Smark Out Moment

Welcome to another edition of Power Rankings from Smark Out Moment! Each week, we will break down the current roster and examine who has gone up the WWE hierarchy and who has unfortunately taken a step down the ladder. Factoring in things such as wins and losses, suspensions, injuries, making a name for one's self, being humiliated, and more, who is at the top of the food chain and who needs to make up some ground next week?



The now former Face of America props up the Power Rankings this week, as Kevin Owens lost his United States Championship to AJ Styles at a house show in Madison Square Garden. On the plus side, his commentary on the prior SmackDown Live was extremely entertaining… don't know if that'll give him much comfort right now, but it's something.


While he could not repeat his Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal victory on SmackDown Live, Mojo Rawley was positioned as a standout eliminator. Rawley would toss out Luke Harper, Erick Rowan and his own Hype Bros partner Zack Ryder during this match, before being dumped by Sami Zayn's Helluva Kick.


Fresh off her second consecutive Money in the Bank victory, Carmella cut another excellent promo on SmackDown Live to revel in her success. However, Daniel Bryan's decision to suspend James Ellsworth for 30 days has temporarily ended the Princess of Staten Island's insurance policy. Devious as ever though, it will be interesting to see how and when she decides to cash in her opportunity.


In one fell swoop, two prominent SmackDown Live superstars returned and set up a match for Battleground, although it didn't feel as satisfying as they would have hoped. John Cena's return on the 4th of July was a big deal, but Rusev returning to challenge him and revert back to his anti-American shtick has got this feud off to a bland start. Hopefully, the in-ring action will make up for an outdated rivalry based on national stereotypes.


Another almost moment for Sami Zayn, as he finished runner-up in the SmackDown Battle Royal to determine the next challenger for the United States Championship. It was certainly fun to see Zayn tangle with AJ Styles and tease what a longer, high-stakes match between the two could be like, but eventually Zayn fell victim to a timely Pele Kick.


The Universal Champion Brock Lesnar might be in for one of the fights of his career at Great Balls of Fire, but doesn't seem to be sweating it. Lesnar was calm and collected on the go-home show of Raw, letting Paul Heyman do most of the talking against a focused and intense Samoa Joe. Lesnar's mere presence though continues to help elevate this feud, which has arguably been the best storyline WWE has produced so far in 2017.


Bayley pretty much lucked her way onto this list, but I guess it's about time she caught a break or two. Teaming with Sasha Banks against Alexa Bliss and Nia Jax, Bayley started out with plenty of fire, but that was extinguished by the power of Jax and she was forced to retreat backstage. Still, Banks picking up the win against the odds means Bayley technically also won. Hooray for technicalities!


A loss littered with positives, Chad Gable continues to reassert himself on SmackDown Live after months in the wilderness. This week, Gable had a very competitive contest with AJ Styles, after Kevin Owens demanded they face off to earn the right to enter the Number One Contender's Battle Royal. Gable came up short but continues to impress with his technically sound wrestling. However, what does his sole success mean for the future of American Alpha?


Heath Slater was offered a huge opportunity on Raw when General Manager Kurt Angle gave him a shot at The Miz's Intercontinental Championship. Always an underdog, Slater got a few hope shots against The Miz, with many in the crowd buying into the near falls as he desperately fought in pursuit of his first singles title. It wasn't enough, as distractions from the Miztourage and concern for his partner Rhyno saw Slater fall victim to a Skull Crushing Finale.


It was a toss-up between these two teams, as both produced some cutting lyrics in their Rap Battle. From Big E's breasts to The Usos carrying Roman Reigns' bags, nothing was off limits in this war of words. However, for my money, The Usos stood tallest at the end for the reference to Xavier Woods' sex tape leak with Paige. Line of the year.


205 Live's main event featured a competitive contest between Rich Swann and TJP, who appear to be back on the same page after TJP's heel turn a few months ago. This friendly rivalry has continued though, with Swann picking up the victory after a flurry of near-falls.


He may have had to eat a set of steel steps and an RKO to get there, but Aiden English registered a win over Randy Orton on SmackDown Live, albeit by disqualification. Still, English took the initiative early by attacking Orton from behind and used this opportunity to build up his petulant heel character. Despite his loss, this was the best English has looked since Simon Gotch's release.


Seth Rollins clearly isn't paid by the hour, as he decimated Curt Hawkins with his knee strike in under ten seconds. Another simple victory for Rollins as his 'feud' with Bray Wyatt continues to trudge on. Hopefully, after this atrocity ends, Rollins can start to work towards something more substantial and meaningful.


