American Alpha vs. The Usos and the Best WWE Matches for Week of March 23

The electricity of WrestleMania season coursed through the WWE product all week.

American Alpha vs. The Usos topped a stout stretch for the company, one where warm-up matches for the April 2 megashow thrilled. SmackDown, Raw, NXT and 205 Live all contributed compelling fare.

Neville added to his impressive resume as cruiserweight champion. Andrade "Cien" Almas entertained as he dismantled his foe. And Baron Corbin held his own against a top-tier star.

No bout this week, though, took hold of the audience the way The Usos' SmackDown Tag Team Championship win did.

Their place on the WrestleMania stage uncertain, Chad Gable and Jason Jordan and The Usos looked to deliver something worthy of the pay-per-view early.

Which other contests told engaging stories? What in-ring action and big moments most made their mark? Read on for a look at WWE's best bouts.

Honorable Mention

• Bayley vs. Nia Jax (Raw)
• Sanity vs. Tye Dillinger, Roderick Strong and No Way Jose (NXT)

Jax earned her way into the Raw Women's Championship at WrestleMania by beating the snot out of Bayley.

Their No Disqualification match was too one-sided to be a classic, but it was an interesting showcase of Jax's destructive power. The beast yanking the champ by the hair and slamming her into the security barricade was quite the unsettling image.

The narrative surrounding the women's division has been odd, though, especially the clumsy way Jax entered the title picture. Kyle Fowle of the A.V. Club called Jax vs. Bayley "predictable nonsense" as a result.

The NXT six-man tag was a fun main event, even if it ended with a whimper with a no-contest.

Killian Dain delivered some good work. The babyfaces issued an entertaining flurry early on. The debut of Ruby Riot (formerly Heidi Lovelace) afterward was a nice surprise.

5. Randy Orton vs. Baron Corbin (SmackDown)

Randy Orton and Corbin clashed as each man prepared for title bouts at WrestleMania.

The Viper wailed on Corbin for much of the battle. Corbin looked good withstanding the punishment, though. 

The opponents had good chemistry together, something WWE should explore further down the road.

In recent months, it looks as if Orton is having fun in the ring again. That was true again on Tuesday's SmackDown, with this Wyatt Family storyline clearly invigorating him.

Dean Ambrose emerged on a forklift, distracted The Lone Wolf and helped advance the Intercontinental Championship feud. 

Orton and Corbin never got into the high gear they are capable of, but this was plenty enjoyable regardless.

4. Neville vs. Mustafa Ali (205 Live)

Neville's non-title battle with Mustafa Ali had no buildup and only minimal story, but damn if it didn't tear the house down by way of breathtaking moments.

The cruiserweight champ used Ali as a warm-up for his WrestleMania bout with Austin Aries. Ali, though, gave him quite the test, looking tremendous in the process.

This was a statement match for the athletic Ali, who more than looked like he belonged on 205 Live's marquee.

ESPN staff writer Matt Willis wrote that the match "did a beautiful job of showing Neville's ruthlessness and arsenal of high-impact moves while allowing both men to shine."

It was a sneaky good contest, but one that couldn't compete with collisions between rivals with more history between them.

3. Sami Zayn vs. Samoa Joe (Raw)

In a rematch from the Fastlane PPV, Samoa Joe outlasted Sami Zayn. 

Both men were excellent in their roles. Joe is so fun to watch when he's on the attack, and there isn't a better pure babyface on the roster than Zayn.

In a contest that showed off their strong chemistry, Zayn was unable to keep Joe down. The bout ended with a powerful final image—Joe's eyes rolling in the back of his head as he drains the life from Zayn with the Coquina Clutch.

WWE continued to book The Destroyer as a force to be reckoned with, but it's unclear where this is all going. 

There's still no indication what these foes will be doing at WrestleMania, and there has been little arc to this narrative; Joe has remained dominant throughout. 

2. Oney Lorcan vs. Andrade Almas (NXT)

Oney Lorcan stood up to the bully Almas. 

The move didn't work out in his favor as Cien whipped him like a circus lion. The NXT bout was hard-hitting, with each man looking to decapitate each other with clotheslines and pound each other's chests red with strikes.

Greg Parks of PWTorch tweeted, "Almas vs. Lorcan was fun. Feels like those two could have a dozen matches [and] not have any two feel the same."

It turns out, this was Almas' preparation for the debuting Aleister Black at TakeOver: Orlando. The stakes were not especially high beyond a battle for pride. Had there been more on the line, the two bruisers may have been able to top American Alpha vs. The Usos.

1. American Alpha vs. The Usos (SmackDown)

We have been waiting for the issues between The Usos and American Alpha to explode for months.

They finally did on Tuesday's SmackDown in a tag title bout. The clash featured some scintillating superkicks, a number of convincing false finishes and the drama of an unexpected title change.

This was by far the best match these teams have had against each other.

The Usos used classic heel tag team psychology to overwhelm the champs. A great energy pulsated toward the end of the brothers' victory.

The cheap win leaves the door open for a rematch. Whether that happens at WrestleMania is unclear.

If WWE decides not to give the SmackDown tag teams a place at the table, The Usos and American Alpha can take solace in the fact that they put on a hell of a show ahead of the PPV.