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

During a week where many of WWE's highlights came from scathing speeches, Sasha Banks and Charlotte did their talking in the ring.

Paul Heyman and Jon Stewart both killed it on the mic. The two mic maestros kept fans entertained during an edition of Raw where wrestling was scarce.

Fans looking for in-ring excellence and women's wrestling allowed to reach its potential had to wait for NXT. That's when Charlotte challenged Banks in the week's best bout.

The Intercontinental Championship picture, meanwhile, didn't make as favorable of an impression. A continued game of "steal the IC title" played out during the week, doing little to add any of the prestige to the belt that has been talked about so much lately.

At least WWE is pointing the camera at the men chasing that piece of gold. Too many of WrestleMania's stars were absent as the marquee event approaches. 

March kicked off with a blend of tepid builds to matches, memorable moments on the mic and NXT's two top female competitors cementing their position on top. 

Best: Paul Heyman, Master Salesman and Wordsmith

Paul Heyman was a verbal samurai on Monday night. When he was done swinging his sword, pieces of his victims dotted the floor.

Heyman addressed the rumors surrounding Brock Lesnar in an emphatic, intense promo. Usurping Roman Reigns' "Believe that" catchphrase and charging on regardless of a few microphone malfunctions, he managed to increase the hype about WrestleMania's main event, make his client seem more formidable and portray Reigns as mighty powerful himself, all in one electric performance.

Dynamite lines such as "Brock Lesnar simply Ronda Rouseys your ass" popped up again and again.

That is how you sell a match. That is how you smear your heart all over a mic. 

Too bad Heyman can't provide this service for the entire WrestleMania card.

Worst: Intercontinental Cartoon

WWE is doing a lot of things right with the Intercontinental Championship.

It has a number of Superstars all pursuing the title at once. It has the champion forced to defend it in a Ladder match at WrestleMania that is likely to steal the show.

The narrative leading up to that bout, though, is plain bad.

Dean Ambrose, R-Truth and others have taken to stealing the IC title and carrying it around until the next wrestler snatches it from them. R-Truth's thefts have all had him emulating Elmer Fudd's "Quiet, I'm hunting rabbits" routine. How is that supposed to create excitement about the match?

It feels more like something taken from a script of The Benny Hill Show than a wrestling story.

WWE had these shenanigans unfold on last week's SmackDown, Monday's Raw and again on Thursday's SmackDown. Rather than looking to gain momentum by winning matches or attacking each other to soften each other up, these wrestlers are busy pilfering an item that is going to be hung up above the ring anyway.

That stinks of lazy writing.

Best: Best Celebrity Guest Ever?

All future guest stars should be required to watch Jon Stewart's appearance on Monday's Raw before making their way onto the show.

He was masterful. His back-and-forth with Seth Rollins was the right mix of comedy and intensity. His wrestling knowledge and clear appreciation for the art made the performance special. Being really funny certainly didn't hurt.

Not only was it a memorable segment, but it garnered WWE a slew of mainstream media attention. Outlets from ABC News and Time covered Stewart's trash-talking and low blow.

Worst: No Urgency En Route to WrestleMania

With as cold as it is around the country, it sure doesn't feel like spring is near. And with how unhurried WWE seems to be in building and hyping The Show of Shows, it doesn't feel like WrestleMania season either.

Raw and SmackDown passed without a single sighting of Brock Lesnar, Sting or Undertaker. All three men are set for key matches on the pay-per-view.

Sure, one could argue that this was just WWE keeping up with its strategy of making these stars' appearances feel special by doling them out sparingly. That's too big a percentage of the card to not be around, though, especially four weeks before the massive show.

It doesn't help that WWE barely featured Randy Orton, who is expected to be in a marquee bout against Seth Rollins. Sheamus has yet to come back despite all the vignettes hyping his return. The plan for the tag team champs isn't clear either.

WWE's choice to have Stephanie McMahon threaten to leave John Cena off the WrestleMania card was a baffling one as well.

While no one really believes there's a chance of that happening, what's the appeal in teasing that possibility? And why have that segment disparage the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal? Cena shrugged at the bout's lack of star power. That's an odd message to send to fans: There are only a bunch of nobodies in that match.

The company needs to kick things into high gear. WrestleMania is fast approaching.

Best: What Giving the Divas a Chance Looks Like

All eyes were on WWE's Divas division as March began.

While the company took baby steps in better presenting its women on the main roster, NXT was where the Divas truly had a stage on which to shine. Sasha Banks and Charlotte delivered the best match of the week to close out Thursday's NXT.

On Raw, Paige and Nikki Bella battled for longer than we're used to seeing. The downside was that WWE cut out half that match with a commercial break.

On SmackDown, AJ Lee and Brie Bella had nearly eight minutes to work with. That's a lifetime compared to standard Divas matches. 

Not surprisingly, those two matchups were better-than-average Divas fare. It was easier to get invested in the in-ring story. All those wrestlers had more chances to impress and engage.

Although, where WWE is making minor progress in the right direction, NXT is sprinting. 

Banks and Charlotte tore the house down again in a great display of wrestling artistry. A part of that comes from having plenty of time to work with (12 minutes, per CageMatch.net), but it is also a product of NXT dedicating time and energy to showcasing these women.

Fans have seen both Banks and Charlotte grow as characters and as performers. Their rivalry is not some silly story plucked from a high school drama; it's a narrative built around competition. The result this time out, as it so often is, was a match worth roaring about.

This is what women's wrestling can be if given the chance.