Young Lion Roundtable: Pre-WrestleMania Power Rankings

Team Young Lion
Mar 28, 2017
5 min read

It's the most glorious time of year (cue Bobby Roode music), and amidst all of the attempted fantasy booking and McMahon induced chaos, we at YL would like to drop our inaugural "round table power rankings". Unlike your typical NBA or NFL power rankings that can be solely influenced by wins and losses, our pre-WrestleMania rankings are much more complicated to say the least. Sure, wins and losses matter. A 22 second victory for the Universal Championship at Fastlane definitely helps you out. But also things like booking predictions, crown push, company momentum and straight up personal bias are laced all over these lists. Reasonably. So take a look over the YL team's rankings and feel free to contribute some banter in the comments section below. Happy WrestleMania weekend. You're welcome.

Michael Yoe - Power Rankings:

1. Bray Wyatt

- If Cena is the Hogan of this generation, Orton is the Flair. He sneakily is a 12-time WWE World Champion, and the odds are in his favor. However, Bray Wyatt is the champion that the WWE needs right now (and that I want right now), and I can only hope the WrestleMania gods don't end his first title run at less than 2 months.

2. A.J. Styles

- Only Styles could loose a belt and still remain top 3 in power rankings. He is the Dave Grohl of professional wrestling in the sense that anything he touches turns gold. At Wrestlemania Shane McMahon will be gold.

3. Goldberg

- I get it. Goldberg beat KO for the title at Fastlane and you're pissed cause it was totally predictable. Get over it. Goldberg is still badass as ever, and has been dominating opponents his entire career. If you're uninformed, read Buchanan's GOATBERG piece. Will he most likely loose the title to Brock and fall off my power rankings? Yes. But in the meantime, let me enjoy having Goldberg in the top 5 of my power rankings in 2017.

4. Kevin Owens

- The only good things to come from KO loosing the belt to Goldberg is that since it was Goldberg it doesn't make KO look bad whatsoever. He is at the top of his game and his match with Jericho is going to steal the show.

5. Randy Orton

- The most I have liked Orton in years was his time with the Wyatts. Unlike Daniel Bryan's brief run with the family, this actually worked. The signature Orton pose in front of a burning Wyatt house will forever haunt me in a good way. This match has hype, and there is a good chance Orton wins his 13th world championship.

6. Chris Jericho

- In the voice of Mugatu from Zoolander, "That Jericho is hot right now!". Hotter than he has been in years. (See my article How to Embrace the Stupid Idiot and Revive a Career) After a win over a hot A.J. Styles at last years WM, a win over KO this year would put Jericho on another level.

7. Brock Lesnar

- As much as I understand the "part-timer" argument many have against Goldberg and Brock, I completely disagree with it. Brock is a legend, a beast, and is still completely convincible. He can own anyone in the ring, and thus can wear the belt whenever he pleases.

8. Seth Rollins

- Although I think it is overall going to be a rough night for "The Shield", the mere fact that Rollins overcame his injury and is going to have it out with HHH on the biggest stage of them all, puts him on the list.

9. Braun Strowman

- Strowman should be top 5, and should have a single match at WrestleMania. He will probably win the Andre the Giant Battle Royal (unless Harper steals it from him), but even with a win, it just doesn't do much for me. I've been hyped on Strowman and I wanted a big time match for him.

10. The Undertaker

- I made a joke that I am picking up smoking so that I have a reason to leave the room during the Taker vs Reigns match. Reason being, I'm not sure what I will do if WWE gives Reigns the pass to beat the deadman at WM. I would have rather seen Taker vs. Balor. Regardless, it wouldn't feel like WrestleMania season if The Undertaker wasn't making his presence known.

Notables: Charlotte (The Queen), Baron Corbin, Neville, Samoa Joe, Finn Balor (please God)

The Commish - Power Rankings:

1. THE CLUB (A.J. Styles, Finn Balor, Good Brothers)

- In a bold foreshadowing prediction the Commish has the club at #1 pre-WrestleMania with thoughts that a Club assembly could happen at the big show or on the greatest Raw of the year.

2. Bray Wyatt

- Because he is the champ, and he is the man.

3. Kevin Owens

- Goldberg didn't slow him down.

4. Charlotte

- She's the queen. And after Mania could possibly by a 5-time WWE Woman's Champion in less than 2 years of being on the main roster.

5. The Undertaker

- WrestleMania will not feel like WrestleMania without Taker. Let's hope he has at least one more in him, probably against Cena.

6. Austin Aries

- Main roster debut at WrestleMania? Boom.

7. Brock Lesnar

- I'm a Paul Heyman guy, and come on, Lesnar is taking the title right?

8. Chris Jericho

- Number 2 on my all-time favorite wrestler list, number 8 on this power ranking. He just made the list!

9. Neville

- Regardless of possibly loosing the title to Aries, he has single handedly kept the CWC afloat.

10. Baron Corbin

- Expect big things from Corbin at Mania.

Glaring Omission:

- "The Shield". I am smelling a loss for all three of them at WM.

- The Mix & Maryse vs. Cena & Nikki Bella. The Miz had a fantastic year but this is a blow off match for a supposed Nikki Bella retirement and a probable Cena vs. Taker at WM34.

- Braun Strowman: Definite favorite to win the Andre Battle Royal, but had a strong enough year (especially through road to WM), that I felt he deserved a singles match on the big stage.