WWE SmackDown Division Rankings: Dolph Ziggler Beats AJ Styles

SmackDown Live. Photo by WWE.com

The SmackDown Live World Title Picture

Highlights of the Division

The contrast on how this WWE Championship feud is revolving around nationality and family is refreshing and enlightening. Jinder Mahal might resemble the rising global power of India but his smug attitude gives this symbolism a retro 90s WWF look. Similar to the Canada/US feud that was initiated by Bret Hart and the Hart Foundation. His explanation of how Randy Orton is like the falling power of the United States gives this rivalry a theme the WWE hasn’t really addressed: globalism.     

If the WWE could play that angle and have the India media drum up support for Mahal, this could get the WWE one step closer into that market. Mahal might symbolize the rising economic power and Orton the declining one: it’ll be their mic work and storytelling that should pick up the slack. This story needs to grow more in order to justify Mahal’s title win at Backlash.

Shinsuke Nakamura will have the perfect opportunity to defeat Kevin Owens in singles action next week. Beating him two weeks in a row in tag action is nice and all but he’ll need to prove that he can beat an elite champion on his own. If Nakamura wins next week, it’ll be a done deal that he’s the favourite to win the Money in the Bank ladder match.

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

WWE World Champion: Jinder Mahal (8 Wins – 10 Losses)

Contenders

• No.1 Contender: Randy Orton (10 Wins – 5 Losses)
• Contender No. 2: John Cena (6 Wins – 4 Losses)

Pretenders

• Pretender No. 1: Shinsuke Nakamura (3 Wins – 0 Losses)

More wwe: Ranking All 26 Champions in NXT History

What do you think of this week’s SmackDown Live Rankings? Comment below!