It was the biggest weekend since WrestleMania (and arguably a better one too), but what did it mean for our Uncrowned power rankings? Here’s where we stand after more than 12 hours of PLE-quality wrestling.
It was the biggest weekend in pro wrestling since WrestleMania (and arguably a better one too), but what did it mean for our Uncrowned power rankings? From new champions and No. 1 contenders to one of the most unexpected Money In The Bank cash-ins in years, there was plenty to upset the hierarchy in both major promotions.
Here’s where our rankings stand after more than 12 hours of PLE-quality wrestling across a frantic weekend.
MEN’S POWER RANKINGS
10. LA Knight (Prev: NR)
Is the long-standing fan favorite finally primed for the world title scene? LA Knight might not have triumphed in the gauntlet match on “WWE Raw” to determine Gunther’s next contender, but his inclusion in the match in the first place was interpreted as a big sign as to WWE’s future intentions for “The Megastar.” If you need a babyface contender to take on a heel champion like Gunther (or maybe even Seth Rollins) before long, surely he has to be the go-to choice?
9. MJF (Prev: NR)
Is it a coincidence that “AEW Dynamite” has been on a roll at the same time that MJF is hitting his stride again? No doubt wrestling’s most arrogant man would be quick to take the credit in either case, and given the quality of his work with Jay Briscoe and Místico, can you really blame him? Having emerged victorious in the Men's Casino Gauntlet match at All In, AEW’s most charismatic heel suddenly finds himself at the front of the queue for a world title shot. There’s no doubt about it: MJF is back, baby.
8. Gunther (Prev: 7)
Being chosen as the man to retire Goldberg was a serious honor for WWE’s world heavyweight champion. But will it be his last successful title defense on this particular run? With a blockbuster match against CM Punk on the horizon — and the threat of a Seth Rollins cash-in hovering over him — you have to question whether “The Ring General” is due to take a rare "L" come SummerSlam. Whatever happens, though, don’t expect Gunther to be down for long; already there are reports WWE wants him to be the man to retire John Cena in December.
7. Bron Breakker (Prev: NR)
What a year it’s been for wrestling’s most intimidating nepo baby who seems to get stronger every week in terms of his presentation. If it's true that Rollins really is sidelined with injury, then will it be Breakker who gets another big push to fill that particular void? Judging by the massive events on this week’s “Raw,” it certainly feels that way, as the former Intercontinental champ looks set for action against Roman Reigns at SummerSlam. Given that Breakker is destined to be a top guy for many years to come, there's a decent chance he wins such an encounter.
6. Roman Reigns (Prev: NR)
Another year, another return for “The Tribal Chief,” who came riding to the rescue at the end of this week’s “Raw,” just in time for SummerSlam. The prospect of a Reigns vs. Breakker feud has been on our wishlist ever since Breakker hit "The OTC" with a massive spear on this year’s “Raw after Mania” — and now that looks like it's happening, either as a singles match or a tag with Jey Uso and Bronson Reed. Let’s hope it delivers the kind of electricity that the Reigns vs. Sikoa feud failed to generate.
5. John Cena (Prev: 3)
Has John Cena been taking all those tired “you can’t see me” jokes too seriously? After all, the WWE’s Universal Champion has been completely invisible from the televised shows since his team’s defeat at Night of Champions. The only place I've seen him this month was in the crowds at Wimbledon. Given his absence, you’d better hope WWE has something big planned for his upcoming appearance with Cody Rhodes on this week’s “SmackDown.” Either that, or this heel run could soon run out of steam entirely.
4. Seth Rollins (Prev: 6)
Depending on your view on that ending to his SNME match with LA Knight, “The Visionary” is either facing months on the couch with another unfortunate injury or is on the verge of executing one of the most devilish briefcase cash-ins of the past decade. Is the knee injury genuine? Leaving aside the wisdom of these fake injury angles (I detest them, personally), the answer to that question could decide whether Rollins rockets to the top of this list by the end of the summer or drops out of it entirely.
3. CM Punk (Prev: 2)
Of the various would-be world title contenders who entered the gauntlet on Monday's latest “Raw," only one was standing tall at the end of it all: CM Punk. Having consistently proven himself — and stayed out of trouble — since returning to WWE just over 18 months ago, you get a sense that Punk has earned this particular title shot in more ways than one. Unlike his rendezvous with John Cena — for which Punk deserves massive credit for re-energizing the whole Cena heel run — the result of this one won’t be a foregone conclusion.
2. Hangman Adam Page (Prev: 5)
The right man triumphed in Texas, as “Hangman” Adam Page took back the AEW World Championship following a suitably blood-splattered deathmatch against the ever-controversial Jon Moxley. In truth, a Hangman victory always seemed like by far the more likely option, but that didn’t stop us watching the All In finale with a sense of nervousness, just in case Tony Khan did the unthinkable.
In any event, the fact that the odds were so strongly in his favor is a tribute to the work of Hangman, who has spent the past few months reminding everyone why he deserves to be the man to carry Khan’s company into the next phase of its existence.
1. Cody Rhodes (Prev: 1)
Halfway through the summer and it’s the babyfaces who are back on top when it comes to the power rankings (at least on the men’s side anyway), with Cody Rhodes in the ultimate podium place. Having won King of the Ring in Saudi Arabia, "The American Nightmare" now receives his big rematch with John Cena at SummerSlam, where the overwhelming expectation is that Rhodes will get the chance to reverse the injustice of WrestleMania 41.
