It's time, once again, to rank the WWF superstars. For the uninitiated, this is where yours truly decides who is tops in the WWF according to the criteria of ring ability, mic ability, pop, current storyline, and title situation. Feel free to respond, even to challenge my rulings. The previous ranking for each superstar is shown in parenthesis.

Random WWF thoughts: Here are thoughts that don't fit into the rankings format but I feel I must share anyway:

• The Rock's "Indefinite Suspension" will keep him out of the WWF until July (around SummerSlam) so he can shoot "The Scorpion King". It better be a good movie, because he is robbing me of the chance at seeing him perform live when the RAW IS WAR comes to Calgary in May. As a result of this news, Rock drops from number one last time, to completely off the list this time. That's something you won't see everyday.
• Further fallout from the Rock's leave of absence is that there is now a huge void in the Face department in the WWF. As you may recall, I gave Rocky the top spot last time because he had claimed the number one Face position with Austin turning Heel. Who will fill the void? Most of this week's rankings will speculate on that point. One name I'd like to throw into the conversation: The Heartbreak Kid, Shawn Michaels. Sources inform me, however, that this may not happen because of some backstage politics which have delayed HBK's return. Stay tuned.

1. (2) Stone Cold Steve Austin- Not even I could mess this one up. Last time out, despite his victories over the Rock at both Wrestlemania X-Seven and the following night's RAW, I had Austin coming in second behind the People's Champion. Now the Rock is gone, and Austin's turn as heel is not only the most interesting thing in the Federation today, but one of the most interesting things in Federation history. Initially, I disagreed with how evil they made Austin right off the bat- I felt it would have been better if his descent was gradual. However, I now realize that it had to be this way. If they just made Austin an angry individual, the fans would still cheer him. He had to go all the way, and so far he has been doing a great job of it.

2. (3) Triple H- Triple H, is of course, doing what comes naturally. He is the best there has ever been at being bad, and while Austin is the number one heel in the WWF at the moment, it is Helmsley who is leading the way. It's Triple H who leads the promos, its' Triple H who has the strategies. Right now, Triple H is showing Austin how to be a heel. Also, since we all know that Austin's ring time must be limited, it is Triple H who has to put over the Jeff Hardys of the WWF in the ring, while Austin looks menacing outside of it.

3. (5) The Undertaker- The most obvious choice to fill the Face void is the Dead Man, who has alternated between the two roles his entire career, but has always been at or near the top. At first, it didn't look like the WWF was going to go this way, with Taker involved in a lesser feud with the Big Show. After RAW, it seems pretty obvious that the Undertaker will be thrust into the spotlight once again.

4. (9) Kane- The Undertaker may not be the one who challenges Austin, however. Since Taker and Triple H still have some unfinished business from Wrestlemania, it may be Kane who challenges Austin, if not at Backlash, then perhaps in the weeks leading up to it (perhaps at Insurrection, the U.K. PPV). Kane has always been a reliable main-event temp, and with the push he's been getting, I can foresee him getting the chance to do it on the big PPV stage (although he will not win the title, he will never win the title). The one thing dragging him down from fighting with the big boys is the Hardcore strap, but Vince and Regal will probably screw him out of it for getting in their way.

5. (7) Chris Benoit- This is one of the guys most of us would like to see get his chance, and he will, just not yet. I was more than a little skeptical of his turn to Face, but now that there is too many heels, I realize it was a good move. Benoit will climb his way through Angle and Regal and move up to the Big Two (remember: the Rock will be gone for a couple of months). If he draws enough pop, don't be surprised to see Benoit finally become WWF Champion (but only if he never again wears those purple tights he wore on RAW)/

6. (10) Chris Jericho- I've given up trying to read this guys future. Do I think he'd be the perfect man to fill in during the Rock's leave of absence? Yes. Do I think that he will be the man to fill in during the Rock's leave of absence? No. For some reason or another, Jericho just isn't given the opportunity he's earned to main event. He gets his pop, he works the stick, he is a great in-ring talent. The only thing I can think of is that he's too short. In any case, his budding friendship with Benoit should be interesting, until he goes one-on-one with Regal again, which won't be very interesting.

7. (6) Kurt Angle- Angle is dropping like a stone, and it's all because of a Stone. Now the number three heel in the Federation, Angle will have to spend some time out of the spotlight despite the fact that he is one of the top three guys as far as talent in the WWF. I'm sure he won't complain, he had his time, but I hope they don't let his talents go to waste. They have to keep doing interesting things with him, like his Hardcore matchup with Kane last week.

