WWE SmackDown Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from November 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, as well as make a few predictions for future events.

This week's show took place in England, so WWE made sure there was more than enough action to satisfy the raucous crowd.

The one odd thing about Thursday's episode was that none of the Divas appeared in any segments. They didn't even get a backstage interview.

However, most of the matches we saw were exciting and featured Superstar combinations we haven't seen before, which is rare these days.

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

Opening Segment

After a long video package, The Wyatt Family opened the show with a segment in the ring. Luke Harper started things off by talking about facing The Usos.

Erick Rowan also got to talk, but the most surprising thing was how many words Braun Strowman got out before passing the mic to Bray Wyatt.

Wyatt spoke about how he has taken The Undertaker and Kane's souls, which didn't make a ton of sense after the Brothers of Destruction ran through them on Raw.

Wyatt threw down a challenge for Kane and Taker to meet him and a partner of his choosing at Survivor Series. It was a simple promo segment, but it was effective.

Grade: B-

Notes and Highlights

• You could really see how much Wyatt loves being a heel during this segment.
• Strowman should remain the strong, silent follower. He is far more effective when he doesn't speak.
• Harper should get more time on the mic. If he is allowed to develop his own persona, he could be a great asset.

Braun Strowman vs. Fandango

Strowman wrestled his first SmackDown singles match against Fandango. We haven't seen Fandango on Raw or SmackDown in a long time, but the British crowd still gave him a warm welcome.

Unfortunately for the former ballroom dancer, Strowman finished him off in about two minutes. Actually, two minutes might be generous.

We already know Strowman is a monster of a man, so this squash victory did nothing to build him up. If we are supposed to take him seriously, we need to see him beat someone who is a real threat like Mark Henry or Big Show.

Grade: D

Notes and Highlights

• How is it that Fandango is so over in the UK and not in the United States?
• It looked like the ref was trying to tell Fandango to stop tapping out and then just gave up and called for the bell. Maybe Fandango was supposed to pass out instead of tap out.
• WWE should do the same thing with Strowman that was done with Ryback. He should be facing multiple opponents in each match and defeating them easily.

Neville vs. King Barrett

Since this show was taped in England, it came as no surprise that two Brits ended up in a match together. This was a smart move by WWE because Neville's popularity helped Barrett get some heel heat. Had he faced an American, the crowd probably would have cheered for him.

Barrett took control early and put Neville through hell, especially outside the ring. The high-flyer was thrown into the announce table, apron and barricade within the span of a few seconds.

This was the first time in quite a while that Barrett looked like the dominant competitor he used to be. With the right booking, Barrett could be a great main event-level heel.

After several minutes of being pummeled, Neville managed to make a comeback. He hit a lot of the moves that made him so popular in NXT, including a beautiful standing Shooting Star Press.

Frankly, it was surprising the crowd wasn't more into this match. Both men put on a great performance, and when it was all over, Neville finished off Barrett with a Red Arrow to advance in the WWE World Heavyweight Championship tournament.

Grade: A-

Notes and Highlights

• Barrett sold the slap from Wayne Rooney on Raw like he was hit by a wrecking ball.
• It was great to see this match given two segments. If WWE was in the U.S., it wouldn't have lasted nearly as long.
• The way Barrett threw Neville out of the ring looked really painful. Kudos to Neville for taking it like a champ.

Kalisto vs. Ryback

The biggest mismatch in the first round of the ongoing title tournament featured the powerful Ryback battling the high-flying Kalisto.

It was a nice change of pace to see the two warriors shake hands before and after the match to show their respect for each other. It's not something you see very often in a WWE ring.

Kalisto managed to hit his finisher early, but the Big Guy kicked out with so much power Kalisto was sent out of the ring.

A lot of people likely went into this expecting Ryback to advance to the second round with an easy victory, so it was surprising to see Kalisto pick up the win.

This was a fun match between two guys who normally wouldn't cross paths. They worked well together, and if Kalisto ever has a run as a singles star, a feud with Ryback would produce some good bouts.

Grade: B+

Notes and Highlights

• Was the promo Kalisto gave before the match the first time he has spoken on the main roster? He should talk more often. He seemed comfortable on the mic.
• Ryback should turn heel again. He has improved a lot since his babyface turn, and it would be great to see him apply that experience to being a bad guy.
• Kalisto is so good at so many things. If WWE uses him the right way, he could actually be a suitable replacement for Rey Mysterio.
• This was another bout that had a lot more time than expected. It's great to see a show in which people are allowed to perform without having to rush.

Alberto Del Rio vs. Stardust

Having two babyfaces fight is fine because everyone has someone to cheer for, but putting two heels in a match together never helps anyone.

Alberto Del Rio and Stardust are both talented competitors, but the crowd didn't have anyone to get behind, so they were relatively quiet throughout the contest.

Del Rio picked up the win to advance to the next round of the championship tournament. They put on a decent show, but the two previous matches completely outshone this one.

Grade: B-

Notes and Highlights

• Alberto Del Rio shouldn't be in this tournament. He already has the U.S. title. He probably won't win the tournament, so he will have to lose to someone along the way, which might hurt his momentum.
• Is anyone else already bored of the Del Rio-Zeb Colter alliance? They just aren't clicking as a team.
• It's criminal how poorly WWE is using Stardust these days. He is so talented, but nobody seems to know what to do with him.

The Usos vs. Luke Harper and Erick Rowan

The Usos have been fighting The Wyatt Family for a long time, but the fact Jey was out for so long with an injury made this feel like a fresh matchup.

All four men started brawling before the ref had a chance to ring the bell, which made this feel like a much more personal fight than it did earlier in the show.

With how well these four men know each other, it shouldn't surprise anyone they put on a great main event. The Usos' energy combined with Harper and Rowan's intensity always makes for a good show.

The Wyatt Family intentionally got themselves disqualified by ganging up on The Usos. The record books might show a victory for Jimmy and Jey, but it was the Wyatts who were left standing at the end.

Grade: A

Notes and Highlights

• Who would have guessed that Harper owned a pink handkerchief?
• After the Wyatts had disposed of The Usos, The Undertaker's voice came on the speakers and he accepted the challenge for Survivor Series.
• You would never know Jey was injured for several months. He and Jimmy looked as in sync as ever.

Final Thoughts and Predictions

WWE always puts on great shows when it is in Europe, but this week's SmackDown was even better than expected.

Three of the five matches on the card exceeded expectations, there was a little storyline development and a few people advanced into the second round of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship tournament.

The match of the night was definitely Neville vs. Barrett, but Kalisto and Ryback gave them a run for their money. The main event tag match was also worth the price of admission.

Survivor Series is almost upon us, so there is only a small amount of time left to fill up the rest of the card. Hopefully management books some good elimination matches to go along with the bouts we already know will take place.

Since Monday's episode of Raw will feature the next round of the tournament to crown a new champion, most of this week's predictions will be about the outcomes of those matches.

Predictions

• Alberto Del Rio will defeat Kalisto on Raw.
• Roman Reigns will defeat Cesaro on Raw.
• Dolph Ziggler will defeat Dean Ambrose on Raw.
• Kevin Owens will defeat Neville on Raw.
• At least two elimination matches will be booked for Survivor Series. One will feature the Divas.

What did you think of this week's SmackDown?

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