WWE, AEW power rankings: Big changes at the top ahead of Night of Champions

As we head into another WWE PLE weekend for Saturday's Night of Champions, it seems a good time to take stock of our Uncrowned power rankings — not least as we’ve had a massive title change on the men’s side. And that’s before we get to the next stage of the John Cena retirement tour, which pits the 17-time champion against another old rival, CM Punk.

Meanwhile in AEW land, the shape of this year’s All In is gradually becoming clearer. What happens in Texas will have massive consequences for Hangman Adam Page and Mercedes Moné in particular — but will it be enough to propel them to the top of our league table?

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Here’s where things stand right now.

MEN’S POWER RANKINGS

10. Chad Gable (Prev: NR)

Who had Chad Gable delivering one of the matches of the year on their June bingo card? Sure, we all know that the former Olympian can work magic in the ring — see his amazing feud with Gunther from 2023 — but even that didn’t fully prepare us for his five-star match against El Hijo del Vikingo to close out an excellent Worlds Collide.

You might not like the El Grande Americano gimmick, but you can’t deny that the man behind the mask is earning his paycheck right now — and then some.

9. Jey Uso (Prev: 5)

He might not have the title, but he still has those crowds eating out of the palm of his hand. And surely I’m not the only one who gets a bit misty-eyed watching those kids joining in on the Yeet entrances? Looking at things in the sober light of day, though, you have to question what’s next in the cards for the former “Right Hand Man” — particularly after his elimination from King of the Ring.

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On that note, surely a proper reunion with his brother would be more interesting than another Gunther rematch?

8. Kenny Omega (Prev: NR)

Finding yourself wheezing blood at the feet of your long-term manager — who is now siding with your enemy — might not sound like a position of strength. From a kayfabe perspective, though, it certainly helps up the ante for your upcoming marquee match with perhaps your greatest ever foil at All In.

For the initiated, there's a reason why Omega vs. Okada matches end up with movie-style Roman numerals after them. And this one, Omega vs. Okada V, should be no exception.

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7. Gunther (Prev: 10)

Less than two months on from his humbling defeat at WrestleMania, “The Ring General” is officially reunited with his WWE World Championship, leaving some asking the question of why he had to lose it in the first place. (Two words, 10 letters: Merch sales.)

Now the legendary heavyweight has been chosen as the man to retire Goldberg on the next Saturday Night’s Main Event. Normally, you’d put money on “The Ring General” to leave Atlanta with his pride intact — but when a certain briefcase is in play, nothing can be taken for granted.

6. Seth Rollins (Prev: 3)

In two months, Rollins has taken it all — well, almost.

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A superstar faction, the loyalty of Paul Heyman, and now the Money in the Bank briefcase — all three are now in his arsenal. All of which begs the question: At what point does he execute his master plan and make a play for one of the two major titles?

That's the question which will determine the fate of “The Visionary” by the end of the year. Right now, he still feels like the man of the moment, but those long-winded promos won’t maintain the momentum forever.

5. Hangman Adam Page (Prev: 4)

It's a beautiful sight isn't it — watching a babyface in the final stages of their ascendancy? Those are the slightly pretentious words I wrote about Will Ospreay ahead of his assumed victory at AEW Double or Nothing. But it's credit to Hangman (and AEW) that they fit just as well as Mr. Page heads into his career-defining title match at All In after a surprise win over Ospreay.

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When it comes to dethroning Jon Moxley, Tony Khan clearly chose his loyal soldier for a reason — next month we'll see whether that was the right decision.

4. Sami Zayn (Prev: NR)

He may have been eliminated in the semifinals of King of the Ring, but all signs point toward Sami Zayn being the man who will get his kingdom in the long run. “There’s only one of us that has never won the world championship,” said the man himself on last week's “WWE SmackDown” — delivering the sort of line that might as well be a spoiler.

With the Royal Rumble heading to Saudi Arabia for the first time in January, the Arabic-speaking babyface has to be a firm favorite to get the main-event treatment.

3. John Cena (Prev: 1)

It’s no secret that fans and pundits alike were losing patience with the Cena heel turn. But then along came that pipe bomb tribute on the latest “WWE SmackDown” — the first segment in a long time to come close to igniting the spark we all felt with Cena back at Elimination Chamber.

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Getting “The Champ” in front of CM Punk was always going to be one of the highlights of this retirement tour — but will it be enough to renew faith in the whole project?

2. CM Punk (Prev: 8)

Getting to main event WrestleMania could easily have been the highlight of old Punker’s career. But surely this Saturday’s fixture at Night of Champions has to go down as his biggest singles match yet since returning to WWE? He and John Cena already proved back at Elimination Chamber that they can still do justice to their old rivalry, so let’s hope this reunion is no exception.

1. Cody Rhodes (Prev: 2)

Is it just me or is the path for Cody Rhodes becoming almost too obvious? A victory in Saudi Arabia to become King of the Ring followed by an emotional path to SummerSlam, when he can finally avenge the great injustice of WrestleMania 41 and take back his Universal Championship.

