DIY vs. The Revival and the Best WWE Matches for Week of Jan. 12

The NXT Tag Team Championship match on Wednesday night between DIY and The Revival was a reminder of the magic of finding the perfect rivals.

Sparks fly every time Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano collide with Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson. The two teams put on another strong performance against each other, building on their momentum from 2016.

In a slow week for WWE action, DIY's title defense outpaced the competition by a mile.

Raw, SmackDown and 205 Live all offered some entertaining bouts, but many of them were incomplete or suffered from narrative issues. Noam Dar, American Alpha and Roman Reigns all shone but not as brightly as NXT's tag team titans.

The following is a look at which WWE bouts most engaged this week. Story, stakes, in-ring action and chemistry decided who landed where. 

Honorable Mentions

• John Cena vs. Baron Corbin (SmackDown)
• Rich Swann vs. Tony Nese (205 Live)

SmackDown did a stellar job in hyping Cena vs. Corbin. It just didn't give the match enough room to breathe. 

Cena and Corbin's story was crammed into the last moments of Tuesday's SmackDown. 

Even so, The Lone Wolf looked like a viable predator. He gloated and toyed with Cena perfectly. The arc of the fight went about as one would expect, though—Cena takes a beating, Cena makes a comeback, Cena wins.

Swann and Nese had a solid outing to cap off 205 Live.

Nese's athleticism impressed as he slid from move to move. Swann provided plenty of drama with his facial expressions. Both men have put on stronger performances, however.

And this was a tune-up match for the cruiserweight champ, Swann, not a story in itself.

5. Roman Reigns vs. Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens (Raw)

This match is a microcosm of the current state of Raw.

Talented wrestlers collided, resulting in some eye-catching highlights. The story was off, though. 

This ended up being more about Reigns looking strong during a two-on-one onslaught from Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens than about the United States Championship. The title change didn't feel as big as it could have been.

Geno Mrosko of Cageside Seats wrote, "Jericho winning the U.S. title from Roman Reigns with help from Kevin Owens makes all the sense in the world. It's just too bad they didn't get here sooner, or, better."

Reigns did have good chemistry with both men. The match had some dramatic moments. It just didn't resonate the way the week's top matches did.

4. Seth Rollins vs. Braun Strowman (Raw)

Seth Rollins and Braun Strowman jelled surprisingly well together. The Architect brought out the best in the monster in one of Raw's early bouts.

Rollins had Strowman rocked at times, using his speed and smarts to combat the big man. Strowman responded with his enthralling use of brute force. The combination clicked.

But this was a clash without a true climax.

As Strowman dragged a lifeless Rollins back into the ring, the referee reached a 10-count. The result left the beast incensed and the narrative unfinished.

These two will meet again and get a chance to add chapters to their intriguing David vs. Goliath drama.

3. Noam Dar vs. Cedric Alexander (205 Live)

Noam Dar's win over Cedric Alexander on Tuesday's 205 Live had a split personality. Independent wrestler Gran Akuma summed it up when he tweeted, "Loved and hated Alexander/Dar. Loved the match, hated the story."

The war between the ropes was tremendous.

An angry Alexander popped Dar in the mouth, seeking payback one punch at a time. The Scottish Supernova responded by grounding the babyface. Dar tortured Alexander on the mat, focusing his attention on his foe's arms.

Intensity powered a fun match, but much of the talk after it will be about its silly narrative.

Alexander's girlfriend, Alicia Fox, pulled Dar out of harm's way and then acted confused. Her motivation is unclear. Has she fallen for the scoundrel? 

But it doesn't matter. WWE is better off moving away from this tale as quickly as possible.

Fox playing the supportive sidekick has been a drag. It's done nothing to elevate Alexander and has been painful to watch at times.

2. American Alpha vs. The Wyatt Family (SmackDown)

SmackDown has made a habit of high-stakes bouts of late, and it's helped further the distance between the blue brand and Raw in terms of entertainment value.

The latest example saw Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt look to reclaim the SmackDown Tag Team Championships.

The bout allowed both teams to shine. American Alpha looked hot for a stretch, suplexing everything in sight. The Wyatt Family compelled as it cut the ring in half and pounded on its opponents.

An energy-filled match ended with infighting and tension. Orton and Luke Harper bickered after the bell to the point that Wyatt had to separate the two.

The Wyatt Family split may be coming too soon, but it's plot advancement, which is something SmackDown has done well in past months. Hopefully we get to see American Alpha and The Wyatt Family clash in a longer, more climactic battle before that breakup happens, though. 

1. DIY vs. The Revival (NXT)

The Wednesday night meeting between DIY and The Revival was not nearly as magnetic as their TakeOver encounters, but it was excellent nonetheless. 

Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder's desperation to become champions again hung in the air like fog. Every near-fall unsettled them. 

They thrived against Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa in a match filled with a fun blend of mat wrestling, high flying and slugging it out. It was a lengthy, dramatic bout that called back to their previous encounters.

The contest ended with a powerful image—Wilder and Dawson embracing in the center of the ring before taking DIY's double-team maneuver. . 

Voices of Wrestling tweeted, "The Revival/DIY matches are right up there with any classic tag rivalry you can come up with in terms of TV bouts." That's spot on. The teams' chemistry has been electric, whether it's at a house show or under the bright lights of a TakeOver special.

After this strong showing, DIY vs. The Authors of Pain in San Antonio promises to be a major letdown.