Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte Flair and the Best WWE Matches for Week of Nov. 3

As the WWE Universe chanted "This is awesome!" while Sasha Banks and Charlotte wrecked each other against steel and splintered wood, it couldn't have been more obvious—WWE's women belonged inside Hell in a Cell. 

WWE offered Banks and Charlotte the main event slot for the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view, and they ran with it. The Boss and The Queen thrilled inside The Devil's Playground. 

Even a superb outing from Kevin Owens and Seth Rollins and another installment in the quirky Dean Ambrose-AJ Styles saga couldn't top what they produced.

Raw and SmackDown didn't offer much competition. The PPV reigned, producing the majority of the week's top matches.

And as Banks and Charlotte looked to make history, they had everyone else chasing them.

Honorable Mentions

Roman Reigns vs. Rusev (Hell in a Cell)

Cedric Alexander, Lince Dorado and Sin Cara vs. Tony Nese, Drew Gulak and Ariya Daivari (Hell in a Cell)

The Hell in a Cell pre-show bout and opening match were both incomplete works of art.

The six-man cruiserweight action featured little story, no build and wrestlers with underdeveloped characters. Where it thrived, though, was in terms of action. The high-flyers soared; the mat technicians impressed on the canvas.

It was a fun, energetic affair, but it was one that highlighted how much work there is to be done in deepening the cruiserweight division.

Reigns' win over Rusev had big spots and was plenty brutal, but it was borderline boring, too.

Blame its sluggish pace. As Jason Powell of ProWrestling.net wrote, "It was slow and plodding at times."

Reigns and Rusev provided some memorable images, namely The Bulgarian Brute wrapping a chain around the champion's face. It missed a spark, however. The crowd never got into it despite the grapplers' best efforts.

5. Shane Thorne vs. Roderick Strong (NXT)

You know it's a strange year when a singles match is in the running for the best bout of a tag team tournament.

Shane Thorne and Roderick Strong battled on Wednesday's NXT in a high-impact, crisply executed contest. They were supposed to meet in tag team action—after all, this was the second round of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.

Austin Aries' "broken eyehole," as he put it that night, kept him from competing, though. NXT general manager William Regal then decided to turn this into a singles contest to give Aries time to heal.

The result was a good showcase of the recently arrived Strong. Indy-flavored offense powered a physical battle. 

And Aries and Thorne's partner, Nick Miller, made this a tag team match of sorts, thanks to interfering and injecting personality at ringside. 

The novelty of this match's setup helped it outdo some of Hell in a Cell's undercard, but other bouts cranked up the intensity and made great use of cages and pawns.

4. The New Day vs. Cesaro and Sheamus (Hell in a Cell)

The New Day's chemistry with Cesaro and Sheamus should inspire WWE to extend this feud.

Each time these two squads meet, they deliver a compelling blend of physicality and athleticism, thunderous shots and strong tag team psychology. They did so again here with the Raw Tag Team Championships on the line.

Sheamus and Cesaro's surprising ability to get along had them poised to claim a victory. Near-falls created suspense, making the audience believe The New Day's historic reign with the belts was over.

It wasn't. 

A quirky ending kept the titles around their waists. The disqualification result was surprising and creative to a point. It's hard, though, to compete with the week's best offerings with such a lacking climax.

3. Dean Ambrose vs. AJ Styles (SmackDown)

SmackDown's feature saga produced another compelling chapter.

Ambrose had one more crack at becoming No. 1 contender after his buddy, James Ellsworth, cost him a victory last week. The Lunatic Fringe only had to keep Ellsworth away from ringside and knock off WWE world champ Styles.

High stakes boosted this from the beginning. SmackDown general manager Daniel Bryan made it clear that Ambrose would not get any more chances after this one.

So when Ellsworth sneaked into the arena and evaded security, one's heart had to drop. It looked as if Ambrose was going to get cheated out of a win again. But WWE only teased another failure-by-Ellsworth.

Instead, the lanky jobber inadvertently assisted Ambrose, leaving him with a satisfied smile as security pulled him away.

Again, SmackDown delivered a strong main event. Again, the blue brand showcased creative, fun storytelling.

And both Ambrose and Styles were great along the way. The A.V. Club's Kyle Fowle tweeted that this was the "best Ambrose has ever looked in the ring."

Styles has brought out the best in him. This latest thriller was further evidence of that.

2. Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins (Hell in a Cell)

The WWE Universal Championship match was intense, vicious and just the kind of violent spectacle befitting The Devil's Playground. Owens and Rollins had the crowd buzzing during their battle.

The two enemies delivered a better, more engaging match than their Clash of Champions showdown.

KO looked at home in the cage. His heel work blossomed inside the steel as he prowled around the ring and used everything from a fire extinguisher to the cage wall to punish the challenger.

Chris Jericho slipped inside the cell to create an impossible situation for Rollins. Jericho and Owens traded their comedy antics for villainous tactics for the night, beating down the babyface until he could hold them off no longer. 

Some fans will prefer this to the night's main event, but where this falls below Banks vs. Charlotte is historic significance. This was a strong Hell in a Cell bout, but Banks vs. Charlotte had the power of trailblazing on its side.

1. Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte (Hell in a Cell)

Before Banks and Charlotte tore down the house at the close of Hell in a Cell, they both looked up in awe as the cage slowly descended. The significance of this match was clear in that moment—the warriors psyching themselves up, the crowd's anticipation filling up the arena.

This match was huge for this rivalry, for this PPV and for women's wrestling. 

Champion and challenger didn't settle for making history, though. They made sure they put on something special. Banks and Charlotte tore each other apart until The Boss couldn't stand.

Brian Campbell of ESPN.com called it "a brutal and thrilling classic that won't soon be forgotten."

Banks vs. Charlotte was grand, rich with adrenaline and boosted by danger.

Some will gripe about the women not pulling off a stunt akin to Mick Foley's famous fall off the cell, but they did plenty of memorable damage to each other. Some will gripe about the ending. The climax was a poetic one, though. 

The match began with Charlotte smashing Banks' injured back against a table, leaving her in need of medical attention. It ended with Banks' back giving out. Her endorphins had faded; her will was unable to overcome her weakness.

And then The Queen pounced.

This bout was one of 2016's best. Banks and Charlotte looked like absolute stars here in a drama that lived up to its massive hype. 

And now that they have conquered Hell in a Cell, expect these two to find new ground to break and new stages on which to shine.