WWE Power Rankings, RAW 9-09-2013

Coming at you from Toronto, this week Raw started off with a guest appearance from HoF Superstar Edge.  Truthfully, I’ve never been a huge fan of Edge on his own.  I’ll grant that he and Christian had some of the greatest TLC matches with the Hardys and Dudleys, and was involved in one of the most intriguing and destructive behind the scenes feuds (Matt H / Edge / Lita) of all time, but personally he’s never been an individual Superstar that I liked.  But, as with all things in the wrestling world, time passes and absence makes the heart grows fonder.  You can already guess that he’ll be in the Honorable Mention section later on.  Don’t forget that Night of Champions is this coming Sunday, which is always makes for a toss up to whether a lot or a little will happen on the RAW before a PPV.  This show was the opposite of last week.  It was packed with action and story lines.  So with that, let’s get to the rankings as of this week’s RAW on 9/09/2013...

1. HHH (1, last week) – It’s going to take a lot, these days, to knock HHH off the top spot.  He’s killing the “Vince” roll.  The WWE is in good hands with HHH and Stephanie running things.  He and the writers have taken a sledgehammer to the Fourth Wall.  I’m eating it up and am all in.  
2. Daniel Bryan (2) – He’s riding high.  First, he’s the only person that comes off Total Divas, a cunt-punt of a show, in a good light.  The crowd can’t get enough of him.  If he just comes out and doesn’t screw up, he owns the arena.  Not to mention he got a nice shot on RKO to finish the show, he’ll stay at the top. 
3. Randy Orton (5) – Standing next to HHH, he really does “look” the part of the WWE champion.  They’re playing this perfectly and Orton hasn’t been this good in years.  All he has to be is a dick and he’s getting an “A” so far.  Plus another “A” for the RAW match with Goldust, he’s staying at the top too.
4. Cody and Dustin “Goldust” Rhodes (10) – Can we all acknowledge that Goldie looks great after not being on RAW for years.  At times, he’s looked like a stuffed sausage but tonight he came out on fire and in shape.  Even if this was just to give Cody time off for a honeymoon (if I’m going to go with the on-air story), I’m glad to see Goldust kicking ass again.  Obviously RKO and Daniel Bryan have their feud going but Cody Rhodes (and fingers crossed, Goldust) is up to something.  I guess we’ll have to wait another week to find out.
5. The Wyatt Family (8) – There’s so much going on with this clan, I really don’t know what I’m more excited about.  What did they do with Kane?  Who and / or what is going to be “Sister Abigail”?  I don’t even know who they’re supposed to be feuding with but I want more. 
6. Santino Marella (N/A) – OK, I know we’re new to this so you don’t know that I’m a HUGE Santino mark.  It took everything for me not to put his return to TV strait to #1, if only for the week.  I won’t make a total mockery of the list and I’ll leave him out of the top five, but you have to give me that.  At least for his return.  The man does whatever he’s told, literally whatever he’s told.  He does what he’s told and he cashes his checks.  He is the man.  Long live Italy, long live wrestling and long live Santino!  I might just power walk to work tomorrow.
7. The Shield (3) – As long as they’re going to be fighting and putting in work, the list would be incomplete without them.  They’re the three horsemen of the McMahon / HHH apocalypse.  Again, Ambrose has been solid in the ring and “sources said” he was good on the mic but has proven to be good in ring as well. 
8. Paul Heyman (7) – His first appearance, even without a mic, he’s moving the story forward toward the Night of Champions.  And for god’s sake, who DID put the water in the hallway!?!?!?  Clearly a result of the substandard Canadian OSHA work environment and regulations. Well, damn it, we may never know.  Back for a second time in the ring, with Dr. Kerschenbaum (damn you Canadian healthcare system for making Mr. Heyman bring his own doctor / local “jobber” to Canada, wait what, I would never insinuate something like the fine well built Dr. K of being a jobber).  Does anyone sell the oldest gimmicks in the world better than Heyman?  With what I can only assume is the power of the holy spirit he was able to bolt out of the ring area once CM Punk came down.  He’s awesome.
