Dolph Ziggler gets the upper hand on Seth Rollins during WWE Raw July 2. Photo Source: WWE.com
There aren’t many good things about WWE Raw these days, but someone has to sit atop the power rankings. Thankfully, Dolph Ziggler and Seth Rollins are around to shine.
It’s been a hot minute since I’ve been able to do power rankings after an episode of WWE Raw. Between day job craziness and a much needed vacation, the last thing I’ve wanted to do is try to figure out whether Natalya deserves to be above or below Liv Morgan or whatever. But now I’m back, baby, and I can wade through whatever crap WWE gives us on a weekly basis.
Every week after Raw, we’ll take a look at the roster to find out who is in the best position moving forward. But, much like the creative team, we’re not paying attention to wins and losses only. They matter a bit, but a strong loss is better than a lousy win, at least as far as I’m concerned. Championships? They have their place, but just because a particular superstar has a heavy piece of gold around their waste doesn’t guarantee them a spot at the top. And if a superstars doesn’t have a match, they can still move up or down based on what they did in a given week.
So what does contribute to our rankings? Long term potential is key — how is a superstar’s position today leading to tomorrow? The past helps, too — just because someone has a big win one week doesn’t negate 17 weeks of losses before that. Think of ESPN’s NFL power rankings, where a 5-3 team could be ranked higher than a 6-2 team.
Let’s take a look at the updated power rankings for WWE Raw, following the July 2 episode. Since we haven’t done these for a few weeks, I’m not listing the previous rank for anyone.
20. Bayley
19. Sasha Banks
Okay, I’m just going to get this out of the way right now. There’s a ton of things wrong on Raw right now. Kurt Angle has mysteriously transformed from logical general manager into a complete buffoon who can’t do his job. Booking decisions are baffling, like they were made by someone who doesn’t understand professional wrestling — or even sports entertainment.
But one of the, well, dumbest things going on Monday nights is the counseling for Bayley and Sasha Banks. Even forgetting that Angle sent the pair to Dr. Shelby despite his “settle it in the ring” policy everywhere else, this is wacky.
It’s a horrible misuse of both superstars, because neither is known for their acting chops in the first place. For an ostensible comedy bit like this to work, you need a cartoon vibe to bring it together, since no one is watching for a legit therapy session between two people who hate each other. Maybe the conclusion next week will salvage the angle, but I’m not overly optimistic.
However, it’s clear that there’s something on the horizon for Sasha and Bayley, so I can’t leave either one off the list. The Dr. Shelby sessions are probably just a placeholder until we get closer to SummerSlam in Brooklyn, which is the most logical place for the big culmination to the feud for these two.
18. Titus Worldwide
Titus O’Neil and Apollo Crews had a match on WWE Raw for the first time in a long time this week. Sadly, the match was just a few minutes long, and they got their rear ends handed to them fairly quickly and definitively. But hey, TV time!
It’s stunning to think that just six months ago, Titus and Apollo were challenging for the Raw Tag Team Championships. Since that time, the most notable things that have happened to Titus Worldwide are Apollo losing and regaining his last name, and yelling about seasoning food during the B-Team’s Memorial Day Barbecue.
17. Finn Balor
I can hear the screams now — How is Finn Balor ranked so low? He’s been hovering around the main event for a while. He’s one of the most popular superstars in all of the WWE. What could possibly justify being outside the top 15?
Easy: This week on Raw, he acted like a jerk. Granted, Baron Corbin is a jerk himself, and he got a little taste of his own medicine. But Balor decided to take the bully route, attacking Corbin’s appearance as opposed to something relevant to competition in the ring. You’d expect more from someone who tries to include everyone, but instead we got lousy jokes.
16. Matt Hardy (& Bray Wyatt)
Bray Wyatt’s absence this week due to injury deals a blow to the reigning Raw Tag Team Champions. The constant repetitiveness of Matt Hardy facing Curtis Axel is also a drag. If Wyatt was out this week and Hardy had to have yet another singles match, why not throw Bo Dallas in there for some variety?
Since winning the titles at the Greatest Royal Rumble, Hardy and Wyatt have had a somewhat lackluster run. Part of that is an indictment of the entire division — can’t have a good run if there’s no one to challenge for the titles. But the “Woken” act in its WWE incarnation is wearing thin, too.
