WWE Programming's Best Matches for Week of September 12

Last week, you named Seth Rollins vs. Ryback from SmackDown as the best match of the week—although competition was rather fierce. Despite this, it's a testament to the abilities of both men that the bout was the best of the bunch.

A showcase match featuring both of the company's most prominent champions should be able to produce the best showing of the week, but that's often not the case. The Big Guy certainly brought plenty to the encounter, but Rollins deserves plenty of praise for shouldering much of the effort in the ring.

The Architect is certainly among the very best on the WWE roster at present—in fact, it's likely a competition between him and Cesaro for best-all round technical proficiency. However, there are a host of talented rivals nipping at the heels of the pair.

Contender No. 1: Cesaro vs. Big Show on SmackDown

Big Show is something of a gatekeeper for wrestlers moving their way up the WWE roster. The Giant brings his reputations and his enormous scale to every match he's in, but it's typically down to his opponent to supply much of the in-ring excitement.

That can be easier said that done, as we've seen a host of talented superstars struggle to have a quality match with the World's Largest Athlete. However, this week Cesaro delivered a quality bout with the big man, demonstrating once again that he's a cut above his competition.

The Swiss Superman's greatest asset is his flexibility. He builds his matches around his opponent, which keeps things different no matter who he happens to be facing. This week, the Big Show's feared Knockout Punch proved to be a central focus of the encounter.

Cesaro set about working the arm early on, and kept at it throughout the match. The logic of the Knockout Punch has always been flimsy at best, but it's good to see WWE attempting to rehab the move and its owner at this crucial time.

Big Show will face Brock Lesnar at Madison Square Garden next month, so he's currently undergoing his regular re-legitimization procedure. Show is used as a comedy character as often as he fills the role of monster, which can make for awkward periods of time when he's rushed from one to the other.

Cesaro is a perfect candidate to assist with the transition. There are few wrestlers on the roster with as deep and understanding of the in-ring component, so he's always an asset when the idea is to get across character development between the ropes—even if it's a simple procedure like this one.

Contender No. 2: Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa vs. Rhyno & Baron Corbin

Pro wrestling always has a bit more life to it if there's an element of reality to what's happening in the ring. Both in storyline and in reality, Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa entered the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic to showcase their abilities—and they've been very successful.

Both men have been well seasoned on their time in the independent scene, but their motivation has made their time in the tournament very impressive. They're engaging athletes regardless, but the passion they've displayed in this opportunity has helped make the best of their talents.

Of course, this isn't to downplay their opponents. Rhyno has had a revelatory run in NXT, demonstrating that he's capable of more than just the hardcore matches that typified his time in WWE during the early 2000s.

Meanwhile, Baron Corbin has evolved beyond a middling start in NXT thanks to his timely character shift. Targeting stars of the independent scene is a perfect persona for the Lone Wolf, and of course Ciampa and Gargano were great opponents with this in mind.

However, this bout wasn't just a case of great individual performances. Instead, the flow of the match is what really makes it a must-watch—a steady march of rising action that built towards closing moments that neatly combined the traditional WWE style of tag match with some of the flavour of the modern independent scene.

NXT revolutionized women's wrestling by putting a focus on great in-ring competition and effective storytelling. While the territory's tag-team output has typically been good, the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic seems to suggest a similar revolution is about to take place in this division.

Contender No. 3: Sting & John Cena vs. Seth Rollins & Big Show on Raw

This week's Raw main event couldn't be more different to the excellent tag team encounter we saw on NXT last Wednesday, but both certainly have their own appeal. This was a throwback—particularly appropriate given that it was meant to showcase Sting.

It's a point worth making that, despite his accomplishments elsewhere, some younger WWE fans will only know the Stinger as the guy who lost to Triple H at WrestleMania. It's been over a decade since WCW went out of business—and TNA is perhaps not the best example of his strengths.

Credit: WWE.com

With that in mind, it's a necessity that Sting got a win before he challenged for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Past achievements don't mean all that much when a decent fraction of the roster can claim at least one tenure with a world championship.

As such, this was a perfect main event to send the fans home happy and set Sting up to conceivably challenge for the title this Sunday. Moreover, it reinforced the storyline that John Cena and the Stinger will need to work together to deconstruct The Architect over the course of the evening.

Credit: WWE.com

This was the sort of match-up that wouldn't look out of place on an episode of Saturday Night's Main Event—and I'm not just referring to the fact that two of its competitors were nearer the height of their talents when that show was airing than they are today.

It was big and brash, with a smattering of the company's most recognizable stars being thrown together on teams that only just make sense. Rollins learned a lot about technique before he ever reached WWE, but the sheer spectacle of a match like this is something that you rarely see anywhere else.

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