WWE SmackDown Results: Biggest Winners, Losers and Moments from January 22

With the Royal Rumble right around the corner, WWE SmackDown hit the SyFy network airwaves for the penultimate stop on the road to Sunday's pay-per-view extravaganza.

Daniel Bryan welcomed Dolph Ziggler, Ryback and Erick Rowan back into the fold, but the Authority planned on making life a living hell for all three competitors. In order for them to earn a spot in the Rumble match, they would each have to win a bout.

Bryan, on the other hand, would battle the Big Red Monster Kane in an attempt to preserve his spot in the 30-man spectacular. With no disqualifications and no count-outs, the leader of the Yes Movement would certainly have to overcome outside interference from Joey Mercury, Jamie Noble and any other members of the Authority who saw fit to interfere.

How would the heroes in our story fare Thursday night?

Would they leave Austin, Texas, riding a wave of momentum, or would the villains get the last laugh ahead of the Royal Rumble?

Let's take a look by recapping the winners and losers from the January 22 episode of SmackDown.

Winners: Ryback and Rusev

Thursday's best match came courtesy of WWE United States champion Rusev and top contender, the returning Ryback. In order for the Big Guy to advance into the Royal Rumble, he had to defeat the seemingly unconquerable Bulgarian Brute.

Luckily for Ryback, no one ever stated how he had to beat him.

After a phenomenal match full of hard-hitting action and high-impact signature moves that led to tremendous and dramatic near-falls, the action spilled to the outside. Ryback pounded away at his opponent, waiting until the very last minute before re-entering the squared circle while Rusev lay prone at ringside and was ultimately counted out.

The win sent Ryback into the Royal Rumble and strengthened the field that Rusev will have to outlast if he is to win and head to WrestleMania to challenge for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

Most importantly, it demonstrated the tremendous chemistry between the two and silenced the critics who may have doubted their ability to have a quality bout.

Winner: Paige

Paige and Natalya joined the commentary team for Thursday's Divas action, just three days before their tag team bout against the Bella Twins at Royal Rumble.

While Brie Bella and Naomi had a competitive match, in which both women worked hard, it was the commentary from Paige that left the greatest impression.

For the first time in her career on the main roster, the two-time Divas champion was allowed the opportunity to let her real, sarcastic personality shine through. She came across as completely natural and comfortable on the headsets, leaving the viewers at home to wonder why she was not given the chance to let that side shine through more often.

As the future of women's wrestling in WWE, the potential for Paige to become a legitimate breakout star for the company is high. To do so, she will have to be allowed a little creative freedom to differentiate herself from the rest of the cookie-cutter Divas on the roster.

Letting her talk without handcuffing her with a generic script would be a step in the right direction.

Loser: Bad News Barrett

So you thought Wade Barrett would be in store for a winning streak and renewed push when he returned from injury?

I'm afraid I've got some bad news!

Not only did Barrett drop a non-title match to Dean Ambrose Monday night on Raw, he continued his losing ways on Thursday night, suffering a defeat at the hands of the returning Dolph Ziggler.

Barrett turned in a fine performance in a very good, competitive match but once again lost, further devaluing the Intercontinental title he wears around his waist.

Why Vince McMahon and WWE Creative have repeatedly expressed hesitancy when booking Barrett remains a mystery. The performer has shown consistency in his ring work and the Bad News gimmick got over with the audience last spring, when the Brit was one of the most over stars on the roster.

Unfortunately, his ill-timed injury killed his momentum, and his return has thus far been underwhelming.

Whether he can recover, as he has been tasked with doing so many times over the last five years, will determine whether bigger things await him or if he is destined to be a career mid-carder.

Winner: Roman Reigns

Much has been made of Roman Reigns' struggles on the microphone as of late. And rightfully so. His delivery has been clunky at times, and it is almost impossible to forget his quoting of sixty year-old Looney Tunes cartoons during his confrontation with Big Show a few weeks back.

Thursday night, during a backstage interview with Renee Young, Reigns set out to change preconceived notions surrounding his mic skills.

And he succeeded, delivering one of his finest performances yet.

"You know who didn't have to remind us he was a giant? Andre," Reigns stated, calling out Big Show on getting by on his reputation as a big man. "Big Show's just an insecure little man trapped in the body of a giant," he continued.

He finished strongly, promising to win the Royal Rumble.

With many fans questioning his readiness when it comes to winning the Rumble match and advancing to the main event of WrestleMania, Reigns needed a strong showing in an interview setting in order to regain some of the faith and momentum he had previously.

He delivered and again looks to be the favorite to emerge from Sunday's broadcast as the winner of the 2015 Royal Rumble.