WWE Programming's Best Match for Week of May 9

In truth, this wasn't a banner week for match quality across WWE programming. However, given the schedule set for the next few weeks, that's not so surprising.

With Payback 2015 set for this weekend, and the surprise announcement of an Elimination Chamber event two weeks away, we're set for a bumper run of shows as the WWE's summer season begins in earnest.

However, that's not to say that there wasn't any top-notch in-ring competition over the course of the week. There is certainly no shortage of WWE athletes who can be relied upon to deliver a great match, whatever the circumstances. Here are the must-sees from this week in WWE.

Honourable Mentions

NXT had a strong broadcast heading into its tour this weekend, main evented by a great tag match that put Hideo Itami and Finn Balor up against Tyler Breeze and Adam Rose. It's promising to see Breeze given such a prominent showing ahead of Unstoppable.

Elsewhere, SmackDown had a particularly strong week. Sheamus took on Dean Ambrose in a lively match to open the show, and Roman Reigns and Kane had an enjoyable brawl to close it out. We've seen plenty of that latter pairing, but the former seems like a great feud waiting to happen.

However, the best match on this week's SmackDown saw Seth Rollins go toe-to-toe with Ryback, which played to the strengths of both men. The athletes competing for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at Payback certainly seemed eager to put in a strong performance on SmackDown.

Match of the Week for Week of May 9: John Cena vs. Neville on Monday Night Raw

The last couple of months have demonstrated the extent of John Cena's capacity to split opinion. At present, he's running roughshod over the midcard, defending his title successfully against a range of fan favourites—and it's consistently among the most entertaining parts of the broadcast.

The key is that Cena isn't the steam-train champion he was a few years back. Watching him predictably "overcome the odds" frustrated many because it was one-note. Conversely, the new Cena is seemingly always on the back foot, even if he is able to pull off the eventual win.

Credit: WWE.com

In fact, this week it seemed that the only reason a new champion wasn't crowned was for the interference from Rusev. While the open challenge has been great for television, it's meant that Cena's ongoing conflict faded into the background—until the Super-Athlete made his presence known here.

That narrative advancement was important as the final step toward a presumably conclusive encounter at Payback, and thankfully it didn't sully the match that came before it. Rather, Neville has a legitimate claim to the No. 1 Contender's spot should Cena defend successfully this weekend.

However, even if Neville doesn't continue to challenge for the United States Championship, managing to avoid an out-an-out loss was a novel way of switching up the program for Cena's regular defence. The Jumpin' Geordie may not have come as close to victory as Sami Zayn, but he didn't get pinned.

Even removing the match's plot function from the equation, this bout was completely engaging. Neville is a top-tier performer, with a huge arsenal of moves ready to be drawn upon at any time—and Cena can always rise to the occasion, if needs be.

It's great to see the leader of the Cenation re-energized during his tour through the midcard, and the division around him is reaping the benefits of his presence. There have been lifeless Cena title reigns in the past; this is certainly not one of them.

What was your favourite match this week? Who's going to steal the show Sunday night at Payback? Let us know in the comments section below.