Last weekend’s Extreme Rules had all the makings of a killer card and it didn’t disappoint, even without the presence of The Bloodline. In addition to the excellent in-ring action with various stipulation matches, we finally got the long-awaited return of Bray Wyatt. The reveal, with Wyatt’s trademark lantern in tow, was a great way to end the show and a new beginning for one of the most fascinating characters in the company’s history.
Who knows when Wyatt will step back in the ring, but his high-profile return has made a big impact on our list this week. The fallout from Extreme Rules and Raw has also led to major shakeups across the board, with new champions and more surprise returns making their mark. It’s a good time to be a WWE fan.
Without any further delay, let’s get to this week’s ranks. And for a further breakdown, make sure to read on beyond the table.
Change Key:
NC = No Change from last week
NR = Not Ranked last week
Plus = Moved up from last week
Minus = Moved down from last week
| Rank | Superstar | Brand | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bianca Belair — Raw Women’s Champion | Raw | +3 |
| 2 | Roman Reigns – Undisputed WWE Universal Champion | SmackDown | NC |
| 3 | Seth “Freakin’” Rollins — United States Champion | Raw | +6 |
| 4 | The Bloodline — Undisputed Tag Team Champions | SmackDown | -1 |
| 5 | Imperium — Intercontinental Champion | SmackDown | +1 |
| 6 | Ronda Rousey — SmackDown Women’s Champion | SmackDown | +5 |
| 7 | Bobby Lashley | Raw | -6 |
| 8 | The Judgment Day | Raw | +2 |
| 9 | Damage CTRL — Women’s Tag Team Champions | Raw | -4 |
| 10 | Kevin Owens | Raw | -2 |
| 11 | Karrion Kross w/ Scarlett | SmackDown | +2 |
| 12 | Matt Riddle | Raw | +3 |
| 13 | Braun Strowman | SmackDown | -1 |
| 14 | The Brawling Brutes | SmackDown | +3 |
| 15 | Bray Wyatt | SmackDown | NR |
| 16 | Johnny Gargano | Raw | NC |
| 17 | Brock Lesnar | Raw | NR |
| 18 | Liv Morgan | SmackDown | -11 |
| 19 | Drew McIntyre | SmackDown | -5 |
| 20 | The O.C. | Raw | NR |
1. Bianca Belair — Raw Women’s Champion, (+3)
Much like her ladder match against Bayley this past Saturday at Extreme Rules, Bianca Belair has climbed to the top of our list for the first time. It’s well deserved, though she also finds herself here by virtue of Roman Reigns’ continued inactivity in the ring and Bobby Lashley losing the United States championship on Monday.
Belair faced a credible challenge from Bayley on Saturday, especially with the knowledge that she wasn’t going to have any backup after Damage CTRL took out Asuka and Alexa Bliss on Raw. The numbers game was indeed a factor, as Dakota Kai and IYO SKY tried to interfere on Bayley’s behalf, but Belair disposed of them after landing a makeshift double-KOD from the top turnbuckle. Bayley tried to pin Belair under the ladder and make the climb to the top, but the champ showed off her remarkable strength by tilting the ladder and sending “The Role Model” overboard. There was a very impressive spot to end the match, with Belair delivering a KOD to Bayley on top of a piece of a ladder she was holding. This allowed Belair to ascend the ladder unimpeded to a tremendous pop from the Philadelphia crowd.
The tables turned to some extent on Monday, after Damage CTRL attacked Candice LeRae following her win over Bayley. Belair tried to chase them off, but ended up getting outnumbered herself. Bayley hit a nasty-looking flying elbow drop and the group posed over top of her, a clear indication that this feud Isn’t close to over. The question is what Belair can do to even the odds. It looks like we’re headed toward a War Games showdown at Survivor Series.
