WWE SmackDown Results: Biggest Takeaways from February 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.

After NXT delivered a night full of incredible matches and memorable moments on Wednesday, the main roster had a big mountain to climb in order to measure up.

Unfortunately, they didn't even come close. Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns were in the ring for three quarters of the show in a Tag Team Turmoil match that made them look good while simultaneously making most of the tag team division look weak.

It's kind of like the people who prefer college football to the NFL. The developmental league is still hungry and trying to break through to the next level, while everyone on Raw and SmackDown has already made it, so they sometimes rest on their laurels.

Booking a bout that long is risky when fans are no longer used to seeing the same performers in the ring for that length of time, but Bryan and Reigns proved they have the kind of endurance to make it work on some level.

It used to be commonplace for promotions to have hour-long main events, but the landscape of the sport has changed quite a bit since those days. At least it was broken up by having several different teams participate, so it wasn't a total wash.

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

Bray Wyatt vs. R-Truth

If you thought that R-Truth had a snowball's chance in hell of beating Bray Wyatt when this match started, you either don't watch the product very much or have a very optimistic outlook on life.

Truth is very smooth in the ring and can make just about anyone look good, but Wyatt should be past this kind of match at this point. Giving him an easy win does nothing for him when he has defeated guys such as John Cena and Daniel Bryan.

A more effective way to use Wyatt right now would be the "less is more" approach. Have him go back to delivering cryptic promos in the dark until a real feud becomes available. We don't need to see him wrestle every week to know how dangerous he is.

Wyatt won this match in under five minutes. Truth didn't play a total jobber, but it doesn't look like he will be getting a push anytime soon. It's always really sad to see such a talented wrestler kept down this long.

Grade: C-

Notes and Highlights:

• The crowd seemed really into Truth during his entrance. It's too bad nobody in the creative team feels the same way.
• Referencing a cheesy rap song from 1993 is either brilliant or really stupid. It's hard to tell.
• Wyatt's clothesline looks legitimately painful.

Paige vs. Summer Rae

If this match hadn't been filmed on Tuesday, you would swear Summer Rae and Paige were trying to prove something after watching the women steal the show at NXT TakeOver: Rival.

Paige always looks good in the ring, but Summer showed that she is more than just a set of long legs with blond hair. She actually has a lot of potential; she just hasn't been given the opportunity to show it.

This wasn't a clinic by any means, but Summer showed some real promise in the time they had. Her wrestling ability is underrated because Divas aren't given the kind of time women in NXT get in their matches.

She is technically sound enough to keep up with someone such as Paige, even if it is just for two or three minutes, but what makes her watchable is her charisma. Her facial expressions and the way she interacts with the fans, her opponent and the referee is where her entertainment value come from.

It's hard to do anything with the amount of time these two were given, but they made the most of it and you have to respect them for not phoning it in.

Grade: C+

Notes and Highlights:

• It looks like the storyline of Paige and Natalya being friends ended before it really began.
• Say what you will about the Bellas, but they play the stereotypical mean girls really well. Especially Nikki. It's the role she was born to play.
• Where's Layla? She used to be at ringside for every match with Summer, but she has been AWOL for the past few months.
• One of the pinning combinations Paige and Summer used was pretty unique. It's always good to see people try new things.

Adam Rose vs. Fandango

It appears as if WWE is trying to slowly turn Fandango into a babyface. He hasn't been cheating lately and looks more like someone who isn't afraid of a fight since he started feuding with Adam Rose.

He's playing to the crowd and picking up clean wins too. The only issue is that nobody else seems to realize he is turning babyface since he is still getting booed, even when he beats a heel like Rose.

This short match wasn't bad, but by no means did it show what either of these men is really capable of. After the first three bouts, it seems like WWE was just rushing through everything to get to the main event.

