Welcome to the WWE Raw Rankings for the Sep. 4 episode, in which Braun Strowman pummeled the Big Show through a steel cage.
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.
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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. 205 Live. Photo by WWE.com
The Raw Cruiserweight Division
Highlights of the division
The main event of 205 Live was the best match the show has produced all year-long. It demonstrated that Cedric Alexander is a future champion in the division by dispatching Tony Nese, Gran Metalik and Brian Kendrick in the No. 1 contender’s match. But the biggest star of the match was the eventual winner, Enzo Amore. He cheated by grabbing on Cedric’s tights for the pinfall, right after he knocked off Brian Kendrick with the Lumbar Check. The match is set for No Mercy between Neville and Enzo Amore, but the real story is the pure anger that Cedric was showcasing after his loss. He could be a potential player in the title showdown since he has a score to settle with Enzo Amore.
Enzo did his job and made sure he used his star power on the other competitors in the match. The brightest star of the match was Cedric Alexander, now it’s his turn to carry that momentum next week and exact his revenge on the new No. 1 contender.
Meanwhile, for the rest of the division.
As for Rich Swann and TJP, they’ll have a rubber match next week on 205 Live to settle the score, once and for all. This feud has definitely had it’s ups and downs, but it’ll be refreshing to see come to an end. Both competitors have been outside of the title picture for way to long and will need to reposition themselves in the rankings after their match next week.
The WWE had a golden opportunity to give Drew Gulak ample time for months to give his character to grow, but to no avail. He lost in two straight matches this past week, and he might be classified as one of the jobbers of the division. It’s sad that a guy that talented doesn’t get the time of day consistently to showcase his innovative gimmick. His feud with Mustafa Ali back in the summer should have been a wake up call that Gulak could be a player in the cruiserweight division. We’ll see if that’s the case.
These are the rankings for the division this week.
WWE Cruiserweight Champion: Neville (22 Wins – 9 Losses)
Contenders
- No. 1 Contender: Enzo Amore (10 Wins – 15 Losses)
- Contender No. 2: Akira Tozawa (24 Wins – 7 Losses)
- Contender No. 3: Jack Gallagher (21 Wins – 12 Losses)
- Contender No. 4: Rich Swann (19 Wins – 9 Losses)
- Contender No. 5: TJP (19 Wins – 19 Losses)
- Contender No. 6: Cedric Alexander (18 Wins – 10 Losses)
- Contender No. 7: The Brian Kendrick (13 Wins – 14 Losses)
- Contender No. 8: Mustafa Ali (17 Wins – 16 Losses)
- Contender No. 9: Ariya Daivari (11 Wins – 20 Losses)
Pretenders
- Pretender No. 1: Gran Metalik (10 Wins – 9 Losses)
- Pretender No. 2: Drew Gulak (7 Wins – 20 Losses)
- Pretender No. 3: Tony Nese (13 Wins – 26 Losses)
- Pretender No. 4: Noam Dar (8 Wins – 25 Losses)
- Pretender No. 5: Lince Dorado (4 Wins – 17 Losses)
RAW. Photo by WWE.com
The Raw Women’s Division
Highlights of the division
The Raw Women’s Championship match will now be a fatal-4 way at No Mercy, thanks to the champion and top contender losing in their tag team match. The WWE have shown no confidence in either women for months now on having a decent feud or a proper push. This is extremely concerning for the rest of the division. If the WWE could book Bayley, Sasha Banks and Alexa Bliss that poorly for 4 straight months, what makes you think they’ll do any better with Nia Jax or Emma?
Nia Jax must be the odds on favourite to walk out No Mercy as the new Raw Women’s Champion. She has been on the brink of breaking out as the top dog of the division, but the WWE has never really pulled the trigger. The time is now to pull that off. Both Alexa Bliss and Sasha Banks have lost any momentum they had for a while now and Nia could be the woman to steer the division in a new course. It’s about time for the WWE to book a dominant Women’s Champion and Nia Jax is the competitor to do so.
Meanwhile, for the rest of the division.
