WWE Raw Division Rankings: Samoa Joe vs. Brock Lesnar

RAW. Photo by WWE.com

Welcome to the RAW Division Rankings for the June 12 episode.

These are the power rankings for each division on Monday Night RAW 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 see how the rankings shape up this week.

RAW. Photo by WWE.com

The RAW Cruiserweight Division

Highlights of the Division

Akira Tozawa has moved one spot closer to challenging Neville for the Universal Championship after beating TJP in the main event of 205 Live. The issue with Tozawa was his language skills but the fact he has joined the Titus Brand will keep him in the forefront of RAW. Not only will he be featured in Cruiserweight segments on RAW but also with scenes and matches with Titus O’Neal and Apollo Crews. Tozawa might be the first cruiserweight to venture in multiple segments on RAW which will be beneficial to his overall stock value.

Neville should be facing Akira Tozawa at Great Balls of Fire for the Cruiserweight Championship. The match between both men should be superb but their interactions might be the most entertaining. The King has been locked in feuds where they have been intense and physical—but this story is about a challenger who was thrust into the spotlight by an over-aggressive sports agent in Titus O’Neal. O’Neal using Tozawa to win the Cruiserweight Championship for his personal brand is hilarious—it will shift 205 Live in uncharted waters which will be great for the short-term.

The long-term solution for the division is the progression of Cedric Alexander. He’ll need to beat a quality contender to be considered a challenger for the title. Cedric has looked the part but will need to be in a serious program with someone like TJP or Brian Kendrick to propel him to the top of the division. Rehashing the same drama with Noam Dar and Alicia Fox is silly and does nothing for him. He should be the guy to beat Neville for the Cruiserweight Championship and shift the narrative of 205 Live.

These are the rankings for the division this week.

WWE Cruiserweight Champion: Neville (16 Wins – 6 Losses)

Contenders

• Top Contender: Austin Aries (11 Wins – 4 Losses)
• Contender No. 2: Akira Tozawa (16 Wins – 4 Losses) (Moved Up 1 Spot)
• Contender No. 3: Jack Gallagher (17 Wins – 10 Losses)
• Contender No. 4: Rich Swann (13 Wins – 5 Losses)
• Contender No. 5: TJP (14 Wins – 16 Losses)
• Contender No. 6: The Brian Kendrick (9 Wins – 10 Losses)
• Contender No. 7: Gran Metalik (6 Wins – 5 Losses)

Pretenders

• Pretender No. 1: Cedric Alexander (10 Wins – 6 Losses) (Moved Up 1 Spot)
• Pretender No. 2: Mustafa Ali (11 Wins – 14 Losses)
• Pretender No. 3: Ariya Daivari (7 Wins – 13 Losses)
• Pretender No. 4: Drew Gulak (7 Wins – 10 Losses)
• Pretender No. 5: Tony Nese (8 Wins – 19 Losses)
• Pretender No. 6: Noam Dar (7 Wins – 20 Losses)
• Pretender No. 7: Lince Dorado (3 Wins – 10 Losses)