WWE Raw Power Rankings: Forget Kingslayer, Seth Rollins is King
By Bryan Heaton
6. Ronda Rousey (last week: 2)
Ronda Rousey is still one of the main components of the women’s division on Raw. And to be frank, taking things slow with Rousey is probably for the best. Give her time to get acclimated to the world of pro wrestling, without exposing her too much and damaging one of the best aspects of her character — her no-nonsense, “I’m going to rip your arm off” aura.
Still, this week felt a little like a step backwards for Rousey. Rather than appear with either much fanfare or totally unexpectedly, Rousey was in Natalya’s corner when the Queen of Hearts faced Mickie James. Uh, okay.
It was mainly a way to counter the presence of Alexa Bliss, and of course Rousey had to chase her down to prevent outside interference. There was less physicality from Rousey after the match than last week, as well. The ups and downs are expected, though, especially so early in Rousey’s career.
5. Elias (last week: 4)
Last week, the commentary team constantly referred to Elias as a “main eventer,” which was a little weird, but okay. This week, that refrain wasn’t there, but Elias still displayed all the tenacity and toughness of a main eventer (well, future main eventer, at least).
In his victory over Bobby Roode, Elias had real command of the psychology of the match. The consistent attack on Roode’s neck and throat (even if a lot of it was via chinlock) showed a tenacity you don’t usually see from a guy who sings before concerts. It’s wonderful to see another side of Elias, who truly can be a big player on Raw for the foreseeable future.