As for Emma, she was booked perfectly for the first time in years on the main roster. Instead of complaining that she doesn’t get the respect that she deserves, she stole the glory from Nia Jax in their tag team win. By pinning a prone Sasha Banks after the beating she endured by Nia Jax, Emma is taking a page out of the playbook of her Smackdown Live contemporary Carmella. She’s outsmarting her opponents and that could be the key to making Emma relevant again in the division. At the moment she’s still a pretender unless she grabs consistent wins from quality opponents.
These are the rankings for the division this week.
Raw Women’s Champion: Alexa Bliss (10 Wins – 15 Losses)
Contenders
- No. 1 Contender: Sasha Banks (18 Wins – 12 Losses)
- Contender No. 2: Nia Jax (17 Wins – 13 Losses)
- Contender No. 3: Bayley (13 Wins – 10 Losses) (INJ)
Pretenders
- Pretender No. 1: Alicia Fox (4 Wins – 7 Losses)
- Pretender No. 2: Mickie James (6 Wins – 13 Losses)
- Pretender No. 3: Dana Brooke (5 Wins – 8 Losses)
- Pretender No. 4: Emma (3 Wins – 8 Losses)
RAW. Photo by WWE.com
The Raw Tag Team Division
Highlights of the division
The tag champs and the No. 1 contenders each got much-needed wins on the road to No Mercy. This championship feud will need to spice up just a bit because the champs have been too cozy since Summerslam and the No. 1 contenders will need to play up to that. One angle that could be entertained is seeing if the friction between Ambrose and Rollins has evaporated since they won the titles or is it still there? The story of the Shield reforming could hit a speed bump if Cesaro and Sheamus play some mind games and create some distrust between the tag team champions.
With Jeff Hardy losing his opportunity to capture the Intercontinental Championship, what is next for the Hardy Boyz? A feud with the Revival after they are back from injury is the only option at the moment. The Hardys are a stale elite tag team with no further movement up the ladder in the tag team division. But the thing is, they are better as a team than they are as singles competitors. Both guys must try to do something with their characters because it’s extremely boring and repetitive. I’ve said it for weeks and I’m getting tired of saying it.
Meanwhile, for the rest of the division.
Gallows and Anderson lost to Ambrose and Rollins on Raw and then suffered a beatdown at the hands of Cesaro and Sheamus. The Club have slowly been losing credibility the past few weeks with the amount of losses they accumulated. The WWE have no clue what to do with these two talented men at all. At this juncture, is it still a mistake by the WWE to leave the two former members of the Club without any direction? Sending them to SmackDown Live and pairing them up with AJ Styles could be the only option remaining if they have nothing planned with Finn Balor.
These are the rankings for the division this week.
Raw Tag Team Champions: Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins (4 Wins – 0 Losses)
Contenders
- No. 1 Contender: Cesaro and Sheamus (10 Wins – 9 Losses)
- Contender No. 2: The Hardy Boyz (8 Wins – 6 Losses)
- Contender No. 3: The Revival (5 Wins – 0 Losses)
- Contender No. 4: Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson (10 Wins – 16 Losses)
Pretenders
- Pretender No. 1: Heath Slater & Rhyno (4 Wins – 6 Losses)
- Pretender No. 2: Bo Dallas & Curtis Axel (2 Wins – 2 Losses)
RAW. Photo by WWE.com
The RAW Mid Card Division
Highlights of the division
The Miz regained the Intercontinental Championship in a decent match against Jeff Hardy on Raw. It clearly seems that this match could be a one-off for both men, which is probably great news in the mid card division. Jeff Hardy has already won the Intercontinental Championship on numerous occasions so it doesn’t make sense for him to be going after the title again. The Miz did what he had to do and retain the gold from the former WWE Champion. Honestly, what is next for the reigning champion? That question will need to be answered next week on Raw, since he’s the only champion to not have a match booked for No Mercy.
Jason Jordan had the best singles match of his career in a loss to John Cena. Granted, the match had a slow pace that did pick up at the very end, but Jordan held his own with the former 16 time WWE Champion. The problem is that he doesn’t have a persona to back up his in-ring skills. In the WWE, you need both ring and mic skills to climb up the mountain, and Jason Jordan still suffers in one department. Also, the storyline involving Kurt Angle as his dad is officially dead in the water. It was nice to show the video package of Cena facing Angle in his WWE debut when Raw kicked off but it doesn’t mean anything moving forward. Jason Jordan needs some progression on his persona very soon.