2. Roman Reigns — Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, (NC)
Another week without Roman Reigns competing in the ring, but at least we got a face-to-face meeting with his Crown Jewel opponent Logan Paul on SmackDown last Friday. Just having them in the same physical space adds some credibility to their upcoming matchup on November 5th. When the crowd chanted “Logan Sucks” upon Paul’s entrance to the ring, Reigns responded by saying, “They did the same thing to me years ago, and I’m the greatest of all-time now.” It was an oddly sympathetic moment given the circumstances, but that’s what makes him the best in the business at the moment. “The Head of the Table” also made an appearance on the season premiere of Monday Night Raw this week in Brooklyn. His presence is extremely valuable, even if the rest of The Bloodline are doing most of the heavy lifting these days. However, it’s going to be difficult to jump back up to No. 1 until his next victory.
3. Seth “Freakin’” Rollins — United States Champion (+6)
Rollins really needs to start working on a “Thank You Card” for Brock Lesnar. We already knew “The Visionary” had a United States title match lined up against Bobby Lashley on Monday, but he lost to Matt Riddle in the Pit Match on Saturday and took a beating in the process. The biggest spot of the match was a senton from Riddle to Rollins’ rib area from the very top of the cage. Rollins was wrapped up and hobbled going into Monday’s showdown and would have stood little chance against Lashley at 100 percent, but Lesnar made a shocking return on Monday and unleashed a brutal attack on “The All Mighty.” After an F-5 and a German suplex, “The Beast” greatly injured Lashley’s arm with a kimura lock, casting doubt upon the chances of him competing in the planned match against Rollins.
Lashley was being walked to the back by medical personnel, but Rollins rushed to the ring and tried to get under his skin by hurling personal insults. The one that ultimately did it was questioning the veteran’s toughness as a soldier and that he would be a disgrace to his country if he didn’t compete. Despite his compromised state, Lashley was able to generate some offense, but Rollins outlasted him and scored the win after a pair of curb stomps. Ever the opportunist, Rollins makes the biggest move of any superstar compared to last week, even coming off a loss on Saturday. It appears Lashley is headed toward a match with Lesnar, but Rollins could face any number of challengers for the U.S. title. Lashley was a great champion, but it could be a refreshing change.
4. The Bloodline — Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions, (-1)
The Bloodline might be the most powerful faction within WWE at the moment, but that doesn’t mean everything is perfect. The simmering tension between Sami Zayn and Jey Uso continues to loom large within the group.
On the season premiere of SmackDown last Friday, Logan Paul tried to get under the skin of the group by questioning whether Roman Reigns or Jey was actually “The Head of the Table.” The comments clearly angered Jey, which led to Zayn calling him a “hot head” in a backstage segment. It was a sentiment which Reigns agreed with, leading the undisputed champion to say that keeping Jey in line was now Zayn’s problem. Zayn utilized this new responsibility to accept a three-on-three tag team match against The New Day, who invited Braun Strowman as their partner. Zayn and the Usos ended up taking the loss, potentially setting the stage for another tag team title program with The New Day.
Flash forward to Raw this week, and “The Tribal Chief” said that his father once told him that “the loudest in the room is also the weakest,” questioning whether Jey falls in that category. Zayn, who is the most over with the crowd he’s ever been, interrupted the tense moment and had another gold segment on the mic while praising Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa. The segment also included an interruption by Matt Riddle with Zayn pushing back as only he can. How long until we get a “Yeet, My Dog” t-shirt, anyway? Zayn accepted a one-on-one match against Riddle in the main event and took the loss after refusing to accept help from The Usos. Reigns told Jey earlier in the night to make sure that Zayn got the win, so it will be interesting to see how he responds to the breakdown within his group.
5. Imperium — Intercontinental Champion, (+1)
This past weekend was a mixed bag for Imperium, but they moved up a spot in the rankings anyway. Gunther retained his Intercontinental Champion after another brutal battle against Sheamus on SmackDown last Friday, though he needed some help from Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci in order to do it. Sheamus came oh-so-close to his first ever Intercontinental Title, most notably with something which looked an awful lot like a tapout on a cloverleaf submission, but the referee waved it off. There was then a brawl at ringside involving each competitor’s sidekicks, which opened the door for Kaiser to hand a shillalah to Gunther for the definitive blow of the match.
