Roman Reigns has officially reached the two-year mark as WWE Universal Champion. “The Head of the Table” originally won the gold in a Triple Threat Match against “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman at WWE Payback on August 30, 2020. That makes it 731 days ago, to be exact.
While Reigns only added the moniker of “Undisputed” champion this past April at WrestleMania, his two-year reign will be celebrated at SmackDown on Friday, with Sami Zayn serving as “Master of Ceremonies.” We’re never ones to complain about Zayn getting more time to shine, but it’s only appropriate that this milestone is acknowledged (did you see what we did there?) in advance of Reigns’ clash with Drew McIntyre this Saturday at WWE Clash at the Castle in Cardiff, Wales. Could we actually be nearing the end?
While the anticipation is building for Saturday, the most refreshing thing about the current product is that there’s constant jockeying for position. It’s not necessarily tied to a Premium Live Event. That’s how it should be. We’re seeing superstars with new directions, new motivations and new rivals. Sure, Saturday will be exciting, but we’re just excited about what will happen after.
Let’s get to it. And for a further breakdown, be 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 | Bobby Lashley – United States Champion | Raw | NC |
| 2 | Roman Reigns – Undisputed WWE Universal Champion | SmackDown | NC |
| 3 | Bianca Belair – Raw Women’s Champion | Raw | +1 |
| 4 | Drew McIntyre | SmackDown | -1 |
| 5 | Gunther – Intercontinental Champion | SmackDown | NC |
| 6 | Seth “Freakin’” Rollins | Raw | +3 |
| 7 | The Usos – Undisputed Tag Team Champions | SmackDown | -1 |
| 8 | Kevin Owens | Raw | +2 |
| 9 | Liv Morgan – SmackDown Women’s Champion | SmackDown | -1 |
| 10 | Bayley, IO SKY & Dakota Kai | Raw | -3 |
| 11 | Edge | Raw | NC |
| 12 | The Judgment Day | Raw | +2 |
| 13 | Sheamus | SmackDown | +3 |
| 14 | Karrion Kross w/ Scarlett | SmackDown | -1 |
| 15 | Raquel Rodriguez & Aliyah – Women’s Tag Team Champions | SmackDown | NR |
| 16 | Sami Zayn | Smackdown | +2 |
| 17 | AJ Styles | Raw | -4 |
| 18 | Riddle | Raw | +2 |
| 19 | The Viking Raiders | SmackDown | -4 |
| 20 | Ricochet | SmackDown | NR |
WWE returns to the UK for its first major stadium event in 30 years with WWE Clash at the Castle. Stream exclusively on Peacock on Saturday at 1pm ET.
1. Bobby Lashley – United States Champion (NC)
Bobby Lashley may have gotten a win with a little help from a Dexter Lumis distraction, but it’s a win all the same. Lashley was in the driver’s seat for pretty much the entirety of his match with The Miz whenever Ciampa didn’t get involved, so it was overall another strong performance from hands-down the hottest Superstar on the roster. For those keeping score, Lashley’s only loss on TV or PLE since May has been via disqualification last week, also thanks to Dexter Lumis.
Unfortunately, however, Lashley is curiously absent from the card for Clash at the Castle as of publishing time. That could leave the door open for Reigns to retake the No. 1 spot of our Power Rankings next week should “The Head of the Table” defeat Drew McIntyre.
2. Roman Reigns – Undisputed WWE Universal Champion (NC)
We got plenty of “The Tribal Chief” on our screens from SmackDown this past week. Roman had another fantastic backstage promo with Sami Zayn to help plant more seeds for their story before getting physical in the aftermath of the main event, taking advantage of The Bloodline’s numbers to “sit” tall over Drew McIntyre to close out the show.
The biggest gripe we have with Roman is just how rarely we get to see him on the screen, because at this stage of his career he is just so damn good anytime he’s in front of a camera. There’s more than a puncher’s chance that Roman could lose the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship this weekend, and the sad thing is whenever his current reign does end, it could result in a terrible tumble down these Power Rankings due to how rarely we see him.
3. Bianca Belair – Raw Women’s Champion (+1)
It was a good Raw for the brand’s Women’s Champion. Bianca looked great with her Clash at the Castle Six-Woman Tag Team Match partners Alexa Bliss & Asuka against local talent, acting as a solid warmup and team-building exercise for the trio ahead of their contest this weekend.
But what was even sweeter for Belair was that she got to rain on the parade of her rivals as she, along with Bliss & Asuka, chased off Bayley from IO SKY & Dakota Kai’s Women’s Tag Team Championship Match against Raquel Gonzalez & Aliyah. The run-in ended up distracting SKY & Kai enough to allow Gonzalez & Aliyah to pick up a shocking upset victory.
Something tells us it may not be so great a night at Clash at the Castle, though, as a Bayley, SKY & Kai win would give Bayley reason to challenge Bianca for her championship. Belair would then need another strong Raw to say in the top five, should that end up being the case.
4. Drew McIntyre (-1)
Drew had some great video segments on SmackDown this week and picked up a win against Sami Zayn despite best efforts from The Usos to change that outcome. However, Roman Reigns showed up right afterward and played spoiler on what would’ve been a really strong week going into Clash at the Castle for the former “Chosen One.”
