Breaking Down the Best and Worst of the WWE for Week of August 17

WWE Superstars excelled as pitchmen (and women) ahead of two major events.

Sasha Banks and Bayley made their NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn title match even more compelling. Dolph Ziggler's arrival sparked interest in a grudge match. A recently formed tag team's chemistry possibly makes its SummerSlam showdown just the start of a division-changing run.

A cookie-cutter opening to Raw and The Miz's insignificant role in a feud over the Intercontinental Championship made sure WWE didn't go a week without delivering some head-scratchers.

En route to SummerSlam and TakeOver, there was plenty on the WWE stage to appreciate, though. Charisma and energy coming from Bayley, Ziggler and others were a big part of that.

Best: Stardust and King Barrett Already Jelling

At first glance, Stardust and King Barrett felt like a random pairing. It seemed that WWE just needed a second person to round out the SummerSlam match against Stephen Amell and Neville, so it just scooped up Barrett.

The partnership is already working. Stardust and Barrett's backstage promos have showcased their surprising chemistry.

Barrett seems to have new life with a slight tweak of his gimmick, as he's now calling himself The Cosmic King. He looked energized in his segments alongside Stardust. The two feel like the kind of over-the-top cartoon villains who populated WWE in the late '80s and early '90s.

So far, that's worked for them, and they fit together extremely well.

WWE now has the option to go full throttle with this team, after SummerSlam and beyond. The duo would make a fine addition to the tag division, especially as it is lacking convincing heels at the moment.

Worst: Lack of Creativity to Open Raw

Credit: WWE.com

It's become all too reliable. When Raw kicks off, someone from The Authority will walk out and talk for a long stretch.

On Monday's Raw, WWE repeated that pattern. This time, it was a longer, less interesting promo where Triple H and Stephanie McMahon just listed all the SummerSlam matches. 

Why not try a little variety? Why not have the show's momentum kick into high gear early and offer this kind of promo a bit later in the show?

It says a lot that WWE almost never puts these promos on its YouTube page when it posts Raw's highlights.

WWE didn't always walk down this same tired path. In the past, it opened Raw with title matches or brawls. WWE Creative has to do that again. More and more, it feels like it's better to just skip the first 10 to 15 minutes of the premier show. 

Best: Dolph Ziggler Storms Back

The storyline of Lana and Summer Rae constantly going at it, with a heartbroken Rusev watching on, was getting old. It missed a major component. It missed Rusev's foil—Dolph Ziggler.

With Rusev seemingly ready to attack Lana on Monday's Raw, The Showoff rushed in, ending an extended stretch of his being off TV. He earned one of the bigger pops from the crowd since he cashed in the Money in the Bank contract years ago.

The moment was fun and exciting, and it made the Ziggler vs. Rusev addition to SummerSlam one to look forward to.

Never mind that Ziggler's spray tan looked awful. One of the more talented in-ring performers in the business is back from a storyline injury, and the WWE roster just got one skilled showman deeper.

Worst: Intercontinental Championship Triple Threat a Man Short

SummerSlam is set for a Triple Threat with a superfluous combatant. The Miz isn't just a third wheel in the Intercontinental Championship match; he's the decal on the side of the bike.

WWE has made no effort to make him a threat to Ryback's IC title. It has done little to make him a part of the narrative at all. Increasingly, it feels like Big Show and Ryback are two colliding behemoths with a gnat buzzing in their ears.

On Monday's Raw, Ryback dominated The Miz. He beat him decisively without breaking much of a sweat. The focus then turned to Big Show and Ryback's animosity. The Miz disappeared from the screen as the two powerhouses teased that they would go to war right then and there.

Days later, on Thursday's SmackDown, with The Miz busy judging on Tough Enough, Big Show and Ryback brawled outside the ring and left a wake of destruction behind them. If there was a mention of The Miz, it was easy to miss.

To not make him a bigger part of this story is a waste. The usual unpredictable nature of a Triple Threat is diminished with one of the three men involved being such a non-factor.

Best: The Boss and Bayley Hit All the Right Notes

The fact that WWE is calling Sasha Banks vs. Bayley one of NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn's double main events is not just lip service. This truly feels like a major matchup.

Credit the rise of women's wrestling at NXT for some of that. Kudos to Bayley for becoming such a compelling babyface, especially during her recent climb into contention. In addition to those factors, a stellar contract signing on Wednesday's NXT elevated the upcoming championship contest.

Bayley showed off her impressive acting range throughout the segment. She went from crushed by Banks' insults to a fiery warrior in search of payback.

Banks dismissed Bayley but not in a way that buried her. It just made her seem like a cocky champ and played up Bayley's underdog status.

WWE also wisely played with the expectations fans have of these meetings. Bayley said she knows how these moments work. There's always a fight. She had to bring it to the retreating heel, but when she did, the excitement level for the NXT Women's Championship match went up.

Emotions will be ready to explode come Saturday night.