Breaking Down the Best and Worst of the WWE for Week of Dec. 29

As 2014 wrapped up, WWE fans had new reasons to gripe and new things to be thrilled about going forward.

In the latter category, recent attention paid to the midcard championships is making Raw and SmackDown more fun. Sasha Banks and Charlotte continue to look like centerpieces of a stronger future for the Divas division. And Daniel Bryan announced that he's back, ready to start kicking folks in the head again.

As for the things that dampened that celebration, The Ascension fell victim to WWE's heavy hand, and The Authority walked back into our lives before we really had a chance to enjoy its absence.

With the good comes the bad. WWE regularly reinforces that lesson.

Having Bryan back in the mix is thrilling. Seeing The Authority's long-winded act play out every Monday night again is the exact opposite.

Best: Championship Matches on TV

Hopefully, WWE will keep up its current pace of title bouts on TV. When the midcard titles are defended often, it creates stronger champions, more prestigious belts and often a better product in the ring.

Fans saw that at play first on the Dec. 26 edition of SmackDown. Dean Ambrose failed to recapture the United States Championship in a hard-fought battle with Rusev. The higher stakes added to that match.

The same was true when The Miz and Damien Mizdow put up the straps against The Usos on Monday's Raw. While WWE has failed to capitalize on the narrative outside of the ring with these teams, this bout was mighty fun.

Credit The Usos' energy and Mizdow's antics for a big part of that. Had this been another non-title affair, though, it wouldn't have had half the drama it did.

The Usos' win ended up being one of the most enjoyable elements of the show. There needs to be more where that came from.

The simple formula of "more title defenses equals better reigns" is one WWE needs to turn to as 2015 rolls on.

Worst: The Authority Hurried Back into Power

Survivor Series was built around Dolph Ziggler, John Cena and eventually Sting all striving to put The Authority out of power. Just over a month later, that group's hiatus ended. Seth Rollins forced John Cena to bring Triple H and Stephanie McMahon back.

The result is a feeling of "What was all that stuff at Survivor Series for?" Ziggler sums that up perfectly in the above video.

It's not as if The Authority was red-hot when its run came to a close either.

The group dominated WWE TV, usually opening the show with drawn-out promos. After Daniel Bryan overcame Triple H and company at WrestleMania, the momentum of The Authority's storyline tapered off. WWE plugged along with it, however, and far too soon after shelving it, brought it back.

Instead of 2015 feeling like a new year with new possibilities, it looks as if it's headed for a redo of how last year began.

Best: Sasha Banks and Charlotte Show What Women's Wrestling Can Look Like

Women's wrestling can be light-years better than the hurried filler the Divas division usually offers. Fans got a glimpse of that when Sasha Banks and Charlotte took their NXT feud to a bigger stage.

They battled on Tuesday's Main Event in one of the best women's matches the main roster has seen in a long time. Banks was the vicious aggressor, tearing at Charlotte's limbs. The champion responded with impressive athleticism, hitting a standing senton among other attention-grabbing moves.

It's only their third-best clash with each other, though. Their two NXT title bouts were longer and more moving. 

The problem has been that WWE seems unwilling to transport the high-quality work the women at NXT are doing to WWE proper.

Emma hasn't been given the kind of spotlight she had at Full Sail University. Paige has been far too inactive as of late.

WWE may treat Charlotte and Banks the same way once they get called up, but at least on Tuesday night, fans could savor some of the excellence NXT's Divas cook up in a venue outside WWE developmental. They could watch two potential division cornerstones work their magic.

Worst: The Ascension Underwhelms

On Monday, The Ascension debuted on Raw. The former NXT champs didn't charge onto the scene as one would hope but rather limped onto it.

They looked overwhelmed by the size of the stage. They didn't have the same energy they displayed at NXT.

A big chunk of the blame for the complete lack of reaction Viktor and Konnor got is on WWE. The company shifted their gimmick into something less palatable. 

Why change the gimmick now? They perfected their act at NXT for months, only to be asked to change it. That's like grooming a minor-league pitcher and then, upon bringing him up to the majors, asking him to change his delivery.

WWE added red paint to Viktor's and Konnor's faces, changed their entrance and made them wear goofier ring gear. The company may have asked the duo to tone down its in-ring style as well. The Ascension simply didn't hit its foes as hard as fans are used to seeing.

The tag division is in need of new faces. The Ascension is a welcome sight but not this more gimmicky version of the team.

Best: Daniel Bryan Is Back

Fans didn't now how long they would have to wait for Daniel Bryan to return. After his neck surgery, they didn't know if he would even ever be able to step into a ring and compete again.

WWE made use of that uncertainty, having Bryan tease retirement on Monday's Raw before announcing he was entering his name in the Royal Rumble.

Suddenly, the roster feels so much deeper. There are a number of great potential matches to look forward to. WWE can pit Bryan against Seth Rollins, Rusev, Cesaro or perhaps even Brock Lesnar.

Bryan delivered an emotional, powerful promo, and the crowd responded with the same kind of electricity that Bryan inspired before his injury. 

In news that didn't create as many headlines, the roster also got another boost from a familiar face. Bad News Barrett returned on Monday night.

Barrett will add plenty to WWE programming as well. For one, Dolph Ziggler now has an ideal rival to come after his Intercontinental Championship.

Having both Bryan and Barrett healthy and ready to make the most of 2015 makes it easy to get excited about the year ahead.