Samoa Joe continues to be the driving force behind the awesome feud for the Universal Championship. Joe was aggressive and no-nonsense in Raw's interview segment with Brock Lesnar, challenging the champion to another fight backstage before being dragged away by security. Joe has caught the eye of many with the quality of his performances during this storyline, and don't be too surprised if he walks away with the title at Great Balls of Fire.


In what I can only hope is the end of a rivalry that feels like it's been going twenty years, Cedric Alexander finally rid himself of Noam Dar and Alicia Fox with his victory on Raw. For a feud that has been going so long, the two-minute blow-off match felt like quite the anticlimax. But, Alexander is ready for something new, and maybe even a shot at the Cruiserweight Championship.


The power of the promo is present in Enzo Amore, who cut another blistering speech to open the most recent episode of Monday Night Raw. Amore appeared genuine, realistic and passionate in everything he said, and showed no fear in attacking his much larger rival Big Cass backstage afterwards. For my money, Amore has outshone Cass completely in this entire angle, but that won't change the fact he'll almost certainly be crushed by his former best friend at Great Balls of Fire.


Although Randy Orton technically lost his match on SmackDown Live to Aiden English, I think it's safe to say who walk out feeling better about themselves. After English's cheap shot put him in control, Orton responded with his typical viciousness, tossing his opponent to ringside and battering him with the steel steps and an RKO for good measure. This was less of a match and more of a message sent to WWE Champion Jinder Mahal before their Punjabi Prison Match at Battleground.


As has been the case for much of the last three years, Roman Reigns stood tall at the conclusion of the latest Raw. After being launched into an ambulance by Braun Strowman last week, Reigns returned to assault the giant, attacking him up the ramp and spearing him from the stage onto a stack of tables on the floor. Expect the brutality to ramp up even further in Sunday's Ambulance Match.


Directionless would be an apt word to describe Finn Balor right now, as he meanders toward a throwaway match against Elias Sampson. Still, he enjoyed a good match and victory on Raw this week against Raw Tag Champion Cesaro, which makes up for the fact that he has no match set for Great Balls of Fire and no championship prospects in the near future. Well, it slightly makes up for it at least.


The Monster among Men remains one of the biggest highlights on Raw for his directness and sheer power. But, his match against Apollo Crews continued to demonstrate how much Strowman has developed in the ring. I can't recall the last time I watched a Strowman match and was not engaged throughout, and this was no exception. He destroyed Crews with four running powerslams, before hitting another on Titus O'Neil. Nevertheless, Strowman ended the night on a sour note after being speared off the stage by Roman Reigns.


Sasha Banks breaks into the Top Five for this week after beating both of Raw's top female heels essentially single-handedly. After Bayley was taken backstage by referee's following an assault from Nia Jax, Banks was able to withstand the handicap scenario. She held off Jax's might and locked Raw Women's Champion Alexa Bliss in the Bank Statement for the submission victory. If this scenario happens at Great Balls of Fire, there will be a new Boss on top of the Raw women's division.


By hook or by crook, The Miz registered a successful title defense on Raw this week. Forced to defend his Intercontinental Championship against Heath Slater by Kurt Angle, the Miz relied on his greater experience and the aid of his new Miztourage to retain his title. His next challenger, Dean Ambrose, will have to be on guard from the antics of Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas if he is to wrench the belt from The Miz's shoulder.


Another week, another successful title defense for SmackDown Women's Champion Naomi. After Lana successfully argued her shoulder wasn't fully down when she was pinned by Naomi last week, the champion left this result in no doubt. She quickly wrapped the Ravishing Russian up in the FTG submission and forced her to tap in only ten seconds. Hopefully that's their last encounter for a while, as it's time to find Naomi some real competition.


Two wins in two days for the King of the Cruiserweights secures Neville the runner-up spot on the Power Rankings for this week. Building momentum for his upcoming title defense against Akira Tozawa at Great Balls of Fire, Neville handily disposed of Mustafa Ali on Raw and then Lince Dorado on 205 Live, forcing both to tap out to the Rings of Saturn. In this sort of form, does Tozawa stand a chance against the dominant Cruiserweight Champion?


There is a New Face of America in WWE, and there was no doubt AJ Styles would be sitting at the top of the Power Rankings after an outstanding week. On SmackDown, Styles withstood a grueling match with Chad Gable before winning a hotly contested Battle Royal to determine Kevin Owens' next challenger. Then, at a house show in Madison Square Garden, Styles shocked the world by defeating Owens and becoming the new United States Champion. All in all, a pretty phenomenal week for the Phenomenal One.