WWE Programming's Match of the Week for July 11

It's been a terrific week of wrestling for WWE, kick-started by the memorable Beast in the East special event last Saturday. With that in mind, there's no better time to break out some changes to the standard match-of-the-week format.

With so many top-tier bouts as of late, it's time to put the final say in the hands of the readers. Three candidates are laid out below—but the poll at the bottom of the article will determine which one goes down as the best match of the past seven days.

Candidate No. 1: Cesaro vs. John Cena on Monday Night Raw

Credit: WWE.com

John Cena's U.S. Open Challenge is golden at this point—you can bet that there will be plenty of disappointed fans once Cena loses the belt and we miss out on one of the best regular segments that Raw has to offer.

There have been countless great matches produced by the open challenge. And there are numerous younger wrestlers who have benefited from being able to showcase their skills in a lengthy match with the man who sat at the top of the tree for years.

Last week, Cesaro had a great match with Cena, but the pair managed to exceed themselves in this week's rematch. There was a real sense that both men would do anything to get the win, and it made for some gripping television.

There's certainly an argument to be made that the open-challenge series relies too much on Cena and his opponent kicking out of just about every move under the sun. For one, the potency of the Attitude Adjustment has suffered from being overexposed over the last few months.

However, that effect is minor compared to the good that it does for challengers. There have always been concerns that Cesaro had difficulties "connecting" with his audience, and he's referred to that in promos and on social media. His surge in popularity following this match demonstrates that his wrestling can do the talking.

This match is a perfect example of why the open challenge works so well. Put a gifted, hungry talent in the ring with a guy such as Cena for 30 minutes, and you're going to get a performance that makes people shut up and listen.

Candidate No. 2: Luke Harper vs. Cesaro on Main Event

Seemingly bolstered by such a great outing against Cena on Monday, Cesaro delivered yet another excellent match when he faced longtime rival Luke Harper on Main Event.

Chikara fans will recall a great feud between these two that culminated in the promotion's first steel cage several years ago. Of course, both men have come a long way in the time that's passed since then—something that was easy to observe in this hugely physical contest.

The Attitude Era taught fans that hardcore wrestling was the new ultimate in in-ring violence, but a throwback bout such as this makes a different claim. It was undeniably brutal, but it managed to conjure up that intensity without resorting to foreign objects and overblown high spots.

Cesaro vs. Harper can be considered a minor feud at present, but it has the potential to be so much more. This match wouldn't have looked out of place at Battleground, but instead it was aired rather unceremoniously on Main Event.

This week's edition of the show was good, with a tag match between Los Matadores and the Lucha Dragons also being well worth a watch. However, it's something of a waste that such great action can't find its way onto the WWE Network, for whatever reason that might be.

Candidate No. 3: Finn Balor vs. Kevin Owens at Beast in the East

Credit: WWE.com

Balor vs. Owens with the NXT Championship on the line was always going to be a great match, but the fact that it took place at Ryogoku Hall demonstrated just how prominent a role setting can play in a bout's success.

From the pre-match presentation of flower bouquets—and Owens' pitch-perfect rejection of his gift—to some of the moves Balor executed to reference his time with New Japan Pro Wrestling, this match was designed to please the Japanese audience in attendance.

However, that didn't detract one bit from the viewing experience for anyone watching via the WWE Network in other regions. WWE may promote American pro wrestling, but it's promising to see the company cherry-pick from other traditions to put on the best show possible on any given night.

Balor and Owens both deserve a lot of credit for giving this match the oft-referenced "big fight feel." The NXT Championship has undeniably been built up as one of the richest prizes in WWE, and this bout played to that reputation perfectly.

This felt like a meeting of two of the men who will rise to the top of the industry over the next few years. That's the promise of the NXT Championship, and there are few who typify the promotion in general as well as Balor and Owens.

Which of these bouts deserves to go down as match of the week? Be sure to vote in the poll, and argue your case in the comments section below.