SmackDown Fatal 4-Way and the Best WWE Matches for Week of Feb. 9

Crowded rings proved to be the best kind of rings as WWE marched toward the SmackDown-exclusive Elimination Chamber pay-per-view.

SmackDown featured a battle between four of the men who will enter the Elimination Chamber on Sunday. 205 Live did the blue brand one better and pitted five Superstars against each other to determine the new No. 1 contender to the Cruiserweight Championship.

Those chaotic clashes most entertained. 

Dean Ambrose thrived in Tuesday's wild brawl. Jack Gallagher pulled a Mary Poppins on 205 Live. The wild energy of those bouts helped them outdo both Samoa Joe's and Akira Tozawa's Raw debuts. 

It wasn't a great week for in-ring action outside of the top two contests, as many TV matches had something missing.

Read on for a look at the best of the bunch. The power of the story, the excitement of the action and the impact of the biggest moments determined the rankings.

Honorable Mentions

• Akira Tozawa vs. Drew Gulak (Raw)
• Sanity vs. Tye Dillinger, No Way Jose and Roderick Strong (NXT)

Tozawa's arrival to Raw was a long time coming. The cruiserweight division could have used his pit-bull energy from day one.

His battle with Gulak was too one-sided and short to be a classic, but it was a strong intro to what Tozawa offers. His hard strikes, mid-match barking and seething intensity were on full display. 

Miami Herald columnist Scott Fishman tweeted, "Akira Tozawa already resonating with fans. Great introduction on Raw."

The main event on Wednesday's NXT was a solid meeting of multiple talents. While the action wasn't as memorable as what Dean Ambrose and his peers pulled off on SmackDown, there were some elements to enjoy here.

The story of Sanity trying to destroy Dillinger if he won't join them is intriguing. The gang of babyfaces working together to take down the crazed faction was interesting as well. And the bout featured a fun energy throughout.

There just weren't enough highlights to rank this any higher.

5. Sami Zayn vs. Chris Jericho (Raw)

Sami Zayn's pursuit of Chris Jericho's United States Championship was likely an early chapter in what will be a saga that stretches on for a long time. 

Zayn and Jericho are capable of producing something far more magical together, but this was still an entertaining meeting. The chemistry between Zayn and Y2J was solid, their exchanges clicking. 

The stakes helped the bout, too. Zayn was a three-count away from claiming his first championship on the main roster.

His heartbreak at the end, courtesy of old rival Kevin Owens sucker-punching him in the mouth, was the most powerful part of this in-ring story. It was a narrative that felt unfinished, however. WWE seems to be holding off for a bigger showdown between them down the road. 

4. John Cena vs. Randy Orton (SmackDown)

The familiar matchup may not have felt new, but it did feel big.

WWE champion John Cena faced the 2017 Royal Rumble winner in a potential WrestleMania 33 preview. The star power elevated this clash. The same goes for the video package that recapped Randy Orton and Cena's history.

Tensions within The Wyatt Family spilled into this battle of archenemies, as both Bray Wyatt and Luke Harper got involved. Wyatt seemed to be urging Orton to punish Cena more severely, and as soon as the referee was down for a moment, The Eater of Worlds pounced on Cena himself.

We then got to see Harper knock his father figure on his back in a cathartic moment.

That drama didn't quite make up for the overexposed nature of this rivalry. As Vaughn Johnson of Philly.com wrote, "I don't think fans have ever really had a problem with the quality of the matches between the two men. It's just the fact that they have seen the pairing so many times over the years that has their proverbial feathers ruffled."

3. Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe (Raw)

Samoa Joe became a member of the Raw roster Monday night, signing a contract in a suit fit for a mob boss. It didn't take long to find his first official opponent on the red brand; Roman Reigns challenged him moments later. 

Joe issued a brutal beating before the match even began. After the bell rang, he kept on The Big Dog, pounding him in the corner.

The Destroyer slugged and stalked his prey in what proved to be a hard-hitting match. 

The bout never quite reached slobberknocker level, though. Braun Strowman's involvement interrupted the fight. The interference held back the bout, as well as hurt the impact of Joe's debut some.

The intensity that filled the ring as Reigns and Joe went to battle, however, suggests their next showdown will be something special.

2. Fatal 5-Way Elimination Match to Determine No. 1 Contender (205 Live)

TJ Perkins vs. Noam Dar vs. Cedric Alexander vs. Mustafa Ali vs. Jack Gallagher

The cruiserweight division is finally starting to hit its stride, and Tuesday's five-man match was further proof of that.

With a shot at Neville's Cruiserweight Championship on the line, a motley crew of grapplers collided in 205 Live's main event. Perkins hasn't looked as good as he did in this bout since the Cruiserweight Classic. Dar and Alexander's bad blood elevated the action. Ali limped into the fray, having to win a match earlier in the show just to make the cut.

Gallagher's goofy antics made this a joy ride of a match. He delivered the best lasting image of the contest when he flew off the top rope while holding his trusty umbrella, William III.

The subplots, the chemistry between the wrestlers and having something clear at stake resulted in what Jason Powell of ProWrestling.net called "the most entertaining match on 205 Live to date."

Only one match beat this out in the rankings, thanks to SmackDown's Fatal 4-Way bout featuring a more electric pace and more star power. 

1. Dean Ambrose vs. AJ Styles vs. The Miz vs. Baron Corbin (SmackDown)

The WWE Championship Elimination Chamber match is going to be a thriller. Tuesday's preview of that bout promised as much.

Dean Ambrose, AJ Styles, Baron Corbin and The Miz whirred around the ring in a chaotic, energized clash. Overlapping rivalries gave the match extra depth. Aggression and a high-octane pace made it the bout of the night and the week.

Corbin looked like a star here as he went on a slugging spree.

He and Ambrose brawled outside the ring. Styles hit his usual gorgeous offense against three men he has good chemistry with.

All that and a fun Tower of Doom made getting hyped for Sunday's Elimination Chamber easy. That match will be able to build on this excellent one, adding John Cena and Bray Wyatt, as well as a steel battlefield to intensify the contest.