Breaking Down the Best and Worst of the WWE for Week of April 20

En route to Extreme Rules, WWE fans watched on as Randy Orton went on an RKO rampage, Sheamus abused his competition, and the NXT women's division thrilled in Triple Threat action.

Sunday's pay-per-view will be built around weapons and gimmick matches, but it was tried-and-true elements of pro wrestling that impressed in the week leading up to the event.

Orton provided unexpected assaults. Sheamus (and Naomi as well) was as vicious and destructive as one expects a heel to be. At NXT, Becky Lynch outlasted her foes in a well-paced match that made everyone involved look good.

It was during those moments that WWE coaxed the audience to cheer.

When the company let a great feud fizzle out, however, the result was the opposite. The Miz vs. Damien Mizdow's rubber match should have been tremendous, not forgettable as it was on Monday night. Seth Rollins' new finisher was just as unworthy of celebration.

That left Orton to wow folks with his trademark move, regardless of where he hit it.

Best: Heels Bearing Their Fangs

We knew that Sheamus would flourish as a heel. That's how he began his career, and that's when he was most engaging.

Returning him to the dark side has had him exceed expectations, though.

In demolishing Zack Ryder on Monday's Raw, he had fans flashing back to some of the best heels of the past. He looked like a bear toying with some half-dead woodland creature. He mocked his foe with a mid-match promo and looked ecstatic through every stage of the punishment he delivered.

The Celtic Warrior continued his act on Thursday's SmackDown. After berating Dolph Ziggler and Neville verbally, he took to pounding them in the ring.

He's been a joy to watch as a monster reborn.

Seeing Naomi as a heel has been fun as well. She has always seemed like a natural babyface but is looking mighty comfortable in her new role.

On Raw and SmackDown, she gave off a villainous vibe by way of her walk, her sneer and how she attacked her foes in the ring. Sheamus' success was easy to foresee; this was not.

Both wrestlers are armed with a good supply of momentum heading into Extreme Rules. If showcased properly, they will both be among the year's biggest success stories.

Worst: The Miz-Mizdow Feud Fizzles

The Miz is now off making another movie. Damien Mizdow is back to being Damien Sandow.

How that came about was as anticlimactic as you can get.

In their third meeting, Miz defeated his former stunt double in a hurried match with a cheap finish. Fans had seen that same thing twice over in their previous clashes.

With as hot as Sandow was during his Mizdow phase, it's hard to fathom how WWE bungled this so badly. What should have been the feud of the summer was treated like a bit of garnish on the WWE plate. The rivalry didn't get enough time to develop or result in a single memorable bout.

Sandow has to be wondering what he did wrong to have WWE follow up all the buzz he created with this limp story.

Best: NXT's Women Shine Again

Sasha Banks has a new opponent charging her way. Becky Lynch pinned Bayley on Wednesday's NXT to become the No. 1 contender for the NXT Women's Championship.

The battle that determined that was one of the most entertaining collisions on WWE programming this week. 

The NXT Divas continue to outshine the women on the main roster. They produced a fast-paced, dramatic match with a surprise ending. In addition to the high-quality action, the booking was good here.

Lynch comes out of this fray looking crafty after she took advantage of Charlotte's submission hold to defeat Bayley. Bayley looked gutsy and showed some great fire. The match also showcased Charlotte's athletic skill and mat acumen.

This is how a wrestling bout should end, with folks not complaining about the result. No one was buried here. The stage belonged to all three women.

And now, it's easy to get geared up for former allies Banks and Lynch's upcoming clash for the title. 

Worst: Switching out the Curb Stomp

In the Curb Stomp, Seth Rollins had one of the most innovative and exciting finishers in the wrestling world. He has already created a number of iconic moments with it.

WWE has apparently decided to have him pick up a much flimsier weapon instead.

PWInsider's Mike Johnson reports that Rollins' trademark move wasn't banned but explains, "The decision was made to give Rollins the new DDT variation with the idea that it was a finisher that could be used on anyone, anywhere, similar to say, an RKO."

The DDT move Rollins used on Dolph Ziggler on Monday night was underwhelming. It can be used "out of nowhere" a la the RKO, but so can The Great Khali's brain chop. That doesn't make it a good move. 

If the Curb Stomp was causing head injuries, then it had to be shelved. It's hard to imagine, though, that it does any more damage to folks than a superkick, a move that half the roster whips out. 

Should WWE keep the Curb Stomp out of Rollins' repertoire, the WWE champ loses an appealing part of his total package. 

Best: RKOs for Everyone

Randy Orton leaping into the frame to lay someone out with an RKO is not just something limited to the Vine videos that have trended over the past few months.

To get the move out of his system before Sunday, when he's not allowed to use it, The Viper promised to go on an RKO flurry. He did just that, ambushing a variety of Superstars.

WWE played this well, not overdoing it but making it a big part of the show. The funniest of these sudden RKOs was against Heath Slater, who took a spill onto the catering table, resulting in tortilla chips being scattered on the floor next to him.

As much as pro wrestling is a means to create drama, a segment such as this is a reminder of how vital humor is to the show.

Fans are set to get violence in spades at Extreme Rules. Orton's RKOs served as a comedic appetizer.