WWE Programming's Best Match for Week of April 25

It's been a truly standout week for in-ring action in WWE—certainly one of the best in some time.

Between Extreme Rules, King of the Ring and a solid set of television broadcasts, top-tier matches have not been in short supply. It's a true testament to the strength of the roster at the moment.

But which bout shone brighter than the rest? With so many great contests playing out this week, the decision was far from easy.

Honourable Mentions

First up, proper credit needs to be given to Roman Reigns vs. Big Show at Extreme Rules. That match looked like nothing on paper, but the pair used their stipulation and a hot crowd to great effect. It wasn't the best match on the show, but it was certainly up there.

Rusev vs. Cena was similarly satisfying. There's something inherently cartoonish about this sort of Russian Chain match, but the feud has been larger than the life since it began. Still, it's time for Rusev to pick up a decisive win to regain a little momentum.

As far as TV goes, Raw saw some excellent King of the Ring qualifiers, with Sheamus vs. Dean Ambrose and Neville vs. Luke Harper standing out in particular. It was great to see the tournament make a return, and the bracket was cleverly put together for maximum effect.

SmackDown wasn't without its share of great competition, as its main event saw Seth Rollins face his nemesis Dean Ambrose once again. That rivalry still has plenty of legs—let's hope there's a bit more scope to it when it's next revisited.

Finally, NXT spent much of its broadcast building up momentum for the next Takeover event scheduled for May 20, but it did save time for an intriguing women's match. Becky Lynch vs. Sarah Dobson wasn't about having a back-and-forth contest, but it did give us a great look at the in-ring capabilities of Lynch.

Match of the Week for Week of April 25: TIE between Cesaro and Tyson Kidd vs. The New Day at Extreme Rules 2015 and Bad News Barrett vs. Neville at King of the Ring 2015

It's rare that a pair of matches really can't be separated in terms of quality, but this week there was little between the two bouts at the top of the tree.

The two contests in question were different in just about every sense, but both accomplished what they set out to do with aplomb.

The tag title match at Extreme Rules was nothing less than brilliant. Tag team wrestling in WWE can sometimes rely upon the same tired formulas, but this encounter had all the vim and vigour that you would expect from two teams of highly capable athletes.

Not a second of its running time was wasted, with frequent tags and plenty of action that involved all four competitors. Both teams brought a second to ringside with them, and both Natalya and Xavier Woods had gotten involved before all was said and done.

Credit: WWE.com

With so much going on, it would have been easy for this match to devolve into chaos; thankfully, that wasn't the case. All six men and women involved demonstrated exactly why they're performing on the biggest stage possible.

A kinetic finish relied hugely on timing and technique, which the involved parties all possess in spades. A roll-up win can often fall flat, but here, its execution was pristine.

The New Day have struggled to find their feet over the past several weeks, a situation Cesaro and Tyson Kidd are all to familiar with. However, the promising trio now look set to use the tag division as the backdrop for the next stage of development, just as the former champs did before them.

Cesaro, Kidd and Natalya all deserve to reap the benefits too. The tag division has proven to be fertile ground for the group, but all three could do great things in singles competition.

In any other week, that tag match would perhaps have been a lock for best match, but the surprise resurgence of King of the Ring presented a potent alternative.

Credit: WWE.com

Tournaments are an excellent storytelling tool, sorely underused by WWE in recent years. This year's King of the Ring did a great job in keeping several stories on the boil yet building to a resoundingly satisfying conclusion.

Bad News Barrett and Neville had an excellent match at Extreme Rules in the wake of Daniel Bryan's injury. The strength of that contest likely had many fans willing the tournament to produce a rematch, and the final lived up to its potential.

Neville was a standout talent in NXT, but he's really shown his mettle since debuting on the main roster following WrestleMania. It can be a difficult transition to make, but The Jumping Geordie has made it look almost effortless.

He's picked up wins and losses, but, crucially, he's kept the crowd engaged throughout. Few have the wow factor that Neville does between the ropes, and even fewer are as believable as an underdog with the chops to pull off huge upsets.

What better foil for Neville than his fellow Northerner, Bad News Barrett? Few would classify BNB as an out-and-out power wrestler, but his ability to play off the smaller Neville had already made for two great matches. This is a feud that could be revisited for years to come.

As a side note, Barrett's Bull Hammers have looked terrific as of late. The strike that closed out the tournament—matched with Neville's pitch-perfect response—was a fitting end to a thoroughly entertaining tournament.

What was your favourite match this week? Make sure to stake your claim in the comments section below.