WWE Programming's Best Matches for Week of January 2

Last week, Bleacher Report readers voted on the best match featured on WWE programming over the course of 2015.

Two bouts stood out from the crowd: Bayley vs. Sasha Banks at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn and the excellent Triple Threat match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at the Royal Rumble.

Coming in second, there can be little doubt why the NXT Women's Championship match was so well-received. It was the end of a long road for the challenger, and the payoff to Bayley's long climb to the top of the tree was executed perfectly.

Meanwhile, the title match among Seth Rollins, John Cena and Brock Lesnar was a worthy winner, having set the tone for the year. All three men were among the best between the ropes over the course of the last 12 months, so it's of little surprise they created something great together.

As 2016 gets underway, it'll be interesting to see how long we have to wait before we see something on the same level as this excellent contest.

Contender No. 1: Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte on SmackDown

Having started the week with a great match on Raw, Becky Lynch used the momentum gained from her win over champion Charlotte to request a shot at her title on SmackDown.

There was plenty of positive reaction to the pair's first match of the week, but it's fair to say its follow-up outclassed it in just about every sense. It may well be the best bout Charlotte has taken part in since she became Divas champion at Night of Champions in September.

Like many of Charlotte's recent matches, the top priority here was seemingly to cement the champion as a villain, having being corrupted by the negative influence of her father, Ric Flair. However, that's not the only thing that was accomplished over the course of the contest's nearly 15-minute running time.

It was also something of a showcase for two of the traits that made Lynch so popular in NXT: her varied and unusual war crate and her predisposition toward the role of fiery underdog.

This rivalry comes at the ideal time for both competitors. It seems likely Charlotte will still be champion come WrestleMania, although it's more difficult to predict who will be challenging for the belt. Feuding with Lynch keeps her busy until that time, as well as providing much-needed exposure for the Lass Kicker.

The Divas Revolution had limited success over the latter part of 2015, but the women's division has made a promising start to the new year thanks to the efforts of Charlotte and Lynch.

Contender No. 2: Neville vs. Kevin Owens on Raw

While the Prizefighter and the Man That Gravity Forgot did cross paths in NXT, it always seemed to be in service of another feud—but their encounter on this week's Raw demonstrated the pairing can stand on its own.

It's worth nothing this match was also positioned to continue the ongoing program between Kevin Owens and Dean Ambrose, the latter providing some engaging commentary for the bout. However, up until the post-match, this was entirely about the two men in the ring.

Neville hasn't had a great deal to do since his involvement in Stephen Amell's match at SummerSlam. Fortunately, that shouldn't be too much of an obstacle for him, as the things he can do in the ring can always raise his stock among fans in a matter of minutes.

"

This was my favorite Raw in some months. Especially in terms of the in-ring action. Owens and Neville, man.

— Saif (@SaifQuadri) January 5, 2016"

His Shooting Star Press to the outside was one of the highlights of this taut bout, but the crispness of each and every manoeuvre he pulls off is similarly impressive.

Neville is a top-tier talent, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him become a major focus of WWE programming as the likes of Sami Zayn and Finn Balor graduate from NXT to the main roster. The Jumpin' Geordie has experience facing all of NXT's standouts and could be well-positioned to help them make the jump.

Crucially, a bout like this acts as a reminder of the sort of contest Neville and Owens can reliably produce. Both men are surely among the top five in-ring talents in the company.

Contender No. 3: Kalisto vs. Alberto Del Rio on SmackDown

Hot off a successful 2015, there's no limit on what Kalisto could achieve in the new year—especially if he can consistently produce performances on the level of this one.

Pitted against the ever-compelling Alberto Del Rio, the master of the Salida Del Sol held up his end of the bargain. The pair produced an entertaining bout that did a great deal to raise Kalisto's profile.

Like many of Del Rio's matches, the result wasn't the whole story. From bell to bell, the entire bout managed to engage its audience with a narrative centred around Kalisto's capacity to defy the odds.

It would be inaccurate to call this a lucha libre match, but it managed to conjure up the essence of that style of wrestling within the confines of the WWE product. Hopefully, Del Rio and Kalisto are set to enter into a feud, because there's plenty of scope for further bouts.

Mauro Ranallo added refreshing commentary that added an extra dimension to the action in the ring. It's early days, but there's every reason to believe Ranallo will go a long way toward tackling some of the glaring issues fans have had with the booth for some time.

If this bout had taken place on Raw, it would likely have been undercut with spotty commentary more interested in promoting WWE as a brand than the match in progress. Thankfully, SmackDown seems to be headed in a different direction.

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