Cesaro and the Top 5 WWE In-Ring Performances for the Week of August 11

When it comes to Raw and SmackDown, this week was slightly below average in terms of wrestling quality. Luckily for us, the Cruiserweight Classic delivered with two incredible matches.

That isn't to say the main roster didn't stage any entertaining bouts, but with five hours of time on Monday and Tuesday, you would think the WWE locker room would do better.

The Superstar who worked the hardest this week was Cesaro. He faced Sheamus to earn a shot at Rusev's United States title and then faced The Bulgarian Brute later in the night.

As far as the blue brand goes, the main event was the only contest good enough to make the list, but it just squeaked into the top five.

Let's go through the past week and highlight the best performances.

5. Dolph Ziggler and Dean Ambrose vs. Bray Wyatt and Erick Rowan

The SmackDown main event provided some fun action and gave us actual storyline development in the WWE Championship feud.

Dolph Ziggler's accidental superkick to Dean Ambrose in an earlier segment added some tension to their team, which Bray Wyatt used to divide and conquer.

Erick Rowan took the pinfall for his team, so Wyatt was protected from the loss, but the most interesting moment came after the bearded brawlers left the ring.

Once they were in the clear, Ambrose planted Ziggler with Dirty Deeds, effectively getting revenge for the kick he received earlier in the evening and showing Ziggler he was not to be messed with.

Building an actual feud out of what could have easily been a simple babyface vs. babyface storyline will make their WWE title match at SummerSlam more interesting.

4. Cesaro vs. Rusev

People used to say Ric Flair could have a great match with a broom. When it comes to today's roster, Cesaro is the guy who can work well with anyone.

Even someone the size of Rusev can't stop Cesaro from pulling off some impressive feats of strength, and The Bulgarian Brute's physicality allowed him to keep up with The Swiss Superman's speed.

Cesaro looked like he was poised to win the United States Championship after locking Rusev in a Sharpshooter, but a distraction from Sheamus forced him to break the hold.

The Celtic Warrior delivered a Brogue Kick to put Cesaro out and allow Rusev to leave Raw with his title reign intact.

It was a decent main event, but it was the match that got them there that stole the show.

3. Cesaro vs. Sheamus

Sheamus is an underrated worker, and when he gets in the ring with someone like Cesaro, it brings out the best in him and reminds us why he is a four-time world champion.

This was the only match from the main roster to test the limits of both competitors; WWE gave it enough time to tell a proper story without feeling rushed.

It wouldn't be surprising to see Cesaro and Sheamus end up with a match at SummerSlam to settle the score, even if it ends up being on the pre-show.

We know the main roster has people capable of stealing the show at the drop of a hat, but it didn't seem like many of them were allowed to compete this week; rather, WWE continued to build pointless storylines such as the continual postponement of Eva Marie's debut.

2. Tajiri vs. Gran Metalik

The Cruiserweight Classic has been one of the bright spots in WWE programming over the past five weeks, and the match between Tajiri and Gran Metalik was a perfect example of why the show is so good.

This wasn't the funny Tajiri we saw during his last WWE run. This was The Japanese Buzzsaw who made a career out of outwrestling other people and kicking their heads off.

The exchange of technical wrestling between two of Japan's and Mexico's best cruiserweights was better than anything we saw from the main roster and NXT.

The time limit for these matches is 20 minutes, and they used almost every second of it to create what was a masterpiece of pure wrestling.

They would have stolen the whole week had it not been for the two guys who took the No. 1 spot in this week's top five.

1. Kota Ibushi vs. Cedric Alexander

Kota Ibushi and Cedric Alexander stole the show with a genuine Match of the Year candidate, and the reaction from the crowd gave most wrestling fans goosebumps.

After Ibushi got the win in a bout that will most likely outshine anything put on at SummerSlam, the crowd showed its appreciation for Alexander's performance with chants of "Please sign Cedric."

The Ring of Honor standout had tears in his eyes as he soaked in the love radiating from the audience, but it was what happened next that capped off the night the right way.

As he was preparing to step through the curtain, Triple H came out and gave the crowd a thumbs up, seemingly indicating his intent to do what the fans had asked and sign Alexander to a contract.

Both he and Ibushi would make amazing additions to the NXT roster or the upcoming cruiserweight division on Raw, so hopefully we'll see both of them in a WWE ring beyond this tournament.

If you haven't watched this match in its entirety, turn on the WWE Network and do it right now. You won't regret it.

Who do you think put on the best performances of the week?