased his darker side this week but failed to convert it into wins against Daniel Bryan on Raw and Sheamus on SmackDown. After Orton, Christian is the one who will be heading to the chamber with not much of a momentum thus making him look inferior to the other four men.
20 – The Miz (Previous Ranking – 21)
The teased teaming up of Miz and Dolph Ziggler didn’t come by this week also but the prospect of it is already giving Miz the good time he needed. The Awesome one also crashed the WWE app during the process and cuts his way into the top 20.
19 – Dolph Ziggler (Previous Rank – Nil)
The Show off was the one who benefited from the tension between Titus O’Neil and Darren Young as he got a clean win over Titus on SmackDown which gets him back in the rankings before the Elimination Chamber arrives.
18 – Ryback and Curtis Axel (Previous Rank – 18)
Rybaxel found their spot in the Elimination Chamber with a pre-show match against the Rhodes Brothers. The chances of seeing them in singles completion on pay-per-view is a long walk away which makes this one a big achievement.
17 – Brie Bella (Previous Rank – 16)
AJ Lee still doesn’t have a credible opponent for her title and Brie looks determined to get back in the mix. But the week didn’t go well as she would’ve planned and Brie drops one place and ends up at the 17th position.
16 – Rhodes Brothers (Previous Ranking – 17)
The brothers were on the receiving side of Wyatt Family on SmackDown but getting a pay-per-view spot despite being on a negative spiral boosts their future plans. This fact helps them propel to 16th in the rankings as the Rhodes Brothers try to re insert themselves into the tag title picture.
15 – The Real Americans (Previous Ranking – 15)
It was that great week for the Real Americans in case of win-loss record like last week but Zeb Colter’s men showed that they are riding high in the company. Cesaro was also part of a match of the year contender against John Cena as both Cesaro and Swagger head into the Elimination Chamber to seek more glory.
14 – AJ Lee (Previous Rank – 13)
The longest reining divas champion was kept away from the in ring action this week and this drops AJ down to 14th in the rankings. Lack of any challenger at the Elimination Chamber is also bad news for AJ as she could drop further.
13 – The Big Show (Previous Rank – 12)
The World’s Largest Athlete is yet to make any kind of impact after losing out to Brock Lesnar at the Royal Rumble. Only the luck factor is keeping Show near the top ten mark but it might soon be gone if he keeps missing the squared circle on a long term.
12 – The New Age Outlaws (Previous Rank – 11)
The Tag Team champions got on the wrong foot this time as both Rodd Dogg and Billy Gunn took defeats against the Usos in singles competition. But they will be presented with the opportunity to wash away the shame at Elimination Chamber in a tag team match which promises to be a stellar one.
11 – Sheamus (Previous Rank – 14)
Sheamus got a great head start ahead of Elimination Chamber this week as the Celtic Warrior got one over the Champion Randy Orton on Raw and followed up with another one over Christian at SmackDown. The pair of wins propels him into 11th in the rankings as he knocks the door of top ten.
10 – Brock Lesnar (Previous Rank – 10)
The Beast incarnated chose to hide away from the lime light this week as well but the impact he left on his last appearance and the fact that his next appearance could change the whole landscape keeps Lesnar still on the tenth spot.
9 – Alberto Del Rio (Previous Rank – 9)
After being slammed into the announce table by Batista last week, Del Rio was restricted to a short promo this time around. He was bullied by Batista though but the Mexican stays put on his ninth spot as he tries to keep his word by winning at the Elimination Chamber.
8 – Big E Langston (Previous Rank – 8)
The intercontinental Champion knows what he has to do at the Elimination Chamber and was seen warming up to that this week. He got another handicap match win over Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal which helps him to stay in the top ten.
7 – Randy Orton (Previous Rank – 4)
So called Face of the WWE, Randy Orton found himself in similar situation this week also as he lost out to Sheamus on Raw. Orton clearly needs to figure out what’s going wrong for him if he wants to head to WrestleMania with the titles on his shoulder.
6 – The Usos (Previous Rank – 6)
Rikishi’s sons will be heading to Elimination Chamber with a lot of momentum on their side as they try to get their hands on the tag team titles. Individual wins over Road Dogg and Billy Gunn in separate matches gives Usos a boost for their chase of a top five spot.
5 – Batista (Previous Rank – 5)
After delivering a Batista Bomb to Alberto Del Rio last week, the Animal was seen on the face of Randy Orton in a backstage segment this time around. He then literally shoved off the threat made by Del Rio about their clash at Elimination Chamber and stays safe in the top 5 for the time being.
4 – The Wyatt Family (Previous Rank – 7)
Ahead of their clash against the Shield on Elimination chamber, the creepy guys picked up wins in Raw and SmackDown in order to build some momentum. They also locked horns with the Hounds of Justice for the first time since their feud started, which proved to be the curtain raiser for the eventual clash between the two powerhouses.
3 – Daniel Bryan (Previous Rank – 3)
No one had a better week that Bryan as the flying goat picked up four wins from Raw and SmackDown. Cesaro, Kane, Christian and Jack Swagger all fell prey to the resilience and sheer energy of Bryan and he heads into Chamber with a lot of momentum. However the tension with Kane could prove costly in reaching the top which makes Bryan a star to watch out.
2 – The Shield (Previous Rank – 2)
Cracks in between the Shield were again kept in the highlight when Roman Reigns defeated Mark Henry on Raw. The trio then went on to get another tag team win at the Main Event which kept the momentum high for Elimination Chamber. External and internal explosions are sure to happen when Wyatt Family and Shield finally get it on in the ring and it’s going to be a match that will be a turning point in the career of all six men.
1 - John Cena (Previous Rank – 1)
The Cenation leader was seen on the winning side of a standout match this week on Raw. He once again proved that he still able to put on matches like this no matter what the fans think about him. Cena will clearly be heading into Chamber as a favorite and it will be interesting to see whether he walks out of it as champion or not.