WWE Programming's Best Match for Week of January 10

There's a definite sense that everyone on the WWE roster is aware WrestleMania is but a few months away—and that's coming across in the action we're being presented on television.

We're seeing a host of talent step up their game, presumably in an attempt to grab that "brass ring" or at least claim a spot on the WrestleMania card. With plans for the biggest show of the year seemingly up in the air, it'll certainly be interesting to see whose efforts reap rewards.

Honourable Mentions

The Triple Threat match for the Tag Team titles on SmackDown was, as you might expect, very entertaining. The Usos as well as Gold and Stardust are great whenever they're paired together, and the addition of Miz and Mizdow to proceedings helped freshen up a bout we've seen time and time again.

This week's NXT featured a similarly well-worn pairing of tag teams, with the Lucha Dragons and the Vaudevillains squaring off for the NXT Tag Team Championships. This week's bout was their best meeting yet and featured a very impressive finish that's well worth seeing.

Jack Swagger and Titus O'Neil had enjoyable matches on both Superstars and Main Event this week, perhaps setting up a low-key feud to play out ahead of the Royal Rumble. Both men are often underutilized, so it's promising to see them given something to sink their teeth into.

Also on Main Event was a surprisingly lengthy match between Nikki Bella and Paige. Most people have written Bella off as an in-ring competitor, but she's improved considerably in recent months. Paired with good talent, she's more than capable of holding her own and contributing to a good match.

As for Raw, the impromptu 2-out-of-3 Falls match between Dolph Ziggler and Bad News Barrett was very effective, even if it could have gone longer. Hopefully a rematch between these two isn't too far off.

The tag team main event of this week's SmackDown was also fairly entertaining, although its Shield reunion could have perhaps been saved for a bigger occasion.

Match of the Week for January 10: Bray Wyatt vs. Dean Ambrose on Raw

While the feud between Bray Wyatt and Dean Ambrose has been a little half-baked, the many matches they've competed in over the past few months have typically been very good. Their Ambulance match from this week's Raw seemed to close their issue—and it did so on a high note.

With a history of wrestling for some of the more extreme independent promotions on the modern wrestling landscape, Dean Ambrose is no stranger to hardcore matches. Of course, he's no longer able to use panes of glass and weed whackers now he's in WWE, but his eye for violence remains.

Credit: WWE.com

It's the little things such as the way he used a stretcher to jack Wyatt's jaw on Monday night—as well as bigger things such as his memorable leap through a table from the top of the ambulance. Ambrose can do more than brawl, but his rough-and-ready matches with Wyatt have demonstrated that he is the Lunatic he attests to be.

However, that's not to say that Wyatt hasn't held his own in this string of matches. The Eater of Worlds has a very physical style no matter what match he's in, but with a stipulation to work with, he can reach another level entirely.

There are problems with the programme we've seen between Wyatt and Ambrose; neither man can really afford losses at the moment, and the sheer amount of stipulations we've seen them compete under has devalued the idea of a specialty match somewhat.

But as mentioned earlier, the matches have made up for it. They've been destruction derbies—very entertaining ones at that. Hardcore matches in modern WWE can often disappoint, but these two wrestlers understand how to give a bout some teeth, even with the limitations on just what they can do.

Like many of their meetings, the Ambulance match was a creative car crash that did its bit to legitimize just how tough Wyatt and Ambrose are. This feud will be remembered for matches like this rather than the limp storyline that kept it moving forward.

Did a different match stand out to you this week? Perhaps the Ascension taking care of some local talent? Or R-Truth vs. Fandango? Let me know in the comments section below.