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WWE SmackDown Live: Division Power Rankings Before WWE Payback

By Warsame A

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Smackdown Live. Photo by WWE.com

Welcome to the Smackdown Live Division Power Rankings before WWE Payback.

These are the power rankings for each division on Smackdown Live for this following week. Each division would be ranked based on storyline progression and win/loss record as of 2017. Also, each division would be divided by contenders and pretenders, to differentiate the challengers in their respective division. I’ll also highlight a specific superstar in each division and explain their ranking based on their actions. Win/Loss record is provided by CageMatch.Net.

Each superstar or tag team can move up or down the rankings based on victory, defeat or storyline progression. Let’s get right to the rankings.

Photo by WWE.com

The SmackDown Live Women’s Division

Highlights of the Division

The main-event of Smackdown Live featured the publicized title match between the challenger Charlotte and the champion Naomi. After last week’s non-title match, this bout was more of the same but we didn’t get a definitive winner at the end of the show. 

The faction between Carmella, Natalya and Tamina will give much-needed credence to the top-heavy Smackdown Live Women’s division. Having them take out the top contender and the champion will force WWE creative to utilize the women to their full potential.

Tamina and Natalya are from wrestling royalty and their bond to eliminate the divisional hierarchy will make their championship pursuit all the more fascinating. As for Carmella, she’s always been playing chess when her competition plays checkers. She might be teaming up with  them for her own personal gain, manipulation does make for fascinating television.

For the current champion and challenger, they’ll most likely be forced to team up and eliminate the biggest threat to their championship opportunity. Charlotte has always been known as the biggest heel in the women’s division but will be crossing a familiar threshold in her illustrious career—sympathy from the fans. Having her and Naomi overcome the odds against this newly formed faction will add more layers to her character for the first time in nearly 2 years.

The X-factor of this shifting development will have to be the actions of Becky Lynch. She might get dragged in the battle between the two factions and it’ll be interesting to see which side she does choose in the end.

Let’s see the rankings for the division this week.

SmackDown Live Women’s Champion: Naomi (5 Wins – 1 Loss)

Contenders

  • No. 1 Contender: Charlotte (5 Wins – 7 Losses)
  • Contender No. 2: Becky Lynch (6 Wins – 6 Losses)
  • Contender No. 3: Carmella (4 Wins – 2 Losses)

Pretenders

  • Pretender No. 1: Nikki Bella (3 Wins – 1 Loss)
  • Pretender No. 2: Natalya (1 Win – 4 Losses)
  • Pretender No. 3: Tamina Stuka (N/A)
  • Pretender No. 4: Lana (N/A)