'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Several WWE Superstars across RAW, SmackDown, NXT, and NXT UK put on stellar performances this week. With WWE Royal Rumble 2021 now closer than ever, the stakes have become much higher.
This week's WWE RAW was set to feature a non-title match between Randy Orton and WWE Champion Drew McIntyre. However, due to McIntyre testing positive for COVID-19, the match was shelved merely hours before the show aired.
Due to the absence of multiple Superstars, various others had to compete twice on Monday night.
Trending
New Champs in WWE! More RIGHT HERE
As for WWE NXT and NXT UK, both shows continued their tradition of putting out consistent, action-packed products.
Last but not least, WWE SmackDown perfectly followed up on last week's buzz-generating episode. The creative team behind the Blue brand surely knows how to put out a product that is a perfect blend of a sports-based presentation and entertainment.
With that being said, let's take a look at the five best WWE performers of the week.
#5 Triple H (Competed in the main event of WWE RAW)
2020 was the first year since the beginning of Triple H's WWE career that didn't feature him competing in a WWE ring. While The Game made a handful of appearances on WWE programming over the last year, June 29, 2019, was the last time he laced up his wrestling boots, until this past Monday.
After WWE had to pull Drew McIntyre from competing on RAW, The Cerebral Assassin stepped up in the WWE Champion's absence. Triple H opened the show and before he could make any major announcement, he was confronted and challenged to a match by his arch-rival, Randy Orton.
After contemplating a bit, Triple H agreed to take on the Legend Killer. While it wasn't a traditional match, seeing The Game in action for the first time in over a year, and that too on an episode of WWE RAW, was a treat for the fans.
It will be exciting to see if Triple H ends up returning to in-ring action in time for WWE WrestleMania 37.
#4 MSK (Shined in their WWE NXT debut)
Every year, WWE fans get to witness high-octane tag-team bouts, courtesy of the Dusty Rhodes Classic tournament. This year, numerous established and makeshift teams will be competing in the said tournament to secure a shot at the NXT Tag Team Championship.
One of the teams participating in the tournament is MSK, comprising Nash Carter and Wes Lee. MSK gained prominence through their work in IMPACT Wrestling. There, MSK used to go by the moniker of "The Rascalz".
After putting on instant classics against a variety of teams in IMPACT, The Rascalz decided to sign with WWE last year. However, it wasn't until the most recent edition of WWE NXT when the newcomers got to compete in their first WWE match.
Wes Lee and Nash Carter took on the dysfunctional team of Jake Atlas and Isaiah "Swerve" Scott. As the saying "First impression is the last impression" goes, MSK made sure to put the entire NXT roster on notice with their outstanding debut performances.
When all was said and done, Carter and Lee picked up the win and advanced to the next round of the Dusty Rhodes Classic.
#3 WALTER (Retained the WWE NXT UK Championship)
At this point, is there anyone left on the WWE roster who could dethrone WALTER as the NXT UK Champion? It's certain that there aren't many answers to this question. On the latest edition of NXT UK, the Austrian Anomaly added yet another successful title defense to his resume.
This time, he took on the inaugural WWE NXT UK Heritage Cup Champion, A-Kid. The match had all the ingredients of a WALTER classic, i.e., chops, gripping near-falls, smooth transitions, and more chops.
While this match didn't go as long as the acclaimed WALTER vs. Ilja Dragunov bout did, it had its own story that delivered in the end. Despite A-Kid showing heart, it was WALTER who walked out with the victory.
WALTER's WWE NXT UK Championship reign is about to cross the two-year mark. He defeated Pete Dunne to capture the title in April 2019 and has held it ever since.
As he continues to overcome every challenger, it will be exciting to see who WWE has in mind to take the strap off WALTER's shoulders.
#2 Cesaro (Defeated Daniel Bryan on WWE SmackDown)
Since 2011, The Swiss Superman has been a part of several iconic WWE matches. Even Cesaro's critics can't deny the superhuman strength he possesses inside the squared circle. While he hasn't received many opportunities to pursue a spot at the top of the card, his in-ring game is second to none.
This past week on WWE SmackDown, Cesaro was able to score a huge win. After announcing his entry into the upcoming WWE Royal Rumble match, the former United States Champion took on Daniel Bryan.
As expected, the match turned out to be a technical masterpiece and was even praised by WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle. Angle compared the chemistry between Cesaro and Bryan to that between himself and Chris Benoit.
After a few minutes of impressive back-and-forth action, Cesaro put away the Leader of the Yes! Movement with a neutralizer.
With the aforementioned win in the bag, Cesaro has his sights set on a successful 2021. But will he be able to carry on the momentum? Perhaps, an interesting Rumble showing can help in this regard.
#1 Daniel Bryan (Put on a stellar match against Cesaro on WWE SmackDown)
WWE has created many megastars over the last several decades. But only a few of them come close to Daniel Bryan in terms of selflessness and heart for the business that is professional wrestling.
The four-time WWE Champion has clearly stated that his days as a full-time performer are numbered. But before he moves on from in-ring action, Bryan has been adamant about helping others reach the top.
Over the last two years, Daniel Bryan has put over numerous underrated WWE Superstars such as Murphy, Jey Uso, Mustafa Ali, among many other talents.
On the latest edition of WWE SmackDown, Bryan squared off against Cesaro in a battle between two of the best in-ring technicians alive. While fans expected Bryan to walk away with the victory, it was Cesaro who had his hand raised high when all was said and done.
Despite not winning the match, Daniel Bryan has secured the number one spot on the list of this week's best WWE performers. The reason behind it is his willingness to give back to the business, along with how hard he worked with Cesaro on WWE SmackDown to boost the latter's credibility.
Moreover, Bryan's outstanding performance in the said match prevented the loss from hurting his momentum in WWE.