That stumble was all Bianca Belair needed to leap McIntyre in our Power Rankings this week, as her positive momentum never got stopped. But Drew still remains one of the brightest and biggest stars in WWE who could very well pull off the homeland upset on Sunday. That win would be huge, but he’ll also be just fine should he not leave Cardiff as Undisputed WWE Universal Champion.
5. Gunther – Intercontinental Champion (NC)
Okay, gotta say it right off the bat: that stare off between Gunther and Sheamus on Friday was awesome. For them to hold steady and not even flinch as Butch and Ludwig Kaiser brawled left right and center in the ring around them was a really cool moment and helped build anticipation and excitement on a very quick turnaround for what should be one heck of a tussle this weekend.
The moment also helped to keep the champion looking strong by having him stand unintimidated in front of someone with the resume of Sheeamus. A win against “The Celtic Warrior” would go a long way towards cementing Gunther as a main eventer in waiting.
6) Seth “Freakin’” Rollins (+3)
Rollins hasn’t wrestled a match on WWE television since August 8, but he’s gaining steam anyway as his rivalry with Matt Riddle intensifies. In addition to fighting in the parking lot before Raw this week, Rollins and Riddle took part in a split-screen interview which turned extremely personal.
Riddle probably thought he had a good line when he indicated that Becky Lynch was the only “man” in the relationship with Seth Rollins. However, “The Visionary” quickly clapped back by mentioning Riddle’s divorce. WWE fans are used to seeing the fun and easy going Riddle, but we actually saw some real anger as a result of the exchange. It’s a gamble on Rollins’ part. There’s a fine line between trying to get in someone’s head versus providing extra motivation.
7) The Usos – Undisputed Tag Team Champions (-1)
The past week was a mixed bag for The Usos. The Undisputed Tag Team Champs stood tall as The Bloodline decimated Drew McIntyre at the conclusion of SmackDown last Friday, but the tables turned on them on Raw as Kevin Owens was able to get a victory over Jey Uso. It might have turned out differently for Jey, but Sami Zayn showed some reluctance to get involved in the match with his longtime friend.
The Usos continue to have entertaining interactions with Zayn, but the tension is palpable, as well. No clear challengers have emerged for their titles, so we could be witnessing a slow burn here.
8) Kevin Owens (+2)
Another week, another great performance from Kevin Owens. This time “KO” interrupted a promo from The Bloodline on Raw during which he criticized his friend (and sometimes foe) Sami Zayn for doing the bidding of Roman Reigns and The Usos and being used in the process. He also reminded Jey Uso and the audience that he nearly beat Reigns 18 months ago and might have become champion if it wasn’t for outside interference.
He then challenged Jey to a match and ultimately came out on top after Zayn refused to hit “KO” with a chair while the referee’s back was turned. The confusion allowed Owens to deliver a stunner to Jey Uso, further complicating Zayn’s standing with the group. There’s some great stuff going on here, as Owens appears rejuvenated and dedicated to move back toward the top of the card.
9) Liv Morgan – SmackDown Women’s Champion (-1)
Liv Morgan slips a spot in this week’s rankings by virtue of not appearing on WWE television this past week. However, there was a clip on social media of her training with Riddle to prepare for Shayna Baszler’s submission-based grappling style ahead of their match at Clash at the Castle. With the backdrop of Morgan’s questionable finish against Ronda Rousey at SummerSlam, the champion needs to show that she’s legit. We’ll soon find out if the preparation will pay off.
10) Bayley, IYO SKY, & Dakota Kai (-3)
IYO SKY & Dakota Kai went into Raw this week as the heavy favorites to be crowned the new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions, but things didn’t go according to plan. Thanks to a sneaky roll-up pin, Raquel Rodriguez & Aliyah were able to pull off the shocking victory. Bianca Belair, Alexa Bliss & Asuka ended up being a factor in the match by chasing off Bayley through the crowd. SKY and Kai appeared rattled from there and Aliyah was able to sneak up on Kai for the three-count.
The result wasn’t without controversy, as there’s some question about whether Kai was the legal competitor in the match at the time, but this obviously isn’t what the trio had in mind going into their Six-Woman Tag Team Match at Clash at the Castle.
11) Edge (NC)
Edge holds his spot this week after confronting The Judgment Day and surprising them with the return of The Mysterios. After a quick brawl and swings of some kendo sticks, the good guys stood tall as it was announced that for the first time in twenty years Edge and Rey will team up to take on Finn Balor & Damien Priest. It feels like we are in the endgame of this feud but with both Rhea Ripley and Dominik Mysterio at ringside there will be a story told both in and out of the ring.
12) The Judgment Day (+2)
Another interesting week for the trio as Balor & Priest picked up a win over AJ Styles & Dolph Ziggler. Then during the confrontation with Edge and The Mysterios, Ripley came face to face with Dominik, who she’s had the upper hand on the last few weeks. Dominik, with kendo stick in hand, was ready to strike but ultimately gave up his weapon to Ripley. With the disappointment about not being in the tag match with his father still fresh on his mind, will Dominik be swayed to the dark side by Ripley?