The loss was a disappointing setback for the Brawling Brutes, but they were able to exact some revenge with a victory in the “Good Old Fashioned Donnybrook” match against Imperium on Saturday at Extreme Rules. The shillalah once again played a starring role, this time with Butch and Ridge Holland holding Gunther so Sheamus could strike him. “The Celtic Warrior” ultimately took the I.C. champ out of the match with a Celtic Cross through the announce table followed by a Brogue Kick to Vinci to end the match. This rivalry probably isn’t yet, but Imperium remains in strong position as long as Gunther keeps the gold.
6. Ronda Rousey — SmackDown Women’s Champion, (+5)
We posed the question last week on where Ronda Rousey would find herself on our rankings if she walked away with the title after Extreme Rules. The answer didn’t take you that long to find out as she has the second biggest rise this week.
“The Baddest Woman on the Planet” was victorious over Liv Morgan in an Extreme Rules match. The duo put together a hard-hitting outing. The ending came after Morgan drove Rousey through a table after a top rope senton. Rousey was able to kick out and ultimately was able to apply a chokehold that made Morgan pass out with a smile on her face. With a new champ at the top of the mountain have we seen the last of Rousey vs. Morgan? Or will there be a new challenger on the scene (hmmm I wonder what Shayna Baszler is up to)?
7. Bobby Lashley — Raw, (-6)
My how “The All-Mighty” has fallen.
Just a week ago Bobbly Lashley was at the top of the mountain on our rankings but in one Brock Lesnar-sized swoop, Lashley was brutalized and left lying. Which then prompted Seth “Freakin” Rollins to come out and goad Lashley into their scheduled match for the WWE United States Championship. Lashley fought valiantly but he couldn’t overcome his injuries as Rollins became the new champion.
Lashley has made it very clear that he wants his rematch opportunity but first, he wants a piece of “The Beast”. He challenged Lesnar to show up on Raw next week but the question is will Brock be there?
8. The Judgment Day — Raw, (+2)
The Judgment Day move up following another strong showing this past week. First “The Prince” Finn Balor defeated Edge in an “I Quit” match at Extreme Rules last Saturday. Rhea Ripley had a hand in that after setting up Beth Phoenix for a con-chair-to. Edge relented saying I quit to protect his wife. Then his world was shattered after Ripley hit Phoenix anyway.
Follow that up Monday with Dominik Mysterio attacking his father Rey Mysterio even hitting his father’s signature move “The 619”. The group was beaming with confidence when they turned their sights on A.J. Styles. Balor called out Styles to accept his last offer to join them. It seemed Styles had finally turned to the dark side only for that to lead to the return of Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. Now it’s only a matter of time before these two groups settle their differences in the ring.
9. Damage CTRL — Women’s Tag Team Champions, (-4)
Well, things did not go as planned for the trio of Bayley, Dakota Kai, and IYO SKY over the weekend as Bayley unsuccessfully challenged Bianca Belair for the Raw Women’s Championship. The group made it very clear that while they didn’t come out on top at Extreme Rules the plan remains the same to take the women’s division over together.
Bayley then went one on one with Candice LeRae, where she came up short but the aftermath still made a very clear statement. When they said they wanted control of things on Raw, they meant it. Now with the stage set for an eventual rematch with Belair for the title, Bayley will do anything and everything to make sure she is victorious.
10. Kevin Owens — Raw, (-2)
While KO wasn’t on Raw this past week again he’s earned enough goodwill to remain in the top 10. Anytime “The Prizefighter” has been on WWE TV it’s been must-see. He is in line for his next feud and there is a list of candidates that could be interesting. Something tells me with the returning Elias coming back next week that there may be a KO sighting in some capacity.
