WWE Programming's Best Match for Week of November 8

The last week has been particularly jam-packed with excellent matches across all of WWE programming. From Monday Night Raw to NXT, just about every show this week had something worth watching.

In fact, if you put all the good matches this week together, you'd end up with a very compelling card for a pay-per-view. The talent is all there—and when it's given the opportunity, it can really put on a show.

Honourable Mentions

The often skippable SmackDown started out with a bang this week, as the Usos met Goldust and Stardust inside a steel cage. We've seen this match a lot in recent months, but the stipulation kept it fresh.

NXT was particularly good this week, with two matches that are worth anyone's time. Charlotte and Bayley teamed up to take on Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch in an excellent women's match, and Sami Zayn met Tyler Breeze in a match that was just as good as you would expect given the quality of the competitors.

Elsewhere, Jack Swagger met Heath Slater in an entertaining bout on Superstars. These two men fill very different roles on the roster, but they're both very good at what they do and underrated by many. Slater in particular has a great deal to offer, and his string of longer matches over the past few weeks show he's no slouch in the ring.

This week's edition of Raw featured a good match between Cesaro and Dean Ambrose. Between last week's Halloween-themed street fight and this bout, there's plenty of evidence that a full program between the two would be nothing less than excellent.

Speaking of Raw, Sheamus vs. Rusev was exactly the sort of match that the post-show needs if its going to be pitched as a selling point for the WWE Network. This was high-impact big-man fare at its best; hopefully, there's a return match in the offing.

Match of the Week for November 8: Seth Rollins vs. Randy Orton on Monday Night Raw

From the moment this match was set in stone, it was clear that it was at least partially a set-up for some post-bout shenanigans. Sometimes, this means that the match itself suffers—but thankfully, that wasn't the case on Monday night.

At times in his career, Randy Orton has seemed comfortable to let his talent go to waste; over the last few months, however, he's looked as focused as he ever has. Orton could get a good match out of just about anyone when he's on form, so when he's paired with someone as talented as Seth Rollins, it's a safe bet that we're in for a treat.

The obvious comparison to make with this match is Orton's collision with Roman Reigns back at SummerSlam in August. While Reigns isn't the write-off that some would claim, it's clear that the onus was on Orton to make that match engaging. Here, Rollins more than held up his end, and it resulted in a better match.

It's strange to think that not so long ago, there were concerns that Rollins would be lost in the shuffle once The Shield was dismantled. His alignment with The Authority was a clever move to put him in the spotlight, but it's been his individual performances that have kept him there.

Rollins looks like a credible threat when he's in the ring with a main eventer like Orton, and that's not an easy feat. The transition has seen many careers falter, but Rollins makes it clear that he's meant for the big leagues every time he steps in the ring.

What really made this match great was the fact that it was allowed a definitive finish. Rather than closing the issue entirely, it was a finish that rounded off this chapter and left the audience wanting more; excellent preparation for another meeting of Orton and Rollins in the future—and who wouldn't want to see that?

Did another match catch your eye this week? Did Mark Henry vs. Big Show blow...you away? Did Adam Rose vs. Curtis Axel stink...of Match of the Year candidate? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.