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With 2020 coming to an end, the action on WWE RAW, SmackDown, and NXT is only getting more intense with each passing week. From championship matches to supernatural angles, this week of WWE programming had it all.
The latest edition of Monday Night RAW was the red brand's last stop before tomorrow night's WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view. While the show set its new all-time record low in terms of viewership, there are certain Superstars who managed to make the most of their screen time and the opportunity they got on Monday.
Moving over to WWE NXT, the black-and-yellow brand put on an action-filled show this past Wednesday. With the return of Karrion Kross and several must-see matches, NXT enjoyed a notable rise in viewership.
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As for SmackDown, the buildup to WWE TLC and beyond continued. To say that the blue brand was loaded this week would be an understatement. A Championship match, an awards ceremony, a first-time ever encounter, and other elements made last night's show a success. The blue brand keeps rolling thanks to the performances of several top stars.
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That being said, here are the top five WWE performers of the week.
#5 The Street Profits (WWE SmackDown)
Over the last five years, various NXT call-ups have found it difficult to thrive on the main roster. Some have struggled to connect with the fans, and others have suffered from questionable booking or unfortunate injuries. These are just some of the reasons why these performers haven't found success on WWE RAW and/or SmackDown.
But The Street Profits are an exception to this pattern. The highly charismatic and athletic duo of Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins has shined on both brands. A few months after they made their main-roster debuts, The Street Profits captured the WWE RAW Team Team Championship earlier this year.
Though their decision to swap their titles with The New Day's SmackDown Tag Team Championship was widely criticized, Dawkins and Ford haven't lost any titles since March.
And this week on WWE SmackDown, The Street Profits added yet another successful defense to their resume when they beat Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode.
This impressive win against "The Showoff" and "The Glorious One" puts The Street Profits on the list of this week's best WWE performers. They're rolling into 2021 with a lot of momentum on their side.
#4 Toni Storm (WWE NXT)
After Toni Storm lost her last chance I Quit match against NXT UK Champion, Kay Lee Ray in March, she disappeared from the scene for roughly seven months. But she has been on fire since she returned to WWE NXT.
The winner of the 2018 Mae Young Classic tournament quickly made her intentions clear when she turned heel. Following this character change, Storm found herself feuding with several of NXT's top competitors in the women's division. She even clashed with the WWE NXT Women's Champion, Io Shirai.
This past Wednesday, Storm squared off against one of her top rivals from her NXT UK days, Rhea Ripley. As expected, this bout turned out to be an intense back-and-forth affair.
Near the closing moments of the match, Raquel González attacked Ripley. This interference allowed Storm to pick up a win that further boosted her stock on NXT.
On Wednesday, Storm secured a victory against one of her greatest rivals in WWE. She also made it clear that nothing will stop her from reaching the top of the mountain.
With this significant victory, expect Storm to challenge for the NXT Women's Championship at NXT: New Year's Evil.
#3 Bayley (WWE SmackDown)
2020 has been quite a roller coaster of a year for Bayley. She spent nearly 10 months of this year as the WWE SmackDown Women's Champion. Bayley also ranked #1 on the PWI Female Wrestlers list, but her momentum told a different story.
Since the summer, Bayley has lost more matches than she has won. Even when she was a double champion, various Superstars were able to get the best of her. After she lost the SmackDown Women's Championship to Sasha Banks, Bayley started a feud with Bianca Belair.
After lackluster performances throughout November and early December, the 2019 Women's Money in the Bank winner turned things around this past Friday.
On the most recent episode of WWE SmackDown, Bayley picked up an important win over Belair. While the match could have been better, the two rivals have time to improve together. They'll likely get a second chance to deliver a remarkable match.
Though Bayley didn't win clean on Friday, a victory against "The EST of WWE" is definitely something to brag out. Expect this feud to exceed your expectations over the coming weeks.
#2 Kyle O'Reilly (WWE NXT)
The Undisputed ERA has been wreaking havoc on the black-and-yellow brand of WWE since 2017. While Adam Cole has mostly been the main-event player inthe faction, this year saw a bit of a power shift within the popular group.
Since his return to WWE NXT this summer, Kyle O'Reilly has been putting more focus on his singles career. He even came close to winning the coveted NXT Championship at NXT TakeOver 31.
And this week on WWE NXT, the three-time WWE NXT Tag Team Champion defeated Pete Dunne to secure his rematch against Finn Balor. The two will collide at WWE NXT: New Year's Evil on January 6, 2021.
Picking up a win over Dunne was also crucial for O'Reilly because "The Bruiserweight" handed him a crushing loss a few weeks ago in a brutal ladder match.
In this rematch, O'Reilly will aim to dethrone "The Prince." If he succeeds, he could truly break out on his own. Either way, it's clear that WWE NXT's resident air guitarist has a few eventful weeks on the horizon.
#1 AJ Styles (WWE RAW)
It's safe to say that this week's episode of Monday Night RAW didn't have many bright spots. But the #1 contender to the WWE Championship, AJ Styles had an incredible night.
In the first match of the night, the two-time WWE Champion defeated Sheamus and launched a heinous post-match attack on "The Celtic Warrior." Not satisfied, "The Phenomenal One" believed that he needed to send a more brutal message to the WWE Champion before WWE TLC.
During the Ascension Ceremony later in the night, a brawl broke out between Styles and Drew McIntyre. Thanks to a distraction by Styles' massive bodyguard, Omos, the challenger was able to get the upper hand over the WWE Champion.
Whether AJ Styles stands tall at WWE TLC remains a question for this Sunday. But "The Phenomenal One" has momentum on his side heading into the TLC match. He left no doubt that McIntyre will have his hands full at the pay-per-view.
If AJ Styles can repeat what happened on RAW this week, he could become a three-time WWE Champion.
