It was another brand-specific pay-per-view weekend for the WWE. SmackDown came up with No Mercy and though the show had some surprising decisions, it was a memorable outing for the company as a whole. As the superstars of Monday Night Raw had a weekend off, it reflected heavily on the Power Rankings as well.
The superstars from SmackDown had two separate occasions to shine and most of the superstars made full use of the opportunity that they had. We are now on the road to Hell in a Cell and as we are standing at the doors of yet another week filled with WWE action, here is a look at the Power Rankings for this week.
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10: Braun Strowman
Braun Strowman has been on a squashing spree for a long time now. WWE had been feeding him with local jobbers throughout this time but the character of Strowman finally got some direction this past week. Strowman came up with a demand for better competition and this is a compelling storyline for the fans to follow.
Strowman could be built up as a legitimate monster heel if WWE is giving him stronger opponents and the start of all this could take place on Raw this week. So it would be advisable to keep an eye on Strowman this week.
#9 Dean Ambrose
This was another forgettable weekend for Dean Ambrose. The former WWE champion unsuccessfully challenged AJ Styles for the WWE championship at No Mercy. Although he had the upper hand on SmackDown this week, Ambrose failed to capitalise on the same at the pay-per-view.
With another failed opportunity, Ambrose is likely to be away from the championship scene for some time and it could have a negative impact on his rankings as well. Ambrose does not slip much this week due to his strong showing on SmackDown, but it wouldn’t be late before he goes out of the scenario completely at this pace.
#8 New Day
New Day once again stamped their position as dominant Tag team champions by defeating Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho on Raw this week. The trio is showing no signs whatsoever of slowing down and it wouldn’t be a matter of time before they climb up the rankings.
They are not only keeping hold of the championship but are entertaining the fans at the same time.
Add this with the record that they are breaking down, and New Day has a perfect championship reign to show off. They are bound to get new challengers ahead of Hell in a Cell and it would be interesting to see who gets the rub.
#7 The Miz
Despite the disappointing outing at No Mercy, Miz holds his place in the Power Rankings. His run with the Intercontinental championship was a memorable one and Miz is still one of the most hated heels on the entire WWE roster. A loss against Dolph Ziggler is indeed a step back for him, but that doesn’t erase all the things that he did while reaching there.
Miz is unlikely to go silent on this week’s SmackDown so we can expect a full-fledged rematch for the Awesome one. It would be his chance to get a huge jump in the Power Rankings and he will have to do it at the expense of the next guy in this list.
#6 Dolph Ziggler
Dolph Ziggler had the odds stacked against him heading into No Mercy. It was his last chance at the Intercontinental championship and his career was on the line as well. Going up against a strong challenger like Miz, was another big headache. Despite all these, Ziggler won his match at No Mercy and became the new Intercontinental champion.
The Intercontinental championship acts as a lifeline for Ziggler’s career which was having no direction whatsoever, but now that he got the gold around his waist, Ziggler is bound to be an important figure in the upcoming SmackDown shows.
#5 Sasha Banks
Sasha Banks makes a triumphant entry back into the Power rankings and jumps straight into the fifth spot. She defeated Charlotte to get a hold of the WWE Women’s championship on Raw last week and the win was nothing short of historic.
Sasha and Charlotte delivered an instant classic on Monday Night and the chances of WWE sticking with Sasha for a long time are likely. She was never going to lose the title in the first place if it wasn’t for her injuries and WWE should now provide her with ample challenges to make her reign more credible.
#4 Charlotte
Charlotte might’ve lost out against Sasha Banks on Raw, but the match was a bad one. In fact, there were moments when Charlotte took control and carried the match on her shoulders while Sasha was simply playing the supporting role. This strong performance and the consistency in the Power Rankings help Charlotte to retain her spot.
She is bound to go after the championship once again and if she finds a way to settle the score with Sasha, Charlotte could be staying here longer. Alternatively, Sasha, who we saw earlier in the list, could push Charlotte further down in the rankings.
#3 Roman Reigns
Yet another strong weekend for Roman Reigns unfolded this time. The United States champion was challenged for a rematch by Rusev and Lana which he gladly accepted. Not only will Reigns face off against Rusev, the match will happen inside Hell in a Cell.
Reigns stood tall once again over the fallen Rusev this week and if the trend continues, Reigns could get a higher position in the rankings. As for now, he has to get rid of the challenge that Rusev has come up with and for that, we will have to wait till Hell in a Cell where these two would be involved in a head on collision.
#2 Kevin Owens
Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho unsuccessfully challenged the New Day on Monday Night Raw last week. This along with the problems with that he is facing with Seth Rollins has cost Kevin Owens his first place in the Power Rankings.
While it is understandable why WWE is slow in building up the Owens vs. Rollins feud, suffering a loss against New Day was a big blow. Though Owens is still one of the most entertaining stars on the Raw roster, he will need a stronger booking ahead of his next showdown with Seth Rollins at Hell in a Cell.
#1 AJ Styles
After struggling in the second position for a long time, AJ Styles gets ahead of Kevin Owens and sits on the throne thanks to No Mercy. While Owens is still struggling with the injury that Seth Rollins has, AJ Styles managed to get a huge victory at No Mercy against Dean Ambrose and John Cena.
Of course, the main event of the pay-per-view was filled with controversy but it was a win nevertheless for the champion. He kept both his challengers away from the gold and now that his path is clear, AJ could cement his place on top of the Power Rankings in the upcoming weeks.
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