Breaking Down Best and Worst WWE Matches, Superstars for the Week of November 30

Fans who watched only Raw this week missed out on a big chunk of the best WWE had to offer.

The Usos and Dean Ambrose aligned on Thursday's SmackDown to produce an engaging, high-octane contest. On Wednesday's NXT, Samoa Joe faced a game Tommaso Ciampa in a showcase of the No. 1 contender's destructive ways. Emma continued her growth as a heel on that same night.

Meanwhile, Raw trudged on. It's been a painfully predictable show in recent weeks.

That continued as November came to a close.

What is supposed to be WWE's premier show lagged in terms of both story and action. Ryback and Rusev put on a sigh-inducing match. Adam Rose appeared in a waste of air time.

Raw needs to inject a heavy dose of energy. And it wouldn't hurt to start mimicking the logical, forward-thinking booking that NXT exhibits. 

Best: Tommaso Ciampa vs. Samoa Joe (NXT)

With a title match at NXT TakeOver: London waiting for him, Samoa Joe took on indy star Tommaso Ciampa.

Despite essentially being a squash match, this entertained. Joe was beastly, slugging Ciampa with tooth-loosening blows. His intensity bubbled over. Ciampa briefly put up a fight, but found himself swallowed up by a monster.

NXT got a long list of things right here. For one, it was a fresh matchup yet to be seen on WWE programming. Secondly, the announcers added depth by talking up how long these men have known each other, saying that Joe has changed since they were friends, that he's becoming something much scarier.

And giving Joe an impressive win just weeks before he faces Finn Balor for the NXT Championship is a no-brainer.

Ciampa looked good enough here to have WWE officials consider keeping him around on a more long-term basis. And Joe was so enthralling in his role as bloodthirsty predator that he made a strong case to move to the main roster rather than just be NXT's veteran presence.

Worst: Ryback vs. Rusev (Raw)

The best matches leave both wrestlers looking better at the end of it. In Ryback and Rusev's case, their clash on Monday's Raw did nothing for them and less for the audience.

WWE can't expect these two to tell much of a story in such a short amount of time. The commercial break during the bout felt longer than the action itself.

Here was a chance to have Rusev regain momentum after returning from injury, to paint him as a dominant force. Or else, WWE could have told the story of Ryback making his way back into the title picture with a huge win over a powerhouse.

Instead, neither narrative came to pass. Ryback won via count-out and shrugged in disappointment afterward. That's how much of the audience had to feel, too.

This is a prime example of WWE's current insistence on not committing to anyone. It's as if the writing staff is afraid to have anybody go on a roll so it just scripts an ongoing stalemate.

Best: The Usos and Dean Ambrose vs. New Day (SmackDown)

High stakes, high energy and high-flying powered SmackDown's best match.

Dean Ambrose and The Usos teamed against The New Day knowing that if they lost, they wouldn't be able to tag with Roman Reigns later in the night. Their loss left Reigns to fight the entire League of Nations by his lonesome.

That element alone gave this bout weight. Winning meant something.

As usual, these wrestlers delivered in the ring with a full-throttle approach. WWE was smart to tie in the injury Jimmy Uso suffered on Monday's Raw. His tweaked knee proved to be the babyfaces' downfall as The New Day attacked the weak spot and scored the pin.

The bout portrayed the tag team champs as opportunistic and vicious. It also made them winners.

Too often, the midcard titleholders lose momentum via non-title losses. Not here. The champions prevailed, allowing them to stay strong heading into TLC. Meanwhile, Ambrose and The Usos experienced the kind of pathos-generating suffering that Reigns should have done in the night's main event. 

Worst: It's Not Working with Adam Rose

WWE is trying to salvage Adam Rose's character. You have to give the company credit for that, at least.

The latest incarnation of the former NXT wrestler is a stinker, though. Gone are the party-loving, high-energy antics and in their place a pair of glasses and a dour attitude. After beginning this new version of the gimmick as a guy who just said "poop" a lot, WWE now has him commenting on its own storyline gossip.

His new Rosebud segment made him look like the Perez Hilton of the squared circle, but a far less interesting version, unfortunately.

Rose also competed on Wednesday's NXT, serving as James Storm's latest victim. The lack of spark to his character was on full display there, too.

This Rose is flat. 

Why WWE hasn't just had him revert to the snarling, sadistic Leo Kruger is hard to understand. That character had bite. His new act doesn't allow his charisma to shine through.

Best: Emma Looking Worthy of Promotion

Emma has revived her stuttering career. At NXT, she's been able to move on from the bubbly, dance-happy shtick she started out with and slowly morph into a vicious heel.

Up against newcomer Liv Morgan, she showed just how far she's come in that transformation. Her stare exuded intensity. Her offense was marked by nastiness.

She's building a case to make it back to the main roster and be a prominent part of the women's division. 

And with Asuka waiting to collide with her at NXT TakeOver: London, she's poised to have the biggest match of her career since losing to Paige for the NXT title last February. That showdown is a major opportunity to show off her heel prowess, to snatch the proverbial brass ring.