Grade: C

Notes and Highlights:

• Rosa Mendes was a much better cheerleader when she was with Epico and Primo. Maybe it's because all she did was shake her booty outside the ring.
• After seeing Rosa on Total Divas, she has become a little more likable. That show is nowhere near being a documentary, but hearing her talk about some of the more difficult things she has had to deal with in her life has humanized her.
• Fandango needs a new finisher. A leg drop from the top rope is guaranteed to shorten his career if he keeps using it in every match. It looks cool, though.

Tag Team Turmoil

This match may have been called Tag Team Turmoil, but it should have been called the Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns show. They went through several teams to win, which kind of made the entire division look weak.

The whole point of this match was to showcase the tension between Reigns and Bryan. Having two babyfaces in a feud can be tricky, and this was an effective way to push the storyline without making one of them look like a heel in the process.

The one team that wasn't pinned or made to submit was the Ascension. Having them get disqualified was a smart way to keep them looking strong, especially since they destroyed Bryan and Reigns in the process.

It was the first time since being called up that Konnor and Viktor looked like they had real potential. It also probably helped that they didn't have a chance to deliver another weak promo.

The biggest highlight was when the Usos were involved. They have grown into one of the best duos in the business, and seeing them lock up with Bryan and Reigns was a lot of fun. Bryan and Reigns looked especially good when they were arguing after Bryan started punishing Jimmy and Jey.

The only real downside to this was how long it lasted. They literally took up three quarters of the entire broadcast. It might be great for fans of Bryan and Reigns, but it ruined the entire flow of the show.

The crowd obviously had trouble staying invested in such a long bout, judging from the fact that they went almost completely silent a few times. You can't blame them for getting sick of it after 45 minutes.

However, you have to give kudos to both Bryan and Reigns for being able to perform for so long, even if they did get periodic breaks while the other was in the ring. Bryan's endurance was certainly tested since he was the legal man for most of the time, and he rose to the occasion.

Grade: B-

Notes and Highlights:

• Was anyone else reminded of Team Hell No when Bryan and Reigns were tagging themselves in and talking trash to each other? Good times.
• The hesitant look on Reigns' face when the Usos came out was subtly brilliant. Of course he wouldn't want to face his own family, and this was a sly way of acknowledging their relationship.
• You know the division is getting thin when Titus O'Neil and Heath Slater are reunited for one night just to fill up all the spots in the match. It's shocking they were used instead of the New Day or Tyson Kidd and Cesaro.
• The referee wasn't even counting when Reigns was walking around outside the ring. Do your job, ref!
• Reigns being worried about his family, only to end up getting pissed and fighting with them, reminded me of Thanksgiving.
• Big Show and Kane arguing made for some entertaining banter. It was nowhere near as funny as what Bryan and Kane used to do, but it worked.

Final Thoughts and Predictions

After seeing such an outstanding NXT event on Wednesday, it was a little disheartening seeing the main roster be used in such a haphazard way the following night.

We basically had three really short bouts and one that lasted 45 minutes. This might have worked when Ric Flair and Bruno Sammartino were having marathon matches with other people on a regular basis, but today's fan doesn't have the attention span to stay interested that long.

Basically, it comes down to this: If you have a two-hour show with only four matches on the card, you have a big problem.

However, credit must be given where it's due. The Usos had put on a tremendous show against Reigns and Bryan, and Bryan spending as much time in the ring as he did proved he has more endurance than you could reasonably expect from anyone.

It must also be noted that Bryan and Reigns stole the show with their interactions throughout the entire match, especially during the segment involving the Usos.

Building realistic animosity between them is what will make this feud work. Reigns might not be the strongest talker yet, but his performance was both convincing and entertaining.

It wasn't a total flop of a show, but it came dangerously close to being one. Hopefully you watched on a DVR so you could skip past all the boring bits.

Predictions:

• Bryan and Reigns will finally have an all-out fight on Raw before their match at Fastlane.
• The Ascension will go right back to beating jobbers next week.
• Big Show or Kane will turn face so they can feud with each other.
• Fandango will make a full face turn within the next few weeks.
• At least one NXT Superstar or Diva will be called up between Fastlane and WrestleMania. It will most likely be Charlotte or Adrian Neville.

What did you think of this week's SmackDown?

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