9. (4) Vince McMahon- This is the role Vince usually plays, and probably the most effective role. While wrestlers such as Austin and Triple H further in-ring plotlines, Vince furthers the more "soap operatic" elements of the show. Vince vs. Linda and Vince vs. Shane (with a possible Vince vs. Trish undercard) will help fuel Federation television for awhile, without Vince dominating the broadcasts.

10. (11) William Regal- I think we see a little too much of William Regal. I don't mind that he's commissioner, it is a role he plays well (that of being McMahon's bitch). But seeing him as commissioner, and in the ring, all the time? Regal should not be getting this much air-play. He's talented, but he's not that talented.

11. (-) Lita- Do you have any idea how much it killed me to leave Lita off of the rankings last time? I had to maintain some semblance of professionalism (even though running this site is not a profession), and since Lita had only served as an extension of the Hardy Boyz in the weeks leading up to and including Wrestlemania, I could not rank her. This time out, she not only defeated Spike Dudley one-on-one on Heat, she was the key ingredient in furthering along Team Extreme, first when she spoke with Linda, then when she took the beating from Austin and Helmsley. Speaking of that beating, there has been a wee bit of controversy involving TSN's editing of that episode. To read my opinion, go to my Lita Potpourri section.

12. (12) Raven- Even though he's stagnate on the Rankings, Raven is movin' on up like the Jeffersons. It has been nice to see him talk a little more in minuets, something the Hardcore division always prevented. Also, his new attitude that he's been portraying in those minuets is a little more like Raven used to be in ECW and WCW, which I think is his strong suit (although I hope he maintains his sense of humour). The only problem I have with his rising popularity is the fact that he now has his own t-shirt, meaning he will no longer validate my own love of comics by wearing comic book t-shirts.

13. (17) Test- We'll see if it sticks, but for now Test is getting an undeniable push. Thirteenth spot is a little high, until you consider who is below him. Because Austin, Triple H and Vince have been dominating WWF TV of late, there hasn't been a lot of time for other acts to shine, especially soloists. Since Test has been getting steady TV time, his stock soars.

14. (14) The Big Show- It's the same reason the Big Show's position remains the same, despite what I feel have been some pretty lackluster performances. But he has faced off against the Hardys, the Undertaker and Taker and Kane since last time out (losing every time), so he stays in fourteenth. I think he would benefit the most from a switch to WCW, but I don't know if the WWF is going to be switching personnel over. One last thing: did the Big Show actually call Kai en tai "gooks" on RAW, or was that my imagination?

15. (20) Linda McMahon- You know, I was actually kidding when I ranked Linda in March. I knew she would make an impact in the coming weeks, but I didn't really believe she'd become an incumbent in the Rankings. If this keeps up, she may make the year-end top 20 (in which case, I'll have to shut this site down). We all knew she'd ask Vince for a divorce, what will be interesting will be the power struggle that follows.

16. (16) Chyna- Chyna and Ivory accomplished the near-impossible last week on Smackdown!, put on an entertaining match. Why impossible? First off, other than the novelty of it, women's matches usually suck (sometimes even when Lita is involved), that's why they're kept short. Secondly, Chyna so overpowers Ivory that the possibility of Ivory even competing is next to none. There is nothing more boring in professional wrestling than a match whose outcome is blatantly obvious (other than all of X-Pac's matches). However, these two were able to tell a story with their match, with Ivory believably getting her chances along with Chyna's dominance. Most of the credit should go to Ivory, but since Chyna is the bigger star, she gets the Ranking.

17. (13) Eddie Guerrero- In the past, Guerrero was able to make the European Title seem relevant. Not so this time. There is actually no reason for him to be on the Rankings, since this Monday's RAW was his first TV appearance (real TV, Heat doesn't count- unless you're Lita), and his match was a tag match. However, Guerrero is a champion, and is a real talent. He'll have a match in time for Backlash (against either Test or Raven).

18. (-) Rhyno- Who would've thought, when the WWF signed all those ECW stars, that Rhyno would have been the first to make the Top 20? Before Justin Credible, before Spike Dudley, hell before Tajiri and Jerry Lynn could even make Federation TV, Rhyno has earned his spot. Sure, he is an extension of Edge and Christian, but Rhyno has been getting his own matches. Sure, they may be against the likes of Crash and Hardcore Holly, but he has also fought Matt Hardy. Also, his power has been awesome. Sure, he's a one-move wonder (a pretty simplistic move at that), but just think of him as another Goldberg without any of the undeserved prestige.

19. (18) Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley- Hasn't done much of late to warrant ranking, but we're talking about the nineteenth spot here, it was between her and Debra- you pick. I think her whining over her sore neck and broken earring was enough to keep her on the list, that and the fact that she looks hotter and hotter every week (don't worry, Lita is still my favourite).

