It is officially the week of one of the most anticipated wrestling events of the year, the Royal Rumble. With just a few days until the PPV, the canvas is prepared and the image is set to be painted, but enough of that crap, what are this week’s Power Rankings looking like? This week, both shows did a great job of putting over the talent that needed it and solidified the status of the strongest superstars. RAW has been improving, but I think it is largely because it is Royal Rumble season and things get a little shaken up this time each year. We got to see an appearance from the Universal Champion and things will definitely be interesting Sunday night. Lesnar and advocate Paul Heyman kicked off the show and his appearance caught the attention of the boss, Mr. McMahon downplayed Finn Bálor in the upcoming Royal Rumble match, by the way, I think this seems like a way of casually letting us know that Bálor is taking the title, but maybe they’re just trying to add heat. Two favorites in the Rumble squared off in a good match Monday night and it was Seth Rollins scoring the pinfall victory over Drew McIntyre. This is just a case of teasing fans for a potential meeting between the two in the 30-man match, but it certainly did the job on RAW. The Women’s Royal Rumble gained another entry in the match and it was unexpected, but I think they could’ve waited until the match and made it a surprise. Alexa Bliss announced that she would be in the match and it’s great to see that she has finally been cleared for action. She is natural heel and that is something the women’s division is lacking on the RAW brand since her injury. Her announcement definitely makes things interesting, but I wish they would’ve made it a surprise. Heavy Machinery made their in-ring main roster debut and it was a squash match, but it put them in better spot after last week’s bad execution. Otis Dozovic is very entertaining and Tucker Knight is a great complement to him. I want to see them win the tag team titles as soon as possible. Ronda Rousey and Natalya vs. Sasha Banks and Bayley closed the program and they really couldn’t have done that any better. Technically this was Ronda first loss, but for all intents and purposes, I don’t think they’ll consider it her first actual loss though, because she didn’t take the fall. This time next Monday will be interesting to see how things work out on the red brand.

The Blue brand did another good job with their broadcast, but it just isn’t the same as RAW. Other than the Women’s division, it just didn’t do much for me concerning the upcoming PPV. Like I said, I thought it was a good show, but I don’t think anybody has a shot on SmackDown to be the Men’s Rumble winner, so naturally the show is less meaningful in this particular week. Becky Lynch kicked off the show, yet again, and it is always great television when she is running her mouth. Asuka interrupted her and then they both were confronted by Charlotte Flair. Lynch and Asuka had a brawl that made its way behind the curtain, which was interesting to see. Asuka is the favorite to retain, but WWE could change their mind and make Lynch champion again. Mandy Rose and Naomi had a match to progress that feud and Mandy Rose walked away with a pinfall victory. This rivalry doesn’t look like it’s over, so keep an eye on it. Next was a match with Cesaro and The Miz with their tag team partners in their respective corners. The match wasn’t really anything out of the ordinary, but the real heat came after the match when the SmackDown Tag Team Champions attacked Miz and Shane O’ Mac. Next on the show was the confrontation of AJ Styles and WWE Champion Daniel Bryan and was moderated by Mr. McMahon. The attempt was lacking something, but Daniel Bryan was great in his part of the segment. Samoa Joe looked strong Tuesday night, but I’m not expecting him to win the Rumble, but I think he will be a strong competitor though. I was excited to see another edition of Andrade vs. Rey Mysterio in a 2-out-of-3 falls match in the main event, but I would’ve loved to have seen a winner in the contest. Those were the recaps and now for this week’s Power Rankings.

- 10: Brock Lesnar (NR)

A lot of people probably aren’t going to like the fact that Brock Lesnar is on the weekly power ranking, but at The Sports Chief we aren’t going to play any games. Despite Lesnar not being seen on TV that often and despite the fact that most people do not like that he is the champion, he is an extremely valuable asset to the RAW brand and he showed that Monday night. His very presence makes us watch, and when he does perform at PPVs, he is top tier. He was ringside for the match between Braun Strowman and Finn Bálor and he interfered in the match. Bálor got a couple of hits on him, but Lesnar walked away after he hit Balor with the F-5. He doesn’t have to appear every week and at this point, it isn’t necessary. He’ll be hit and miss each week on the Power Rankings, but it is only because his participation on weekly programs, this week he deserved a spot in the Top 10.

- 9: Charlotte Flair (NR)

After not appearing in last week’s Power Rankings, The Queen is back at number 9 in this week’s edition. She didn’t compete in a match, but she delivered a great promo playing the role of master manipulator against Asuka and Becky Lynch. She did not appear on TV last week and it was the only reason why she wasn’t in my Top 10m, but she redeemed herself. She let her opponents and the WWE Universe know that she isn’t going to go away and guaranteed a Rumble victory. Flair is currently the favorite in the Royal Rumble, but things could change if Becky Lynch is in the match. If she plays her cards right, she legitimately could be Top 5 in next week’s rankings.

- 8: Andrade (3)

I didn’t want to put him this low in the ranking, but I really had no choice. Andrade and Rey Mysterio put on another excellent match, but the match didn’t have a decision. This hindered Andrade’s position in the Power Rankings this week. Samoa Joe interfered in the match after the fact that each competitor had a pinfall to their credit in the 2-out-of-3 falls match. Andrade’s manager, Zelina Vega was barred from ringside, which was an interesting twist, but as it turns out, it didn’t matter. The two absolutely should’ve had a declared winner. It would not tarnish Mysterio’s legacy if Andrade was victorious in another week, but I understand why they booked it that way. I don’t expect him to win the Rumble, but look for him to have a strong performance after the past few weeks.

