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:

• I really don't know what to think about the upcoming Survivor Series. On one hand, I could see the WWF losing because of the successful lawsuit from the World Wildlife Fund. They were told to change their name, and this could be the WWF's way of fitting it into the storyline. However, the case is in appeal, and I know the WWF would hate to lose the brand recognition that goes with their name. Plus, if you think the animal activist's were difficult to deal with, imagine the trademark trouble they'd have with Alliance Studios if they changed their name to that. On the other hand, maybe this is the WWF's way of finally ending the WWF vs. Alliance storyline that has had mixed success.
• No Mercy was a pretty good PPV. Rock vs. Jericho was a classic, the ladder match between Edge and Christian was exciting, the main event of Austin vs. Angle vs. RVD was lively thanks to Van Dam and the Lingerie Match was everything I'd hoped it would be (well, almost everything- there was no accidental nudity).
• I caught Joannie Laurer's (AKA Chyna) appearance on Off The Record. It didn't really answer my questions, though. Landsburg was more interested in Chyna and Triple H's love life than the situation involving her former career. I don't really care much that she isn't around, I've never been that bug a Chyna fan. However, she did have fans, a lot of them, and I'm kind of curious as to what this has to say about the WWF's new bargaining power. Without legitimate competition, how can wrestler's get a good deal?

1. (2) The Rock- Sure, he holds the second most important title, but the Rock has been doing the best work of late. His matches with Jericho were amazing, especially the one at No Mercy. Plus, his TV work has been great as usual. I don't think the WWF expected his feud with Jericho to work so well. It has quickly become one of the great feuds of recent memory with each side holding his own. This is the sort of thing they could build around, they could have gone at it for 3 PPV cycles. Instead, Survivor Series got in the way, so unfortunately it has been rushed.

2. (3) Stone Cold Steve Austin- Don't get me wrong, Austin has been great of late as well, the Rock has been just a little bit better. His No Mercy match was a bit better, he's been in the ring a bit more, he's had a more definable feud. They both rose a spot in the rankings, so all is well. I thought Austin's title match with the Undertaker was very well done, one of the best matches those two have had together in years. But my favourite stuff is his backstage stuff. I seriously think most of what Austin is doing is to amuse himself. I bet he's trying to make other guys crack up on camera. One note: the bit with him and the Rock on Smackdown was the strangest thing I've ever seen on Federation television, including Mae Young's giving birth to a rubber hand. WHAT!?!

3. (5) Chris Jericho- Once again, Y2J is screwed by timing. The last time he made his rise to main-event status, it was interrupted by Invasion. Now, it's interrupted by Survivor Series. He finally wins "the Big One" (although the WCW Title is no longer the big one, but oh well), finally makes his heel turn, and his genuinely intriguing storyline is interrupted. He should've been able to hold on to the title for longer, but the WWF needed Rock to be counter-champion to Austin in the Survivor Series fallout. So, once again, Y2J gets screwed. I don't think it's hard for Jericho to find his motivation for this heel turn.

4. (1) Kurt Angle- I'm glad Angle went to the Alliance, he works better as a heel. They gave him his chance at being a face for three reasons (in my humble opinion): the fans were ready to cheer him on, his book was about to come out, and Austin needed a face to feud with. They had been building an Austin versus Angle feud before Austin went to the Alliance, but heel versus heel rarely works (interestingly, one exception to that rule was Angle versus Triple H). So Austin turns heel, and Angle by proclamation, becomes face. He was kind of awkward in the role: they had to take away his medals, they had him playing off the Rock and the APA, but he's too goodie-two-shoes for today's wrestling audience. The thing that gave him the most pop was the terrorist attacks, but the WWF wisely chose not to play off that too much (the backlash would have killed them). Now we get back to the geeky Angle we knew and loved.

5. (4) Rob Van Dam- RVD's momentum has stalled a bit, but that's only because of the Survivor Series storyline and Angle's presence in the Alliance. It will continue where it left off once the PPV is over, maybe with the long-awaited Austin vs. Van Dam feud. In any case, it's time for him to drop the Hardcore Title, the Big Show would be good candidate for that.

