WWE Programming's Best Matches for Week of September 5

Last week, you named Cesaro versus Kevin Owens from Raw as the Match of the Week, demonstrating once again that the pair are among the very best in-ring talents on the WWE roster at present.

Despite this, it seems only one of the two will be on the card for Night of Champions. Admittedly, the roster is so full with top-tier athletes at the moment there are always going to be talented men and women left off the card. Still, it's disappointing.

While the Swiss Superman might be missing out on an appearance at the pay-per-view, it seems Owens might be on track to challenge Ryback for the Intercontinental Championship. KO won't have as much to work with between the ropes as he did facing Cesaro, so it'll be interesting to see how that encounter plays out.

Contender No. 1: Sasha Banks vs. Paige on Monday Night Raw

In recent weeks, there's been an air of dismissal about the success of the Diva's Revolution. However, the program isn't actually as complex as many would claim it to be—the women on the roster are more than capable of delivering the goods with enough time in the ring.

Given that women's wrestling has been among WWE's lowest priorities for years, the division might not be given the respect it deserves at first. However, consistently engaging matches will turn that around given time.

The match between Sasha Banks and Paige from this week's Raw broadcast was a good example of what needs to be done. Standout bouts are great, but solid television encounters are what's necessary to really begin to rebuild competition around the Divas Championship.

It's perhaps worth mentioning the match ended with a small package off the back of a distraction, which some will point to as evidence that no progress is being made. While it's true the manoeuvre is a relic of drearier times for the women of WWE, there's nothing wrong with it in or of itself.

In the context of the match, there was little wrong with that finish. In fact, using its reputation is a good way of turning fans against Banks, who has to do more to be perceived as a villain since she's such an engaging performer in the ring.

There are problems with the division that can't be ironed out with a storyline, but the influx of NXT graduates to the main roster has certainly filled some gaps in terms of ringwork. More matches like this would be welcome, particularly if the broader narrative that links them together is a little stronger.

Contender No. 2: Seth Rollins vs. Ryback on Friday Night Smackdown

This week, Seth Rollins and Ryback faced off twice, with the second bout being better by a hair. There's been plenty of criticism for Ryback's abilities between the ropes over the course of his career, but matches like this demonstrate he's not completely without merit.

Rollins is perhaps the most dependable active wrestler in WWE, and he's no stranger to elevating other talents to his own high standards. Ryback's strengths have never been in the ring, but paired with the right opponent, he can certainly contribute.

Credit: WWE.com

These two meshed well, with the Sin City Silverback able to step into John Cena's shoes as a bigger opponent for Rollins to use his agility against. That clash of styles kept things interesting, but it's the narrative work of the match that really set it apart from most other bouts from the week.

In storyline, Rollins' problem at the moment is that he's bitten off more than he can chew—that's why he's looking at two title defences at Night of Champions. As such, it makes complete sense he'd be thrown off his game via satellite to pick up a loss in a high-profile singles match on Raw.

Credit: WWE.com

However, on SmackDown, the Architect managed to use the chaos of the Lumberjack stipulation to pick up the win for himself. Rollins' run as champion has featured more character development than many would give it credit for, and much of it has taken place in the ring.

Special notice has to be given to Neville's terrific moonsault to a group of lumberjacks waiting on the outside—if there was any doubt the Jumpin' Geordie is the next great high-flyer in WWE, he's doing all he can to erase it with every passing week.

Contender No. 3: Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose and Jimmy Uso vs. the New Day on Friday Night SmackDown

In terms of audience enjoyment, anything is permitted in a pro wrestling match so long as it serves a purpose. To that end, a non-finish would typically frustrate a crowd and leave them unsatisfied—but sometimes that's the desired reaction.

That's why this six-man tag team match from SmackDown is a contender for Match of the Week despite not having a conclusive ending. While the bout itself was very good, the circumstances of the finish elevated it beyond a straightforward chapter in the build toward a pay-per-view encounter.

It's fair to say Jimmy Uso was central to the success of this match. Of course, the other five men are among the most entertaining on the WWE roster, but Uso's passion—even in the undesirable circumstances of having his brother and tag team partner out injured—is unmistakable.

Uso was the perfect figure to play the role he did in this match. His family connection to Reigns makes for a logical reason he'd offer to round out his cousin's team, and that trio proved to be a threat in the early going of this match.

However, it's the way that the match ended that really made this stand out. The Wyatt Family claiming Uso from the ring under cover of darkness is exactly the sort of thing the stable should be doing and made things very personal between these two teams.

While the feud between the Wyatts and the former Shield team-mates has largely seemed like a holding pattern for the talented wrestlers involved, this match gave it some teeth. Between the in-ring action on show and this canny storyline progression, this was almost certainly the most cleverly constructed match this week.

Which bout do you have down as Match of the Week? Vote in the poll and make your case in the comments section below.