RAW. Photo by WWE.com
Welcome to the RAW Division Rankings for the July 24 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
The surprising twist of the division this week was the improbable rise of Ariya Daivari. He single-handedly inserted himself into the title feud between Neville and Tozawa by attacking both of them on RAW. He also pulled a shocking count-out victory over Neville on 205 Live and catapulted himself into a contender in the Cruiserweight Division. It’s shocking and refreshing to see a man who has slowly build some momentum the past few months and scored huge wins over big name contenders. Will he get a title shot before Tozawa does? We shall see on RAW and 205 Live next week.
The feud between Brian Kendrick and Jack Gallagher is entertaining but lacks any kind of drama to it. It feels like a rehash of the Gallagher/Daivari feud that happened earlier this year with no real stakes behind it. It’s understandable why Kendrick hates everybody on the roster but pointing out Gallagher because he looks like a clown is somewhat silly. There needs to be a clear narrative on why Kendrick is going after Jack Gallagher because it’ll feel like a filler story on 205 Live.
Meanwhile, for the Rest of the Division
TJP and Tony Nese scored a huge tag team win over Cedric Alexander and Rich Swann on 205 Live. That main event match had a clear agenda and used all these competitors to their maximum potential. Tony Nese had an entrance that totally resembled the former WWE Superstar Chris Masters but it’s the perfect way to distinguish his persona to the fans. The loss was a small setback for Cedric Alexander who needed a win to maintain his momentum after defeating Noam Dar two weeks ago. As for TJP and Rich Swann, they should add more variables to their upcoming matches to keep the “friendly” rivalry alive.
These are the rankings for the division this week.
WWE Cruiserweight Champion: Neville (21 Wins – 8 Losses)
Contenders
- Top Contender: Akira Tozawa (20 Wins – 6 Losses)
- Contender No. 2: Jack Gallagher (20 Wins – 11 Losses)
- Contender No. 3: Rich Swann (16 Wins – 7 Losses)
- Contender No. 4: TJP (17 Wins – 18 Losses)
- Contender No. 5: The Brian Kendrick (10 Wins – 12 Losses)
- Contender No. 6: Cedric Alexander (12 Wins – 8 Losses)
- Contender No. 7: Mustafa Ali (15 Wins – 15 Losses)
- Contender No. 8: Ariya Daivari (10 Wins – 15 Losses) (Up 2 Spots)
Pretenders
- Pretender No. 1: Gran Metalik (5 Wins – 7 Losses)
- Pretender No. 2: Drew Gulak (7 Wins – 14 Losses)
- Pretender No. 3: Tony Nese (11 Wins – 20 Losses)
- Pretender No. 4: Noam Dar (7 Wins – 21 Losses)
- Pretender No. 5: Lince Dorado (3 Wins – 16 Losses)
RAW. Photo by WWE.com
The RAW Women’s Division
Highlights of the Division
Bayley scored a huge win over Sasha Banks and has punched her ticket to Summerslam against Alexa Bliss for the title. It seems kind of surprising that Bayley has jumped right back to the title picture after she was soundly defeated by Bliss back in Extreme Rules in May. But it seems that the WWE haven’t properly booked this division correctly and Bayley is reaping the rewards of their failures. The former RAW Women’s Champion could be booked as one of the top babyfaces on RAW but consistency has plagued her momentum this past year.
As for Sasha Banks, it should be time for her to be turning heel and rejuvenating her career to what it was in NXT. Banks has always been known to play the best heel but never got the chance since her call-up to the main roster. Her union with Team B.A.D was short-lived but we never fully saw the Boss reach the heel potential she portrayed back in NXT. If Bayley does win the title at Summerslam, it should be the moment where the Boss takes out her former best friend and make a massive statement to the WWE Universe.
