This Week's Wrestling Power Rankings

The dust has settled on WWE Backlash, and the fallout across the industry is messy as we head toward Double or Nothing. We just watched what might be the final match of Asuka's career with bizarrely muted fanfare, while AEW scrambles to plug injury holes with chaotic multi-man matches. Here is the big picture on who is actually driving the industry forward this week, and who is desperately clinging to past formulas.

#1. Asuka's Quiet Exit

Following her loss to IYO SKY at Backlash, reports indicate Asuka is now semi-retired. If this is truly the end of her full-time run, WWE dropped the ball by delivering a mid-card send-off with zero advance billing. The women's division desperately needs top-tier heels right now, making her absence even more glaring as we head toward the summer.

"I know Asuka will be a Hall of Famer."

AJ Styles stated plainly what everyone already knows, and Dave Meltzer is compiling her top-10 WWE matches to highlight her era-defining empty arena work. Yet her booking over the last two years was a mess of start-and-stop pushes that wasted her generational talent.

Hopefully, she gets a proper stadium goodbye before officially hanging up the boots. Until then, this feels like a massive missed opportunity for a company that usually monetizes nostalgia so effectively.

#2. Roman Reigns and the Bloodline Drag

Roman Reigns walked into Backlash with a simple warning for Jacob Fatu to acknowledge the Tribal Chief. The resulting match was a physical, hard-hitting brawl, but it exposed the rapidly diminishing returns of the ongoing Bloodline saga.

We have seen this exact match structure dozens of times over the past three years. Reigns takes a beating, hits a sudden spear, and relies on obvious outside interference to secure the pinfall in the 22nd minute. The constant reliance on the exact same finish makes every single championship defense entirely predictable. We desperately need a clean finish to restore some prestige to the actual in-ring competition.

Fatu looked incredible in defeat and proved he belongs in the main event picture. But if WWE plans to drag this family drama out until next year without a new narrative hook, they risk burning out the audience entirely.

#3. Darby Allin's Reckless Title Pursuit

AEW Fairway to Hell delivered a chaotic World title match between Darby Allin and PAC. The in-ring action was spectacular, but it highlighted how Allin is taking bumps that are completely unnecessary for a top-tier champion.

PAC is one of the safest workers on the roster, yet Allin still found a way to almost break his own neck with a blind poison rana on the floor. He already has the crowd in the palm of his hand and does not need to jump off a balcony to get a reaction. It is thrilling to watch, but it completely undermines the idea of longevity in a brutal industry. Fans want him around for the next decade, not just the next pay-per-view cycle.

AEW desperately needs healthy stars heading into the upcoming summer months. If Allin keeps wrestling like he is trying to shorten his career, his title reign will end in a hospital room rather than the center of the ring.

#4. The Okada Bait-and-Switch

Kazuchika Okada has been pulled from his upcoming AEW World title match, with Konosuke Takeshita stepping in to replace him. The sudden change drastically alters the main event scene and feels like a cheap bait-and-switch for paying fans. Tony Khan has to stop booking dream matches before the medical staff clears the talent. The fanbase is growing tired of these constant card revisions.

Takeshita absolutely deserves a main event spot given his vicious striking and recent heel turn. But framing him as a backup plan actively hurts his credibility when he should be earning these shots directly.

When you advertise a generational star like Okada, you cannot quietly swap him out without a coherent on-screen explanation. Hopefully Takeshita delivers a classic, but the promotional rollout for this match has been objectively poor.

#5. Danhausen's Backlash Farce

In one of the most baffling booking decisions of the year, Danhausen and a mini clone defeated The Miz and Kit Wilson at WWE Backlash. Comedy wrestling has a place on the card, but it is not eating up 12 minutes on a premium live event.

The Miz worked hard to sell the absurdity and bumped around for a miniature version of a guy who curses people. However, the gimmick completely derailed the momentum of the show right before the main event block. Triple H usually has a much better pulse on what the audience wants from these major events. This felt like a complete misfire from the creative team.

Putting this ridiculous act over established mid-carders actively harms the credibility of everyone involved. If management wants to keep Danhausen around for merchandise sales, keep his matches contained to the pre-show.

