411’s WWE RPI Rankings 10.20.13

Click here for the entire spreadsheet containing win/loss records and detailed calculations for the past two months.

Overview of this week’s rankings
For the second straight week, Randy Orton holds the top spot in the RPI rankings followed by Bray Wyatt (who hasn’t lost a match in the last two months), Golddust, Daniel Bryan and Rob Van Dam rounding out the top five. Fairly similar to last week except Golddust had the fourth biggest jump of all superstars over a one week period (CM Punk had the biggest jump of 4.2 RPI points).

Speaking of CM Punk, the Second City Saint is slowly starting to edge his way back up the RPI rankings. After tussling with Curtis Axel for what seems like the entire summer and now his program with Paul Heyman potentially coming to a close at Hell in the Cell, what does the future hold for CM Punk? If his gradual ascension up the RPI rankings as the biggest one week and four week gainer in the rankings is any indication, the options are truly unlimited. Much like Daniel Bryan being able to get the most out of any competitor, CM Punk is known for the same. Dolph Ziggler, The Shield, the Wyatt Family. Any and all of these superstars would greatly benefit from matchups with CM Punk. Can you imagine the battle of promos that could take place?

But on the other side of the scale, Tons of Funk continues their slide into jobber territory. They are currently the 2nd and 3rd to last in the rankings (with only Justin Gabriel below them). They even have a worse RPI than 3MB! Can anything be done to turn this around? Probably not; a heel turn wouldn’t generate any more interest (certainly not for Brodus Clay although Tensai would be interesting as a Giant Bernard type heel). And the midcard is pretty stacked as it is. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Nothing generates long term interest more than a tournament. Could the Intercontinental or US title have a number one contender’s tournament? When was the last time anybody seriously vied for either title? I’m not advocating getting the belt out from under Dean Ambrose but he certainly has played third wheel to Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns over the last couple of weeks. Get that man a mike!

Top ten movers over the last 4 weeks

RPI Explained
The ratings percentage index (RPI; out of 100) is a method which ranks teams or individuals based upon their wins, losses and strength of schedule. It is used by the NCAA to aid in the selecting and seeding of teams appearing in tournaments such as basketball’s March Madness.

Why are RPI rankings superior to simple win-loss records? Imagine a superstar that wins matches only against jobbers. Sure, their win/loss record will be stellar but by facing opponents who always lose, their RPI will not be as high as a superstar who wins half their matches but always faces opponents with stellar win/loss records. Using a statistically valid approach to examine WWE superstars will allow fans to determine if their favorite wrestler is being booked appropriately and whether their stock is rising or falling.

The factors involved are:
* 1) the superstar’s winning percentage (25%)
* 2) the average winning percentage of the superstar’s opponents (50%)
* 3) the average winning percentage of the superstar’s opponents’ opponents (25%)