WWE Power Rankings: Ziggler, Shield shine
April, 30, 2013
Apr 30
12:03
PM ET
By
Jon Robinson | ESPN.com
Courtesy of WWEDolph Ziggler has all the makings of the next wrestling superstar. Will the WWE let him shine?Think about it. If Cena is out for any prolonged period, and with CM Punk at home nursing his knee, this is WWE’s opportunity to turn Ziggler into the company’s biggest draw. If it was up to me, I’d strip Cena of the belt and send him home to heal, then announce a one-night, eight-man championship tournament, featuring Ziggler, Daniel Bryan, Dean Ambrose, Chris Jericho, Ryback, Brock Lesnar, Sheamus and Randy Orton. The tournament could lead to new feuds, not to mention matchups we’ve never seen, like Lesnar versus Sheamus and Ambrose versus Jericho. Make the finals between Ziggler and Bryan, with Ziggler ultimately winning (even if it’s through some nefarious outside interference, I’m good with that; he’s a heel, after all), and then let Ziggler feud with Bryan, Orton and maybe even Lesnar until Cena comes back.
The more wins Ziggler gets and the more he bounces around the ring doing ridiculous stunts for guys like Lesnar (and maybe even the rumored-to-return Dave Batista), the bigger the star you create, ultimately setting up showdowns with both Punk and Cena when they get healthy.
Not only do fans finally get to see some fresh feuds, but you’re building up a guy who you can trust the brand with when the current top draws such as Cena hang up the dog tags for good.
WWE Power Rankings: April 30, 2013
| Rank (Prv) | Wrestler | Comment | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (1) | Dolph Ziggler |  | Awesome match against Kofi Kingston, even if it seems like these guys have already fought about 500 times in the past year. |
| 2 (2) | The Shield Dean Ambrose Seth Rollins Roman Reigns |  | The Hounds of Justice are creeping into NWO and Four Horseman territory in terms of that overwhelming "it" factor. |
| 3 (4) | John Cena |  | Why did my wife start chopping onions when Cena hit the ramp with The Eliminator, Nick "The Stitch" and Lightning Logan? You have to love Cena for the work he does granting wishes to sick kids. |
| 4 (5) | Ryback |  | If Cena can't wrestle at the pay-per-view event, what do they do with Ryback? As long as it's not a dance-off against Fandango, I'm good. |
| 5 (NR) | Randy Orton |  | I dug the RKO into the Cross Rhodes and even the Disaster Kick into the RKO, but since when does Cody lead with his head for a kick? |
| 6 (NR) | Cody Rhodes |  | Hopefully his great match against Orton leads to bigger things for Rhodes in 2013. I'd still love to see Cody feud with Goldust. |
| 7 (NR) | Team Hell No |  | I applaud the tag-team champs for making The Shield look like a million bucks at every turn. This is how you get new talent over while not hurting your own credibility. |
| 8 (NR) | Alberto Del Rio |  | Will face Ziggler and Jack Swagger in a ladder match at Extreme Rules. Is it me, or is Del Rio nothing without Ricardo Rodriguez? |
| 9 (NR) | The Undertaker |  | I didn't think we'd see Taker after Wrestlemania, let alone see him power-bombed through a table on Smackdown. Great to see The Dead Man helping Ambrose look like a legit main event threat. |
| 10 (9) | Fandango |  | I look at Fandango and all I can think of is Crispin Glover (George McFly) in "Back to the Future." Hate the awkward dancing, love the top rope leg drop. |
Want to talk wrestling with Jon Robinson? Hit him up on Twitter.
Previous rankings:
Jan. 8, 2013 | Jan. 15, 2013 | Jan. 22, 2013 | Jan. 29, 2013 | Feb. 5, 2013 | Feb. 12, 2013 | Feb. 19, 2013 | Feb. 26, 2013 | March 5, 2013 | March 12, 2013 | March 19, 2013 | March 26, 2013 | April 2, 2013 | April 16, 2013 | April 23, 2013
Jon Robinson
PlaybookEver since he first handed the ball to Bo Jackson in "Tecmo Bowl," Jon Robinson has been mesmerized by the world of sports video games. He's been covering the gaming beat professionally for over 15 years, starting his career writing as "Johnny Ballgame" for GamePro magazine before becoming the founding editor of IGN Sports. Robinson co-wrote the book "The Madden Phenomenon," and his two latest works, "Rumble Road" and "WWE My Favorite Match," were released by Simon & Schuster in July 2010 and July 2012.
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