Breaking Down the Best and Worst of the WWE for Week of Sept. 21

The power of wins and losses was on full display at Night of Champions and the rest of the WWE week.

Booking emerging, promising stars to win their first championships on the main roster bolstered the latest pay-per-view and beyond. Piling on losses for Seth Rollins continued what has been one of the most mishandled world title reigns in company history.

WWE was all over the map with its decisions as September nears its close.

In a baffling move, Kane became the most pushed star on the roster. Paige started playing the character she was born to play. And the gutting of Rollins' momentum continued.

For every reason WWE gave fans to cheer, it also inspired some grumbling. To be a WWE fan through Night of Champions and its aftermath was to strap into a roller coaster.

Best: Rising Stars Grab Titles

Change powered Night of Champions. 

Kevin Owens bested Ryback to win the WWE Intercontinental Championship. Charlotte outlasted Nikki Bella to end the Divas champ's historic reign. With those results, WWE put two fresh faces in prominent spots.

A highly talented brawler with a reputation for putting on great matches and a rising star with massive potential now hold two of WWE's titles. It's easy to get excited. There is a bright future ahead for both wrestlers and, with the right booking, for both title reigns.

The championships shifting to these former NXT stars feels like a sign that WWE is embracing a new generation of talent.

That will change if both Charlotte and Owens start getting dragged into poor storylines and fail to get enough chances to shine. For now, though, both title pictures are plenty intriguing.

Worst: World Champion Stockpiling Losses

WWE is determined to have Seth Rollins struggle. Just when his title reign garners a touch of momentum, the company books him to lose and lose often.

Rollins lost to John Cena at Night of Champions. He fell to Cena the next night on Raw. On Thursday's SmackDown, Rollins failed again, this time with Dean Ambrose getting the three-count on him.

Why would you ever book your world champion to lose three times in a row? How can WWE expect fans to be invested in a titleholder who is portrayed as such an also-ran?

When someone finally dethrones Rollins, it won't be a special moment in the least. Fans have already seen him taste defeat several times over. And despite having a world title on his resume, Rollins will be no better off once this reign ends.

Rather than use the gold to elevate him, WWE has made it an anchor dragging him to the ocean floor. 

He doesn't look to be on Cena's level. He doesn't look worthy of his spot on top. He doesn't look like a champion.

Rollins is the victim of foolish booking, and that hasn't been more evident than this week.

Best: John Cena and Seth Rollins Outdo Themselves

The match proved to be one of Seth Rollins' three losses in the week, but result aside, this was absolute gold in the ring.

Rollins and John Cena outdid their stellar work from SummerSlam. The foes had each other well scouted. Rollins halted Cena from doing his "You can't see me" taunt with a kick to the head; Cena flipped Rollins over to evade a buckle bomb.

The WWE champ showed off surprising strength in mimicking Cena's power moves.

The high-octane bout saw both men go all out. Effort and passion fueled the contest.

And this time, there were no shenanigans or Jon Stewart. This was just two warriors looking to prove who is better. It's just disappointing that WWE refused to let Rollins be the better man against Cena on this night or the next.

Worst: Kane Standing on Center Stage

Kane stormed back and climbed onto the marquee right away. After attacking Seth Rollins at Night of Champions, he tortured him on Raw and SmackDown afterward.

The big man is flourishing as a man struggling with split personalities, but he's on the wrong place on the card at this point in his career.

Kane's mental issues should be a midcard scenario. Instead, he is going for the WWE title. That gives Rollins a 48-year-old challenger right after dealing with a 56-year-old one.

Rollins vs. Kane has minimal appeal. WWE believing otherwise is a mistake and a case of it misreading its audience.

Crowds are calling for new blood on top. Rather than push Cesaro, Dolph Ziggler or Dean Ambrose to the No. 1 contender's spot, WWE is showing a refusal to let go of the past.

Kane is plenty valuable as a workhorse and dependable performer. He is no longer a main event star, though. 

Best: Paige Goes Heel; Natalya Comes Back

An adjustment in alignment and a big return boosted the women's division. Paige broke away from PCB, hitting her allies over the head with the verbal equivalent of a sledgehammer. Natalya stepped back onto the scene after months away.

Those two moves will greatly aid the women's division.

Paige is a much better fit as a heel, for one. She and PCB had underwhelming chemistry and little identity. Suddenly after her seething promo on Raw, though, Paige broke out with a clear character that suits her.

Natalya's return expands WWE's options. It doesn't have to just stick with having the division's warring factions collide. It now has a veteran and master of the mat to plug in.

So far, it has done that by creating tension between her and Paige.

A Natalya-Paige feud brims with promise. It pits two of WWE's best workers against each other. It offers a fresh rivalry after so much of the same combinations of enemies clashing.

WWE has to sustain what it started, but with Charlotte as champ, Sasha Banks sure to be challenging her before long and these two gladiators glaring at each other in a separate story, there's plenty to be excited about when it comes to WWE women's wrestling.