WWE Programming's Best Match for Week of November 22

Considering that this week was the last before Survivor Series, it's disappointing more wasn't done in the ring to hype the event.

There hasn't been all that much action to get excited about, with only a handful of bouts standing out. However, those select few are well worth a watch.

Honourable Mentions

There was an eight-man tag match on Raw that did almost everything it could have done, considering its stipulation. However, given the competitors who were involved, it should have been better than it was.

Superstars might have been the best televised effort that WWE put out this week, with both of its featured matches proving to be satisfying. Sin Cara vs. Curtis Axel was entertaining, and Paige vs. Alicia Fox showed the English anti-Diva in a better light than the majority of her appearances on Raw and SmackDown.

Match of the Week for November 22: Dolph Ziggler vs. Luke Harper for the Intercontinental Championship on Monday Night Raw

Another week, another standout defence of the Intercontinental Championship. Once upon a time, the belt could be found around the waist of someone on the roster who could be counted on to put on a great match with anyone at any time. In recent weeks, Dolph Ziggler once again demonstrated that he is that man.

Credit: WWE.com

As you will almost certainly be aware, Ziggler lost the title to Luke Harper on Monday, placing the former Wyatt devotee in the role that he has been playing so well. However, if Harper moves forward with the same vigour he demonstrated in his title win, we can anticipate another compelling reign.

Dolph being surprised with a title defence—not to mention a pre-match beatdown—was a simple but very effective way of pitching him as an underdog. That's where the Showoff really shines, and considering his impressive run of late, he really needed to have the deck stacked against him to establish the stakes.

Once things were underway, we saw just how good a pairing Harper and Ziggler are. The Big Rig was bearing down on Dolph from the get-go, and his raw power matched with Ziggler's technique made for some memorable sequences, such as a particularly impressive Black Hole Slam counter to a Superkick.

The championship rematch clause can sometimes seem like a cop out to wring a bit more out of a rivalry that has run its course, but in this case, it's very appealing. Ziggler and Harper could certainly go beyond what they accomplished on Monday, and here's hoping they get the opportunity to do so.

Did another match stand out to you this week? Lucha Dragons vs. The Vaudevillains from NXT, perhaps? Or Brie Bella vs. AJ Lee from SmackDown? Let us know in the comments section below.