- 7: Seth Rollins (NR)

Like Charlotte Flair, Rollins missed out on the Top 10 last week, but redeemed himself this week. Rollins looks primed for a solid run in the Rumble, if not a win. Also like Flair, he is the favorite in the Rumble currently and this week, he had a huge victory over Drew McIntyre. Is this a precursor to Sunday night? It is very possible. His promo before the match wasn’t extraordinary, but it got the job done. We’ll see how it plays out after Sunday night, but the WWE isn’t hiding the fact that Rollins is going to be their guy for the near future. Look for him to be very active in the Power Rankings in 2019.

- 6: Daniel Bryan (7)

Daniel Bryan didn’t compete, but like many others this week, his presence and promo work were phenomenal, no pun intended. His promo was so good, that he moved up one spot this week. However, the segment he was in was very weak, considering it was involving the WWE Champion and the former WWE Champion, AJ Styles. This bad showing from the number one contender was the reason why he wasn’t considered for this week’s Power Rankings. Mr. McMahon was also in the segment, but his job was to make the heel look bad, it was unsuccessful. Daniel Bryan keeps showing each week why he is the champion and it doesn’t look like he’s losing that title any time soon. Also, don’t look for him to be out of the Top 10 in the near future.

- 5: Ronda Rousey (8)

Most of the fans I’ve heard from on Twitter did not like Rousey’s performance on this week’s RAW. I absolutely loved it. She teamed up with Natalya to take on Sasha Banks and Bayley and the match was a solid showing by all involved, but most of the WWE fans didn’t like her promo prior to the match. I enjoyed it, because there was something different with her execution. It was unscripted. WWE fans have been begging for more unscripted, “real” moments from wrestlers and that’s exactly what they got from Rousey this week. Fans complain about scripted promos and they complain when they’re unscripted, because they aren’t perfect enough. In the words of Pam Beesly, pobody’s nerfect. Ronda showed raw emotion and the upcoming match is in a much better place than it was a couple weeks ago. Banks and Bayley won the match, but it wasn’t because of Ronda, Natalya tapped out to Sasha Banks and this was technically Rousey’s first loss. It was kind of an anti-climactic way to get her first loss, but I don’t think they really consider it her actual first loss. I’m not expect Ronda to lose the RAW Women’s Championship at the Royal Rumble, but anything is possible. It was also reported today that Ronda will not likely be a full-time competitor after WrestleMania. I kinda felt this was the case when she appeared at last year’s Royal Rumble, but with that in mind, it changes everything if true. Wrestlers usually exit a company with a loss regardless of the situation. In my last article, I said there was no way Rousey was losing at WrestleMania, but I was banking on her to extend her stay past April. It seems like it will be Flair or Lynch, or both, facing her at WrestleMania and now, one of them seem likely to take the RAW Women’s Championship.

- 4: Asuka (6)

Asuka looked like a champion Tuesday night. She defended her honor and created more chaos heading into the Royal Rumble PPV. She interrupted Becky Lynch and again yelled at The Man in Japanese. This is working for her character right now and her ring presence is off the charts. She then attacked Lynch from behind and the action spilled to the backstage area. It was a very strong showing from all involved in the opening segment of SmackDown Live. Heading into the Rumble she will definitely bring it in a match that I’m expecting to be a great contest. I don’t think she’ll lose the title, because she hasn’t had a very long tenure as champion, but crazier things have happened for sure.

- 3: Becky Lynch (2)

The Man has been in the Top 3 in every week of The Sports Chief’s WWE Power Rankings and I honestly don’t expect things to change. I didn’t want to drop her down a spot this week, but again, I had no choice. There were two competitors with a stronger week. Lynch didn’t compete this week, so that is largely the reason why she dropped. It seems like a recurring theme this week in the Top 10, but the WWE is resting their superstars going into their big matches and obviously you want your top competitors at full strength. Lynch opened the show again on SmackDown Live and she was very strong. It isn’t looking like she’s going to be champion again on Sunday night, but it could happen. At this point, it is more likely she wins the Rumble, but she isn’t confirmed for the match. Obviously if she wins the SmackDown Women’s title, she won’t be in the Rumble, but how they handle this whole situation heading into WrestleMania will be an interesting one to keep an eye on.

- 2: Sasha Banks (4)

The Boss has been one of the strongest performers in the whole company the past couple of weeks. She solidified her status this week in her match in the main event. She teamed with Bayley and took down Ronda Rousey and Natalya with a submission victory. Banks has put in great work on the mic as well since her feud started with Rousey. I fully expect her match with Ronda Rousey to be an excellent showing and if you guys read my last article, one in which she could possibly take down the RAW Women’s Champion. I’m not expecting it, but it would be an interesting approach moving forward. I still expect Sasha to still be in the Top 10 in the near future due to the upcoming Women’s Tag Team title chase. She and Bayley are favorites to be the inaugural champs, but we’ll find that out next month at Elimination Chamber.

- 1: Finn Bálor (1)

And now the reigning, defending, number one spot in the Power Rankings!!!! Finn Bálor!!! The Bálor Club has been strong over the last few weeks and for good reason. Bálor has had the most momentum in the whole company heading into the PPV. He confronted Brock Lesnar, Braun Strowman, Mr. McMahon on Monday night, which led to a match between him and Strowman. Lesnar interfered in the match and Bálor won by DQ. If you disregard the outcome, Bálor looked very strong and looks to be primed for a big match on Sunday. Bálor will take a beating at Royal Rumble, but it is not out of the realm of possibility at this point for him to become the new Universal Champion. I want to see if the Demon is unleashed at the Rumble. If so, look for RAW to have a new champ and look for Bálor to be number one for three straight weeks on The Sports Chief’s WWE Power Rankings.

Yacs

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WWE Power Rankings: Week of January 24th - 29th