9. CM Punk (9) – I still don’t prefer him as a face but he did what he needed to do before the NoC this weekend.  Like Curtis Axel, let’s get this done with so we can move forward and see what’s next.  Punk might be tied to Axel (match-wise) but he is the Superstar so he stays in the top of this list.
10. Dolph Ziggler (4) – This is Ziggler’s curse.  He so good at putting other people over that he keeps loosing which has led to the fact that he hasn’t gotten a solid push / run.  NOW they throw him in against the Wyatts?  Put him in a good feud ASAP and put a belt on him.  C’mon WWE!  I don’t like to having to drop Ziggler for not having anything to do.  It’s getting hard to keep him in the top 10.
11. AJ Lee (11) – OK, I was going to knock her down or keep her off the list, but the second I heard, “I think I’m a little too old for you Jerry, I’m 26. I know you like ‘um younger.” She had me again.  She’s killing the mic like any other top male wrestler.  Am I really going to have to reevaluate how I look at female wrestlers? Not since ECW’s Francine, have I cared about what a chick wrestler is up to.  I’ll have to sit alone and think about this one for a while.
12. Alberto Del Rio (17) – Solid match.  He’s the World Champ and we’ll see how he hold up against RVD this weekend.  Honestly, this should be a good match.  The two of them have the skill-set to put on an entertaining match.  Fingers crossed.
13. Zeb Colter / Antonio Cesaro (N/A) – AC seems to be a fine wrestler.  Zeb knows how to walk the line and push some very specific buttons.  Unfortunately they’ve been thrown together in this weird tag team plot (along with Jack Swagger).  I’m down for a good Canadian crowd shoot.  Zeb did well on the mic and AC did his job in the ring against Santino.
14. The Big Show (15) – ‘Show should be applauded for putting that old TV out of its misery.  To turn the ‘Show into a blubbering 500 pound crying machine is quite a feat, either by the WWE or The Big Show himself.  I’ve almost had enough of this bit and hopefully the torture of the big man will end soon or phase into something bigger after NoC.
15. Damien Sandow (16) – You should all recognize greatness.  It’s not my fault you people are too dumb to see that Sandow has no feud or gimmick going on except for having the MITB leather case.  Good for him to be able to get time on a packed show.
16. RVD (6) – There’s one rule with RVD, don’t let him do shoots alone.  Unless it’s a tongue-in-cheek promo, keep him off the mic.  Yet another match that showed why he’d headline ECW shows.  It doesn’t matter who or why he was fighting someone, his matches were entertaining.  
17. Curtis Axel (N/A) – He’s got talent but he’s still got training wheels on.  Is it me or does anyone else get the sense that Heyman might turn on him big time?  I’m sure I’m not predicting anything groundbreaking but with Heyman guiding him, his chances of “doing something” are much better.  I must also remember to pump the breaks and know that it takes years for guys to really get a foothold in the biz.  He’s made a big splash and already had good recognition.  Let’s see what happens at Night of Champions and next week’s RAW to know which direction the WWE is going to go with him.
18. The Miz (13) – He’s back on the show and making an impact.  He’s better off than where here was a few months ago.  He’s in the mid-card range where you go up and down with the week.  His drop isn’t about what he did or didn’t do, it’s just about actual space on the show, see Fandango next...
19. Fandango (14) – Not much to report.  This was a week of shows where the big matches and story lines take precedence.  His story line with The Miz is fine.  In ring, they should put on a good match.  There’s only so much air time RAW has.  Sometimes it seems like they can’t possibly fill three hours and others, it seems like they have to cram too much in.  Tonight, Miz and Fandango are a result of the latter.  
20. R-Truth (N/A) – Who, deep down, doesn’t like to see RT out there?  If you don’t, then you’re just someone who doesn’t like to have fun.  Even if it was a glorified “job-ing”.

