Breaking Down the Best and Worst of the WWE for Week of December 1

Podcasts, not matches, dominated the WWE headlines in the first week of December.

In one of those podcasts, fans watched Vince McMahon reminisce with Steve Austin, offering one of the most intriguing WWE Network exclusives to date. In another, CM Punk finally spoke out about his abrupt departure from the company. Rather than provide closure, though, it shined a spotlight on alleged shady medical practices.

Even with all the negative press that came out of that, the show had to go on.

WWE's programming didn't deliver much in the ring. It did, however, set up two upcoming shows well. There's plenty of reason to be excited about the main event for the next NXT live special as well as WWE's midcard belts.

Best: Focus on the Gold

The United States Championship has too often collected dust during recent reigns. In the early goings, that hasn't been true for Rusev.

Fending off 19 challengers on Friday's SmackDown marked the second title defense for him in a month. And after attacking Zeb Colter and bragging about it, it looks clear that he's headed for another showdown with Jack Swagger.

This time, though, there will be a title at the center of the feud. 

Having Rusev win that Battle Royal makes him look like a strong champion. WWE did a solid job in doing the same for The Usos as challengers. They outlasted The New Day and others in a Tag Team Turmoil match on Monday's Raw.

Even if that bout wasn't anything special, it was better than just announcing that Jimmy and Jey were No. 1 contenders. The brothers had to earn it and now have added momentum heading into a title bout at TLC.

And even the little-mentioned WWE World Heavyweight Championship got some attention. 

As announced by the anonymous Raw general manager, John Cena's No. 1 contender's spot is now on the line when he faces Seth Rollins on the upcoming pay-per-view. If you're not going to have Brock Lesnar around, that's the best way to handle this situation. Make being that top challenger a replacement championship of sorts.

Paul Heyman appeared via satellite on Raw to talk up the champion and sell us on the idea of how special of an attraction his client is. Whether one buys that argument or not, it's far better for WWE to address Lesnar's absence than ignore it.

Worst: What CM Punk Alleges About WWE Medical Staff

Credit: WWE.com

CM Punk

CM Punk broke his silence following sudden retirement. WWE, no doubt, wishes he hadn't.

Punk spoke with Colt Cabana on The Art of Wrestling (h/t PWInsider, Yahoo Sports). He talked about his struggles with WWE Creative and personal issues with Ryback, but what's most disturbing are his stories concerning the company's medical staff.

He says that WWE forced him into action with an injured elbow before getting to see Dr. James Andrews. His story of a doctor at the Royal Rumble shrugging him off after he said he had a concussion was unsettling. None of that tops his tale of a misdiagnosed staph infection.

As he tells it, after months of WWE doctors ignoring what turned out to be a staph infection, he went to see his own doctor. The doc properly identified and tended to the injury. Upon hearing how long he had worked with this, he told Punk, "You should be dead."

That's a haunting line, one that forces you to question just what's happening in the locker room.

Former WWE wrestler Rene Dupree added his own horror story in an interview with Slam! Sports. EMTs told him he needed to go to the hospital right away to attend to a blood clot in his head. He flew with the roster to the next city on the tour instead.

The blood clot exploded in the plane bathroom, drenching him in blood. Of the situation, Dupree said "The way I look at it, I risked my life to save the company a few extra bucks."

Fans know that WWE has an underbelly they would rather not know about. To enjoy an industry where the performers push their bodies so hard, you have to be comfortable with that to a degree.

The picture Punk paints, though, is one of a life-threatening environment. WWE either needs to provide evidence that Punk's story is an exaggeration or work to improve things. 

Wrestlers accept risks every time they climb into the ring, but dying from a misdiagnosed staph infection need not be one of them.

Best: Vince McMahon Speaks with Steve Austin on Live Podcast

On the first day following the WWE Network's free trial, the company leaned on two former cornerstones—Vince McMahon and Steve Austin.

McMahon talked to Austin (subscription required) on a live edition of his podcast in a revealing interview. Unfortunately, he showed out-of-touch moments like believing that a part of why Cesaro hasn't thrived is that he is Swiss. And despite a few answers that were more political than honest, it was an engaging, must-see piece of programming.

Among the positives to take away from it, McMahon said Randy Savage will at some point enter the Hall of Fame and that Sting is likely to be at WrestleMania.

Beyond that, though, it was a memorable glimpse into the mind of the man who has run WWE for decades. WWE received a boost to its network with the appearance, and the roster received a kick in the rear end after McMahon questioned the current roster's ambition.

Hopefully, that inspires WWE's emerging stars to prove him wrong. 

Worst: TLC Heavy on Gimmicks

The TLC pay-per-view is built around gimmicks. That's expected. 

But while a Ladder or TLC match or two may boost the event, throwing in lamer stipulations does the opposite.

Seth Rollins vs. John Cena is a Tables match, meaning that they are going to have to make that a classic despite the gimmick, not because of it. Ryback vs. Kane are set for a Chairs match, a bout that hasn't produced anything great in the past.

The oddest decision is making Erick Rowan vs. Big Show a Steel Stairs match. It's the first of its kind, so one has to assume what it will look like. Will it just be two big guys throwing a set of stairs at each other? That does not sound enticing in the least.

Their rivalry doesn't require a gimmick match at this point anyway; they are just getting started as enemies.

The stairs-centered contest has all the makings of something fans look back on later wondering, "How did that ever happen?"

Best: Hype for NXT Takeover: R Evolution Main Event

Sami Zayn vs. Adrian Neville was going to be tremendous anyway. After Thursday's NXT, there's added reason to be hyped about the upcoming main event.

WWE has approached this rivalry with patience and tact. Rather than rush things along, Zayn has earned his way back to the title scene with victories over men who bested him before. He then announced that if he doesn't win the NXT title, he will quit.

What began as a matchup of friends has morphed into something with more bite.

Zayn didn't like what he was hearing from Neville on Thursday night. He felt disrespected, his rage inspiring him to whack the champ across the face.

That glimpse of a darker version of Zayn, that seething emotion that filled him in that moment, makes NXT Takeover: R Evolution's marquee bout even more intriguing. 

Will he unravel even further when the bell rings? Will he resort to heel tactics to come to the end of his road to redemption? Adding those questions is a subtle but powerful touch to Zayn vs. Neville.