Breaking Down the Best and Worst of the WWE for Week of Nov. 17

Ahead of Survivor Series, WWE gave us the last gasps of a champion and an overly friendly bunny.

This was a week that reminded us that WWE does drama and action well, but it's not an expert in the field of comedy. Dolph Ziggler's title defenses, another stellar WWE Network special and the anticipation over a new gladiator's arrival were all big hits.

It was when the company leaned on silliness that it flopped.

The Bunny's direction is embarrassing. The run of bad guest stars on Raw continued.

Survivor Series may soon help us to forget about those gaffes. A shakeup with its main event has given it added intrigue.

Best: Dolph Zigger's Last Days as Champion

Dolph Ziggler went down swinging.

In an era when midcard champs go far too long without putting their titles on the line, The Showoff faced challengers again and again.

That continued on Friday's SmackDown when he took on both Tyson Kidd and Cesaro. Ziggler followed that up with an impromptu title match against Luke Harper on Monday's Raw.

Both matches were excellent, with the Triple Threat being one of 2014's best efforts. That continued a run of standout performances from Ziggler.

Even after holding the belt for just under two months, the WWE Intercontinental Championship elevated him. He looked valiant fending off foes so often and got a chance to produce some of his best work.

Now that Harper took that strap from him, the bruiser has a shot at achieving the same upward movement. That will depend on WWE giving him the same daunting schedule as champion.

Worst: The Bunny Is a Humper

Tension has grown between Adam Rose and The Bunny. It's increasingly clear WWE is planning on having them feud.

En route to that potential matchup, The Bunny picked up a humping habit. He ducked an attack from Rose on Monday's Raw and gave him a few hard thrusts.

On Main Event the next night, Rose had to tell The Bunny not to hump.

That kind of behavior didn't propel Viscera's career, and it won't help The Bunny either. It's too juvenile to catch on, except with a select immature portion of the population.

Damien Mizdow's antics are funny. So are Bad News Barrett's negative rants. This, on the other hand, is just the kind of junk that makes fans groan.

Best: New Faces in the Main Event

Erick Rowan and Ryback joined Team Cena in a chaotic segment to close Monday's Raw. That adds two unlikely names to a main event that already includes Rusev and Harper.

Rowan and Harper being on opposite teams gives the bout an intriguing subplot. More importantly, the match now showcases a number of emerging stars.

Rather than just being a battle we've seen several times, the future is bleeding into the present. That gives Survivor Series added energy and new possibilities. Rusev or Ryback may go on an elimination spree. Harper or Rowan may make headlines of their own.

The worry from some fans, though, is that John Cena is going to dominate this story and get to play the hero. WWE just has to have him share the spotlight. He's held tight to it for years.

Worst: Cesaro on the Bench

As of this writing, Cesaro is not on the Survivor Series card. Los Matadores, however, have a championship opportunity ahead of them.

The King of Swing's recent role appears to be helping jettison other stars forward. He lost several times to Ziggler to aid his title reign. He then ran into Ryback on Monday's Raw as a means to continue The Big Guy's push.

Now one of the bigger pay-per-views of the year is set to pass him by.

Not everyone can be in the main event at the same time, and WWE is likely biding its time with Cesaro. But it's disappointing that such a talented performer is likely going to miss a show that Fandango and Cameron have matches on.

Best: Memories of The Macho Man

Crack all the jokes you want about WWE Creative; it's hard to do the same with the company's production team.

It continues to churn out stunning work. That continued with Macho Man: The Randy Savage Story. The documentary that begins with Savage's fatal accident and works its way backward is a must-watch.

It's jarring, moving and informative.

This is the latest addition to the WWE Network's growing collection of excellent films. With the Savage documentary and the ECW Exposed series both popping up, it sure is a good month to get the network for free.

Worst: Even Grumpy Cat Was Bored with the Grumpy Cat Segment

Kudos to The Miz for making the most out of working with a cat.

The ceiling for a segment with Grumpy Cat, though, is below waist level. The cat made famous by way of Internet memes didn't do anything for Monday's Raw.

After all, it's a cat. It doesn't talk or wrestle. Its "fame" isn't the kind to positively affect ratings. 

In fact, as PWTorch's James Caldwell reports, "Raw fell four percent in TV viewership." 

Whoever is in Vince McMahon's ear telling him that Raw needs more dumb humor is at it again. The show following Survivor Series is set to feature Larry The Cable Guy.

Best: Kevin Steen Is Coming

Prince Devitt is now Finn Balor. KENTA is now Hideo Itami. And both are at NXT, bringing their international experience to Full Sail University. Kevin Steen will soon be joining them.

In a vignette that aired on Thursday's NXT, Steen announced that he is headed for NXT. The date of Dec. 11 (when the next NXT live special airs) flashed on the screen.

It's not clear yet what WWE's plans are for him, but this first glimpse was great. He was dark, intense and compelling. Fans worried that the company would shackle him with a comedy gimmick can rest easy for now.

It looks as if WWE is fully aware of Steen's potential as an in-ring destroyer and will ask him to do that at NXT. His arrival will make WWE developmental even more flush with talent.