Power Ranking WWE's Top Performers For November 2016
The superstars who are shining brightest on their respective brands.
With another month in the books it's time to analyze the WWE roster and recognize those performers who have given their all and stood out among their peers.
November was a successful month for WWE, in so far as they produced a well-received dual-brand pay-per-view that offered up the long-awaited return of a legend and provided one of the most shocking and divisive match results in history.
One of the ideas behind the brand split was to help put the focus on underutilized talents who were getting buried under the weight of the massive roster, and hopefully create some new superstars in the process. While the spotlight has definitely been spread throughout a wider array of wrestlers, we're still waiting to see how effective it will be in the long run.
This list isn't meant to reflect the most popular or most valuable wrestlers in the company, it's a way to highlight the performers who have risen to the occasion and contributed to their respective shows in a positive manner. You'll see many who weren't listed last time around, and several who have fallen a few spots.
Let's get to it...
10. James Ellsworth
Previous Ranking: Unranked
This one pains me a bit because I find myself among the group that aren't in on the James Ellsworth joke. As wrestling fans, it's great to see someone get an unlikely opportunity that they've worked so hard for, and James is quite the underdog story. But the brand of comedy WWE is using him for isn't for everyone.
Nevertheless it can't be disputed that he has been one of the central points of SmackDown Live. While serving as a prop in the feud between AJ Styles and Dean Ambrose, Ellsworth has managed to get over far more than anyone ever expected, especially considering he was only meant to be a one-night stand jobber.
The man with two hands played a pivotal role in the Survivor Series men's elimination bout, bringing an end to the carnage being unleashed by his old pal Braun Strowman, and was able to stand alongside the biggest stars in the company while serving as SD's mascot.
There's probably a very short shelf-life to this Ellsworth thing but WWE - as they're apt to do - is riding it into the ground, and will continue to do so as long as it remains effective.