WWE Survivor Series 2014 Review: Biggest Stars of the Night

Survivor Series is one of the best pay-per-views where WWE can truly focus on showcasing a lot of the talent on the roster in one lump sum.

While the pool of wrestlers to put on this card was thinner than it had been in a long while, some might see that as more of a positive rather than a negative.

Without the likes of Randy Orton, Brock Lesnar, Daniel Bryan, Roman Reigns or even Sheamus, WWE was forced to work with what it had available.

This meant that some smaller names could capitalize on the weak roster and work their way into the spotlight more than they would normally get a chance to.

That being said, when most matches on the card feature eight or more participants, every wrestler still has to fight to make sure they aren't lost in the shuffle.

Which of those performers ended up being the most noteworthy of the night?

Who became focal points from either their storyline or just their sheer entertainment value?

Did anyone become a standout member of Team Cena or Team Authority, outshining the rest of their teammates?

It's time to break down the biggest stars of the night for the 2014 WWE Survivor Series pay-per-view event.

6. Dean Ambrose

Credit: WWE.com

Despite Bray Wyatt winning the match by disqualification, Dean Ambrose was clearly the focal point of his segment.

Losing in the way he did does nothing to hurt Ambrose and makes him look stronger in comparison to Wyatt, who ended up face down under a pile of tables and chairs.

Ambrose is one of the biggest stars in the company at the moment, and the fact that he came out of this event on top in the eyes of the fans should be no surprise.

The Lunatic Fringe made a statement, and Wyatt heard it.

The WWE Universe will just have to wait most likely until TLC to see true vengeance.

5. John Cena

Credit: WWE.com

The trend of John Cena being in the biggest stars list continues, as it is essentially a guarantee that he will be a primary focal point of every show he's on.

Not only is that a built-in expectation that WWE continually fulfills, but Cena was the captain of his own team for the main event.

Which team ended up winning that match? Well, it just so happens to have been Team Cena.

Admittedly, Cena comes in lower on this list than he usually does because of his lack of eliminations and how he was taken out of the match before Big Show and Dolph Ziggler, but he still was the driving force behind the main event.

4. Nikki Bella

Credit: WWE.com

What—were you expecting to see AJ Lee on this list?

Nikki Bella became the new Divas champion in near record time by defeating Lee in only seconds and not receiving a scratch on her face for her efforts.

This has been a long time coming, but not many people would have been able to predict that Nikki would win the title so quickly.

For a while now, a lot of the eggs in the Divas division have been placed in the basket of the Bella Twins and their feud.

Now, the title itself has been included, which only adds more fuel to the fire.

Nikki Bella is very clearly the top of the food chain as far as the women in WWE go right now, and this latest victory only cements her status even more.

3. Rusev

Credit: WWE.com

One of the biggest stars going into this event was Ryback, but he amounted to nothing in this match.

Why is that? Because Rusev was there to eliminate him very early on and prove himself as the bigger star in WWE's eyes.

Considering the way he's been booked so far in his career, it was obvious that Rusev would be one of the major members of Team Authority.

For him to have not been someone that WWE shed the spotlight on would have felt odd.

He helped dismantle Team Cena and was protected from having to be pinned or made to submit after being counted out instead.

WWE did everything short of having Rusev eliminate multiple members of Cena's team in order to make him look like one of the strongest members of Team Authority.

The United States champion might not have won this match for his team, but his push is certainly not stopping any time soon.

2. Damien Mizdow

Credit: WWE.com

This pay-per-view had multiple matches that were filled with many talented stars, but in each of those, there was a standout.

In the opening bout of the evening for the WWE Tag Team Championship, the clear-cut top-of-the-food-chain Superstar was Damien Mizdow.

Throughout the entire match, the crowd was chanting for him and eager to see him tagged into action.

When he finally did get his time in the ring, it was to capitalize on the destruction and pin Goldust to win the titles for himself and The Miz.

This is the first championship in his WWE career, and it is interesting that it came about by replicating another wrestler, considering how he had previously been Mr. Money in the Bank when under the Damien Sandow moniker.

Despite technically being the secondary member of the team, it's obvious that Mizdow is moving out of the shadow of The Miz.

If WWE is smart, this could lead to big things for Mizdow in the future, and it seems as though the crowd would be up for going on that ride.

1. Dolph Ziggler

Credit: WWE.com

Who would have thought the guy who has suffered so many unfortunate losses in his career would last longer than John Cena?

Dolph Ziggler was made to look like one hell of a tough guy in this match.

He was responsible for the elimination of Rusev—the seemingly unbeatable monster. He then lasted on his own to defeat Kane and Luke Harper despite being nearly incapacitated.

WWE could have easily given this spot to Cena and had him fight back against adversity, as the company has done time and time again in the past.

However, the status quo was changed up and the prime real estate of sole survivor went to someone who has deserved this push for a long time.

Ziggler might have just recently lost the Intercontinental Championship, but he gained more out of this match in comparison.

Who do you think were the biggest stars of the night? We're going to leave it up to you to place Sting on this list, so where does he fit amongst the rankings?

Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

Anthony Mango is the owner-operator of the wrestling website Smark Out Moment as well as the host of its podcast show Smack Talk on YouTube, iTunes and Stitcher. You can follow him on Facebook and elsewhere for more.