Sami Zayn vs. Braun Strowman and the Best WWE Matches for Week of Jan. 5

Sami Zayn stood up to the monstrous Braun Strowman until he was laying at the behemoth's boots as a heap of immobile flesh. 

The rivals' Last Man Standing match on the first Raw of 2017 proved to be the best story told on a WWE stage this week. Baron Corbin continued his hot streak with another knockout performance, DIY excelled again and The Miz thrived in defeat. But none matched Zayn vs. Strowman in either spectacle or drama.

Thanks in part to that collision, WWE began the year with some strong in-ring offerings.

Championship bouts and grudge matches powered NXT, SmackDown, Raw and 205 Live. The action showcased a number of stars who are poised to have big years in 2017.

The following is a look at which WWE matches most delivered. Stories, stakes, chemistry between the opponents, in-ring excitement and memorable moments determined the order. 

Honorable Mentions

• Roman Reigns vs. Chris Jericho (Raw)
• Noam Dar vs. Mustafa Ali (205 Live)

The fact that the United States Championship was up for grabs when Reigns and Jericho collided added to their bout, but Raw has made that title feel like a secondary element rather than a central prize.

Champion and challenger worked well together, harnessing their speed vs. power dynamic. Jericho pulling from the Eddie Guerrero playbook, making it look as if Reigns hit him with the championship belt, was fun. 

Psychology and physicality helped make Ali vs. Dar a compelling match.

Dar bashed Ali's arm for much of the bout. He left the high-flyer clutching his bad wing, gutting out the rest of the contest. The intensity between the opponents shone on-screen.

More history between them and a longer match would have helped this bout climb the rankings.

5. TJ Perkins vs. Neville (205 Live)

TJ Perkins became Neville's latest victim—but not until after giving him a hell of a fight.

Neville's recent heel turn has seen him morph into a more enthralling, more focused version of himself. Here, he faced a man out for payback. Perkins wanted to avenge Neville's attack on his friend, Rich Swann.

A good vs. evil tale unfolded to close out Tuesday's 205 Live.

For the second week in a row, Neville put on quite the show. He and Perkins jelled well as foes, going from mat wrestling to high-flying and back. 

Most of the bouts ahead of this one on the list had more at stake, though. And Neville's superplex finisher isn't the most climactic way to cap off a match.

4. DIY vs. TM-61 (NXT)

Melbourne, Australia, hosted Wednesday's NXT, allowing Shane Thorne and Nick Miller to wrestle for the tag titles in their home country.

The crowd ate up the action from the opening bell. TM-61 and DIY kept up a quick pace. Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa continued their run of strong performances, leading the Aussies to their best NXT effort to date.

Michael Sidgwick of What Culture wrote that the match was "damn good, carried by a buoyant crowd in thrall of all four men, the content just about matched the atmosphere, even if it was presented frivolously in the opening third."

To Sidgwick's point, there was a bit of a house-show feel to this contest. It was fun and full of energy, but it didn't quite equal the intensity of the week's best matches.

3. The Miz vs. Dean Ambrose (SmackDown)

SmackDown's habit of showcasing and celebrating the Intercontinental Championship continued on Tuesday night as The Miz defended the title against Dean Ambrose.

Personal issues added depth to this contest. Leading up to the bout, The Miz had harassed Ambrose's girlfriend, WWE announcer Renee Young. Maryse later slapped Young off her feet.

That led to an angry babyface chasing the elusive heel in what was an entertaining showdown. After some more strong work between these two, things turned chaotic. 

Maryse slapped The Lunatic Fringe at ringside. That should have netted The Miz a disqualification and a cheap means to retain the title, but the referee let the action continue. 

That allowed The Miz time to knock Ambrose silly with the IC title, which wasn't enough to steal a win. And the official's leniency opened the door for a title change, as Ambrose pinned the braggart to the delight of the crowd.

All the whirlwind drama to close the bout and the lasting image of a giddy Ambrose wasn't quite enough to top the list. Another stellar story told on SmackDown and Raw's Last Man Standing match churned up more adrenaline.  

2. Dolph Ziggler vs. Baron Corbin (SmackDown)

While not a championship match, Baron Corbin vs. Dolph Ziggler felt significant. This was a battle to decide who would push himself into title contention.

And both men made the most of this opportunity.

Corbin looked like a headliner. Ziggler produced his usual dramatic fare. The two vastly improved upon their meetings from last year.

As Bryan Alvarez of Figure Four Online summed up on Twitter, "Dolph Ziggler vs. Baron Corbin on SmackDown was awesome."

But beyond the action, the story made this memorable.

The Showoff hit Corbin with everything he had, but none of it worked. Ziggler's best weapons failed him. Even a Zig-Zag couldn't keep Corbin down.

And so The Lone Wolf prevailed, overpowering and outlasting the veteran.

A flustered Ziggler hit his ally, Kalisto, with a superkick after the bell. This latest defeat unraveled The Showoff. As for Corbin, this victory was proof of his dominance. 

The bout made both guys look great and propelled them both in intriguing directions. It's hard to ask for more from a TV match. It took a welt-covered back and backstage chaos to top this.

1. Braun Strowman vs. Sami Zayn (Raw)

Raw's most engaging rivalry over the last several weeks culminated in a vicious, take-no-prisoners collision. 

Sami Zayn had long begged to face Braun Strowman despite how massive and powerful the bearded beast was. After lasting 10 minutes against him at Roadblock: End of the Line, Zayn now had to keep the monster down for a 10-count.

At first, a flurry of Kendo stick shots had Zayn on top. But eventually, the leviathan devoured the would-be hero.

The action traveled backstage, where Strowman flung around sound equipment. It moved to the entrance ramp, where Zayn and Strowman crashed into a table. The big man then began to smash Zayn into the floor.

Zayn trying to fight back while on dream street compelled—as did Strowman's unrelenting attack. It was the perfect match to showcase both men.

Kyle Fowle of the A.V. Club called it "an incredible Last Man Standing match" and wrote that it gave "both performers some of their best showings on the main roster."

While some will bemoan Zayn losing here, he looked like a hero brimming with guts. And Strowman has never looked better. This was his career peak to date—the best story he's been a part of yet.

It's time for WWE to find new avenues to take advantage of what he brings, building on his battles with Zayn, and see just how high he can go from here.