WWE SmackDown Results: Biggest Winners, Losers and Moments from December 17

Thursday night on SmackDown, Dolph Ziggler stood next to Renee Young and was somewhat somber as he discussed always being in the background of everyone else's matches. He vowed to make sure fans did not forget him in the main event as he battled Kevin Owens.

The arrival of Dean Ambrose and the interaction between the intercontinental champion and his top contender left Ziggler to take the backseat once more.

How did The Showoff respond?

He knocked Ambrose out cold with a superkick, leaving The Lunatic Fringe on his back and the commentators to wonder whether the strike was intentional or merely a case of mistaken identity.

And with one simple angle, the former world champion was catapulted back into relevancy, proving that old-school booking can be far more effective than overly elaborate stories born in a room full of Hollywood writers.

The questions surrounding Ziggler's motivations suddenly have the former world champion back in the spotlight, presumably the latest addition to what has the makings of a strong three-way rivalry over the once-coveted IC title.

Whether that leads to a heel turn for the bleach-blonde Superstar or simply another high-profile program remains to be seen.

What is not a mystery, though, is Ziggler's status as the biggest winner from the December 17 episode of SmackDown.

A surging tag team and one of wrestling's greatest villains joined him on the positive side of the argument, while The League of Nations took its rightful place in the midcard as the evening's most notable losers. 

Credit: WWE.com

Winner: Kevin Owens

There was a point during Thursday's SmackDown in which the dark cloud of booking that had hovered over the head of Owens throughout the second half of 2015 suddenly lifted and fans were treated to the vile, vindictive and violent villain who had earned rave reviews earlier in the year.

During a backstage promo, he reiterated his desire to enter Ambrose into an asylum but then delivered a line that welcomed the old Owens back to the show.

He threatened to send Ziggler to the hospital, but more importantly, he never raised his voice. He was calm and calculating as he delivered the threat—something that set him apart from some of the more animated and cartoonish heels on the roster.

It is the coldness from Owens that helped make him one of the most compelling villains in the industry. Bringing that edge back to him will only help to rebuild him following the disappointing last six months.

At a time when the only other headline villains are centered in factions (The Wyatt Family and The League of Nations), WWE could use a viable individual heel who cares only about himself and accomplishing what he wants.

WWE Creative took the right step on Thursday night. Where it takes the Owens character from here is the bigger question.

Credit: WWE.com

Losers: The League of Nations

From the moment The League of Nations debuted roughly a month ago, it felt like an act that would be a phenomenal addition to the midcard but one that never really felt at home in the main event scene.

On Thursday night, it returned to the midcard, igniting what could be a quality feud with Ryback to kick off the show.

Sure, Sheamus is likely to continue feuding with Roman Reigns over the next month, if only because the lack of credible heels at the top of the card dictates it. But the group is firmly entrenched in the middle of the card, left to battle The Big Guy in what could be the highest-profile, non-main event program in the company.

Still, though, the faction remains the biggest group of losers from Thursday's show. Overnight, it dropped from the biggest story in the company to one of many midcard feuds currently populating the company.

Is it possible that its beatdown of Ryback was designed to reinvigorate it as we prepare to enter 2016?

Sure, but it appeared to be a demotion at a time when none of the guys involved in the group can really afford to have their perception damaged any further.

Credit: WWE.com

Winners: The Lucha Dragons

Kalisto and Sin Cara have been on a roll of late, scoring wins over King Barrett and Sheamus in the last two months and delivering a breakout performance at TLC this past Sunday.

On Thursday night, they continued their run at the WWE Tag Team Championships, defeating The New Day in a non-title match that earned them a shot at the gold on next week's live edition of the show.

That match, the first announced for the broadcast, could be the coronation of the team as the lead babyfaces of the division going forward. After all, the company likes to cap off the year with some monumental happening to drum up excitement for the coming 12 months, and a major title change on the final broadcast of 2015 would be just the way to do it.

Kalisto and Sin Cara certainly deserve it. They have overcome poor booking and really excelled between the ropes as of late. They are generating reactions from the WWE Universe despite not having any real character development to speak of.

They got over despite their handling and are now poised to make a run at championship glory.

If they are to win the titles, they would become the first team to win both the NXT and WWE tag titles, a feat not accomplished by The Wyatt Family or The Ascension to this point.