WWE Power Rankings, RAW 01/07/2015

Coming at you from Corpus Christi, and welcome to the first RAW of 2015!  But really, this week’s RAW was just an extension of the final RAW of 2014, which oddly was one of the best RAW’s of 2014.  

Leave it to the WWE to bury one of the their best shows on a Monday that everyone in the world could foresee being the least watched.  Let’s not dwell on the negative.  We’ll chalk that up to all the other mistakes in 2014.  It’s 2015 so we’re going to be positive and look to the future because while the execution of how they delivered the storylines, the WWE pushed almost all their major players forward.

The power rankings will be quick this week because we’re starting the year off fresh but here are a few notes from the past few weeks.  Check out the BEARcast - WrestleCast (www.worldofbear.com and subscribe on iTunes) where we discuss all the goings on from the past two weeks.

Quickly, let’s recap what we learned over the past two RAW’s.  Again, lets not dwell on the execution (which was terrible) but rather, where we are now:

• Daniel Bryan is back and will be in the Royal Rumble.  You would have thought that this would be a big deal considering Bryan had one of the best starts to any year in 2014 but I guess it was only good enough to make note of on last week’s unwatched RAW versus the first RAW of the year which more fans would be watching?  What do I know…
• We have new Tag Champs, congrats to The Usos.
• Wade Barrett is back
• Christian has officially retired.  He and Edge (not my favorite duo but…) had a huge impact on the future of the WWE.  With their health and safety in peril, Cena attempted to save them by bringing back The Authority.
• The Authority is BACK!
• Rollins being the impetus of The Authority’s return, is now part of a triple-threat match for the WHC at Royal Rumble
• A new Total Divas season started and is still a miserable train wreck aside from one new addition which I’ll get to later.
• Randy Orton sightings (not just in Jameis Winston memes / GIFs) have been written about but we’ve not seen him on TV yet.  Is he the surprise comeback of this year’s Royal Rumble?
• The Ascension made their long awaited debut
• Eden “Stiles” took over announcing duties on Smackdown and temporarily on RAW (listen to the podcast for more details).  She’s hot so that’s the only reason I made note of this.  Beyond doing a fantastic job at selling Stardust, locking Eden down was Cody Rhodes greatest accomplishment of 2014.
• The opening of this week’s RAW was interesting to see who and where everyone was placed around John Cena.  There was a mysterious brother just to the right of Cena who for the life of me I could not name.  I challenge anyone to tell me who that was?  The correct answer can be heard on this week’s BEARcast as Fred solved the mystery.  
• I’m sure I’m missing others but…
• BOOKER T was filling in for The King which always brings joy to my life and at the same time turns Miriam Webster’s body in her grave like a roasting pig at a college football tailgating party.  Someone will have to explain to me why black people are not able to correctly pronounce the word “ambulance”.
• Also, listening to Cole try to stay PG and dance around the explanation of the Pot Brownie practical joke Paige pulled on Natalya was comical especially when in the next segment, Booker T just blurts out, “Ambrose shot his load early!”  Did I tell you how much I love Booker T’s announcing?!

2015 is going to be great!  

So with that, let’s get to the rankings as of this week’s RAW on 1/05/2015...

1. HHH and Stephanie – The Authority is back.  Don’t ask me how or why because it will only set me off on story telling 101 tangent.  The point is, they’re back and the WWE does need them.  Stephanie was one of, if not THE best mic workers in 2014 and started off 2015 as if she’s looking to repeat this year.  While HHH was having a hard time trying to get out all the words, what he was trying to say was very important.  They wasted no time making their return felt by firing all of Cena’s teammates from Survivor Series (other than the traitorous Big Show).  I’m sure by The Rumble, Ziggler / Ryback / Rowan will all be back fighting the good fight.  I’d be remiss if I didn’t continue my due diligence regarding being the WWE-fashion monitor, especially in light of the passing of the great Joan Rivers last year.  I love Stephanie.  I think she’s beautiful but she needs (and can afford) a stylist.  It’s as if she can only put together half a good outfit.  She had on a wonderful pair of fuck-me-boots but then destroyed her look with an ill fitting dress that made her look like she had feathers.  C-plus this week.  You can do better Steph, I know you can.   
   
2. Seth Rollins w/ Minions – For the sheer fact that he’s now part of the WHC, which is now a Triple Threat match.  At the moment he’s the top full-time heel.  Also, if he needs help from Kane and J&J just to beat Ryback, how is he supposed to win the WHC against Cena or Lesnar?
3. John Cena – Watching the old clips of Cena makes me wonder how I was ever a fan before.  I have much more appreciation of THIS Cena.  Am I joining Team Cena?  Maybe 2015 is the year I lose my mind?
   
4. Wade Barrett – Yes this is probably too high but he left as a solid IC champ and had to give up his belt.  He regained it in a very good match with Ziggler to start off 2015.  While there could have been more creative ways to put the strap on him (as there could have been more creative ways to bring back The Authority) what’s done is done and he needed it more than Ziggler at this point in time.
   
5. Dolph Ziggler – With the status of his hair, he’s giving me Ric Flair (sans blood) flashbacks.  Once Ziggler lost the IC belt the first time and went on to become the star of Survivor Series, there was no need for him to regain the IC belt.  The match with BnB was a great way to start 2015 and even though he’s “fired” I expect big things.
6. Paige – I’ve got a new crush.  She’s been great in and out of the ring.  She was the only thing interesting on Total Divas.  I’m falling in love with her fun-loving youthful personality that doesn’t seem like every step she takes is methodically planned out.
   
