WWE Programming's Best Matches for Week of July 18

Last week, you named Cesaro versus Rusev versus Kevin Owens from Raw as your match of the week. John Cena's open challenge has certainly produced some excellent matches—who would have thought he wouldn't be involved in one of the very best?

However, given the trio involved in that Triple Threat are some of the most talented wrestlers anywhere in the world today, it's no shock the match was so good. The only problem with so much ability in the ring at one time is that someone has to lose.

This week, there are three more great bouts for you to choose your match of the week from. Only one of the competitors from last week's winner is on this week's list—and if you've been following his recent form, his presence should be of little surprise.

Candidate No. 1: Bray Wyatt vs. Roman Reigns at Battleground

There are certain wrestlers in WWE at the moment who can be relied upon to deliver a great match. They're the backbone of the in-ring action that's delivered on a weekly basis. But as impressive as those men and women are, it's always a pleasant surprise when other members of the roster step up.

Bray Wyatt and Roman Reigns have both been part of some excellent contests over the course of their time in WWE, but many would argue their best work thus far has been done in multi-man matches. At Battleground, the pair had a singles contest that was proof both can deliver on their own.

Credit: WWE.com

The pair have terrific chemistry. Wyatt often falls into the trap of putting on ho-hum matches after weeks of great character work, but it seems the Juggernaut might be just the right opponent to bring out the best of his wrestling ability.

Moments such as the lariat counter to Reigns' Drive-By dropkick on the apron made Wyatt seem more powerful than he has looked in months. It's difficult to say exactly why—sometimes a particular opponent simply inspires the greatest performances from talented wrestlers.

Credit: WWE.com

It looks like this feud is set to continue, and that can only be a good thing. A tag match seems likely for SummerSlam, but more singles matches to follow that could really help both men up their respective ring games with a series of great matches.

Handled correctly, this could be one of the defining feuds of the next few years. At any rate, it's already given us one excellent singles match and looks to be in a prime position to entertain for the next few months.

Candidate No. 2: Charlotte vs. Sasha Banks vs. Brie Bella at Battleground

The women's revolution is in full swing, and it's already making a marked difference to the quality of wrestling on the female side of the main roster. It really seems like the days of two-minute matches and endless roll-up victories are finally behind us.

Despite coming together at the very last minute, the first pay-per-view match of this new era made the right impression. It was a showcase for Banks and Charlotte, in truth—although Nikki Bella's performance while delegating her spot in the match to Brie demonstrates why she's the perfect champion for this situation.

This might have been a better match without Brie's presence—the singles matches we've seen from Charlotte and Banks in NXT were of a higher caliber—but she played a key role here, even if it's not the most desirable for any wrestler.

Brie was there to be shown up by her two opponents, and that's exactly what happened. Both Banks and Charlotte asserted themselves from the beginning, with the large part of Brie's offence coming from sneak attacks and the like.

"

It was great seeing Charlotte and Sasha Banks steal the show in that match. Bright future moving forward. #WWE #Battleground

— Donald Wood (@Donald_Wood) July 20, 2015"

This match was the ideal next step in the resuscitation of women's wrestling on the main roster. There have been plenty of attempts to bring the stars of NXT up to Raw and SmackDown, but it seems like WWE is finally getting a handle on the proper method based on recent evidence.

It's not enough for an NXT graduate to have pockets of support in the audience or mentions of their achievements on commentary. They need to show rather than tell, and that's exactly what this match did for two thirds of its participants.

Candidate No. 3: Cesaro vs. Seth Rollins on SmackDown

While there's plenty of home-grown talent rising through the ranks of WWE, many of the most exciting in-ring performers on the roster made their names on the independent scene. Both Cesaro and Seth Rollins are expected to have a great match every night, so when the two square off, you have to expect the best.

Cesaro has been working his way through a varied list of opponents in recent weeks, having fantastic contests with all of them. It's been enough to give him something of a spotlight, and this match against the WWE World Heavyweight champion demonstrated he's very deserving of that prominent position.

Rollins and Cesaro have similar strengths—notably a massive war crate at their disposal and a sharp understanding of the strengths of their opponents. That's the winning combination that has allowed both men to have great matches with a large swathe of the roster.

It's also the reason why a match between the two was always going to turn out well. Rollins' agility and Cesaro's high-impact style make a natural contrast, something the pair were sure to play up over the course of the bout.

This week's SmackDown was a marked improvement over the recent standard of the show, providing the sort of matches that could make viewers tune in rather than simply dismiss it as Raw's non-essential younger sibling.

Matches such as this are a straightforward way of making secondary and tertiary programming compelling. The WWE roster is stacked at present, so why not let the best that the company has to offer show what they can do on a weekly basis?

What was your favourite match this week? Don't forget to make your voice heard in the poll and join the discussion in the comments section below.