Meanwhile, for the Rest of the Division
Emma got the short end of the stick when she demanded a match on RAW to Kurt Angle but lost in quick fashion to Nia Jax. This could be an interesting angle to watch if it does continue on a weekly basis. Emma for weeks now on Twitter has shown that she will not be ignored or sit idly by while competitors like Bayley and Sasha Banks get title shots. Pestering the RAW General Manager could be key in getting Emma the spotlight she needs for the fans to root for her climb to the top of the division.
These are the rankings for the division this week.
RAW Women’s Champion: Alexa Bliss (9 Wins – 13 Losses)
Contenders
- No. 1 Contender: Bayley (12 Wins – 10 Losses)
- Contender No. 2: Sasha Banks (15 Wins – 10 Losses)
- Contender No. 3: Nia Jax (14 Wins – 11 Losses)
Pretenders
- Pretender No. 1: Alicia Fox (4 Wins – 5 Losses)
- Pretender No. 2: Mickie James (5 Wins – 11 Losses)
- Pretender No. 3: Dana Brooke (4 Wins – 7 Losses)
- Pretender No. 4: Emma (1 Win – 5 Losses)
RAW. Photo by WWE.com
The RAW Tag Team Division
Highlights of the Division
The Revival have been on a roll the past few weeks and notching up another win over Gallows and Anderson move them one step closer to a title shot. They have demonstrated that they are the best tag team in the WWE for the past year with wins over the New Day and recently the Hardy Boyz. But the issue is that there hasn’t been any word on who will face Cesaro and Sheamus for the tag titles at Summerslam. One thing for sure, the Revival must walk out with the titles after Summerslam no matter what. It’s time to usher in the era of the Top Guys.
As for the Hardy Boyz and Gallows/Anderson, they still remain contenders afloat in the division with no clear path to the championship. The former members of the Club somewhat teased a face turn in their interaction with the Revival but we’ll need to see if it’s a permanent fixture to their characters moving forward. As for the Hardy Boyz, they’ll need a lot more character growth since their nostalgia title run ended a couple of weeks ago. They’ll need to show some glimmer that they are heading towards a “Broken” angle to their stale personas.
Cesaro and Sheamus will need to compete on RAW very soon since they haven’t faced any competition for weeks now. Champions can’t be lounging backstage for weeks on end while their fellow title challengers are duking it out for potential title shots. If the title holders say that don’t set the bar and that they are the bar—proving it every week is the way to go.
These are the rankings for the division this week.
RAW Tag Team Champions: Cesaro and Sheamus (9 Wins – 8 Losses)
Contenders
- Top Contender: The Hardy Boyz (6 Wins – 4 Losses)
- Contender No. 2: The Revival (5 Wins – 0 Losses) (Up 1 Spot)
- Contender No. 3: Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson (9 Wins – 13 Losses)
Pretenders
- Pretender No. 1: Heath Slater & Rhyno (4 Wins – 5 Losses)
- Pretender No. 2: Bo Dallas & Curtis Axel (1 Win – 1 Loss)
RAW. Photo by WWE.com
The RAW Mid Card Division
Highlights of the Division
The Miz ate the pinfall in the RAW main event against Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose. The WWE will need to do a better job in protecting their champions in multi-man matches because the Miz didn’t need to lose in that fashion. Both Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas are paired up with the Miz exactly for those type of situations—they are there to protect the champion at all cost. The Miztourage will need to play the buffer for the next few weeks against Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose till Kurt Angle announces the Intercontinental Championship match at Summerslam. It wouldn’t be surprising if it’s a triple threat match between the Miz, Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins.
The slow rise of Big Cass is the perfect way to showcase the big man’s ascent to the top of the mid-card division. His quick win over Enzo Amore and beatdown of the Big Show demonstrates perfectly how much of a threat Big Cass is on Monday Night RAW. A match with the Big Show is key to elevate Cass from a pretender to a contender in the division and possibly challenge for the Intercontinental Championship. As for Enzo Amore, he should clearly move on from his feud with Big Cass and possibly insert himself into the Cruiserweight Division. He’ll make a bigger name for himself and could possibly be the brightest star on 205 Live.
