WWE SmackDown Rankings: Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn Dominating?

Welcome to the WWE SmackDown Division Rankings for the Oct. 17 episode. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn were the stars of the show and the main event.

These are the WWE SmackDown Live rankings for each division 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.

Smackdown. Photo by WWE.com

The SmackDown Live Women’s Division

Highlights of the division

Charlotte scored the win for her team on SmackDown Live when she submitted Lana with her Figure-8 finisher. These random matches of having the entire division squaring off against each other doesn’t help build the title rematch between Charlotte and Natalya. The only animosity between the two competitors is an off-handed insult Natalya made to Charlotte about her dad’s health. There needs to be more intrigue on why people should be invested in their ongoing feud. These random matches aren’t benefiting either competitor and if more of this continues, nobody will even care in the long run.

Carmella was the only woman who wasn’t part of the action on SmackDown Live but was sitting at commentary instead. It seems at this point that whatever momentum that Carmella had when she won the Money in the Bank briefcase during the summer has vanished. This division could have been thriving if the WWE took a chance on Carmella and had her cash in while her star was shining so brightly on SmackDown Live. Now they have reduced her to a comedy bit by having her treat James Ellsworth like a dog. It’s insulting and sad that the first female winner of the Money in the Bank ladder match be utterly forgotten just months after her big win.

Meanwhile, for the rest of the division…

Becky Lynch, Naomi and Tamina must be utilized properly moving forward on SmackDown Live. Just because they aren’t apart of the title picture, doesn’t mean they should be thrown in random matches every few weeks. If the men are all being used either in backstage segments to build up a feud or story, so can these women. It shouldn’t be that hard for the WWE to find something for these talented superstars. The Tamina storyline of her rising to the top of the division is something the WWE must continue, because it definitely has some creative legs to it.

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

SmackDown Live Women’s Champion: Natalya (12 Wins – 11 Losses)

Contenders

• No. 1 Contender: Charlotte (13 Wins – 15 Losses)
• Contender No. 2: Naomi (12 Wins – 9 Losses)
• Contender No. 3: Carmella (12 Wins – 8 Losses) (MITB Winner)
• Contender No. 4: Becky Lynch (13 Wins – 15 Losses)

Pretenders

• Pretender No. 1: Tamina Snuka (4 Wins – 6 Losses)
• Pretender No. 2: Lana (0 Wins – 7 Losses)