Meanwhile, for the rest of the division.
Elias will need to be in a relevant feud sooner rather than later. It’s nice and all that he has his own segment on Raw and gets interrupted by guys every week, but the man needs some progression. Even drifting backstage and playing his guitar won’t move him up the rankings. This shtick he’s doing will become stale in the next few weeks, and people will use that segment as a washroom break unless he’s in a meaningful feud.
I’ve suggested this for weeks but a feud with the Titus Worldwide brand would be fantastic. Apollo Crews has been sitting on the sidelines for more than a month now and it’s the perfect time to watch his story unfold with the Titus brand. These two young superstars would benefit greatly if this feud is developed properly. For two straight weeks both Elias and the Titus Worldwide brand have been missing on Raw, that needs to be corrected very soon.
These are the rankings for the division this week.
WWE Intercontinental Champion: The Miz (10 Wins – 15 Losses)
Contenders
- No. 1 Contender: Jeff Hardy (12 Wins – 7 Losses)
- Contender No. 2: Elias (8 Wins – 4 Losses)
- Contender No. 3: The Big Show (4 Wins – 7 Losses)
- Contender No. 4: Kalisto (8 Wins – 12 Losses)
- Contender No. 5: Apollo Crews (7 Wins – 8 Losses)
- Contender No. 6: Big Cass (13 Wins – 11 Losses) (INJ)
Pretenders
- Pretender No. 1: Jason Jordan (11 Wins – 10 Losses)
- Pretender No. 2: Titus O’Neal (2 Wins – 9 Losses)
- Pretender No. 3: Goldust (1 Win – 3 Losses)
- Pretender No. 4: R-Truth (0 Wins – 5 Losses)
- Pretender No. 5: Curt Hawkins (0 Wins – 17 Losses)
RAW. Photo by WWE.com
The Raw World Title Picture
Highlights of the division
Braun Strowman had a fantastic showing in the steel cage match against the Big Show. Even what transpired after the match with Strowman tossing the Big Show through the steel cage wall goes to show he is ready to carry the company on his back. The Monster Among Men has passed all the tests that were put in front of him by the WWE since the beginning of this year. It would be a huge step backwards for Strowman to lose to Brock Lesnar at No Mercy, especially with all the progress he’s made up to this point in his career. It’s time for the WWE to come to realization that they need a full-time main event performer to be the next Universal Champion.
John Cena kicked off Raw with a decent win over Jason Jordan to kick off the show. Both he and Roman Reigns cut another amazing promo on each other after the match but it still won’t be the deciding factor of who will win at No Mercy. So far, all the momentum has been favouring John Cena with his verbal beatdown on Roman Reigns the past few weeks. But the Big Dog will need to win at No Mercy to save any credibility he has left with the fans. He did held his own on the mic with Cena on RAW but he’ll need to treated on equal footing with the former 16-time WWE Champion moving forward. If Cena gets the last laugh on Reigns, nobody will care if Reigns is a good guy, bad guy, grey area guy or the guy.
Next: WWE SmackDown Grades And Analysis
Meanwhile, for the rest of the division.
Bray Wyatt interrupted Finn Balor’s promo segment on Raw to challenge him to a match at No Mercy. There will need to be an added stipulation in this bout to add a bit more importance to their third encounter. Many fans have already soured in this rivalry and especially on Bray Wyatt for some time now. The problem is that both men have no clear direction with their characters since arriving to Raw back in April. With a win or a loss, both Wyatt and Balor will need to distinguish themselves as credible contenders after this rivalry is concluded.
These are the rankings for the division this week.
WWE Universal Champion: Brock Lesnar (3 Wins – 1 Loss)
Contenders
- No. 1 Contender: Braun Strowman (11 Wins – 7 Losses)
- Contender No. 2: Samoa Joe (11 Wins – 9 Losses) (INJ)
- Contender No. 3: John Cena (12 Wins – 4 Losses)
- Contender No. 4: Roman Reigns (13 Wins – 13 Losses)
Pretenders
- Pretender No. 1: Finn Balor (13 Wins – 7 Losses)
- Pretender No. 2: Bray Wyatt (9 Wins – 9 Losses)
What are your thoughts on this week’s RAW rankings?