WWE's Best and Worst Booking Decisions for the Week of July 13

As WWE heads toward its next big event, Battleground on Sunday, we take a look back at the week that was.

On Monday Night Raw, Brock Lesnar and Seth Rollins engaged in a contract signing for their upcoming WWE World Heavyweight Championship match. In addition to that, Becky Lynch, Charlotte and Sasha Banks all came up from NXT to appear on the show, creating an aura of excitement that hasn't been seen within the Divas division in quite some time.

On SmackDown, The New Day picked up a victory in tag team action over The Lucha Dragons, and Roman Reigns and Bray Wyatt furthered their rivalry prior to their one-on-one battle at Battleground.

Will any of these things earn the distinction of best or worst booking decision for the past week?

While it is impossible for WWE to please all of its viewers all of the time, certain things come across better than others. Whether it is a great match, a great promo or the manner in which one Superstar picks up a victory, we will look at all aspects of WWE programming across the past week.

With that said, which decision was the best, and which one just didn't make much sense?

Best Booking Decision: Cesaro Defeats Rusev

Credit: WWE.com

Though the sight of Lynch, Charlotte and Banks on Raw was refreshing, it's easy to get excited over seeing Cesaro get one of the most impressive wins of his WWE career.

More than once, WWE has missed the boat on turning Cesaro into one of its top talents, but things could be moving in the right direction for the Swiss Superstar.

When his tag team partner Tyson Kidd went out with an injury, it would not have surprised many fans if Cesaro was once again lost in the shuffle. Instead, he has stepped up in a big way.

A great performance against John Cena on Raw seems to have ignited Cesaro's latest push, and last Monday he engaged in a Triple Threat match that also involved Kevin Owens and Rusev. The winner of the match would earn an immediate shot at the United States title against Cena.

After Owens walked out on the match, Cesaro and Rusev went back and forth in a war that could have gone either way. Rusev emerged victorious, outlasting Cesaro after a stiff superkick to the chest.

On SmackDown, Rusev and Cesaro were scheduled for one-on-one action. Though Cesaro proved he could hang with Rusev, this is the kind of match he almost always comes up short in.

Rusev is building a hot program with Dolph Ziggler, and having him defeat Cesaro would make him look much stronger heading into that eventual match. On top of that, Cena is the only Superstar to get a pinfall or submission win over the Bulgarian Brute.

That changed when Cesaro pinned Rusev on SmackDown following The Neutralizer. It was a bit of a shock to see Cesaro get the win but a refreshing one. 

"

.@WWECesaro could well be the new @WWEDanielBryan - the guy @WWE fans DEMAND to see in main events. #SmackDown #WWEBattleground

— Mick Foley (@RealMickFoley) July 17, 2015"

This seemed to show that WWE has taken a new interest in Cesaro, perhaps finally listening to the crowds that have roared in approval for him for the past several years.

Cesaro should figure into the United States title picture soon, and after that, he could finally climb up the last rung of the proverbial ladder. That's good to see, because he certainly deserves the opportunity.

Worst Booking Decision: R-Truth Defeats King Barrett Again

Credit: WWE.com

It was nice to see WWE dedicate a night on the WWE network to the King of the Ring tournament. The tournament was always one of the most exciting aspects of WWE.

The tournament returned for two nights, with Bad News Barrett winning matches over Ziggler, R-Truth and finally Neville to secure the crown. Barrett put on the royal robe, and it looked like he was ready for a new start, even referring to himself as King Barrett.

Though it has been done before, Barrett has the ability to make it work. He has long been one of the most talented Superstars on the entire roster, but much like Cesaro, he's also been grossly misused.

The King of the Ring appeared to be a way of changing that. Instead, the only purpose that becoming the king of WWE has served for Barrett is to lose multiple matches to R-Truth.

That happened again Monday night on Raw, when R-Truth picked up a win over Barrett. On Sunday at Battleground, the two will meet again for Barrett's crown.

This is a match that will do little for Barrett. If he wins, all he has done is pick up a victory over R-Truth. If he loses, then WWE will have effectively destroyed the entire 2015 King of the Ring in a matter of two months.

Like Cesaro, Barrett deserves more. After the match at Battleground, he needs to be elevated up the card. He should have a fresh angle that can help catapult him back toward the main event.

Unless, of course, WWE decides to take the crown off him and put it on R-Truth. If that happens, not only will Barrett's future be in serious jeopardy, but there will be an early favorite for worst booking decision of next week.