WWE SmackDown Results: Biggest Winners, Losers and Moments from December 12

The penultimate stop on the road to Tables, Ladders and Chairs ... and Stairs has come and gone. And in its wake, remnants of The Authority have been left reeling, while babyfaces like Dolph Ziggler, Erick Rowan and Ryback enter Sunday's pay-per-view extravaganza riding a wave of momentum.

Ziggler, in particular, looked like a worldbeater Friday evening, as he not only withstood the assault of Big Show, Luke Harper and Kane to deliver a huge Zig Zag to the World's Largest Athlete, but he also delivered a dive from a ladder that took all three Superstars out.

Can he carry over that momentum to Sunday's Ladder match against Harper and regain the Intercontinental championship stolen from him by The Authority prior to Survivor Series?

Only time will tell.

But the Showoff was not the only Superstar to have an outstanding Friday night.

Who else enters this Sunday's mega-event a winner? And who has the unfortunate distinction of stumbling and fumbling his or her way in as a loser?

Let's take a look.

Winner: John Cena

Say what you will about John Cena, but Friday night, he cut a masterful promo that felt incredibly sincere. Faced with the challenge of Seth Rollins this Sunday night at TLC—not to mention a youth movement that has threatened his spot atop the industry—Cena reminded Rollins that he is where he is because of his consistency.

"For a decade, there has been no safer bet on a Sunday night than John Cena!" he exclaimed.

And he was right. He wins more than he loses, drawing fair criticisms from those tired of his shtick. But he remains in the top spot in the industry because he is still consistently improving and showing the work ethic necessary to be the industry's top dog.

There were no jokes or pandering. It was an honest Cena responding to a cocky, arrogant and egotistical Rollins, and it worked to perfection.

Losers: Tyson Kidd and Cesaro

Two of WWE's best in-ring workers of 2014 continued their losing ways Friday night, dropping a match to The Usos just two days ahead of Jimmy and Jey's tag title match against The Miz and Damien Mizdow.

Why Vince McMahon, who once gave opportunities to men the likes of Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels, is so hesitant to push Cesaro is a mystery. He is tall, looks like he was chiseled out of stone and is one of the finest in-ring workers in the industry. Does he have a ton of natural charisma? No, but there are ways around that.

Instead, he lets him wallow in the midcard, where he loses far too often.

Kidd, on the other hand, has demonstrated a boatload of charisma and is, like Cesaro, one of the finest workers on the planet. His work in NXT speaks for itself. But McMahon, because he clearly does not watch NXT or care about it, does not recognize just how outstanding Kidd has been throughout the year.

The only thing Kidd has going against him is a lack of size—almost like Bret Hart, the former five-time WWE champion.

Winner: Nikki Bella

There is a lot of Internet hatred for Nikki Bella, mostly from those who dislike models-turned-wrestlers or those who credit her relationship with Cena as the reason she gets the television time that she does. Even if that was the case, the fact that Bella has worked to improve to where she is at now deserves recognition.

Friday night, she wrestled a very competitive match with Alicia Fox, dodging a big running boot in the corner and finishing her off with the Rack Attack for the victory.

Using a power-based move set, she is the complete opposite of her fellow Divas, creating a dynamic fans have not seen in women's wrestling since the departure of Beth Phoenix in 2012.

While nowhere near the level of worker that Phoenix was, Bella does a lot very well and will only continue to improve and develop into a fine worker when all is said and done.

If given anything resembling time at TLC, do not be surprised to see both her and AJ Lee deliver a match that has fans buzzing. 

Losers: The Ascension

Yes, Konnor and Viktor are on their way to the main roster. But, as has been the case with many of the NXT talents that are called up to television, WWE's crack creative staff has again managed to find a way to take something that worked so very well somewhere else and tweak it just enough to make it look stupid.

The face paint and lighting of the vignettes announcing The Ascension's impending arrival looked like something out of a D-level sci-fi flick and threatens to derail the dominant tandem right out of the gate.

Fortunately, the team has an aura about it that screams "star." Therefore, Konnor and Viktor may be able to overcome the makeover. But it still highlights a much bigger problem, and that is McMahon's need to have his hands in everything, thus losing track of what made some of the NXT stars so successful in the first place.

Doubt me?

Ask Paige, who used to be the Anti-Diva but is now prepping for a role on the Total Divas reality show.