Breaking Down the Best and Worst of the WWE for Week of Aug. 12

Fans didn't have to wait until SummerSlam for WWE to deliver big-time excitement.

Raw and Main Event produced moments and matches worth talking about. For some of these, though, the talk was not positive. A botched finish to a mixed-tag match and the potential for a dance-centric feud soured an otherwise successful week for WWE.

SummerSlam matches, including one just added to the pay-per-view, benefited from great verbal performances enhancing their narratives.

From a superb clash on Wednesday to a battle to be named Dean Ambrose's challenger, here are the best and worst matches, moments and performances from the week.

Best: Cody Rhodes vs. Alberto Del Rio

The best match of the week saw Alberto Del Rio and Cody Rhodes turn a simple story into can't-miss theater on Wednesday's WWE Main Event.

This was about two Superstars seeking momentum before their respective matches at SummerSlam and Del Rio abusing Rhodes' arm. Rhodes writhed on the mat and gathered every drop of resolve he had in seeking a win against the world champ.

The two wrestlers looked evenly matched for much of it, each man drained and aching until the final bell.

Should Del Rio retain on Sunday, this could be a preview of a World Heavyweight Championship bout in the near future. That would be good news for fans, as Rhodes and Del Rio have great chemistry together.

They proved that once again as they topped their excellent match from WWE Raw in February.

Worst: Botched Finish on Raw

Fans weren't expecting a five-star classic when AJ Lee and Big E Langston took on Natalya and The Great Khali on Monday's WWE Raw, but few would have bet on the match ending in such awkward fashion.

Khali and Langston watched on as the women provided the action inside. Natalya locked the Sharpshooter on AJ near the corner and misstep soon followed misstep.

Natalya appeared to let go of the hold too soon. AJ compounded the error by tapping out after she was already out of the hold. The referee then stood unmoving as Natalya waited for a decision, for anything.

She decided to redo the finish and make AJ tap out a second time.

The finish felt akin to radio silence, and someone certainly got a tongue-lashing backstage because of it. Botchamania, here we come.

Best: John Cena and Daniel Bryan on Miz TV

This is how you sell a match.

John Cena and Daniel Bryan appeared on Miz TV on Monday, and both challenger and champion delivered excellent performances. Tension between Cena and Bryan hit its highest point when Bryan called Cena a parody of a wrestler.

This verbal showdown sets up a potential Bryan victory as a huge moment and as a way to have him climb closer to the biggest names in company history.

Bryan called the SummerSlam bout the biggest match of his career, while Cena talked about how proud he was of who he is and what he's become. The promo was genuine, powerful and felt like the closing moments of Raw despite its placement on the episode.

Worst: Fandango and R-Truth Dance Feud

Fandango followed two recent matches with Kofi Kingston with an altercation with R-Truth.

A feud with Kingston would have been good for both men with two athletic performers on the midcard looking to impress. This burgeoning feud with R-Truth could be that as well, but judging from their dance-heavy confrontation on Monday's WWE Raw, the company has a specific direction in mind for it.

Expect a ton of dance-offs and mid-match dance duels between R-Truth and Fandango in the coming weeks.

The two's animosity spilled into that night's battle royal. It's a feud that makes sense in terms of their characters but doesn't sound appealing at all.

Best: The Shield Promo

Before 20 Superstars competed in a very good battle royal near the end of Monday's WWE Raw, The Shield rocked a backstage promo.

Both Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns came off as intimidating, confident and ready for whoever is their next challenger. Dean Ambrose continued to play up the importance of his U.S. title.

He said that unless Andre the Giant's ghost was in the battle royal, it didn't matter who won it.

Strangely, WWE’s YouTube channel doesn't feature The Shield's speech. It's another case of a promo from The Shield that fans would love to rewatch several times over.

"

"If Andre the Giant' ghost ain't in this Battle Royal, I ain't losing." Ambrose. Cie Big Show? #wwe #RAW

— PWInsider.com (@pwinsidercom) August 13, 2013"

Worst: The Wrong SummerSlam Match

Monday's WWE Raw rounded out the SummerSlam card, but one of the matches may not serve for more than a snack break for many fans.

Brie Bella will take on Natalya, extending their drama from Total Divas to SummerSlam. Natalya is an extremely talented wrestler, but Brie's limited ability makes the chances of this match being anything memorable slim.

The rest of the Total Divas cast will accompany the Divas at ringside, so expect catfight chaos to ensue at some point.

Not every match on every card can be a classic, but choosing this match over Mark Henry and Big Show taking on The Shield or something involving Randy Orton, Ryback or The Real Americans feels like a mistake.

Best: Battle Royal

Normally, last-minute battle royals are forgettable fare.

Monday's WWE Raw featured a battle royal with a series of exciting moments. Rob Van Dam outlasted 19 other foes to earn a shot at Dean Ambrose's United States Championship.

Along the way, Ryback thrilled by breaking up Van Dam's rolling thunder, Mark Henry tossed men out like they were garbage bags, and Kofi Kingston hit a sunset flip to Antonio Cesaro after which he managed to pull himself up in a stunning feat of athleticism.

The field whittled down to the two men many thought would win it, and Van Dam evaded a charging Henry to get the win. Top that off with Big Show making his return and fans got a better bit of action and drama than expected.