Honorable Mentions

Edge – I can’t put guest hosts or non-wrestling spots in the rankings (this isn’t ‘Nam, there’re rules Smokey).  Good shoot working in Cowboy Bob Orton’s broken arm for what seemed to be 10 years.  Seeing Edge brought back great memories and he also did a great job of kicking off the show in his hometown (or was his hometown until HHH annexed it and kicked him out).

Christian – He’s back on the list if only to be thrown out like a dead fish.

All Other Tag Teams, that aren’t The Shield - Funk / Sweet-T, USOS, Primetime Players, All Americans and 3MB shouldn’t be on this list but since one of these teams is going to go against The Shield, I’m giving them some face time.  Like I said, this show was packed.  This really just goest to show how strong The Shield is.  Which ever crappy opponent they fight is getting a mention.  Maybe I’m just delirious or generous from a long weekend of football?  

Canada – Always a great crowd when you go north of the boarder.  They take their wrestling seriously and know their shit.  I don’t know why they were chanting the announcer’s names but I’m sure there was some joke to it.

Jerry “The King” Lawler – He didn’t die! The King’s return to Canada went smoothly and safely.  I only bring this up because he almost DIED ON AIR due to a heart attack the last time RAW was in Canada. 

Ricardo Rodriguez / Ryback – Both were solid and integral push the RVD / ADR match this weekend.  I should have put one of the two on the list but it’s hard to put Valets / ring announcers and Ryback over the fun of R-Truth.  I’m open to having my mind changed, just make the point.  I can get behind “Ryback rules” like “O’Doyle Rules”.

Kofi Kingston – Although he really didn’t do anything, he made it on the card.  Like The Miz and Fandango, this was a packed show so it was nice to see him get air time.  Unlike Miz / Fandango, he’s not in any storyline so he gets HM.

Side Note(s) – It was a rumor that hit the Twitter during Sunday football, that Goldust was going to fight RKO.  I’ve been asking and praying to the wrestling gods to have a Cody Rhodes / Goldust feud but my prayers have been ignored.  We got a glimpse of this at the last Royal Rumble but nothing further because Cody was in the middle of his run with Sandow.  Now that Goldust (Dustin Rhodes) has dawned the gold paint and bodysuit, I can only pray again that we get to see SOME / ANY storyline with Cody and Goldust to continue.  It’s the one match you could put in the top tier of a PPV and I wouldn’t need any lead up or hype to be 100% in.

One last thing about Goldust; I feel 10 - 20 years ago, Goldust was way ahead of his time.  The character totally pushed the limits of sexuality / homosexuality in the WWE world.  At the time, I’m sure Vince used Goldust as a heel or scary character.  It’s no secret that this is a very macho “sport” (even though it’s sweaty greased up hulks wrestling almost nude) but it was always an easy insult to claim or infer a character to be gay which meant them to be weak.  Goldust was never weak, in fact Dustin Rhodes was / is a great wrestler and was always a tough opponent no matter the gimmick.  With the change in times, Goldust is a perfect and transcendent character in 2013.  He would no longer be a mock of the LBGT but could be a hero of the movement and would be 1000 times more acceptable as a top Superstar.

Wyatt and Ziggler had a great match.  The two of them are both solid in the ring.  Even on a bad night, they’d probably steal the show if given the chance.  It’s too bad we don’t get to see a full match between the two of them.  

In all seriousness, Antonio Cesaro and Santino should feud for the intercontinental strap.  If they went at it for “real”, I have no doubt they’d put on a great match. 

It should be no surprise Orton and Goldust put on a good match.  With both men being legacies, I can only imagine they’ve known each other for years and these two have probably been wrestling each other since they were kids.

Can’t say it enough, this was a packed show.  It goes to show how strong and well stocked the WWE is right now.  Thanks for reading, please share with a friend.  

Until next week...