WWE Programming's Best Match for Week of April 18

While much of this week's television was in service of setting up Extreme Rules for this Sunday, there was still some satisfying in-ring action to be found in and amongst hype for the pay-per-view.

Looking at the matches from a typical episode of Raw one year ago and comparing them to today, it's clear that there's been a shift in the perceived importance of television matches with some depth. There's an appetite for 10-15-minute bouts on weekly TV, and it seems that WWE are becoming more aware of that.

Of course, something has to be kept in reserve for pay-per-views and the like—but the fact that we're getting more compelling wrestling content as part of WWE's broadcasts has to be commended. The roster is stacked with capable talent, so it's pleasing to see many of those athletes given a platform for their work.

Honourable Mentions

Raw continued its strong streak of great matches this week with a broadcast filled with solid in-ring action. John Cena's US Championship defence against Kane was one such bout, even if it wasn't up to the standards set in previous weeks.

The show also saw Seth Rollins take on Dolph Ziggler in a very entertaining encounter. We've seen this one plenty at this point, but the chemistry between the two competitors is so good that it's an understandable pairing for WWE to revisit.

Elsewhere on the broadcast, we saw further evidence that The New Day is dawning as they put on a great performance against the Lucha Dragons. Once this team finally clicks, they'll be golden—and it might well happen in the Tag Team Championship match at Extreme Rules.

There was another great tag match on SmackDown, this time pitting the team of old friends Sheamus and Bad News Barrett against Neville and Dolph Ziggler. With that much talent in the ring, it's perhaps unsurprising that the match was very good.

Match of the Week for Week of April 11: Charlotte vs. Bayley vs. Becky Lynch on NXT

It has to be said—the women's division of NXT is one of the best things WWE has going for it at present.

Ever since the developmental territory started up in earnest, the female section of its roster has been growing and improving constantly. This bout is yet more evidence of that; a competitive, engaging match that reiterates the pervading desire to be champion as well as highlighting the three individuals involved.

Credit: WWE.com

Charlotte has long been a focal point of the division, and it was great to see her relationship with Bayley played upon in the opening moments of the bout. Becky Lynch almost felt like a third wheel in those moments—but she would soon put a stop to that.

While Lynch is a newer addition to NXT than either Bayley or Charlotte, she's quickly established herself as a threat to the title. We've barely scratched the surface of what she can do in the ring, but her performance in this Triple Threat gave us our best glimpse yet.

Lynch's mat-based skills will give her a unique edge over her rivals going forward, and she put it to good use against Charlotte and Bayley. There's an art to working a hold and punishing your opponent that's lost on many wrestlers—not so in the case of Becky Lynch.

However, this was far from a one-woman show—in fact, it was quite the opposite. All three women were integral to much of the match, avoiding some of the tropes of a Triple Threat. The action came thick and fast, and every second of the duration of this bout was used to its fullest.

A match this competitive and satisfying would be a worthy title fight in itself, but we've still got the encounter between the winner and new No. 1 Contender and incumbent champion Sasha Banks to come.

While the Divas of the main roster seem to have been stuck in a loop for some time now, the women of NXT are constantly in motion. The division is a great asset to WWE—and hopefully it can be successfully transferred to Raw and SmackDown without losing its unique character.

What was your favourite match this week? Did Fandango vs. Curtis Axel have you dancing on the ceiling? Are you still waiting on that Luke Harper vs. Dean Ambrose match to get started? Are you wondering why Rhyno's Ryback run came fifteen years after it should have? Let us know in the comments section below.