15. Mojo Rawley
No longer hype, Mojo Rawley has slowly been working his way up the card as of late. It all started about two months ago, when Rawley answered the first Intercontinental Championship Open Challenge issued by Seth Rollins. Though a surprise choice to get the title shot, Rawley held his own in a pretty good match.
Since then, Rawley has sort of gone back under the radar. But for the past few weeks he’s been embroiled in a rivalry with No Way Jose and the members of his conga line. It’s getting a little repetitive, but what on Raw isn’t repetitive these days?
14. Baron Corbin
Admit it, when Baron Corbin announced himself as the “constable” of WWE Raw, you laughed and thought it was the stupidest thing ever. It was totally out of left field, it was a dumb and antiquated title not used in wrestling, and it was Baron Corbin.
But saying he’s been successful in the role would be an understatement. Big Banter Corbin has talked the talk and walked the walk since becoming Stephanie McMahon’s eyes and ears for the brand. This week, he came across as the better person in an exchange with Finn Balor, which is so shocking I can’t believe I actually wrote it down.
13. The B-Team
The undefeated streak lives on for Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas after the Axe Man beat Matt Hardy. The B-Team is gearing up for their first shot at the Raw Tag Team Championships, which is something no one would have dreamed up even six months ago.
Another singles win by Axel over Hardy may not be the best way to build towards a championship match, but it’s the hand we’ve been dealt. And as a sign that there may be some hope yet for the tag division on Raw, Axel and Dallas are the third team in this week’s rankings, with two more to come.
Speaking of more tag teams…
12. Authors of Pain
The Authors of Pain debuted on Raw just after WrestleMania, wrestled a few matches, then disappeared for months. Whatever the reason was for the layoff, it killed a bunch of the momentum Akam and Rezar had built up in their limited action. Thankfully, since returning a few weeks back, the former NXT Tag Team Champions have gotten right back to domination.
They’ve still got a bit of a ways to go to really cement their status as a force to be reckoned with. But it’s coming, for sure. Akam and Rezar just need to consistently connect with the crowd, and a few more squash matches could be an avenue to accomplish that goal.
11. Alexa Bliss
The Raw Women’s Champion didn’t have a whole lot to do this week. Alexa Bliss just had to play manager this week, as she was in the corner of her BFF Mickie James. But just because Bliss didn’t have a lot to do doesn’t mean she didn’t do a lot.
As James took on Nia Jax, Alexa tried to work her magic and create a diversion to allow James an easier path to victory. That’s the sort of thing you’ll do when you’ve just found out you have to defend your title in an Extreme Rules match. Plus, Ronda Rousey is promising to be at Extreme Rules in the front row, so Little Miss Bliss is a major player these days.
10. Bobby Lashley
If Bobby Lashley never spoke, he’d probably be everyone’s favorite superstar. He’s big, strong, and totally capable in the ring. But, hoo boy, when he opens his mouth, it’s some of the worst television on the planet.
Even worse than his promo work lately is the fact that he just walked away from a fight this week. Yes, Roman Reigns treated Bob like a jerk, that’s indisputable. Still, wouldn’t a guy like Lashley want to do something as opposed to nothing? Instead of leaving Reigns to get his beating, wouldn’t a noble military man step in to save him — even if only to launch his own attack? Lashley’s booking has been just terrible since his return, and it doesn’t show signs of changing any time soon.
9. Nia Jax
The former Raw Women’s Champion got her contractually guaranteed rematch turned into an Extreme Rules match, so she’s definitely in a good place right now. You’d have to think the stipulation would favor Jax, because now she can let out all her aggression on Alexa Bliss without fear of disqualification.
In action this week, Nia withstood a smartly wrestled match by Mickie James — not to mention she had the foresight to bring Natalya to ringside as an equalizer. The women’s division on WWE Raw lately has been a mixed bag for a variety of reasons, but Nia has been a bright spot more often than not.
8. The Revival
For the first time since their main roster call-up over a year ago, Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder look like a credible threat to anyone on Raw. And like it or not, it’s mainly because of Roman Reigns. It’s been nearly a month since The Revival first faced Reigns and Bobby Lashley, but in the three matches since the Top Guys have seen their stock go way up.
This week was the cherry on top for Dash and Dawson, though. You don’t deliver not one, but two Shatter Machines to the de facto top dog on WWE Raw without turning some heads. They may not be in the title hunt just yet, but The Revival are without a doubt positioned as the top tag team on Monday nights, and it’s been a long time coming.