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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. Either that or he’ll be in for one hell of a slump in next month’s power rankings.

WOMEN’S POWER RANKINGS

10. Blake Monroe (Prev: NR)

It might not have quite matched the Jade Cargill signing, but WWE’s successful poaching of AEW’s Mariah May (now renamed Blake Monroe) still felt like a big deal in the women’s wrestling landscape. Given the spate of marquee names leaving NXT’s women’s division for the main roster, there’s ample space for Monroe to make a big impression. Don’t be surprised if we see her in action at the upcoming Evolution PLE either.

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9. Liv Morgan (Prev: NR)

Her absence from the last two PLEs meant that Liv Morgan dropped off the most recent power rankings. Then, just last week, we all received a major reminder — albeit a bittersweet one — as to just what a big star she is. It came after Morgan’s legitimate shoulder injury on “WWE Raw,” with reports (from Fightful) that WWE was now having to rewrite a large chunk of the Evolution show, given that she was meant to be one of its primary stars.

It was another reminder of just how highly WWE rates Liv Morgan. Let’s just hope she recovers as swiftly as possible.

8. Toni Storm (Prev: 3)

Sometimes being champion can make you look like the hottest star in wrestling; at other times, it can feel a bit of a waiting game. That’s been the case for the usually excellent Toni Storm, who has been reduced to treading water while AEW determines her next competitor via the Owen Hart Cup. With that question settled, she now heads to Texas facing what has to be the biggest singles match of her career so far: A champion vs. champion match with Mercedes Moné.

7. Asuka (Prev: NR)

Given her star power, you have to feel that Asuka was short-changed slightly by WWE’s lackadaisical approach to her long-awaited return. Putting her in the Queen of the Ring tournament was probably the right move, but could we not have had a more exciting reveal moment? Still, the creatives appear to have made good on that misfire by sending her straight to the final — and giving her that staredown with Iyo Sky.

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6. Jade Cargill (Prev: NR)

Jade Cargill’s slow burn introduction to the highest ranks of WWE's women’s roster continues to pay dividends as she heads into Night of Champions looking as fearsome and intriguing as ever. Given she has yet to hold a singles title in WWE, you have to feel that the former AEW powerhouse would be the most interesting choice for a shot at gold at this year’s SummerSlam, but my goodness is it a tight decision between her and Asuka.

5. Tiffany Stratton (Prev: 2)

It’s a big drop for Tiffy in this month’s list, so let’s clarify things. If I were picking stock for the long-run, the WWE Women’s Champion would still be top of my list. But her lack of big matches on PLE cards is doing her title run a disservice.

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Instead of those big-ticket matches, what are we getting instead? Another rematch against Nia Jax, the very woman that Miss Stratton has bested two times running. And to add insult to injury, it’s happening on “WWE SmackDown” rather than Night of Champions.

4. Rhea Ripley (Prev: 5)

Jey Uso might have the longest pop from the live audiences, but it’s Rhea Ripley who has the loudest. Just listen to that decibel-busting cheer from this Monday’s “WWE Raw” as “The Eradicator” raced out to throw hands at her long-time tormentor Raquel Rodriguez. Now the duo are set to throw all sorts of other things in a Saudi Street Fight at Night of Champions.

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I’ve been calling for a decent Ripley singles feud for a while now, so let’s hope this one lives up to expectations.

3. Mercedes Moné (Prev: 4)

Is this the year that Mercedes Mone delivers on her astronomical salary to become the biggest name in AEW? After her dominant victory in the Owen Hart Cup, the former WWE star gets her chance to pick up the biggest prize in the AEW landscape, when she faces Toni Storm at All In. Putting the belt on her would send a big signal as to just how valuable she is considered by Tony Khan.

Failing that, she can always embark on a big run in the Mexican lucha promotion CMLL, where she just became World Women’s Champion (her fourth concurrent championship, if you're counting).

2. Naomi (Prev: 10)

It’s our highest rating this year for Naomi, whose big heel turn has made her one of the most must-watch superstars in all of women’s wrestling. Her triumph at Money in the Bank is the clearest sign yet that WWE is betting big on their returning star. Add in the extra intrigue that comes from her ongoing feud with Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair and you have to wonder if we’re about to see some fireworks this SummerSlam.

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This new iteration of Naomi has already warned the WWE universe to “proceed with caution”; now it’s the time for her to make good on those threats.

1. Iyo Sky (Prev: 1)

Clinging to the top slot like a wrestler reaching for the Money in the Bank briefcase is Iyo Sky. After her massive win at WrestleMania, the former Joshi quickly cemented her status as a truly compelling world champion — which makes it all the more inexplicable that she’s been used so sparingly on “WWE Raw” recently. In fact, she hasn’t had an actual match since mid-May.

With Evolution just around the corner, you have to imagine that there’s a major plan in place for “The Genius of the Sky.” If she’s going to keep clinging on that top spot, we’ll need to see her in action.