WWE SmackDown Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from December 12

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.

SmackDown not only had to wrap things up before Sunday's Tables, Ladders, Chairs ... and Stairs pay-per-view, but it also had to follow the great show put on by the men and women of NXT on Thursday.

Following what we saw at TakeOver: R Evolution would be hard for anyone, but the blue brand managed to do a good job of providing some entertaining wrestling and selling every feud.

It's going to be a busy week with TLC on Sunday, Raw on Monday, a special live SmackDown on Tuesday and Tribute to the Troops on Wednesday. Hopefully we don't get burned out on WWE programming.

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

Cena and Rollins Hype TLC

John Cena tried to open the show with a promo about his upcoming match, but Seth Rollins came out before Cena could even say two sentences.

Rollins said he is going to step up like Cena has always done, and he is going to put Cena through a table. Of course, Cena tried to be clever in his response.

Cena took the role of the veteran in this situation, which was the smart move. Rollins has been around the block a few times, but he is still only a couple of years into his WWE contract. In this scenario, it makes sense to position Cena as the more experienced of the two.

This was a pretty average way to build up their match on Sunday, but Rollins definitely stole the spotlight from Cena in the promo department.

Grade: B

Notes and Highlights:

• It was nice to hear Rollins talk about how good Cena has been over the last decade.
• Rollins really took this segment and made it his own. Everyone talks about how good he is in the ring, but he is great on the mic, too.
• Cena should appear on SmackDown more often. Regardless of how anyone feels about him, his status makes anything he takes part in seem more important.

The Ascension

The Ascension had a video package hyping its debut. For those who don't know, these two men ran the NXT tag team division for almost a year.

Konnor and Viktor are a bit of a throwback to teams of the past, like The Road Warriors and Demolition. They are two muscular bruisers who have a unique look and a lot of intensity.

They were booked very well in NXT, and they should help shake things up in the tag team division on the main roster.

If you don't watch NXT, go back and check out some of their matches. It'll be worth it. As far as the video package goes, it could have been a lot better.

The Wyatt Family and The New Day looked like they had a decent budget for their videos, but The Ascension was just standing in front of some smoke talking about how tough it is.

Maybe it was done on purpose as a way of saying these two don't need anything flashy to make an impact, but it seemed too basic to make anyone not familiar with them care.

Grade: B

The Usos vs. Tyson Kidd and Cesaro

The first match of the night ended up being pretty entertaining. Tyson Kidd and Cesaro were thrown together out of nowhere, but they are showing some promise as a tag team.

Cesaro brings the power, and Kidd brings the excitement. Both men have great technical chops, so they could actually turn out to be the best thing for each other's careers.

They pulled out a couple of double-team combos during this match that really showed they have been working together to make the best of their situation.

Miz and Damien Mizdow were on commentary for the first half of the bout, but Miz pretended like he got a call from his agent and took off to the back.

The match came to an end after Jey hit Cesaro with a superkick and then tagged in Jimmy for a Superfly Splash.

Miz approached Naomi backstage about taking his offer to meet with his agent, and Naomi said she wasn't going to fall for his tricks. But it looked like his words got to her.

Jimmy and Jey had a heated exchange after a commercial break about not letting Miz get in their heads. Between the match and the two backstage segments that followed, this program became more interesting in one night than the last three weeks of buildup.

Grade: B+

Notes and Highlights:

• First, Miz takes Mizdow's title belt, and now he takes his Slammy. At least Mizdow got a replica statue.
• I don't like that Kidd is in the position he's in, but I have learned to live with it. What irks me is that Cesaro has been brought down so far that he ended up in a team with Kidd.
• You could tell Cesaro had some trouble lifting up Jimmy at one point because they cut the camera to the announce table.
• It's great to see some effort put into the tag title feud for once. Having a storyline really helps.

Nikki Bella vs. Alicia Fox

Had this match not been taped on Tuesday, it would seem like Nikki Bella and Alicia Fox were trying to live up to the incredible performances from Sasha Banks and Charlotte from Thursday's TakeOver special.

Bella looked a lot more aggressive than usual, and Fox helped make her appear more talented than she really is by selling everything really well.

Fox will be an interesting addition to Total Divas, and hopefully her participation leads to some more success on the main roster because she really is more talented than anyone gives her credit for.

Bella and Fox had a decent amount of time to fill up, but they managed to keep it from being boring, which is always a success when it comes to a Divas match. Bella picked up a predictable win with the Rack Attack.

