WWE SmackDown Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from December 5

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.

This week's show kept the build for the Tables, Ladders, Chairs and Stairs pay-per-view moving along nicely, but the most exciting thing we saw was the WWE Intercontinental Championship match that started the show.

Santino Marella returned once again, but he was the guest general manager this time instead of just being there to plug his new movie.

Dean Ambrose and Bray Wyatt definitely took things to another level, The New Day had another good showing and the tension continues to build between The Miz and Jimmy Uso.

Let's take a look at everything that happened on this week's SmackDown.

Luke Harper vs. Dolph Ziggler

The show opened with a video showing that Marella was hosting SmackDown, and his first order of business was to give Dolph Ziggler a rematch against Luke Harper for the WWE Intercontinental Championship.

Harper was in control for most of the first segment, but Ziggler managed to build some momentum after the commercial break.

These two have proved that they can work well together in their first two encounters, and the third was no different. Ziggler is extremely talented, but Harper is quite possibly the most versatile wrestler on the roster.

He does things no 300-pound man has the right to do, and he has characteristics that make him both a throwback and a completely unique wrestler.

Harper got himself disqualified with a kick below the belt. He grabbed a ladder from under the ring and tried to powerbomb Ziggler onto it, but he ended up taking a facebuster right into the side of it.

Marella appeared after the match and announced that Harper will defend his title against Ziggler in a Ladder Match at TLC.

This was a very good way to kick off the show, but it's hard to imagine anything that follows will be able to match the excitement.

Grade: A-

Notes and Highlights:

• I like Harper's symbolism of laying the title in the ring like a line drawn in the sand.
• We might be witnessing a new record for most times the IC title has been defended in a short amount of time. It seems like we get an IC title match every week for the past few months.
• The low blow Harper used to get himself disqualified looked nasty.

Santino Long

Big Show, Kane, Seth Rollins and J&J Security came out and talked about their upcoming matches at TLC. Rollins did most of the talking, while Big Show mostly threw some steel stairs around.

It was a decent promo segment, but there needs to be more behind why these guys are staying together. They didn't like each other all that much under Triple H and Stephanie McMahon's reign of terror, so there is no incentive to remain partners.

Marella came out and booked a main event with Show and Rollins taking on Ryback and Erick Rowan to cap things off. It would have been nice for him to make a Teddy Long reference when booking the tag match.

Grade: B

Notes and Highlights:

• We need to come up with a new name for this group now that The Authority is out of power.
• Booking a Stairs Match is about one notch above booking a Judy Bagwell on a Pole Match.
• What do you think WWE spends on tables, ladders and chairs alone for the TLC PPV every year?

The New Day vs. Tyson Kidd and Cesaro

Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods won the game of odds and evens to determine who faced Tyson Kidd and Cesaro.

The New Day won in what was a short, but entertaining, match. They used a backbreaker/double stomp to finish Kidd off.

Gold and Stardust taunted Woods, Kingston and Big E from backstage. That seems to indicate a new feud is brewing between the teams. Each member of The New Day responded in their own unique way.

While this new storyline is coming out of nowhere, the match and promos that followed were fun enough to keep your attention.

Grade: B

Notes and Highlights:

• Say what you will about how random the team of Cesaro and Kidd is. Their skills could actually mesh to make a really good combo. Cesaro was a tag team specialist before coming to WWE, so he knows how to work with a partner.
• The New Day has used a new finisher in just about every match. That should become the team's trademark. It would be refreshing to see people not relying on the same move in every encounter.
• It was shocking to hear Michael Cole mention CM Punk when the announcers were talking about the Vince McMahon interview with Steve Austin after this segment.

Rusev vs. Dean Ambrose

Dean Ambrose came out and talked about busting up Bray Wyatt's chair on Raw, saying it was now a symbol for what he would do to Wyatt at TLC.

Rusev came out because he was supposed to face Ambrose, but Lana said he would not be competing because of how they have been treated.

Ambrose didn't want it to go down that way, but he was attacked by Wyatt before he could get to Rusev. Wyatt destroyed Ambrose, throwing him into everything he could and using a chair to try and break Ambrose's neck.

The violent way in which Wyatt used the chair on Ambrose's neck made this a jarring scene to watch. WWE doesn't do things like this very often, so it's a little surprising when it happens.

This was a decent feud heading into TLC, but this segment made it a lot more interesting. Ambrose really sold the neck injury, and he likely will continue to look injured until the match.