7. Drew McIntyre
It feels almost criminal to say Drew McIntyre is like the odd man out of this mini-rivalry with Seth Rollins (and to a lesser extent, Roman Reigns). But the fact of the matter is Dolph Ziggler is the Intercontinental Champion, and Rollins is the main challenger. Whether fair or not, McIntyre is there as Ziggler’s muscle and insurance policy — even if Drew is much more than that.
Still, you can’t discount how good McIntyre has been since joining the Raw roster. And seeing him tie up with Reigns during the tag match this week was the best kind of sneak preview to a hopefully future match. The future is bright for McIntyre.
6. Roman Reigns
How many of you have read The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? Even if you haven’t, you probably know the story: a mild-mannered scientist drinks a potion that transforms him into a man of pure evil, as kind of an allegory for dual personalities.
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Roman Reigns is being booked like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde right now.
On the one hand, he’s a good friend when it comes to Seth Rollins. Reigns does the right thing by Rollins, and even gets the crowd on his side as he fights side by side with his Shield brother. But on the other hand, Roman is a real jerk when it comes to Bob Lashley. He refuses to acknowledge his weakened state, instead trying to be the superhero and win a tag match alone after being beaten mercilessly.
The goal may have been to make Reigns seem sympathetic, but that’s not how it came across. You can’t knock the guy too hard, though, since he’s basically being booked to feud with the entire roster at this point. But he needs a simple, straight-forward story right now, not this multi-faceted garbage.
5. Ember Moon
Ember Moon has quietly put together a nice little string of matches lately. And thanks to the questionable decisions the booking team has made within the rest of the division, Ember is basically the top woman competitor on Raw right now. We’ll see if that leads to future title matches, but right now she’s just queen of the hill.
4. Braun Strowman
3. Kevin Owens
Solely from an in-ring perspective, Braun Strowman and Kevin Owens had one of the worst main events in WWE Raw history. The match lasted about 45 seconds, with 10 of that being the referee counting Owens out as he ran like a scared child. Not great.
But if we take everything pertaining to Owens and Strowman out of this week’s show and look at it, there was obviously more to it. Most of the focus was on Owens, who is somehow one of the most sympathetic figures on Raw.
Owens spent the majority of the episode trying to get Kurt Angle to take action against Strowman for his rampant disregard of other people’s personal property — or safety. Angle, because he’s an idiot all of a sudden, says, HAHAHA NOPE AND NOW YOU GOTTA FIGHT THIS LUNATIC. Owens suggests counseling with Dr. Shelby, to which Angle says WE SETTLE THINGS IN THE RING HERE, UNLESS YOU’RE BAYLEY OR SASHA BANKS OR RONDA ROUSEY.
And then KO ended up inside a port-a-potty, and got thrown off the stage. Braun’s cartoon violence is getting more cartoony and less violent with each outburst, which is probably not a good thing. But he’s still Mr. Money in the Bank, so he’s likely just being booked like trash so his inevitable cash-in is a “surprise.”
2. Seth Rollins
The only part of WWE Raw lately that is consistently good lately is anything to do with Seth Rollins or Dolph Ziggler. It’s kind of a toss-up as to which one is more deserving of the top spot in these power rankings — I have half a mind to do a 1A and 1B next week if things continue on this track. But right now the tie breaker is who holds the Intercontinental Championship, which is the only men’s title on Raw worth a lick these days.
Rollins occupied the top spot of many of our earlier rankings during his stellar IC Title run. And he’s still regularly putting on the best match of the night each week. Hell, the guy is getting Roman Reigns cheered (albeit temporarily). How does he not sit permanently in the top tow or three?
1. Dolph Ziggler
Yes, the Show Off is the reigning Intercontinental Champion, which has elevated him to the top of this week’s power rankings. It’s been a stunning turnaround for Dolph Ziggler since the beginning of the year, when he was literally less than an afterthought as a member of the SmackDown Live roster. But since heading to Raw and joining up with Drew McIntyre, Ziggler is enjoying arguably the best run of his WWE career, world title runs included.
Think about it this way: Brock Lesnar’s continued absence with the Universal Championship has made the Intercontinental Championship the top prize on Raw. And Dolph freaking Ziggler is the guy who is now the top dog on WWE’s flagship show, a little more than six months after he walked away from a United States Championship run. At very least, we have to consider Ziggler as Most Improved for 2018.
Next: WWE Raw: 5 Takeaways from July 2
What do you think of this week’s WWE Raw power rankings?