Breaking Down the Best and Worst of the WWE for Week of February 2

WWE's best move was to adapt in response to the backlash over Roman Reigns' Royal Rumble victory rather than ignore it.

How the company adjusted its narrative made the path to Fast Lane far more fun. The week also featured Triple H opening up and two NXT prospects looking to move into title contention.

The week dragged at certain points, namely much of Raw, but it picked up during the latest live interview on the WWE Network and when NXT aired on Wednesday night.

When fans see NXT's brand of excellent storytelling and the smart moves made surrounding the main event picture, they have to wonder why the midcard and tag team division can't be as successful. Those areas were once again WWE's weak points this week with disinterest surrounding men like Adam Rose.

Rose has to look at the buzz that is now surrounding Reigns and Daniel Bryan with envy. That upcoming showdown has excellence written all over it. 

Best: Addressing the Daniel Bryan/Roman Reigns Issue

WWE could have just plowed ahead and hoped that the dissension that began at the Royal Rumble would die down. Instead, the company wisely addressed the audience's being split over Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns by weaving the controversy into its onscreen story.

Reigns must now re-earn his title shot by defeating Bryan at Fast Lane. Bryan earned that opportunity by way of defeating Seth Rollins in an entertaining contest on Monday's Raw.

The result is that Reigns will now face a man with a penchant for making his opponent look tremendous. He gets to prove himself, both in a kayfabe sense, by adding another big win, and in real life, by impressing against Bryan.

Some Bryan fans won't be happy if their bearded hero fails at Fast Lane, but this is a smart way to elevate Reigns.

He already looked fantastic in helping Bryan defeat Rollins and as the tweener promising on Miz TV that he would take Bryan down. 

Worst: Short-Changing The Ascension

If there is a handbook on how to ruin a tag team's chances of success, WWE looks to be using it as a guide as it introduces The Ascension.

After having Viktor and Konnor badmouth The Road Warriors, have a bunch of retired guys toss them out of the ring and squeak by "The Middle-aged Outlaws," the company is asking them to sit in the background. The story coming out of Monday's Raw was not about the former NXT champs getting another victory. It was about Goldust and Stardust's tension.

There is not enough focus on the newly arrived team. It is not being presented as a threat or given much of a chance to make an impression.

Having just one minute, 47 seconds of ring time, per ProFightDB.com, certainly doesn't help.

Cesaro and Tyson Kidd got a chance to smack around Jimmy Uso at a restaurant. The Miz and Damien Mizdow began to implode. The Ascension, meanwhile, is apparently not a priority.

At least it has moved on from rolling over jobbers while John "Bradshaw" Layfield scoffs at it.

Best: Triple H Talks with Steve Austin Live

WWE has twice now aired a must-watch interview.

Following Monday's Raw, Triple H spoke with Steve Austin in a WWE Network exclusive of The Steve Austin Show. Like Austin's conversation with Vince McMahon, this was an intriguing look into the inner working of the company.

Of course, some answers were political and vague, but The Game spoke bluntly on trying to book in a post-kayfabe era, Chyna's chances to make it into the Hall of Fame and Brock Lesnar's status.

As much as Austin's charisma and Triple H's stories were key to this being an entertaining interview, the highlight was The Game's vision for WWE's future. 

He echoed what many fans have been saying. He wants Raw to be two hours again, the women to get more time and stories to be developed for longer. That compelling fate for WWE is more than just a pipe dream; it's what could turn into reality once Triple H takes over. 

Worst: Adam Rose's Lack of Direction

The party is winding down for Adam Rose.

After WWE created so much hoopla about his arrival and had him lay out The Bunny and form an alliance with Cesaro and Tyson Kidd, it looks as if he is only headed to obscurity. Alll the stories the company began with him have led nowhere.

The Bunny never sought revenge. The partnership with Cesaro and Kidd has quietly dissolved. Rose's apparent heel turn hasn't resulted in anything but him being more ornery.

It's fitting then that he would face Fandango on SmackDown. The ballroom dancer has experienced a similar fate. WWE gave him a new Spanish-themed gimmick, paired with Rosa Mendes, and has since seemingly forgotten about him.

Not every wrestler can be a headliner, but the key to success is maximizing your roster. WWE could be getting far more from Rose, but with no rivalry, no story and no direction, he just feels like a warm body to round out the roster.

Best: Hideo Itami vs. Finn Balor

Much of what NXT is getting right was on display with Finn Balor vs. Hideo Itami.

For one, the company is making smart signings. Neither man is the prototypical Superstar, but both have tremendous in-ring ability. Fans saw that as these two athletes dove at each other in a fun bout highlighted by a nasty dropkick that sent Itami crashing into the turnbuckle.

Secondly, NXT has made good use of wrestling narrative staples such as high stakes. The action was great, but this being for a spot in the finals of the No. 1 contender's tournament added electricity to it.

Balor and Itami both had something worth fighting for, and that made their fight so much more compelling.

This is surely not the last time these two talented men meet. Theirs is a rivalry that WWE needs to tap into long after both of them move to the main roster.