AJ Styles vs. Dean Ambrose and the Best WWE Matches for Week of Dec. 8

AJ Styles and Dean Ambrose squeezed every drop of emotion and energy out of their battle for the WWE World Championship.

Steel and splintered wood became tools of artistic impression as these rivals gave everything they had at Sunday's TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view. Not even the finest chairs match ever or two standout showings from The Miz could top Styles and Ambrose's effort.

WWE's finest in-ring dramas came from that PPV, SmackDown, NXT's visit to Japan and the second episode of 205 Live.

Intercontinental champion The Miz reminded fans that 2016 has been his apex. Ambrose nailed both of his opportunities to impress in losing efforts. The week proved to be a celebration of what both those men bring to the table.

How did all of WWE's best bouts stack up against each other? Story, action and big moments determined who won out.

Honorable Mentions

• Rich Swann vs. The Brian Kendrick (205 Live)
• Becky Lynch vs. Alexa Bliss (TLC)

Sparks flew when Swann and Kendrick collided for the second time.

A week after Swann dethroned The Wizard of Odd, he had to defend his newly won Cruiserweight Championship against the crafty veteran. The two Superstars again clicked together, again blending high-flying and mat wrestling into an electric concoction.

This bout, though, didn't have the emotion that came from Swann's win last week. Instead, it ended with TJ Perkins getting involved, and Swann retained before champion and challenger had a chance to tear down the house.

As ProWrestling.net columnist Jason Powell wrote of the bout, "It wasn't as hot as last week with the champion role reversed, but it was still very good."

Lynch and Bliss had a strong effort of their own when they clashed in a tables match.

The warriors did a good job of building suspense with several near-misses involving the tables. Bliss' ferocity and Lynch's gutsiness made for a compelling story.

Other bouts on the TLC card offered more adrenaline-filled moments, however.

5. The Miz vs. Dolph Ziggler (TLC)

In the final chapter of the feud between The Miz and Dolph Ziggler, the rivals offered a unique take on the ladder match.

This wasn't the foot-on-the-pedal kind of contest we so often see with these bouts. The IC champ and The Showoff instead used a methodical pace to play up how brutal their battle was. The spots were logical; the intensity was palpable.

The slower rhythm made sense, but some won't enjoy the action as much as a result.

Ziggler and The Miz thrived opposite each other once more. Their non-ladder matches were better, though. Even so, it's not surprising to hear indy wrestler Gran Akuma say of the match, "Miz/Ziggler ruled. Great close to one of the best feuds of 2016."

The enemies used the ladders to heighten the intensity of the match. And The Miz kicking Ziggler off the ladder with a low blow was an emphatic end to an entertaining match.

The night offered more explosive clashes in the end, however.

4. The Miz vs. Dean Ambrose (SmackDown)

The Miz's career year continued on Tuesday's SmackDown.

Just days after The Miz fended off Ziggler in a ladder match, he had to face Ambrose with the Intercontinental Championship on the line. That wasn't WWE's original plan. AJ Styles' ankle injury forced the company to put off the world champ's clash with James Ellsworth.

The Miz and Ambrose filled in, producing a fun, dramatic encounter.

The champion looked vicious here as he throttled Ambrose's leg. He beat, stomped and wrenched The Lunatic Fringe's knee, leaving him limping.

Ambrose gutted out a comeback and was seemingly poised to win before Ellsworth showed up. The challenger's former friend inadvertently screwed up once more, distracting the referee and allowing The Miz to pick up the victory.

That gut-punch moment, along with Ambrose and The Miz's chemistry, made for an excellent main event. Had this gone on longer and had more build, it would have been even better. Those things could be on their way.

The Miz and Ambrose meshed so well as rivals that WWE has to be considering several sequels of this title bout.

3. Samoa Joe vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (NXT)

The titans atop NXT keep knocking each other out of their thrones.

In his home country, Nakamura unseated Joe as champion. On Wednesday's NXT, The King of Strong Style took back the title that his rival stripped from him at TakeOver: Toronto.

Their collision in Osaka, Japan, was marked by hard-hitting, back-and-forth action.

For much of the bout, Nakamura looked to chop down the big man. He chipped away at Joe's aura of invulnerability with knee strike after knee strike. Their latest showdown felt right at home in what has been a memorable trilogy.

Nakamura vs. Joe III wasn't as great as their match in Toronto, but it was arguably better than their title tilt in Brooklyn. And the dramatic power of these title changes is waning. 

Nakamura won the belt back after only 14 days. As Justin James of PWTorch wrote, "Swapping the title around at Takeover only to reverse that here feels like bad booking." 

2. Baron Corbin vs. Kalisto (TLC)

Chairs matches aren't supposed to be this good.

Long the least appealing portion of the TLC trifecta, these bouts have generally been average at best. Not Baron Corbin vs. Kalisto. The sound of steel on flesh elevated a compelling David vs. Goliath story.

Kalisto used the chairs to even the odds against the bigger man. He leaped from them and used them as inanimate tag team partners.

For Corbin, the chairs added to his brutal nature, making him look like more of a monster.  

Several creative spots maximized the chairs gimmick. The intensity and speed of the bout helped it far exceed expectations. Corbin and Kalisto both delivered the best matches of their careers at TLC. 

They would have nabbed the top spot on this list, too, if Styles and Ambrose hadn't closed the PPV with an instant classic.

1. AJ Styles vs. Dean Ambrose (TLC)

A 450 splash through a table. Ambrose flinging a ladder out of the ring and onto Styles' head. The Lunatic Fringe flipping Styles onto a row of chairs.  

TLC's main event burst with breathtaking moments.

A full-tilt approach allowed Styles and Ambrose to ensnare the audience early on and refuse to let go. Their bad blood pulsated. Their chemistry was tremendous.

James Ellsworth emerged, seemingly to aid his buddy Ambrose, but instead, the lovable loser pushed the challenger off a ladder to help Styles secure the win.

It was a stunner of a moment, one that will have some fans feeling as if WWE overbooked the bout and some that the company added just the right touch of chaos. Either way, Ambrose and Styles emphatically outdid everything on the TLC card.

Hall of Fame announcer Jim Ross believes TLC's headliner has to be in the Match of the Year conversation. He wrote on his blog, "AJ Styles and Dean Ambrose was, arguably, as strong a bout as WWE has had in 2016."

It's hard to argue with J.R. there. Ambrose and Styles delivered in a big way.

For The Phenomenal One, the contest marks the latest smash hit he's produced. He was already well in the lead for 2016's top Superstar, but that performance sealed it.