Chairshot Power Rankings (9/26/19)

Greg DeMarco introduces you to his all new feature: The Chairshot Power Rankings! Who made his first ever Top 5 of the week?

Each week, I will bring you my Power Rankings in Top 5 form. What can you measure with a “Power Ranking?” The answer is simple: power. Power here is defined as momentum, who got the big wins, and who is on an upward trajectory after this week. Each week is different, and the landscape of professional wrestling (and sports entertainment) can change in an instant. Thus, the weekly rankings will change with it.

Last week’s rankings? We didn’t have rankings last week, as this is the column debut. If I had done these rankings, you can bet you’d see Roderick Strong on the list, thanks to his NXT North American Championship victory over Velveteen Dream on the NXT premier on USA Network.

Greg DeMarco’s Power Rankings: week of 9/19/19 – 9/25/19

1. Jay White

On September 22, “Switchblade” Jay White won the IWGP Intercontinental Championship from Tetsuya Naito in the main event of New Japan’s Destruction in Kobe event. This win gave White his third singles championship in New Japan, as the “IC” title joins the IWGP Heavyweight Championship and the IWGP United States Championship on his resume. The match streamed live on NJPW World.

Next up: Presumably a defense against Hirooki Goto, even if White dismissed that challenge in his post-match press conference style promo.

2. Matt Riddle

“The Original Bro” defeated Killian Dain to win a Street Fight on the USA Network (rating not available at the time of this writing). With that victory, Riddle overcome Dain just one week after his original Street Fight was rendered inconclusive after the entire NXT roster got involved.  Riddle is now cemented as the #1 contender for Adam Cole’s NXT Championship. Side note: Riddle might be the first person to win a televised Street Fight via submission.

Next up: NXT Championship match against Adam Cole on October 2, broadcast on the USA Network.

3. Bray Wyatt/The Fiend

The Fiend once again made his presence known, this time attacking Braun Strowman and terrorizing WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins to close out WWE Monday Night Raw. The Fiend’s appearances are rare, with his matches even more rare. He’s the most talked about superstar in WWE today, and he’s working opposite the top champion in the company at Hell In A Cell.

Next up: The Fiend vs. Seth Rollins in Hell In A Cell on October 6.

4. Bandido

Bandido has had a tremendous 2019, seeing his stock rise thanks to appearances in ROH and across the world. But this past weekend he added an accolade that only 13 men had ever achieved–he won PWG’s Battle Of Los Angeles. Bandido beat Puma King, Brody King, and Dragon (King?) Lee to make it to the finals. Once there, he was able to outlast Jonathan Gresham and David Starr  to take home the trophy and future PWG Championship opportunity.

Next up: Teaming with Mark Haskins to challenge Jay & Mark Briscoe for the ROH World Tag Team Championship at Death Before Dishonor on Friday in Las Vegas.

5. Carmella

When R-Truth captured the first of his 19 WWE 24/7 Championships, Carmella was always by his side. Fans across the WWE Universe were waiting for the moment Carmella would turn against Truth and win the title for herself. Well that moment came during Monday’s Raw, when Carmella appealed to the softer side of the lower tier roster members, and used that distraction to pin Truth for herself. As I had envisioned this moment in the past, Truth repaid Carmella for her loyalty by becoming her ride-or-die, helping her escape the ring with the women’s division giving chase.

Next up: We can assume Carmella and Corey Graves consummated the WWE 24/7 Championship, and Carmella is sure to provide us with more hijinks in the coming week with R-Truth at her side. But officially, nothing is scheduled.

Who would you put in your Power Rankings? Sound off on Twitter @ChairshotGreg using the hashtag #UseYourHead!