WWE Programming's Best Matches for Week of November 14

Last weekend, Bleacher Report readers voted Kalisto vs. Ryback as the best bout of the previous seven days.

In terms of untapped potential, there's as much reason to look at Kalisto as a hot prospect as just about anyone else on the roster. WWE fans love a lucha libre practitioner, and the former Samuray del Sol has what it takes to fulfil that role.

This week, Kalisto squared off with Alberto Del Rio in the quarter-finals of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship tournament, but the match fell flat despite looking promising. Similar in-ring styles often produce great bouts, but it's occasionally a clash of styles that offers up the best matches.

Contender No. 1: Kevin Owens vs. Neville on Monday Night Raw

Longtime fans of these two competitors might have seen this match play out in NXT or even PWG—but few will have tired of the pairing.

Kevin Owens and Neville are two wrestlers who are constantly tweaking their craft. As a result, every encounter between the two offers something new and fresh. It's a real testament to the passion and drive that both men bring to the ring.

The secret to the chemistry between the Prizefighter and the Man That Gravity Forgot may well be the gulf between their respective personas. Neville is all about high-intensity athleticism, whereas Owens will gladly take as many shortcuts as he can if it results in a win.

In the match, that was reflected by the many occasions Neville would begin building a head of steam, only for Owens to shut it down with some kind of sly retort.

This cements Owens as a sleazy villain, but it also lays the groundwork to make Neville's offence all the more impactful. His jaw-dropping Poisoned Hurricanrana to Owens was all the more effective for the amount of times he had been thwarted when trying to hit big moves.

Owens vs. Neville was nothing short of a standout television match—but that's perhaps to be expected given the pedigree of both men involved.

Contender No. 2: The Ascension vs. Chad Gable and Jason Jordan on NXT

Having had some measure of success in resuscitating the Divas division, it seems the next challenge for NXT is constructing the next generation of tag team prospects.

The team of Chad Gable and Jason Jordan spent plenty of time working together at live events, and they were visible on weekly television long before they began competing effectively as a unit. Now, we're starting to see the benefits of that slow and steady build.

Facing off against the Ascension—who were the original dominant tag team in NXT—it's clear Jordan and Gable are being positioned as a top priority. Based on their performance in this setting, it's evident the pair can take that ball and run with it.

For much of the time Konnor and Viktor were ruling the roost in NXT, their matches were short and decisive. This bout couldn't have been more different, but the Ascension looked quite at home.

However, it has to be said that Gable and Jordan were deservedly given the focus. Gable remains one of the more entertaining athletes on the roster between the ropes, and Jordan consistently plays his part in matches to perfection.

This match was an effective method of furthering the development of a new tag team—but perhaps more importantly, it was a great match on its own terms.

Contender No. 3: Cesaro vs. Roman Reigns on Monday Night Raw

Here's a bout that was always going to be compelling—a wrestler with an incredibly passionate fanbase pitted against WWE's golden boy.

Few matches in the WWE World Heavyweight Championship tournament were as effective in laying down the stakes as this one. Roman Reigns and Cesaro each felt like a major obstacle in the other's path to the title.

Credit: WWE.com

This only served to ensure the crowd was completely invested in proceedings. Every big move seemed to hit a little bit harder, and many pinfalls seemed poised to end the match—it's an overused phrase, but a "big-fight feel" was in effect here.

There have been many calls for Reigns to turn heel at Survivor Series on Sunday, and this bout should demonstrate why. The Juggernaut always seems to be able to work well against a fan favourite, and that could be crucial for his continuing development at a wrestler.

Credit: WWE.com

Most people watching could have predicted that Reigns was going to come out on top in this bout. That being said, even those most confident in his path to the world title must have been shaken a little bit by some of Cesaro's near-falls in the late stages of the contest.

That's evidence of just how good this bout was; even when the outcome seemed obvious, the action itself was good enough to suggest any conclusion was possible.

Which bout was your match of the week? Don't forget to make your choice by voting in the poll and then state your argument in the comments section below—and if you're tweeting about match of the week contenders over the next seven days, use the hashtag #BR_MOTW.