It might not have the same emotional hook as the whole “finishing the story” angle but it certainly makes “The American Nightmare” look like the most powerful man in wrestling right now.
WOMEN’S POWER RANKINGS
10. Athena (Prev: NR)
Did you hear the huge hometown pop when Athena made her entrance at this past weekend’s Women's Casino Gauntlet Match at All In? Impressive as it was, that ear-busting roar was topped within 20 minutes, when the former Ring of Honor champ scored the big pinfall, making her the No. 1 contender for AEW's Women's World Championship. The former WWE talent clearly has Tony Khan’s backing and deserves all the plaudits for her recent work.
9. Becky Lynch (Prev: NR)
WWE’s veteran Irish star has been on one hell of a run since her big return at WrestleMania, embarking on one of the feuds of the year with Lyra Valkyria and delivering an absolutely stellar triple-threat to kick off Evolution. While few will be expecting Lynch to walk away from her SummerSlam match (the completion of her trilogy with Valkyria) holding the Intercontinental title, you can’t deny she’s done a stellar job at raising the profile of that particular prize.
8. Lyra Valkyria (Prev: NR)
Lynch’s protege turned fierce rival has been on an absolute tear this year, delivering the standout match at Backlash as well as that aforementioned curtain-raiser as Evolution. If you want a barometer to just how quickly the WWE audiences are growing to respect Valkyria, listen to how those trademark “woos” are getting louder when she enters the arena. Come SummerSlam in New Jersey, you’ll probably hear them from Central Park.
7. Iyo Sky (Prev: 1)
While Iyo Sky’s title reign might have come to an end (at least for now), no one can say that the “Genius of the Sky” didn’t leave a massive mark during her time at the top — as evidenced by that absolute sensational match with Rhea Ripley to cap off Evolution. While her booking hasn’t always done her justice, Sky has consistently proven her worth as a generational in-ring performer and one of the brightest lights in the entire women’s wrestling landscape.
6. Tiffany Stratton (Prev: 5)
It was a largely ceremonial victory for Tiffany Stratton at Evolution, who was surely never in any danger of dropping her women’s championship to part-timer Trish Stratus. The former NXT champ is now approaching the nine-month mark in her title reign, having chalked up two seriously impressive defenses: one against Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania and one against Nia Jax in a street fight on “SmackDown.” Whether or not she retains when she faces Jade Cargill at SummerSlam, you suspect Stratton’s time in the spotlight is only beginning.
5. Stephanie Vaquer (Prev: NR)
It's a fitting tribute to Stephanie Vaquer’s stratospheric rise that she already feels like an established name on “Raw” and a genuine threat to its top talents. In fact, it’s only been three months since the Chilean superstar got her big promotion from NXT, during which time she’s gone on to team with Rhea Ripley, participate in MITB, and win the 20-women battle royal at Evolution. Now she heads to Clash in Paris for a much-deserved shot at the title of her choosing. Whatever happens in France, she has to be a shoo-in for 2025 Rookie of the Year.
4. Jade Cargill (Prev: 6)
Being crowned Queen in the Ring was just the latest in a long line of accomplishments for Jade Cargill, who went from her legendary record-breaking run in AEW to making one of the most anticipated WWE debuts in years. With Naomi's MITB briefcase now out of the picture (more on that later...) does Cargill now head to SummerSlam as the favorite to leave with the women’s championship? Based on how she’s been booked so far, that would look like the most likely outcome.
3. Toni Storm (Prev: 8)
Just in case you hadn’t gotten the message by now, All In provided yet another reminder: Never doubt Toni Storm. While many figured the starlet’s days as AEW women’s champion were numbered the second we found out she’d be facing Mercedes Moné in Texas, some of us kept the faith and correctly tipped Storm for the victory. Getting the backing from Tony Khan to express her creative side has to be one of the best things to ever happen to Storm, even if we do cringe a bit at her press conference performances.
2. Rhea Ripley (Prev: 4)
She might not have left with the big prize on Sunday, but there's no doubt: Rhea Ripley was one of the very biggest winners from this weekend’s Evolution. As with the Netflix debut on “Raw,” WWE wisely chose to put “The Eradicator” front and center when it came to promoting the all-women event and were rewarded with another barnstormer of a match between Ripley and Iyo Sky. Title or not, can anyone beat Ripley when it comes to the massive crowd reactions she receives when her theme song hits? Perhaps WWE needs to bring back that decibel-meter and put it to the test.
1. Naomi (Prev: 2)
As much as we’ve raved about Naomi’s performances this year, did we really expect her to leave Evolution as the Women’s World Champion? God knows that I certainly didn’t. Though as the woman herself explained on “Raw” this week, wasn’t that exactly the point — to catch us off-guard? While we were all speculating as to whether she’d cash in during Jade vs. Tiffy at SummerSlam, we were blindsided when she came for Iyo Sky’s world championship instead. Perhaps we should have paid closer attention to her warnings.
Whether you saw it coming or not, there’s no question that the former TNA champ has earned her place at the top of the WWE hierarchy since embarking on her big return back at the 2024 Royal Rumble. Having finally gotten to the top of the mountain, you can be sure Naomi will fight tooth and nail to retain her perch.
Category: General Sports