Meanwhile, for the Rest of the Division
Jason Jordan made quick work out of Curt Hawkins but the match didn’t really move the needle in this ongoing drama between him and his father Kurt Angle. His interview with the Miz next week might shed a light on his overall bonding with the RAW GM but this story will need an antagonist to stir up the pot. One man who can be up for that position could be Elias Samson. With his huge win over Finn Balor, Samson could poke at Kurt Angle and Jason Jordan by drifting near their bonding moments or sing a song mocking their family time. This will definitely get the fans more interested in this story moving forward in the short-term.
These are the rankings for the division this week.
WWE Intercontinental Champion: The Miz (9 Wins – 13 Losses)
Contenders
- Top Contender: Dean Ambrose (7 Wins – 13 Losses)
- Contender No. 2: The Big Show (4 Wins – 3 Losses)
- Contender No. 3: Kalisto (7 Wins – 8 Losses)
- Contender No. 4: Elias Samson (4 Wins – 3 Losses)
- Contender No. 5: Apollo Crews (6 Wins – 7 Losses)
Pretenders
- Pretender No. 1: Big Cass (11 Wins – 11 Losses)
- Pretender No. 2: Jason Jordan (8 Wins – 7 Losses)
- Pretender No. 3: Enzo Amore (5 Wins – 14 Losses)
- Pretender No. 4: Titus O’Neal (2 Wins – 9 Losses)
- Pretender No. 5: Goldust (1 Win – 2 Losses)
- Pretender No. 6: R-Truth (0 Wins – 3 Losses)
- Pretender No. 7: Curt Hawkins (0 Wins – 14 Losses)
RAW. Photo by WWE.com
The RAW World Title Picture
Highlights of the Division
The fatal-four way match at Summerslam for the Universal Championship is set at Summerslam. It was the only solution to resolve the logjam issue that was plaguing the top three contenders in the title picture. The triple threat match scheduled next week on RAW will give us a clue on who should be considered the favorite to walk out Summerslam with the Universal Championship. Someone like Roman Reigns will need to win this match to justify his spot in the Summerslam main event. He hasn’t won a high-profile pay per view match since WrestleMania so he’ll need to secure the win for next week’s match-up.
Finn Balor had a fantastic match against Elias Samson but lost in the end due to interference by Bray Wyatt. The key to this feud will have to be the metamorphosis of Finn Balor to his alter ego of the Demon King. It seems like this is the type of angle that would benefit both him and Bray Wyatt. It would create a supernatural element to the RAW broadcast that hasn’t been seen since the Undertaker feuded with Roman Reigns earlier this year. The winner of this potential match-up should be angling for a Universal Championship match after Summerslam concludes.
Meanwhile, for the Rest of the Division
Seth Rollins secured a huge win with Dean Ambrose over the Miz and his Miztourage in the main event of RAW. The story coming out of the match was Rollins trying to rekindle his brotherhood with Ambrose but Dean wasn’t having it. This slow build of reforming the Shield shouldn’t culminate during the road to Summerslam but soon afterward. It should be the story that dominates RAW throughout the Fall season. With Roman Reigns focusing on capturing the Universal Championship, the next few weeks should be focused on what’s next for both Rollins and Ambrose. Will both men eye a title shot for the Intercontinental Championship? Will it hinder their repairing trust? Those are the questions that’ll need to be answered in the build-up towards Summerslam.
These are the rankings for the division this week.
WWE Universal Champion: Brock Lesnar (2 Wins – 1 Loss)
Contenders
- Top Contender: Samoa Joe (11 Wins – 6 Losses)
- Contender No. 2: Braun Strowman (9 Wins – 5 Losses)
- Contender No. 3: Roman Reigns (10 Wins – 11 Losses)
- Contender No. 4: Bray Wyatt (8 Wins – 8 Losses)
Pretenders
- Pretender No. 1: Seth Rollins (9 Wins – 9 Losses)
- Pretender No. 2: Finn Balor (11 Wins – 5 Losses)
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What do you think of this week’s rankings?