6. (-) Vince McMahon- Here's a wacky prediction: it will be a McMahon who turns at Survivor Series. Maybe Vince realises that the cream is with the Alliance and screws WWF fans and favourites like the Rock and the Undertaker for the umpteenth time (maybe that's why he pulled himself from the match). Or maybe Shane or Stephanie or both recognise the Alliance for what it is: a failed business venture, and merge with daddy, thus screwing WWF fans and favourites who now have to deal with a WWF that includes turncoats like Austin, Angle and Regal, with Vince once again being a maniacal heel. I don't know if any of this will happen, but I think it would be a good idea.

7. (11) The Undertaker- I've really been impressed with the Undertaker of late. He has an obvious passion for this business, and this whole "going out of business" storyline has allowed him to tap into that. His PPV match with Booker T was pretty good, despite the fact that Booker T was in it, but his best work was on TV against Austin and Angle (which was a minor classic- perfect ring psychology). I'm not the biggest Undetaker fan in the world, but I have to give the guy respect this time out.

8. (9) Shane McMahon- Shane's been kinda quiet as of late, but I expect that to change at the PPV. His speech on Monday was classic Shane-O Mac, no one can steal catchphrases quite like him. It looks like his principle opponent at Survivor Series will be the Big Show, which should be interesting given their history. I just hope he's able to be the fearless daredevil he's been at previous PPVs instead of the sniveling coward he has to be as a heel (the kind that gets his ass handed to him by his father on RAW in street fights).

9. (10) Booker T- The Book actually snuck up a ranking, and I don't think it was his appearance on the weakest link that did it. Actually, I'm not sure what did it since none of his ring work has improved. He was the weakest link in recent matches against the Undertaker, Kane, and The Rock. But he has been fighting the best, and is one of 10 guys main-eventing a PPV, so he stays in the top ten. Way to be mediocre, five-time loser.

10. (6) Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley- Lately, it seems Stephanie's fake breasts have gotten more attention than she has. Then again, how could they not. She's really gotten her money's worth. Seriously. Moving on, Stephanie hasn't done too much of substance since slapping her mom around, which is odd given the storyline of the PPV. However, I think she'll be big (again it comes back to the implants) at the PPV. Here's one lingering thought: her husband is slated to come back soon. What effect, if any, will that have on Survivor Series?

11. (8) Edge- Edge drops three spots, and I think his work has gotten better. How's that? Well obviously the focus has been on the main event at Survivor Series, so anyone not involved in that suffers. So while Edge won a stunning ladder match with Christian at No Mercy and has developed a nice feud with Test, he drops. However, I really like his progress as a singles guy, especially the way he punked out Kurt Angle to get his shot at the U.S. Title.

12. (7) Christian- Christian Champion of Europe! This guy cracks me up. I love the way he put down the European Title, it was classic. Not since Shawn Michaels have I seen that strap get the respect it deserves. A title change at a non-televised event, we're not even talking Heat or Metal here, we're talking non-televised. How bad does Bradshaw have to be if he doesn't even get to drop on TV, or in Britain on PPV? Strange note: as of this moment, Christian is not slated to perform at Survivor Series. Hopefully he'll get an opponent for his prestigious title for the Heat leading up to the match, although I have no idea who it could be.

13. (12) William Regal- No doubting Regal is a heel now, huh? Beating on women senselessly is an old standby for heels. Turning your back on the WWF is one thing, stretching Torrie Wilson is another (come on Regal, I know it's your signature move and all, but couldn't you have put her in the bow-and-arrow submission for the fans?). One certainty in life: the heel who harms likable women in the WWF eventually gets his comeuppance. Look for Regal to receive a royal thrashing from Tajiri on Sunday.

14. (14) Test- This seems like an actual push for Test! I can't believe it! Sure, he's been on a roll, but he's been on rolls before that were quickly abandoned. Now he's the Intercontinental Champion! What gives!?! Sure, I'm confident that he'll lose to Edge (the guy the WWF is really trying to push), but the fact remains, Test- former Hardcore, European and WWF Tag Team Champion, is now a Grand Slam Champion! Be afraid, be very afraid...

