WWE SmackDown Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from November 28

Every week on Bleacher Report, I take an in-depth look at WWE SmackDown to recap the action, offer analysis and grade the matches, segments and anything else that takes place on the show. I also provide some predictions on the direction of storylines.

WWE is still riding high from Survivor Series, but they now have to worry about building Tables, Ladders and Chairs, which is just over two weeks away.

This week's SD saw United States and Intercontinental title matches take place and some more of Daniel Bryan booking former members of the Authority in tough situations.

Bryan was unclear about any kind of timetable for his return, but he seemed like he was in good health and looked happy to be back.

Let's take a look at what happened on this week's episode of SmackDown.

MizTV

SmackDown opened with MizTV featuring Big Show as the special guest. The topic of discussion was Big Show's betrayal at Survivor Series.

Damien Mizdow got his usual love from the crowd while Miz generated heat with ease. Miz said he understood why Big Show did what he did, but then Daniel Bryan came out to a massive ovation to declare that he was in charge of SmackDown.

Bryan announced that because Rusev did not say the Pledge of Allegiance on Raw, he would defend his United States Championship in the first match of the night.

Miz, Mizdow and Big Show were named as competitors along with Erick Rowan. It was a decent opening segment, but Bryan's appearance didn't have the same impact it had on Monday.

Grade: B

Notes and Highlights:

• They didn't even bother putting down the black carpet in the ring. Why even have these talk shows if they aren't going to put any effort into the set?
• Have we been saying Ryback's name wrong this whole time? Is it actually the Ryback? It sounds cooler for some reason.
• WWE better not get lazy with Miz and Mizdow. They have something unique with these two, and it would be very easy for creative to get complacent and just keep booking them without any storyline progression.

In Russia, Battle Royal Eliminates You

Rusev retained his title in the Battle Royal that followed MizTV. This kind of match is always pretty fun to watch because there is a feeling that anyone could win.

It was reasonable to think Rusev's title reign might actually be in jeopardy because he wouldn't have to tap out or be pinned to lose the belt.

Damien Mizdow eliminated himself after Miz was eliminated in a spot that had a lot of people laughing, but the real surprise came in the form of Jack Swagger being the biggest babyface in the match.

Swagger was instrumental in eliminating more than his fair share of opponents and even came close to winning the whole thing, but Rusev was able to kick him off the apron and seal the win.

This could have been the main event had there been a couple of major players in the mix, but it was a good way to kick off the action on SmackDown.

Grade: B+

Notes and Highlights:

• Has anyone ever called Lana "Bolshoi Barbie?" Her pink outfit makes her look like a Entrepreneur Barbie doll.
• It looked like Heath Slater might have slipped off the apron when he was supposed to save himself from elimination.
• You don't realize how big Erick Rowan is until you see him make Titus O'Neil look small.
• There was some very obvious edits during the match. It was most obvious when Erick Rowan was eliminated and when Rusev nearly lost the match right at the end.

Wyatt's Words

Bray Wyatt gave a promo directed at Dean Ambrose that was filled with his usual combination of preaching and praying, but there's a little problem.

Wyatt became so good in his role so early that he is starting to become repetitive. Unless WWE makes some kind of drastic change to his character, there isn't any new ground he can tread going forward.

A babyface turn down the line might help keep things fresh, but it will only work for so long. Wyatt is a special talent who has a mental gift most wrestlers would kill for, but he is beginning to be overexposed.

Having Luke Harper and Erick Rowan as minions meant Wyatt could sit at ringside for a match and not say a word while still having a memorable performance. Now, he has to stand on his own.

With some top feuds already under his belt, it seems like Wyatt is destined for future success, but there is a big chance his character's appeal could fade if he continues to do the same thing in every storyline.

Grade: B+

Nikki Bella vs. Emma

Let's get the match out of the way. Nikki Bella won in about two minutes with a Rack Attack. It was nothing special, but it was not an abomination.

Now, let's get to the real problem. WWE went to all this trouble of having Nikki absolutely abuse and embarrass Brie during her 30 days as Nikki's personal assistant, and now it means nothing.

Brie's term was up on Monday, but now she is staying with her sister. Why? Because it makes absolutely no sense, that's why. Unless we learn about some kind of new motivation for Brie's change of heart very soon, this will go down as one of the laziest conclusions to a feud in wrestling history.

This is just an example of how little effort is put into storylines for the Divas, even if they are two of the top names in the division and focal points on a crummy reality show.

