WWE Power Rankings: The Shield shines
February, 19, 2013
Feb 19
12:18
PM ET
By
Jon Robinson | ESPN.com
Courtesy of WWERoman Reigns, Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins -- aka The Shield -- could be the future of wrestling.Wrestling fans debate similar topics, wondering when the next wave of special superstars will come to push (and powerbomb) WWE forward, ushering in an era of heated rivalries between talented athletes in the ring and on the mike.
Years from now, I say Elimination Chamber 2013 won’t be remembered for the surprise win of Jack Swagger or the scary dominance of Mark Henry, but as the show in which The Shield showed the wrestling world that they are not only who’s next, they’re the hottest three performers in the industry right now.
Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns proved that they can do more than hang with three of WWE’s most popular stars (John Cena, Sheamus and Ryback) -- they completely stole the show at Sunday night’s pay-per-view, outperforming main eventers The Rock and CM Punk, while showcasing a variety of double- and triple-team moves unseen in recent memory.
Top it off with a shocking ending that saw Reigns obliterate Sheamus through the barricade, then spear Ryback in the middle of a Shell Shock for the win, and you had a night that will be looked back on as the match when The Shield proved they were here to dominate the top of the card for years to come.
WWE Power Rankings: Feb. 19, 2013
| Rank (Prv) | Wrestler | Comment | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (7) | The Shield Dean Ambrose Roman Reigns Seth Rollins |  | Props to Cena, Sheamus and Ryback for taking a beating and letting the new group shine like it should. Curious to see what's in store for these guys at Wrestlemania. |
| 2 (2) | The Rock |  | Finally, after eight years of a championship belt that spins, WWE presents Rock with a championship emblem that doesn't look like a toy from "Pimp My Ride." |
| 3 (1) | CM Punk |  | Will face John Cena next Monday to decide who fights The Rock at Wrestlemania. Still hoping they make the Mania main event a Triple Threat between Rock, Cena and Punk to at least make the matchup something we haven't seen before (not to mention continuing to bring the phrase "ham and egger" onto TV). |
| 4 (6) | Alberto Del Rio |  | His botched kick to end the Big Show match on Sunday ruined the entire match for me. His exciting match against Ziggler the next night, however, more than made up for it. |
| 5 (4) | Mark Henry |  | Seeing how dominant Mark Henry looks as a complete monster, it makes me think how underutilized he was throughout his Sexual Chocolate years. Imagine if he was made to look like a beast from day one. |
| 6 (8) | Jack Swagger |  | I was genuinely surprised by Swagger's victory at Elimination Chamber simply because his "Real American" gimmick is so new, I don't think WWE has had time to gauge its success yet (and so far, I don't think the crowd has responded the way they want). Talk about jumping in with both feet. |
| 7 (NR) | Dolph Ziggler |  | Match after match, Ziggler delivers the best in-ring performances of anyone on the roster. By this time next year, he should be headlining Wrestlemania. |
| 8 (3) | Chris Jericho |  | Continues impressive run of matches and promos since making his return. Y2J makes everyone he's in the ring with look like a million bucks. |
| 9 (NR) | John Cena |  | The Rock always seems to bring out the best in Cena, so hopefully we'll get some serious trash talk headed into Mania. Time to bring back the Doctor of Thuganomics! |
| 10 (NR) | The Miz |  | The Antonio Cesaro/Miz feud has been seriously entertaining, delivering memorable spots, while elevating both men through a series of highlight-reel moments. |
Want to talk wrestling with Jon Robinson? Hit up him up on Twitter.
Previous rankings:
Jan. 8, 2013
Jan. 15, 2013
Jan. 22, 2013
Jan. 29, 2013
Feb. 5, 2013
Feb. 12, 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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