Sami Zayn and the Top 5 WWE In-Ring Performances for the Week of July 28

As the New Era officially kicked off, WWE's future building blocks flourished. 

Sami Zayn drew fans in as he fought off Kevin Owens. Sasha Banks firmly put her imprint on the company as she claimed the Women's Championship. Finn Balor wasted no time in delivering a stunner after moving to the Raw roster.

It was a week where stars were born and fresh faces dominated the airwaves.

Zayn showed he's more than a midcarder. Banks made sure WWE knows just how compelling women's wrestling can be. 

Hopefully, these are all signs of what's to come. WWE handed out opportunities to emerging talents, and their successes should earn them more. In the coming months, the company has to build on what Zayn, Balor and Banks did as July came to a close.

The following is a list of the Superstars who most delivered in the ring, be it on TV or pay-per-view. Eye-catching moves, effective storytelling and crowd reaction determined the order of the rankings. 

Honorable Mention: Kevin Owens (Raw), Zack Sabre Jr. (Cruiserweight Classic)

The first Fatal 4-Way match on Monday's Raw belonged to Finn Balor, but Kevin Owens was key in the NXT transplant's successful debut.

Up against Rusev, Balor and Cesaro, Owens hit hard and talked loud. He provided some of the bout's best moments, including yelling, "I'm right here!," at Rusev as the powerhouse went for a pin right in front of him.

And the four-way collision was most engaging when Owens and Balor did the fighting. The chemistry born from their 2015 NXT feud carried over to Raw as the two foes clicked and drove the match.

Most of the wrestlers ranked above Owens, though, didn't have to share the stage as much as him. The Fatal 4-Way format meant he wasn't the lone star of the match. He had to give way to Cesaro, Rusev and the rising Balor.

Zack Sabre Jr. didn't have that issue.

He took on Tyson Dux in solo action in a first-round matchup in the Cruiserweight Classic tournament. The technical wizard introduced himself to the WWE audience with great precision, crafty escapes and an arsenal unlike anything we've seen before.

Daniel Bryan marveled at Sabre for much of the match. WrestleView.com's Nick Bryant called it "the best technical match of the tournament so far."

But as stellar as Sabre was on the mat, his performance didn't have the emotion that those on the rest of the list did. Sabre tore it up; Sami Zayn and Sasha Banks made fans tear up.

5. Roman Reigns (Raw)

Roman Reigns starred in arguably the better of the two Fatal 4-Way matches on Monday's Raw.

The Big Dog banged heads with Sheamus, Chris Jericho and Sami Zayn in a fast-paced bout that thrived despite its predictability. He dished out his usual ring-shaking power moves and threw in some impressive athleticism. One never gets used to seeing a man his size leap over the top rope with such grace.

Where the first Fatal 4-Way match was a more even affair, Reigns was asked to dominate.

He made that dynamic entertaining with his turned-up intensity. Seeing him roll over his foes was like watching a train tear through a parked car.

Reigns' critics were likely too busy bemoaning the fact that he kicked out of Jericho's Codebreaker and won once more, but the powerhouse turned in another home run performance.

4. Seth Rollins (Battleground)

When the men who once comprised The Shield went to war over the WWE World Championship at Battleground, Seth Rollins outperformed his old allies. 

The clash saw Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose both shine, but it was The Architect who was most electric and breathtaking. Jesse Collings of Wrestling Inc. wrote that Rollins was "clearly the best worker in the ring and controlled the match when it seemed like it might be slipping away."

Rollins added a buzzing energy to the action. His selling helped make Reigns look like a beast, and his chemistry with both opponents bettered the bout.

It's nights like these when Rollins draws comparisons to Shawn Michaels, as he brings out his opposition's best efforts every time out.

Rollins, though, didn't have a chance to connect with fans the way that wrestlers like Finn Balor did this week. He was an acrobat and an artist, but his role in the match didn't generate emotion like Balor.  

3. Finn Balor (Raw)

Finn Balor vs. Roman Reigns, the climax of a tremendous edition of Raw, made it feel as if WWE has entered the New Era.

This was meant to be the coming-out party for the former NXT champion, and he made sure it was a memorable one. Balor looked every bit like he belonged on that stage. He excelled as the gutsy, focused babyface.

He flew around the ring, his offense smooth, hard-hitting and beautiful. Balor crafted a number of highlights, including leaping over the top rope and stomping on Reigns on the ring apron. 

Balor made it easy to pull for him as he tangled with Reigns. He fired up fans with great energy and an infectious passion en route to a surprise victory.

Most weeks, Balor would easily earn the top spot on this list. Sasha Banks' and Sami Zayn's roles in Match of the Year candidates, though, made outdoing his peers a tough task.

2. Sasha Banks (Raw)

The fans chanting "We want Sasha!" for the past few months got their wish in a big way.

Sasha Banks beat Charlotte for the Women's Championship on Monday's Raw in one of the top matches of the year. The Boss was simply phenomenal as the hungry, desperate challenger and then as the tearful champion.

Banks vs. Charlotte was a bout many expected to happen at SummerSlam. Both women made it feel as if the pay-per-view had arrived early.  

Charlotte has been inconsistent in the ring, looking like a star at times and an unfinished product at others. The former has been true when she steps between the ropes with Banks. That was the case again on Monday, as The Boss culled Charlotte's best from her.

Banks' determination was enthralling. Whenever the champion knocked her over, Banks would fight back with a convincing intensity.

Her tribute to the late Eddie Guerrero was a powerful addition to the contest. She faked that Charlotte's protege, Dana Brooke, had nailed her with the women's title in order to get the referee to toss her from ringside, stealing a move out of Latino Heat's playbook.

The Boss' emotion both during the battle itself and during her celebration resonated in a major way, proving again just how great women's wrestling can be and that Banks is sure to be a central figure in the New Era.

1. Sami Zayn (Battleground)

Near the end of their grudge match at Battleground, Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens created a moving visual that turned a great match into an instant classic. Zayn knocked out his old friend with a Helluva Kick and then held him up, looking at him with a blend of hatred and hesitation.

It wasn't clear whether Zayn was going to embrace Owens or jab the fatal sword in his body. He went with the latter, scoring the biggest victory of his WWE career.

That kind of emotion-rich body language powered the bout from start to finish. Zayn sold a shoulder injury so well that it was hard not to want the referee to stop the match. His rage burned in his face; the joy of toppling Owens beamed.

Indy wrestler El Ligero tweeted, "The storytelling in Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens, particularly in the facial expressions of Zayn, was nothing short of fantastic. Awesome stuff."

This was the Zayn we had seen at his peak at NXT and that we saw hints of during his time with Ring of Honor. WWE gave Zayn the floor, and he made a loud, echoing statement.

Zayn vs. Owens was a star-making match, one that churned up even more emotion than Sasha Banks' big win and Finn Balor's impressive debut. WWE has to harness this momentum and give him more opportunities of this caliber.