15. (13) Tajiri- I've already gone on record in saying that Tajiri will beat Regal at Survivor Series. So that's taken care of. Other than that, Tajiri hasn't done all that much (unless you count beating Billy Kidman for the Cruiserweight Title as something, which I don't). So he drops a couple of spots. Still, he stays in the rankings because he's one of the few wrestlers that has a storyline and a real match at Survivor Series (thankfully for him, he doesn't have to wrestle the other schmoes in the Immunity Battle Royal. Have you seen that list of winners? It ain't pretty). Sadly for Tajiri, he has to look forward to an eventual title unification bout with X-Pac, whenever X-Pac gets healthy. That is a grisly future indeed.

16. (18) Kane- The WWF isn't in the best of shape when two of their "top guys", main-eventing the PPV, fighting for their survival, are on the bottom quarter of this list. In fact, if it wasn't for his involvement in the PPV, Kane might not have ranked at all (actually, that's a dumb sentence. Very few guys rank with non-involvement in a PPV). What I mean was after his loss to Test at No Mercy, the Big Red Machine has been sporadic on television (he must be hurting). Look for him to be the first man eliminated. However, I must say his match with Angle for the U.S. Title may have possibly been the best match I've seen Kane wrestle (I give most of the credit to Angle, though. He brings out the best in all his opponents).

17. (-) The Big Show- I'm more interested in the Big Show than Kane, but I still ranked Kane ahead of him. Why? To give the rankings a semblance of continuity. While the Big Show has been more interesting since my last posting, exhibiting some serious improvement, Kane was already ranked last time. So his involvement in the "Winner Takes All" match gets him a 2 point jump, while Show's gets him back on the solo list. Also, while Kane was fighting Angle, the Show was tossing around flunkies (although he did challenge RVD for the Hardcore Title, and almost won). The Big Show moment I liked the best was his "Positively Page" impersonation- the guy can entertain, it just doesn't match his body size. He's be great if he were 5 inches and 150 pounds lighter.

18. (17) Mick Foley- I had Foley off the list since he was hardly doing anything as commissioner. Sure, he had some funny moments with William Regal, but nothing that significantly contributed to the broadcasts. Then he disappeared. But when he resurfaced for his impassioned speech on RAW, he reclaimed a spot on the rankings just in time (not that there were any serious challengers- check out 19 and 20, if you aren't already). That moment, which may or may not be the last we see of Foley for a while (it's possible his coming back was a temporary reaction to Regal's defection, and we'll only need one commissioner soon), was vintage Foley. In it, he did what he does better than anyone else in wrestling today (perhaps ever), and no I don't mean shameless self-promotion. Foley can bring true, genuine emotion to his promos that no one else can. He finds an angle and then pours out his soul in front of an audience. No catchphrases, no chest-thumps, just pure emotion. I had goosebumps when he spoke of a time when titles meant something, and when he was done his diatribe I wanted to say "amen" (plus, all these useless titles have really screwed up my ranking system over the past couple of months).

19. (-) Torrie Wilson- I had to rank Torrie Wilson, not just for her continued excellence as Tajiri's valet, but for her victorious effort in the grueling Lingerie Match at No Mercy. The technical proficiency demonstrated not only by Torrie, but also her opponent Stacy, was reminiscent of Benoit vs. Jericho, or Hart vs. Michaels. Okay, who am I fooling? I wasn't watching that match for wrestling, but the numerous pinning combinations that resulted in two half-nekkid gorgeous women intertwined was enough to make my night.

20. (-) Stacy Keibler- I considered having a tie for nineteenth, because like TLC matches, who ended up winning didn't really matter in the Lingerie Match. The true winner was the fans, who were lucky enough to witness that spectacle. Seriously, it was one for the ages. Often chick matches are too horrible even to titillate, but this one came through (pardon the expression). I had to tell my friends when it was over "okay guys, we can't all go to the bathroom at once". In the end, I had to rank both women so as to not cheat my readers of a picture of either competitor, and if anyone knows how to bring up the rear, its Stacy Keibler.

1. (1) The Dudley Boyz- Still the best tag team in wrestling, for the umpteenth time in a row (I say umpteenth because I'm too lazy to do my fact-checking for a real number). It hardly matters though, the tag team division, with two titles to chase, has been largely ignored. In both of the last PPVs, the tag title matches were thrown together at the last second, each time the only legitimate teams, the Dudleyz and the Hardys, walking in and walking out as champs. At least that won't happen this time.