    
7. Miz and Damien Miz-dow w/ Alicia Fox – I forgot how much I missed these guys over the holidays.  I may have checked out Miz and Maryse’s Instagram pics from their holiday party and while I’m not one for the old KayFabe rules, Miz-dow was not at the party and it was a complete disappointment.  Until their eventual feud culminates in the curtain jerker at WM31, Miz and Miz-dow should sleep, breath and eat this gimmick 24/7.  It’s only for four more months, is that too much to ask?
8. Bray Wyatt – We’re still sticking with this feud?  I love both these guys but haven’t we seen all there is between these two?  With back-2-back Sister Abigails, Wyatt beat Ambrose, again.  
   
9. Dean Ambrose – Let me answer some of Booker T’s in depth questions.  Yes, those are tables in the ambulance.  Yes, those are chairs in the ambulance.  AND yes, Dean Ambrose was going to leap from the top of the ambulance.   Why the fuck do you think there was a dedicated camera planted on top of the ambulance, solely to capture Ambrose’s leap so that we can see it over and over again in upcoming previews of how crazy he is.   
10. The Usos w/ Naomi – They’ve got their mean streak, they’re still over as a face tag team, they again hold the Tag Team straps, Naomi got herself off the train wreck that is Total Divas and is proving that she’s going to be one of the top in-ring Divas.  Life is good for The Usos and The Usos Fans.   
11. Roman Reigns – You know how you can tell Michael Cole is a true professional?  He didn’t even flinch or stammer when he had to say, “This is the next chapter in the Big Show / Reigns feud.”  There would be no way those words could come out of my mouth without laughing, stuttering, calling bullshit or choking myself with my own tongue.  The only feud more tiresome than the Wyatt / Ambrose feud is Big Show / Reigns but at least Wyatt and Ambrose can put on a decent match.  Lastly, for all the people that knock Reigns for his lack of mic skills, I’ll again have you look at the Angle / Cena promo from when Cena first debuted.  It was awful too but now look at where Cena’s at.  Hell, the same can be said for all the greats from HBK to SCSA to The Rock to Bret Hart… well maybe not Bret Hart (shhhhh, don’t tell Fred I said that… www.worldofbear.com )
12. Big E w/ The New Day – This is more about potential.  They desperately need to pull a heel turn to make this gimmick work.  If not, they won’t be around past WM31.
13. The Ascension – They should have laid waste to the old school jobbers* first, and then give their blasphemous promo that so desperately tried to put distance between them and being Road Warriors 2.0.  But would being this generation’s Road Warriors be the worst thing?  It would be a hell of a lot better than crowd killers.  Their promo just about put the good people of Corpus Christi into a coma.
    
14. Rusev w/ Lana – So I got a ton of grief leaving Rusev off the Top 20 of 2014 but based on their repetitive and boring promo, I think I was more than justified.  For someone who has the US Championship, an undefeated streak, the Russian Gold Star and a first class side-piece; you’re telling me Jack-fucking-Swagger-round-3 is what we can look forward to?
15. Natalya sans Tyson Kidd – Pleasantly surprised by the match she had with N-Bella, her current gimmick (or non gimmick) with Tyson Kidd and performance with Paige on RAW and Total Divas.  There’s something very nerdy but very enduring about Natalya.  Add in that she always puts on a solid match, she could have a very good 2015.
16. N-Bella w/ B-Bella – If I am surprised by Natalya, The Bellas have been a shock.  They’re not great at any one thing but overall, they’ve been very solid these last few months in everything they’ve done.  I’m not ready to give them Paige, AJ Lee or even Natalya / Alicia Fox credit yet but they both have a distinct style and have stepped up their game from previous years.
    
     
17. Adam Rose / Cesaro / Tyson Kidd – 1) I love the idea of Adam Rose being the Rosebud deity / overload.  “When I say dance, you dance!”  It’s weird but better than a poor-man’s Russell Brand.  2) Cesaro and Kidd are both extremely talented and need something, ANYTHING!  If this partnership gives them a push, I’m all for it.   
18. Luke Harper vs Erick Rowan – We all saw this one coming once The Wyatt Family dissolved but what the fuck is the deal with J&J getting involved.  I’m all for a fun time and some goofiness but this was a classic case of over-booking.  Is Harper with The Authority?  Is this just an act against Rowan by The Authority due to his ties with Cena?  If they were going to have fun, do it elsewhere.  This is just making a mess of a potentially good feud.
19. Big Show – This feud with Reigns can’t end soon enough.  
20. Ryback – Gobbling up negativity like Adderall, horse testosterone, HGH and any other P.E.D. he can get his hands on.  Maybe I watched too many jail shows on MSNBC and CNBC over the holidays but Ryback looks like a convict strait out the yard who could only get a job with a moving company while on parole. 

Honorable Mentions

Korporate Kane – Old man Kane inserted himself into most of the segments.  Later that night he had to hurry home before the neighborhood kids TP’d his house and he could yell at them to “get off his lawn.”

Alicia Fox / Naomi – I feel so uncomfortable with this.  I was squinting through the whole segment which ended with the other Divas getting involved.  The WWE will never truly breakthrough with the Divas division if the only personas are sultry vixen or crazy bitch.   

Jobbers in Blue – I can’t remember the last time we’ve seen actual jobbers.  It took me back to my youth, watching Saturday morning wrestling.  Special props to whomever these guys are but I give them credit because The Ascension could have easily destroyed the likes of Heath Slater and Zack “Broski” Ryder.  

Until next week…

WK

@wkbear