Brie has offered no explanation and nothing has been shown on screen to imply that these two fierce rivals reconciled in any way. Brie is apparently a heel now. Whatever.

Grade: F

Notes and Highlights:

• It's a little weird that Emma uses an illegal submission in every match as a babyface.
• It's surprising WWE would acknowledge that Brie and Daniel Bryan are married so often, but not take the opportunity to show them together after Bryan has been sidelined for months.

Seth Rollins vs. Ryback

Kane came out and ruined a somewhat entertaining match between Seth Rollins and Ryback by using a steel chair.

Ryback has definitely improved in the ring, but his best performances always happen to be against guys who are known for being amazing performers, so it may just be a coincidence.

Kane continued attacking Ryback with the chair long after the match was over, clearly setting in motion a feud that could result in a Chairs Match at TLC.

Grade: B

Notes and Highlights:

• Rollins wins the award for most damaged Money in the Bank briefcase.
• Rollins' power cannot be underestimated. He ran Ryback across the ring on his shoulders for a powerbomb in the corner.
• Kane selling merchandise wasn't as funny as him selling concessions, which wasn't that funny to begin with.

The J.O.B. Squad vs. New Day

Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods and Big E made their mildly anticipated return to SmackDown with their new gimmick. What exactly is this new gimmick? Your guess is as good as anyone's.

We know three things for sure: They have a positive attitude, handkerchiefs and really like the color blue. Right now, they are portraying little more than happy stereotypes.

All that said, it was kind of a fun match. Kofi, Woods and Big E work well together and have meshed their styles into something that could work under the right circumstances.

Getting a win over Curtis Axel, Heath Slater and Titus O'Neil isn't exactly a huge accomplishment, but there isn't a whole lot of choices when it comes to three-man groups for them to face.

It would be nice if this led to a career resurgence for Kofi and breakout moments for Woods and Big E, but given WWE's track record, it's more likely that we just saw the debut of the next 3MB.

Grade: B-

Notes and Highlights:

• Kofi, Woods and Big E certainly have their entrance pose down.
• With all the budget cuts, it's surprising to see New Day have pyro for their entrance.

Luke Harper vs. Dolph Ziggler

Dolph Ziggler managed to defeat Luke Harper in the Intercontinental Championship main event, but he did not leave with the title because it was due to a count-out.

These two delivered a great match when they first fought over the IC title, and they gave us the same level of entertainment in this one.

Harper tried to attack Ziggler after the bout was over, but Ziggler ducked and hit a superkick to end the show on a high note.

Seeing as he won the match and not the title, it's possible Ziggler will continue pursuing Harper, which would work out great for everyone involved.

Ziggler has a lot of momentum following his big win at Survivor Series, so keeping him in the hunt for the most prestigious title not being held on the sidelines is a good way to capitalize on that.

Harper and Ziggler could very well end up having another match for the belt at TLC. It would be great if they had a stipulation to up the level of excitement, but a regular match with enough time would still allow them to steal the show.

Grade: A-

Notes and Highlights:

• Luke Harper has one of the most devastating powerbombs in the business.
• This feels like the first time in months that SmackDown did not end with a DQ or some kind of interference.
• Nobody takes a bump like Ziggler.

Final Thoughts and Predictions

With two titles matches and the debut of a new stable, SmackDown had a pretty eventful week.

Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods and Big E finally debuted after weeks of video packages hyping their New Day revolution. They had a fun match but made very little impact in general.

Rusev retained his U.S. title in a 20-man Battle Royal, but the real excitement came in the main event when Dolph Ziggler battled Luke Harper in a rematch for the IC Championship.

Ziggler might not have regained the gold, but he certainly stood tall as the hero of the night once more. Things are looking bright for the Show Off. We'll see how long his push lasts this time.

Considering it was the day after Thanksgiving, it's a little shocking WWE did not load up on cheesy holiday segment, but maybe we should be thankful for that.

Predictions:

• Luke Harper and Dolph Ziggler will have another match for the IC title at TLC.
• Erick Rowan vs. Big Show will be made official for TLC on Raw.
• Rusev and Jack Swagger will reignite their feud, with the U.S. title at the center of it.
• Gold and Stardust will be named the No. 1 contenders for the Tag Team Championships.
• At least one title will be defended in a ladder match at TLC.
• The New Day stable will fizzle out within two months.
• Fandango will be back to jobbing within a few weeks.

What did you think of this week's SmackDown?

Thanks for reading, and follow me on Twitter @BR_Doctor.