WWE Programming's Best Matches for Week of November 21

Last week, Bleacher Report readers voted a remarkable match between Roman Reigns and Cesaro from Monday Night Raw as the best bout of the previous seven days.

Given that this was the Swiss Superman's last televised match before he was headed for surgery to remedy a rotator cuff injury that has reportedly been in play for between two and four months, the match is even more of an achievement.

Cesaro is one of the premier in-ring talents on the roster at the moment, and his absence will be felt over the next several months. There will always be a strong demand for wrestlers who can have a good or great match with anyone they're paired with on the night.

Contender No. 1: Roman Reigns vs. Albert Del Rio at Survivor Series 2015

Last weekend's Survivor Series pay-per-view kicked off in fine form with a tournament semi-final that pitted Roman Reigns against the freshly returned Alberto Del Rio.

Del Rio is a handy competitor for WWE to have access to, as he's more than capable of having the match of the night wherever and whenever he's competing, but he's also well-versed in the prevailing style of main event level contest that's used in the company.

A stint circulating round the wider world of wrestling has done Del Rio the world of good, refreshing everything from his presence on the microphone to the arsenal of manoeuvres at his disposal.

This bout saw Del Rio look inspired to give a strong showing, and that's exactly what he did—elevating what Roman Reigns brought to the contest in the process. The Big Dog isn't as well-rounded as El Patron, but he can be very effective when pitted against the right opponent.

The fact that the outcome of this bout was so clear-cut was the only thing that detracted from an otherwise-compelling match. Even that is something of a small criticism, given that this is a side-effect of the larger tournament structure and the ongoing presentation of Reigns.

This was the best match on the Survivor Series pay-per-view and a reminder of just how good Del Rio is between the ropes. With Cesaro out, there will be plenty of pressure on ADR to offer great contests like this one on a very regular basis.

Contender No. 2: Eva Marie vs. Bayley on NXT

This week's edition of NXT saw a title match that will likely go down in some infamy and split reactions from its live and television audiences.

Depending on how you look at the contest, it might be one of the most effective examples of drawing heat from one competitor and repositioning it somewhere more useful. Alternatively, it could be seen as an example of NXT being infected with some of the same issues that have plagued Raw and SmackDown.

Having been gifted a shot at Bayley's championship seemingly out of nowhere, Eva Marie's shot at the title contained all the hallmarks of a sleazy win. We saw outside interference, a referee being put out of commission and an influential dismissal to the locker room.

All in all, this was a bout that used whatever it could to work around the limitations of Eva Marie. Given her limited repertoire in the ring, the best thing that the red-headed stepchild of NXT can offer are the red-hot reactions that she wrings from the crowd on a regular basis.

However, these jeers don't do much good if there isn't a compelling bout to build to. Eva Marie vs. Bayley is not a good use of the champion's talents—but there's something to be said for Nia Jax vs. Bayley.

This title match transformed the feud for the NXT Women's Championship from the former in the latter, and it worked surprisingly well as it did so. In terms of using Eva Marie to further a storyline while giving her some much-needed experience between the ropes, it's hard to criticize this divisive bout.

Contender No. 3: Dean Ambrose vs. Tyler Breeze vs. Dolph Ziggler on SmackDown

This SmackDown contest was designed to decide a new No. 1 Contender to Intercontinental champion Kevin Owens, demonstrating the strong competition circling the strap.

Dolph Ziggler seemed like the perfect opponent for Tyler Breeze to tangle with upon his main-roster debut, and he's been great in the role thus far. Meanwhile, adding Dean Ambrose to the mix has only added an extra element of unpredictability.

Credit: WWE.com

Breeze excelled in this bout, making the most of its format by hiding outside the ring for much of the early going—something that Kevin Owens was quick to note while he joined the commentary team for the match. There's something pleasingly old-school about some aspects of Prince Pretty's performance.

Special credit also has to be given to Owens, who continues to enhance any bout he commentates on. That's a rare skill for someone who's so good in the ring, but it's of little surprise given how capable KO has proved himself to be.

Credit: WWE.com

It's difficult to shake off the feeling that this is a step down for Ambrose, who should really be focussing on the world title at the moment, but there are worse places on the card to be. Paired with top-tier talent, there should be little doubt that we'll see great work from the Lunatic Fringe.

Meanwhile, the feud between Ziggler and Breeze seems likely to continue. There's a lack of direction there at the minute, but that's a difficult thing to criticize if the top priority is orienting Breeze.

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.