#6. John Cena's Vague Hype

John Cena spent the week hyping Backlash as another defining moment in his WWE career. The reality was far less spectacular, as an in-ring promo and a brief backstage segment do not constitute a meaningful milestone for a veteran. The audience is starting to notice the repetitive nature of his appearances. He needs to evolve the character if he wants this retirement tour to resonate.

His current run feels completely disconnected from the rest of the product. He shows up, hits his trademark catchphrases, and leaves without actually elevating any of the younger talent sharing the ring with him.

Meanwhile, Bayley pitching a John Cena Classic tournament to Tatum Paxley in NXT is a far better use of his legacy. If Cena wants his final years to matter, he needs to step into the ring and stare at the lights for the next generation.

#7. Karrion Kross Shoots on Management

Karrion Kross claims WWE actively tried to lower his value before his recent contract negotiations. He alleges the front office intentionally booked him poorly after his move to the main roster, which feels like a convenient excuse for his own failures.

The harsh truth is that Kross has rarely connected with the stadium audiences. His entrance is incredible, but his bell-to-bell work is slow, plodding, and drains the energy from the building. You cannot just stand in the ring and scowl while expecting the audience to treat you like a monster. The bell has to ring, and you have to deliver.

Complaining about your booking in public might generate some cheap heat online, but it rarely translates to a sustained television push. WWE gave him multiple stables and plenty of airtime, so eventually he has to take responsibility for his lack of momentum.

#8. Chris Jericho's Exhausting Stampede

AEW revealed Chris Jericho's partners for the upcoming Stadium Stampede match at Double or Nothing. The announcement landed with a thud, confirming we are heading into yet another multi-man brawl designed solely to hide his declining mobility.

Jericho is an undeniable legend, but his current run is actively holding back the younger wrestlers. He inserts himself into every hot angle, dilutes the heat, and drags the feuds out for months longer than necessary. We have seen enough backstage brawls and gimmick matches to last a lifetime. It is time to let the younger stars settle their feuds in a standard wrestling ring.

Dedicating 30 minutes to a pre-taped comedy brawl is a massive waste of resources when actual contenders are struggling for television time. Stadium Stampede was a fun novelty during the pandemic, but now it is just an annoying crutch.

#9. Swerve's New Day Pitch

Swerve Strickland publicly stated that he wants the New Day to jump ship to AEW. It is a fun hypothetical, but it highlights how often AEW talent fantasy-book wrestlers from the rival promotion instead of focusing on their own locker room.

Strickland is doing incredible work right now and carries himself like a legitimate superstar. He does not need to drop quotes about WWE guys to stay relevant or keep his name in the news cycle. The focus should be firmly on elevating the talent that has been grinding on Dynamite and Collision every single week. Stop chasing the past.

Bringing in the New Day would just add to AEW's existing tag team logjam. Adding three established veterans would only push the younger homegrown teams further down the card and create more frustration backstage.

#10. The Toxicity Around Thekla

Thekla recently revealed she received death threats over a current STARDOM angle. It is a depressing reminder of how toxic a vocal minority of wrestling fans can be when they confuse scripted television with reality. Social media has emboldened the worst segments of the fanbase to harass performers with zero consequences. It is a pathetic display that ruins the fun for everyone else.

The angle in question was clearly designed to generate heel heat, and it succeeded brilliantly. But fans crossing the line into personal threats forces promotions to sanitize their storylines to protect the physical safety of their workers.

Wrestling companies need to take a harder stance against this abusive behavior. Thekla is an excellent performer doing exactly what she is paid to do, and nobody should have to look over their shoulder for playing a villain too well.

Ones to Watch

  • Trick Williams is playing it cool in interviews, but the on-screen tension with Carmelo Hayes is ready to boil over.
  • The fallout from the ROH Palm Beach Gardens spoilers will completely disrupt the upcoming HonorClub television tapings after a sudden title change.
  • Expect Lola Vice to get fast-tracked into a prominent role after receiving outside help from Bayley in AAA.

These storylines could easily dominate the news cycle next week if the booking teams pull the trigger correctly. The industry is shifting rapidly, and nobody can afford to stall right now.