It doesn't happen often, but WWE essentially pressed pause on its main roster programming this week as tape-delayed episodes of Raw and SmackDown from London felt like nothing more than glorified house shows. 

With current storylines mostly shelved in favor of multi-person tag team matches that were hastily thrown together, the door was open for a deeper focus on WWE's secondary shows -- 205 Live and NXT -- which both delivered. 

Before we grade the highs and lows from the week that was in WWE, be sure to subscribe to our In This Corner podcast. Co-hosts Adam Silverstein and Nick Kostos joined me to recap Raw and SmackDown, along with some fantasy booking just three months out from SummerSlam.

WWE report card

Roman-Strowman heating up: It's the best feud WWE has produced in the five weeks since WrestleMania 33. Monday's latest chapter of Roman Reigns-Braun Strowman was also the top moment on either Raw or SmackDown this week. With Strowman still competing in a match against Kalisto despite his left arm in a sling, Reigns ran in to deliver a vicious beatdown and focused his assault on the injured elbow. After weeks of absorbing his own violent attacks, Reigns sought retribution in a manner which made him feel like anything but a babyface. And while hoping for the full heel turn from Reigns remains a waste of time, he consistently does his best work when operating with a nasty edge. It may have been scripted but this week's comeuppance very much felt real. Grade: B+

Raw is bore: Outside of some strong in-ring performances, Raw was largely a wasteland of creativity from the standpoint of advancing storylines. Even worse were the plot holes, which stood out like sore thumbs. One week after Bray Wyatt ran in to cost Finn Balor a victory during a spectacular triple threat main event, WWE acted as if the moment had never happened. Wyatt and Balor never appeared on screen together and a key opportunity in the main event for Balor to rescue Ambrose from the double teaming of Wyatt and The Miz was never cashed in. Wyatt and Miz continued to help each other for the third straight week despite no explanation as to why a selfish and despicable character like Wyatt would be interested in such a union. Meanwhile, the co-general manager charade between Ambrose and Miz was lazy and annoying. Grade: D+

All stars, no sizzle: If Raw's lack of creativity was at least offset by good matches, SmackDown delivered no such saving grace. A star-studded main event, featuring six of the brand's top superstars, offered viewers no reason to become emotionally invested. It might as well have been the dark match main event. The fact that Jinder Mahal went over in the end failed to make up for his flubbed lines during a key spot earlier in the show, which further removed any air left in the balloon from the good-nature feel of his surprising push. SmackDown worked hard to include as many top superstars into matches, including an ill-advised feud involving the Welcoming Committee, but most were relegated to nondescript support roles. Grade: F

Stronger Style: It hasn't been a perfect launch for Shinsuke Nakamura on the main roster as WWE continues to delay his in-ring debut for Backlash. Nakamura has largely come off as creepy with the stronger qualities of his character (namely his stiff, MMA-inspired offense) being hidden behind the need to present him as an artist. But things took a bright step forward on Tuesday during a well-handled verbal duel between Nakamura and Dolph Ziggler. It was clear that Nakamura's absence from the ring in recent weeks has allowed him more time in the weight room (likely a directive from above) and his brief tussle with Ziggler focused more on the potential for a physical, shoot-style match between them on May 21. Grade: B

Lessons learned: 205 Live certainly has its flaws and detractors, particularly those who wonder why its presentation has failed to capture the raw energy of what made last summer's WWE Cruiserweight Classic so great. But the show still does many things well, including a commitment to telling simple yet thorough stories over a long period of time. The feud between The Brian Kendrick and Akira Tozawa has been a great example over the past three months.

Kendrick continues to punish Tozawa for refusing his mentorship by violently teaching him lessons. The physicality between them escalated last week when Tozawa interrupted a sit-down interview to knock Kendrick cold with a super kick. Kendrick got revenge on Tuesday in a big way after their strong main event. He not only trapped Tozawa's head between the ring steps and stomped on them, he degraded him verbally before throwing the microphone at his face and sticking it into his mouth. The chilling attack drew the kind of heat where, as a viewer, you simply need to find out how the feud ends. Grade: A-

Best of the week

Wrestler -- Hideo Itami: It has been a long comeback road for Itami in NXT following a string of serious injuries. Each time he has returned, he has failed to deliver the old spark he showcased before his shoulder injury in 2015, when he appeared at the battle royal in WrestleMania 31. The real Hideo Itami was back in Wednesday's main event. A victory over Roderick Strong, which featured great storytelling and a Falcon's Arrow from the top rope, secured him a shot at Bobby Roode's NXT title. 

Match -- Seth Rollins def. Samoa Joe via disqualification: This one not only had a pay-per-view feel, it's curious why it was wasted on free TV. Either way, both superstars delivered as Rollins continues to perform at an incredibly high level each time out. Joe, meanwhile, simply needs to be given more time on screen. No one talks trash in a more believable fashion. 

Move -- Aleister Black's spinning heel kick: It's not a complicated move. But considering his background as a kickboxer, the Black Mass kick from NXT's newest rising prospect has an incredible feel of realism to it. Give credit to Cezar Bononi for selling it so well. 

Promo -- Nikki Cross: NXT's psychotic and diminutive SAnitY member isn't much for words. But she couldn't have put over her character any better than the rabid way in which she executed a sit-down interview this week. After attacking the producer who attempted to attach her microphone, Cross laughed maniacally before chanting the names of Asuka and Ruby Riot. Simple yet effective. 

Show -- 205 Live: The cruiserweights delivered during an off week from Raw and SmackDown. Along with a strong Kendrick-Tozawa main event, Mustafa Ali and Tony Nese were given time to tell a high-flying and entertaining story. There was also a strong opening promo from Jack Gallagher (in front of his home crowd in England) and Austin Aries, which ended with a beatdown of Neville and TJ Perkins, and a chug of beer in celebration. 

Grade

Week of May 12: D+