20. (-) Jim Ross- Good Ol' J.R. has gotten into the act and become a big part of the story. It won't last, J.R.'s role was to represent Austin's last link to humanity and when Austin bloodied his friend J.R. in Ross' own hometown, that link was broken. Debra is now furthering Austin as a heel, playing the role of the terrified wife, so J.R. can go back to being the best commentator in wrestling history.

1. (1) The Hardy Boyz- No three-way tie this time. By facing off against the two biggest names in the business, Team Extreme has had the biggest two weeks of their careers. Whether or not their feud with Austin and Triple H is over (which would be a huge mistake) the Hardys and Lita are over (in the good way). It's not just that the three of them faced Austin, Helmsley and Stephanie, it's not just that Jeff defeated Triple H for the IC strap, it's not just that Matt jumped Austin. It's the fact that the Hardys found their way on Austin and Triple H's respective radars, that's what has vaulted all three to the next level.

2. (1) Edge and Christian- Sure, Edge and Christian are seven-time tag team champs, but they don't deserve the top spot right now (in fact the team below them might surpass them soon). Don't get me wrong, E & C are one of the best tag teams ever. But a feud with the Holly's doesn't put you over. Also, while seven-time champs is an impressive distinction, many of their reigns were incredibly short, and most teams don't stick together long enough to win the titles that often. I'm sure the Holly thing was just a time filler, look for a real challenge to E & C soon, I'm just not sure from whom.

3. (7) Kane and The Undertaker- I don't think it'll be from these two. Keeping them together was a good move, especially now that the Undertaker needs Kane just as much as Kane needs the Undertaker. In the past, Taker would put Kane over, he still does. However, now an aged Undertaker needs Kane to fight some of his battles while he rests his old bones. I can foresee these two involved with the Hardys in a three-way feud along with Triple H and Austin.

4. (1) The Dudley Boyz- I don't think these guys will be the ones to challenge for the tag titles either. For one thing, it's been done, to death. The other reason is the Dudleyz feud with X-Factor, which is far from over, unfortunately for Buh Buh Ray and Devon. Maybe a three-way match between the Dudleyz, Edge and Christian and X-Factor will develop for the tag titles.

5. (6) X-Factor- I'm sure Uncle Cracker's song is a good one and all, but it is horrible "go" music. Although any group with X-Pac as its leader might as well have a dancing hot dog as its entrance video with its entrance music as "let's all go to the lobby".

6. (4) APA- These guys could be a nice fill-in as challengers to Edge and Christian. They're a star tag team, they're a Face tag team, they're instantly credible. Really, all they'd have to do is keep the champs occupied until Benoit and Jericho finish with Angle and Regal and form a tag team (the direction we all know they're heading).

7. (5) Right To Censor- Are they breaking up? Who really cares? The gimmick is getting old (actually it got old a long time ago), but its the only gimmick that has been successful for these 5, so I think they should just inject a little life into it (which they were about to, until the WWF fired the Kat a while back), not give up on it completely.

8. (-) The Hollys- Some good work lately, playing tackling dummies to Rhyno. The WWF has to realize what a waste it is having Molly valet Crash, maybe this mini-push they're giving the Hollys is to test her pop in order to move her on to bigger and better things. One can only hope (also: why doesn't she have her own section in WWFDivas.com?

9. (10) Kai en tai- By serving as punching bags to the Undertaker, Kane and the Big Show in recent weeks, these two "goofs" move up a spot. Useless tidbit: Taka injured his shoulder while serving as Taker and Kane's practice dummy last week on Smackdown!, but toughed it out to face the Big Show on RAW.

10. (8) The Radicalz- These three beat out Grandmaster Sexay and Steve Blackman by fighting a fairly forgettable match against Test, Billy Gunn and Raven on RAW. (Perry's hat and Terri's outfit were probably the most memorable things the Radicalz have done of late).

For more WWF content on this site, click on any of the following:

THE YEAR 2000- YEAR IN REVIEW- See how the superstars of the WWF stacked up using my rankings system for the entire year 2000. Who was number 1, The Rock or Triple H? Who were the top tag teams? Also, the title pictures for each belt from the WWF Championship all the way down to the Light Heavyweight Title, with my own commentary on each reign.

LITA- ONE MAN'S OBSESSION- I admit, I am in love with Lita. I also admit that this behaviour has become a bit of an obsession. See pictures of the Team Extreme Diva, biographical info and random career facts, while I attempt to come to terms with the fact that I am in love with someone I see on TV.

PREVIOUS RANKINGS- Ranking archives dating back to November 1999. Missed a posting? Want to track my biases? Find all past information here.

SITE AWARDS- Here I list the multitude of awards (who knows? Maybe one day there will be a multitude of awards) that WWF Rankings has received.