Breaking Down the Best and Worst of the WWE for Week of Sept. 28

As September drew to a close, WWE had just as much of a "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" problem as Kane.

It alternated leaning on tried-and-true booking techniques with head-scratching decisions. The company gave Roman Reigns and Bray Wyatt the perfect avenue to crank up their bad blood. But to counterbalance the wisdom of having emerging stars garner a spot under the spotlight, WWE also spent far too much time trying to make us believe in Big Show.

WWE mishandled the women's division on Raw to the point of irritation. Days later on SmackDown, it showed that it can in fact book that part of its roster effectively.

With both shows struggling for ratings, WWE is simultaneously leaning too much on overexposed stars and taking chances with fresh faces.

Was this a case of the company hedging its bets or evidence of its inconsistency? Either way, the week leading up to the live show in Madison Square Garden gave fans a tremendous brawl, a misguided approach to the Divas Revolution and an angry giant generating apathy.

Best: Roman Reigns and Bray Wyatt Tear Each Other Apart

A dreary, sluggish Raw ended in a captivating explosion.

Roman Reigns and Bray Wyatt advanced their feud by way of simply beating the hell out of each other. Their match ended in a double count-out, but the real fun began after the bell. A brawl broke out that saw each warrior bash each other until neither could move.

After all the mind games and taunting that preceded this, it was the perfect next step to the story.

The rivals' escalating their issues proved electric. They produced some mighty compelling violence before the night ended.

Reigns and Wyatt's animosity boiled over to the point that a standard match couldn't hold them. They now ready themselves for battle inside the Hell in a Cell. That's the right way to use that stipulation—a last resort to settle a feud.

Putting two fresh faces in the night's main event was smart. This was a welcome curveball—one that sent a feud that has lost some speed careening back down the highway.

Worst: Discussing a Revolution, Not Displaying It

The women's division has become an exercise in metafiction.

WWE has spent too much time focusing on the concept of the Divas Revolution rather than producing what it is supposed to lead to—more opportunities for women wrestlers. Monday's Raw was a painful example of that.

Nikki Bella and Charlotte bickered over who started this movement more than they talked about the championship the latter took from the former. When a six-women tag soon broke out, the announcers continued the revolution-centric debate.

This is the wrong way to proceed.

Wrestlers didn't spend the bulk of the Attitude Era talking about how much more envelope-pushing the product had become. They just pushed the envelope. The audience caught on.

There needs to be more of that with today's women's division. Focus on Natalya's issue with Paige and Nikki's attempt to reclaim her throne, and give Sasha Banks a rival of her own. Let the revolution progress without constantly bringing it up.

Best: Bayley vs. Sasha Banks Hype Video

Sasha Banks vs. Bayley at NXT TakeOver: Respect is feeling bigger every week. Wednesday's NXT boosted that feeling with a robust, well-produced hype video.

Rather than have Banks and Bayley square off in countless tag team matches and face-to-face showdowns, WWE is wisely keeping them apart after their tense meeting two weeks ago. 

Instead, the company chose to borrow from what makes HBO's 24/7 series so powerful.

En route to the title match on Oct. 7, the production team put together a collection of clips from Bayley and Banks' match in Brooklyn, interviews and behind-the-scenes footage. It shows women preparing. It uses quick cuts and dramatic music to increase excitement about the fight.

This is a simple, effective way to get folks pumped about what's to come.

WWE needs to employ this strategy for women's matches more often. The Bayley and Banks clip is too much of a rarity. 

Worst: Building Up Big Show

It makes sense that Big Show manhandled Mark Henry on Monday night and barked at Paul Heyman, leaving the advocate terrified. The giant also sat with Michael Cole to hype his impending clash with Brock Lesnar.

The trouble is, Big Show was the wrong choice for this role.

WWE has now gone to great efforts to elevate an already established star. Big Show, even if he gets trampled at Madison Square Garden, will have benefited from having the hype train behind him and a shot against Lesnar on his resume. Why wouldn't the company offer a new face that spot, though?

Imagine if WWE were going all-in like this for Luke Harper or Cesaro. 

At least those men didn't get walloped by Lesnar just last year. Fans aren't yelling "Please retire!" at them, either.

The MSG show would feature a never-before-seen matchup—not one built around animosity two rivals had over 10 years ago. Heyman delivered a superb sales pitch on Raw, and WWE is doing everything it can to make this bout special. Big Show's presence, however, nullifies those efforts. 

Best: Women Showcased on SmackDown

On Raw, a lack of logic, a hurried match and jabbering on about the revolution hurt the women's division's offerings on the show. On SmackDown, WWE went back to basics. A pair of groups who dislike each other engaged in an intense match.

First off, WWE gave Team B.A.D. and Team Bella ample time to work with. The bout went over 11 minutes and 30 seconds, per CageMatch.net.

Stinging slaps and hard tumbles to the outside made for eye-catching action. The foes attacked each other with ferocity. And much to the audience's delight, things broke down near the end, with chaos unfolding as the pace picked up.

Thankfully, the announcers zeroed in on the wrestling rather than the revolution. 

And once again, Sasha Banks earned the decision for her team. WWE has smartly been making Banks look formidable by letting her be the one to wrench an opponent's body until she taps out.

WWE has to present the women this way consistently. The roster is loaded with talented women, and the only way they can flourish is if they get good stories to work with and stages such as this to show off those talents.