WWE Programming's Best Match for Week of March 22

With WrestleMania on the horizon, it's unsurprising that this week was somewhat light on in-ring competition. But as usual, there are certain athletes on the roster who can be relied upon no matter what the circumstances.

They're the men and women who aren't just satisfied with delivering the goods at the show of shows; they want every WWE fan to know that they give their all every single night. Many of them won't reach the same heights as someone with the right look and a certain charisma, but their work doesn't go unappreciated.

Honourable Mentions

The build to WrestleMania's tag team match between the Bella Twins and the team of AJ Lee and Paige has been uneven to say the least, but Nikki versus Paige from this week's Raw should have people very excited. Expect these women to surpass expectations on Sunday.

Also very promising was the Fatal 4-Way match that kicked off SmackDown, featuring a representative from each of the teams set to contest the Tag Team Championships on the pre-show. Every man got their moment to shine and made their contribution to a very fun match. It's well worth a watch.

Elsewhere, the New Day faced the Ascension on Superstars in a battle of the poorly presented tag teams. Both are in need of something different post-WrestleMania, but there's definite potential for all the talent involved—particularly in the case of the New Day.

Finally, Daniel Bryan and Dolph Ziggler wrestled a solid match on Raw, even if it didn't quite reach the heights we've seen from this pairing before. There's plenty of directions the Intercontinental Championship scene could head in after the weekend, but focusing on these two would be a particularly wise choice.

Match of the Week for Week of Mar. 22: Kevin Owens vs. Finn Balor for the NXT Championship on NXT

This week saw the much-awaited showdown between Kevin Owens and Finn Balor take place, and it demonstrated exactly why these two men are so important to the future of WWE.

It's no secret that NXT borrows heavily from the playbook of independent wrestling, both in terms of the talent passing through the developmental territory and the style of wrestling on show. However, there's a sense of restraint to the wrestling in NXT that allows it to avoid some of the excess of the indies.

Credit: WWE.com

That's no slight on the many companies around the world that have established the thriving independent scene we see today, but there has been many an independent show that could perhaps benefit from the old mantra of less is more.

Kevin Owens is a master of that idea. He earned the nickname Mr. Wrestling while he was working on the independent scene, thanks in part to his broad and varied war crate. However, he's smart enough to know that he doesn't need to use every technique he knows in every match he wrestles.

Coupled with his pitch-perfect character work as a duplicitous "family man," Owens has managed to establish himself as a villain in front of a crowd predestined to accept him as a fan favourite. That's no small accomplishment, and it's thanks to the consideration Owens brings to his every movement in the ring.

Of course, Finn Balor is no slouch in terms of opposition. Also keeping something in reserve by forgoing the war paint, Balor continues to shine brighter with every appearance.

Credit: WWE.com

The two men left everything in the ring on Thursday, presenting a match that felt brutal and hard-hitting from start to finish. It felt like a match worthy of WrestleMania week—and it did so without relying on the overuse of finishing moves or illegal objects.

It's been said many times before, but NXT continues to get just about everything right. This title match had a logical, well-paced build and reached a fine climax with a taut match between two great competitors. There are plenty of directions both men could head in, even if fans will clamour for a rematch.

Expect to see Balor face Owens again in the future—but expect to see the ring apron, and indeed the title they're contesting, read WWE rather than NXT.

What was your favourite match this week? Which WrestleMania match do you think will be the best of the night come Sunday? Let us know in the comments section below.