2. (8) The Rock and Jericho- To get a true sense of what Mick Foley meant when he said if you're in the Alliance or the WWF right now, and you don't own a title, you should take a long look in the mirror (or something like that) look at this top ten tag team list. How many of these teams held belts or challenged for belts since I posted a month ago? These two beat the Dudley Boyz for the WWF Tag Team titles, all the while beating up on each other for the WCW Title. This should be the last time a rank them as a team (but who knows? They teamed up on Smackdown, and will do so again, sort of, on Sunday).

3. (2) The Hardy Boyz- If one went by titles alone, these two would be number one. Since I last posted, they successfully defended their newly won WCW Tag Team titles at No Mercy, lost them to the Dudleyz, then beat Booker T and Test for the WWF Tag Team Titles. They held both tag team titles in the span of one month, impressive. So did the Dudleyz. With the Dudleyz, it seemed their title reigns meant something, they were champs for awhile before they dropped to Rock and Jericho to further the latter's personal feud, then turned around and beat Matt and Jeff the next night. The Hardys, on the other hand, won both their titles right before PPVs, seemingly so that they could have a match on the PPV, then they drop them. I expect them to drop to the Dudleyz at Survivor Series, furthering Matt's heel turn. However, the match, a steel cage match, should steal the show (what will these crazy sons-of-bitches do?).

4. (6) Booker T and Test- These guys are the fourth team in a row to have held a tag title since my last posting. Foley's right, the titles are devalued. To help you keep up, here's how it went: The Dudleyz won the WWF Tag Team titles from Kane and Undertaker (then double-gold holders), then they lost them to Jericho and the Rock, who lost them to Booker T and Test, who lost the to the Hardy Boyz. The WCW Title in the past few months went from Kane and Undertaker, to these guys, to the Hardy Boyz, to the Dudley Boyz. So Booker T and Test, two big studs of the Alliance, have dropped not once, but twice to the Hardy Boyz. Not hard to figure out why I have them ranked below them is it?

5. (5) Undertaker and Kane- These two haven't fought too much as a team, but they get the five spot anyway, weird huh? They did battle Booker T and Test as a unit, but never for a title. They were supposed to fight Austin and Angle together, but instead Taker took them on in a Handicap Match (and he did very well). Really, I have no reason to rank these guys this high, other than the fact that everyone below them deserves to be in the second half of this list.

6. (7) APA- These guys fought the Dudley Boyz for a week, so they're the best of the rest. Actually, when they fought they did well, but they were swallowed up by Survivor Series hype, while the guys ahead of them were not. Bradshaw was European Champion for like, a minute. Farooq put D-Von through a table, Jackie got involved with Dudleyz and could walk out of Survivor Series Women's Champion (although it better be Lita), and the APA got a title shot (WCW, it is so hard to keep up).

7. (3) The Hurricane and Lance Storm- This requires a long memory, since this duo hasn't teamed up in awhile (although Lance Storm and Ivory did team up against Lita and Jeff Hardy). But these two also had a title shot (WCW) at No Mercy. Way to stay on the list! Could be a successful Sunday for this group: Mighty Molly and Ivory challenge for the Women's Title and I like Lance Storm or the Hurricane to do well in the Immunity Battle Royal (The Hurricane is my pick: the most workable character, other than Tazz, in the thing).

8. (4) The Big Show and Tajiri- These guys, not a real tag team, made the list for a few reasons. First, there is nobody else. Second, they challenged the Dudley Boyz for the WWF tag titles at No Mercy in a forgettable match. However, the real reason they made the list is so I could show one more picture of Torrie Wilson. To quote Perry Saturn (another illustrious Immunity Battle Royal Competitor): you're welcome.

9. (-) Albert and Scotty 2 Hotty- Who did Albert piss off? Really. The guy looks promising. Jim Ross seems to like him. Yet, look at the string of tag team partners he's gotten since coming up in the Fed: Droz, the Big Bossman, Test (who they took away from Albert in order to propel Test's career), X-Pac, Justin Credible, and now Scotty 2 Hotty. Poor guy, he oughtta leave the WWF and go work for.... ahh, never mind.

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 2000. 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.