13) Sheamus (+3)
Sheamus is on the rise again this week. The No.1 Contender for the Intercontinental Championship came nose-to-nose with his Clash at the Castle opponent for the first time. After a passionate back and forth with Gunther, the anticipation for this match is certainly at a fever pitch. Don’t be surprised if these two hard hitting behemoths steal the show in Cardiff.
14) Karrion Kross w/ Scarlett (-1)
Kross made an impact yet again by delivering another message to Drew McIntyre. Kross has made it very clear that he has his sights set on McIntyre and now after weeks of talk since his return we will see his SmackDown in-ring debut this Friday.
15) Raquel Rodriguez & Aliyah – WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions (NR)
After a long hiatus we can finally saw we have NEWWWW WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions! Now Raquel & Aliyah weren’t the favorites to win but they overcame the odds to defeat IYO SKY & Dakota Kai. Now to anyone that was paying attention, it was clear that Kai wasn’t the legal person in the match, so the pinfall shouldn’t have counted. As such, we are absolutely certain this won’t be the last match between these four superstars.
16. Sami Zayn (+2)
Zayn continues to get opportunities of late, and he continues to hit it out of the park every time. “The Master Strategist” did not pick up any wins this week, and in fact, he actually suffered a loss at the hands of Drew McIntyre. But Sami Zayn was an integral part of both SmackDown and Raw.
While he did lose on Friday, he and the rest of The Bloodline stood tall over McIntyre by show’s end, softening up the Scotsman ahead of his championship match against Roman Reigns at Clash at the Castle. Monday was a little different, though, as he started out appearing to be on the same page as The Usos. But his long-time frenemy Kevin Owens came out, setting up a match against Jey Uso. Sami had the opportunity to bash Kevin Owens with a chair, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it.
Is Sami having second thoughts on which side he should be on? Did Owens get in his head about The Bloodline playing him? Only time will tell, but this has become one of the most entertaining storylines and now spans both shows.
17. AJ Styles (-4)
“The Phenomenal One” continues to yo-yo up and down these rankings. Styles found himself paired up with Dolph Ziggler to kick off Raw against The Judgment Day. Styles suffered the loss, but it was Ziggler who was pinned. At the end of the day, though, it just seems like Styles is lacking any kind of long-term direction and is just floating around. There was an awkward moment in the match where Styles was about to knock Balor off the apron after being sent into the ropes, but he hesitated.
Could this be foreshadowing some kind of alliance? Will Styles end up joining The Judgment Day after all? Could Balor defect and join forces with a fellow former Bullet Club (wildly popular faction from New Japan Pro Wrestling) member? Longtime friends and also former Bullet Club members Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson are now free agents after a stint in Impact and some appearances on AEW. Could we see the trio reunite?
18. Matt Riddle (+2)
Riddle didn’t pick up any victories this week, but he did get his first name back! It appears as the old edict of several Superstars having only one name has also thankfully gone by the wayside with the Triple H regime. Rumors abound that Theory will regain his first name and Angel and Humberto will both get their last names back. What a time to be alive!
But back to Riddle, he had a highly entertaining couple of segments on Raw with Seth “Freakin’” Rollins as they continue to build to their grudge match at Clash at the Castle. They rolled some video from earlier in the day of the two Superstars brawling in the parking lot of the arena. Even though it was staged, it did have a different type of feel to it, so the creative team gets some kudos for trying something new here.
The two then had an interview segment with each being in a separate area. It seemed like your typical back and forth, but after they came back from break, they said the cameras kept rolling and caught Rollins hitting Riddle with a below-the-belt jab about Riddle being divorced and his kids not wanting to see him. Almost any time you can blur the lines of reality, it leads to more entertaining television, and this was no different.
19. The Viking Raiders (-4)
The Viking Raiders had previously seemed to have The New Day’s number, but the script was flipped this week. Xavier Woods did his best Kevin Nash impersonation and came out in a wheel chair, but he was playing possum the entire time. The Viking Raiders fell for New Day’s sob story hook, line and sinker, and Kingston & Woods capitalized by wailing away at the Raiders with kendo sticks.
Will The New Day ride that momentum to an actual victory in a match and finally emerge in these rankings?
20. Ricochet (NR)
Not only has Ricochet picked up back-to-back wins over Happy Corbin on SmackDown, but he also appeared on NXT Tuesday night, setting up a match against North American Champion Carmelo Hayes at World Collide on Sunday. Ricochet was actually the second-ever North American Champion, so will he come full circle and win that title once again?
On the cusp: Shayna Baszler, Hit Row, Ronda Rousey, Theory, The New Day, The Mysterios, Johnny Gargano, Street Profits, Alpha Academy, Dexter Lumis, The Miz & Ciampa
Who’s NXT: Bron Breakker, Tyler Bate, Mandy Rose, Carmelo Hayes, Wendy Choo, Tony D’Angelo, Kayden Carter & Katana Chance, The Creed Brothers, Cora Jade