11. Karrion Kross w/ Scarlett — SmackDown (+2)
Karrion Kross picked up the biggest win of his main roster career at Extreme Rules with a victory over Drew McIntyre in a brutal strap match. McIntyre, outside of his recent loss to Roman Reigns, has been one of the most protected Superstars in the company, so going into this one, even though it was clear Kross needed a victory to jumpstart him, there was a lot of intrigue as to how this one would play it. As one might have expected, Scarlett played a pivotal role in the outcome. As McIntyre was gearing up for his trademark Claymore Kick, Scarlett intervened and blinded Kross’ opponent with pepper spray. Kross took advantage and hit McIntyre with the Kross Hammer for the victory. While it’s great that Kross got the much-needed win, it wasn’t in very impressive fashion. With some heels, you can get away with winning most matches by nefarious means, but Kross is different. Kross needs to come across as a human wrecking machine, and that just hasn’t been the case paired up against McIntyre. It will be interesting to see where Kross goes from here. If he ends up programmed with Roman Reigns, it will be another feud in which there’s no way Kross will be able to come across as dominant as he needs to be.
12. Matt Riddle — Raw, (+3)
It finally happened! The Original Bro, at long last, overcame Seth Rollins in the not-so-friendly confines of the Fight Pit. Matt Riddle and Rollins had been at each other’s throats for months, so the Fight Pit made its main roster debut to blow this feud off, and UFC future Hall-of-Famer Daniel Cormier was the special guest referee. While Cormier made it known to both competitors that he wouldn’t put up with any shenanigans, Cormier didn’t play a major role in the match, and that’s a good thing. The combatants utilized the entire Fight Pit as the action expectedly ended up on the upper level catwalk of the Pit as Rolling connected with a Pedigree, but Riddle also connected with an RKO. The turning point occurred, though, when Riddle hit a massive Broton from the top of the Pit onto a prone Rollins in the middle of the ring. Riddle then locked in a Triangle, and after multiple buckle-bomb attempts, the King of All Bros refused to break the hold, and Rollins had no choice but to tap out. It was a huge win for Riddle, and hopefully it leads to him becoming a more regular part of the main event picture on the Raw side of things. Sure enough, Riddle got the main event treatment (and a win) over Sami Zayn this past Monday after getting mic time against The Bloodline in the opening segment of the show. He’s in good shape moving forward.
13. Braun Strowman — SmackDown, (-1)
Another week and another victory for “The Monster of All Monsters.” Braun Strowman teamed up with the New Day to take on Sami Zayn and the Usos of the Bloodline. Strowman and New Day took advantage of more bickering between Zayn and Jey Uso and picked up the win. While another victory is great for Strowman, it’s starting to feel like he’s spinning his wheels a little bit. With Extreme Rules in the rearview mirror now, hopefully he can get into a program of significance on the road to Crown Jewel.
14. The Brawling Brutes — SmackDown (+3)
While some feuds inevitably get stale if they go on for too long, I just can’t picture any length of time at which I would not want to see anymore matches between Imperium and The Brawling Brutes. Sheamus was already well-established, and Butch had a great reputation from his NXT days as Pete Dunne, but Ridge Holland has really stepped up his game over the last couple of months. After Holland’s main roster career got off to a horrible start as he broke Big E’s neck in a botched suplex spot, it would not have been surprising if Holland was never able to recover. But not only has his in-ring work gotten better, he’s also been solid on the mic of late as well. Butch continues to look more and more comfortable in his new character. And Sheamus looked great in defeat once again against Gunther on SmackDown. While Sheamus was not able to capture the elusive Intercontinental Championship, he did hit Giovanni Vinci with a Brogue Kick to give the Brutes the victory at Extreme Rules in the “Good Old Fashioned Donnybrook” match.
15. Bray Wyatt (NR)
One of the worst kept, yet most anticipated, secrets was who is the White Rabbit and what will he do at Extreme Rules? After weeks of hidden messages, puzzles and guerilla marketing, the wrestling community was abuzz in anticipation of Bray Wyatt making his WWE return. While everyone had assumed it was Wyatt making his comeback, no one really knew what kind of an impact he’d make. You could have made the case that his whole persona could fit in with Judgment Day. The same could have been said of an unholy alliance between Karrion Kross and Wyatt or The Fiend, depending on what persona he came back with. Once it became clear that the Fight Pit match was the main event, you could have wondered if Wyatt would rekindle his critically panned feud with Seth Rollins as a way to try and erase the past. But in the end, we just have to wait a little longer to find out.
