WWE SmackDown Results: Biggest Winners, Losers and Moments from December 16

WWE Week on USA Network brought with it a very special live episode of SmackDown Tuesday night and, as usual, the two-hour format made for a much faster paced, more enjoyable show than the three-hour marathons fans are exposed to on Monday nights.

While the biggest story entering the show may have been Roman Reigns' return to the ring, in which he battled Fandango, it was Dolph Ziggler who everyone was buzzing about after the show, as the current WWE Intercontinental champion continued his revival with another huge victory, this time over Mr. Money in the Bank, Seth Rollins.

The blossoming rivalry between Ryback and Rusev over the United States Championship intensified as the Bulgarian Brute attacked the Big Guy prior to his scheduled match, kicking him off the stage and leaving him in a heap.

Soap opera storytelling reigned supreme as The Miz and Jimmy Uso's struggle over Naomi cost the dynamic Diva a chance to win her first championship in a match against Nikki Bella.

The December 16 episode of SmackDown was one that advanced stories and never stuck around long enough to get stale or boring, proving that the two-hour format is, and always will be, the most effective for WWE programming.

With the holidays rapidly approaching and the end of WWE's calendar year upon us, these are the winners and losers from this week's blue brand broadcast.

Winner: Dolph Ziggler

The Showoff has experienced a renewed push since November and is making the absolute most out of every opportunity presented to him by WWE Creative.

Thursday night, he cut a strong promo on Seth Rollins that saw him question the courage of the so-called Architect, mock The Authority's "best for business" slogan and admit, "I'd be afraid to face me, too."

From there, he overcame what had to be a body wracked with pain following Sunday's Ladder match against Luke Harper to deliver another outstanding match, this time with Rollins, in the night's main event.

Ziggler overcame interference from Jamie Noble and Joey Mercury, not to mention a game Rollins, and scored an improbable victory, the likes of which John Cena needed help from Roman Reigns to achieve at this past weekend's TLC pay-per-view.

The image of Ziggler celebrating at the top of the entrance ramp while a furious Rollins and his crack security staff watched from inside the squared circle only further established that the IC champion really is in the midst of a legitimate, major push.

Loser: Roman Reigns

Sure, Roman Reigns received a huge pop upon his entrance Tuesday night, and he looked outstanding between the ropes, especially during his comeback. But there is no denying the fact that the second-generation star was let down tremendously by those in power.

His first opponent back? Fandango. Not a problem considering that it was the ballroom dancer that Reigns obliterated with a spear Monday night.

The problem is that Reigns actually struggled with the guy who had been so easily dispatched of by opening-match Superstars such as R-Truth. That should have never happened.

Instead, Reigns should have run over Fandango in dominant and impressive fashion as he prepares for a Royal Rumble that is his to win, not to mention a year that should see him become the face of the company.

In the end, it was an awful booking choice that would have adversely affected someone without the support of upper management that Reigns has.

Winners: Gold and Stardust

No, they did not appear in any ring action this week, but what they did do was cut an excellent promo about ruining the holidays this coming Monday night when Hulk Hogan appears on a special Christmas-themed episode of Raw.

The brothers in paint were serious and had an edginess in their voices that really injected a sense of danger to the promo. This was not goofy Stardust, this was a guy who sounded every bit as deranged as he looked.

The former tag team champions have struggled here in the second half of 2014, but it is always refreshing to see an act that does not allow creative disappointments to dampen their spirits. They delivered in the brief, 30-second window they were allotted, and it deserves recognition here.

Winner: Erick Rowan

After three consecutive losses, Erick Rowan was in desperate need of a win Tuesday night and he got it, teaming with The Usos to defeat The Miz, Damien Mizdow and Luke Harper in a big Six-Man Tag Team match.

More importantly, he was the recipient of the hot tag, tore through the competition and pinned the former WWE champion Miz following a huge top rope splash.

After Sunday and Monday night, it looked like Rowan's brief flirtation with singles success was over, courtesy of a poor match at TLC and two big losses to The Big Show.

Tuesday night on Main Event, a backstage segment in which Rowan played chess while Paige watched on, only to be interrupted by Titus O'Neil, supported the idea that WWE Creative still had plans for the genius Rowan persona, while his win on SmackDown cemented it. 

Winner: Rusev

The Bulgarian Brute continues to be one of the best-booked Superstars on the roster, as evidenced by his sneak attack on Ryback Tuesday night.

Sure, he is typically booked like an unstoppable force, which he is. When confronted by a like Superstar, who he is not sure he can defeat in a fair match, Rusev did what all good heels do: He attacked him from behind and kicked Ryback off the stage.

That Rusev celebrated afterward, as if he had accomplished something worth celebrating, was even better and only earned him more jeers from the pro-USA fans.

Winners: WWE Fans

After nearly a decade of SmackDown populating the dead zone of television that is Friday nights, making it almost impossible for fans to watch if they have anything close to a social life, it was revealed through a fairly cool commercial Tuesday night that the show is returning to the Thursday night time slot it held down when it debuted way back in 1999.

Wrestling fans can now rejoice as they have their Friday nights back and, more importantly, have an excuse to ditch watching Elementary with their wives.