Grade: C+

Some notes from the match:

• Bella needs to work on her kicks and stomps. Her punches are fine, but her footwork is sloppy.
• A.J. Lee was entertaining on commentary. It almost sounded like she was hinting at an early retirement at one point, but then she said she would win the title and hold it for 28 years. So, who knows?

Big E vs. Goldust

Big E made short work of Goldust to pick up a win heading into their tag match on Sunday. It was too quick to be anything special, but it definitely made Big E look like a dominant powerhouse.

This feud came out of nowhere, but that doesn't mean they can't have a great showing on Sunday. Gold and Stardust have made a habit out of delivering amazing performances, and they have opponents with the potential to do the same.

Grade: C-

Notes and Highlights:

• It's funny when Stardust steals JBL's hat every time he accompanies his brother for a match.
• Goldust hitting Big E with a spinebuster was pretty impressive. Goldust is not known for his strength, and Big E is not a small man.
• Stardust probably got paint all over the inside of JBL's cowboy hat. What a jerk.

Titus O'Neil vs. Jack Swagger

Jack Swagger picked up another submission victory over Titus O'Neil in a very short, but somewhat entertaining, match.

Rusev came out afterward and held up the U.S. title while the Russian flag fell from the ceiling behind Swagger.

This all seems like a rehash of their previous feud, but Swagger is a talented guy who can have a good match with Rusev. It makes sense for him to try again. And this time, he has to do it on his own since Zeb Colter is on the shelf.

Making this feud personal was a smart decision. It can't just be about patriotic pride again. There had to be a catalyst for Swagger's anger, and Colter's injury was the perfect choice.

These two should deliver a solid match on Sunday, but it will probably get lost among all the crazy stipulations the WWE has in the other bouts.

Grade: C+

Notes and Highlights:

• If anyone would benefit from getting the first clean win over Rusev, it's Swagger. He is always right on the cusp of a comeback, but then he falls short. Making Rusev tap out would give him the boost he needs.
• O'Neil's power is ridiculous. Picking Swagger up isn't impressive, but making it look easy is what makes O'Neil look so strong.

Wyatt and Ambrose Hype TLC

Bray Wyatt and Dean Ambrose had separate backstage segments where they each talked about their upcoming TLC match on Sunday.

Both men did a good job, but Ambrose was the one who really got your attention. This had been an interesting feud to watch develop since Hell in a Cell.

Both of these men will put their bodies through hell on Sunday to make sure they steal the show. Hopefully they don't do anything to get themselves hurt.

Grade: A

Ryback, Ziggler and Rowan vs. Harper, Kane and Big Show

The main event for the evening was decent, but it felt like every SmackDown main event. It's always two or three singles feuds thrown together for a tag team match.

Dolph Ziggler, Ryback and Erick Rowan took on Big Show, Kane and Luke Harper in yet another encounter that felt like Team Cena vs. Team Authority all over again.

Ziggler and Rowan did most of the work for their team. Ryback came in at the end to clean house and pick up the victory, making him look like the hero this time.

Everyone attacked their rival with the weapons they will be using on Sunday after the match, with the babyfaces standing tall when the dust settled.

Ziggler stole the spotlight from everyone with a big dive off the ladder onto Kane, Show and Harper at the end to cap off a pretty decent show.

Grade: B

Notes and Highlights:

• This whole Big Red nickname for Rowan has to stop.
• Ziggler is not really a high-flying kind of wrestler, so it looks even cooler when he hits big spots like he did at the end of this segment.

Final Thoughts and Predictions

As the final SmackDown before TLC on Sunday, this show did a pretty good job of pushing all the feuds and delivering some entertaining action in the process.

No one match stands out as memorable, but they all had solid performances. The non-wrestling segments were also effective, with Ambrose being the most interesting by far.

Sunday's PPV has a pretty stacked card with eight matches. Hopefully, the WWE finds a way to match the level of excitement Thursday's NXT event provided.

All the predictions will revolve around Sunday's TLC PPV this week.

Predictions

• The New Day will defeat Gold and Stardust.
• Ryback will defeat Kane.
• Rowan will defeat Big Show.
• Miz and Mizdow will retain their titles against The Usos.
• Rusev will retain against Swagger.
• Harper will retain against Ziggler.
• Bella will retain against Lee.
• Cena will defeat Rollins.
• Wyatt will defeat Ambrose.
• Randy Orton will return to cost Rollins his match against Cena.

What did you think of SmackDown, and what are your predictions for TLC?

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