The Philadelphia crowd did not disappoint here, and really went a long way in making Wyatt’s return special. The loyal Fireflies wasted no time in getting their cell phones out once the lights went out. We heard a voice singing the familiar tune of “He’s got the whole world in his hands,” and we even saw real-life versions of several Firefly Funhouse characters like Huskus the Pig and Mercy the Buzzard. Wyatt eventually emerged from a bright doorway, with a new mask and his trademark lantern. And as he took off the mask to reveal that it was indeed Bray Wyatt, he blew out the lantern and the show went off the air. There was no sign of him on Raw, but it was announced he will be on SmackDown, and he’s also reportedly penciled in to be a full-time member of the blue brand moving forward.
16. Johnny Gargano — Raw, (NC)
“Johnny Wrestling” finally got to have his face off against former protégé Austin Theory on Raw and came out the other side of it with a hard-earned W. He then had an amusing post-match promo with newly returned WWE interviewer Cathy Kelly where he charmingly flipped things around and asked her how it felt to be back, given that the two worked together back in NXT. Overall a pretty good week for Gargano, but unfortunately some major debuts and big Extreme Rules wins from those around him keeps him in place in addition to the possible uncertainty of whether or not his rivalry with Theory has come to an end.
17. Brock Lesnar (NR)
Well, that was unexpected. Brock Lesnar is back just over two-months removed from his big SummerSlam clash against Roman Reigns. However, it wasn’t “The Tribal Chief” who drew his ire this time around. Instead, it was now former United States Champion Bobby Lashley. Lashley mentioned in a promo before Brock emerged that he’d toppled “The Beast,” which is true but carries a big caveat. The win he’s referring to at Royal Rumble 2022 was far from clean, as it took major interference from Roman Reigns for Lashley to get that victory. Lesnar never got his chance to get back at Bobby for that loss, as Lashley got injured before Lesnar stepped into their Elimination Chamber Match the following month. It looks like Brock hasn’t forgotten that and is finally going to rectify it.
18. Liv Morgan — SmackDown (-11)
Liv Morgan lost the SmackDown Women’s Championship on Saturday and took a massive tumble in our Power Rankings as a result. Her first championship reign has come to an end and try as she and creative might, it was massively underwhelming. Morgan’s matches and title defenses were forgettable and her character felt both forced and disingenuous. A heel turn and dirty win on Ronda maybe could’ve saved it and been a breath of fresh air for her persona – and they are at least teasing that a turn could still happen via a backstage segment from Extreme Rules – but for now it’s been a disappointment. We’ll always have the amazing feel-good moment of her capturing of the title, though.
19. Drew McIntyre — SmackDown, (-5)
Drew McIntyre also takes a bit of a tumble this week after a rough loss to Karrion Kross at Extreme Rules. Scarlett had to interfere and it was a very dirty win for Kross, yes, but that’s now two big PLE losses in a row for “The Scottish Warrior.” What becomes of him now is unknown, but he needs a W at Survivor Series in a big way. Perhaps he’ll get that if he continues his program with Kross. Regardless, we’re sure this unfortunate dip for Drew is temporary and that he’ll be back sniffing the upper echelons of our ranks in time.
20. The O.C. — Raw, (NR)
A.J. Styles got his backup. In a goosebump-making moment, Gallows & Anderson returned to WWE on Monday night to help even the odds for A.J. Styles against their former Bullet Club leader and compatriot Finn Balor and The Judgment Day. It’s a great way to bring back the duo, finally gives Styles a solid story to sink his teeth into and allows Judgment Day to keep their strong momentum going off the back of Balor’s “I Quit” Match with Edge. With the talent involved in this new rivalry, it’s going to be a good one, and we’re sure The O.C. will be a presence on these rankings for a while.
On the cusp: Logan Paul, Rey Mysterio, Candice LeRae, Austin Theory, Alpha Academy, The Miz, Dexter Lumis, Omos, Legado del Fantasma w/ Zelina Vega, The New Day
Who’s NXT: Bron Breakker, Toxic Attraction (including Mandy Rose), Ilja Dragunov, Alba Fyre, Pretty Deadly, Creed Brothers, Cora Jade, Carmelo Hayes, Nathan Frazer