Grade: A

Notes and Highlights:

• The look on Ambrose's face when Rusev first appeared was hilarious.
• Having the audio from the doctors be very audible while the announcers said nothing made this feel so much more real.
• This could be one of those feuds that starts and stops several times over the years. Their gimmicks seem to have a chemistry very few in WWE have today.

The Miz vs. Jey Uso

Earlier in the night, Naomi was shown receiving some roses from Miz. Jimmy Uso was pissed off enough to grab the vase and smash it on the floor.

Miz and Damien Mizdow came out to talk about how Uso is overreacting, and Miz was just trying to help Naomi get in with a good talent agency.

The Usos skipped their usual entrance routine to help drive home the fact that Jimmy is really pissed at Miz. He was so mad that he ended up getting himself booted from ringside by the ref.

Thanks to a distraction from Mizdow, Miz was able to pick up the win with a Skull Crushing Finale. It was too quick to be a great match, but they did a good job with what little time they did have.

Grade: C+

Notes and Highlights:

• Miz forgot which Uso he was facing for a second when he started verbally taunting him during the match.
• It's nice that WWE finally put a real storyline behind a feud for the tag titles instead of having it just be about the belts.

Naomi vs. Brie Bella

AJ sat in on commentary during this match between Naomi and Brie Bella. Nikki Bella was also at ringside to "support" her sister.

Nikki tried to get involved, but AJ ripped her off the apron to keep things fair and assist Naomi in picking up the win.

The pace was a little slower than these two are capable of, but it wasn't a trainwreck of a match. Naomi getting a win on television was a nice change of pace from the Bella-dominated storyline that has been happening.

No Divas title match has been booked for TLC yet, so maybe Naomi can be added to the mix to shake things up a bit. Her signature brand of offense would definitely help make things more exciting.

Grade: C

Notes and Highlights:

• AJ's line about punching a Bella in the face being therapy was hilarious.
• The way Nikki was sitting on the steps and taunting AJ with the title was such a good heel move.
• Naomi's leggings are distracting. The pattern is hard to look at.

Big Show and Seth Rollins vs. Ryback and Erick Rowan

After a segment with Marella and The Bunny that was a little funnier than expected, Rollins was shown trying to give Big Show a pep talk, only to have Big Show tell him that he didn't see them as a team.

The main event was all right, but it feels like all we ever see in the final match of SmackDown is a tag match involving two separate singles feuds being mashed together.

Ryback is still showing improvement since his return, but Rowan is the guy you really want to watch. Harper always got the credit when they teamed together, but Rowan is starting to show everyone how versatile he can be.

The most surprising thing was how Ryback went over Rollins in what was mostly a clean victory. Kane was ejected from ringside and Rowan kicked Big Show off the apron, but Ryback essentially beat Rollins on his own.

The IC title match and this bout should have switched places, but it was a good way to cap off what was mostly an entertaining show.

Grade: B+

Notes and Highlights:

• Admit it: You laughed when Marella told The Bunny not to touch his face.
• This might seem random, but the first time I ever saw Rowan, I thought they had rehired one of The Highlanders.
• Big Red isn't a good nickname for Rowan. It doesn't have anything to do with his personality.

Final Thoughts and Predictions

Other than the Divas match, this was a pretty good show. They kept the storylines moving and managed to put together bouts that performed well.

Ziggler and Harper stole the show, and knowing they will be in a Ladder Match next Sunday makes the PPV that much more exciting.

Marella made a decent host because they didn't put him in a bunch of Christmas-themed segments to promote his movie. He fell back into his old role very easily and looked very happy to be back in front of a WWE crowd.

When WWE only has three weeks between PPVs, the storylines tend to feel rushed. But the WWE has done a decent job building this event in a short amount of time.

Hopefully the Slammy Awards on Monday do a good job sending us into TLC.

Predictions:

• Naomi will face Nikki Bella and AJ in a Divas title match at TLC.
• Ambrose will appear in a neck brace on every show until TLC.
• Jack Swagger will attack Rusev on Raw and then somehow earn a title shot.
• Roman Reigns will win the Slammy for Breakout Star of the Year.
• Nikki Bella will win for Double Cross of the Year.
• Damien Sandow will beat Miz for the Best Actor Slammy.
• Daniel Bryan vs. The Authority will win the Feud of the Year.
• Sami Zayn will win NXT Superstar of the Year.

What did you think of this week's SmackDown? 

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