WWE SmackDown Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from January 14

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 was Mauro Ranallo's second week at the announce table, and he has settled into his new role nicely. He accurately calls all the moves being performed in the ring, and his enthusiasm never seems to dissipate.

Anyone who was excited to see Kalisto win the United States Championship on Raw won't be happy about the outcome of the rematch he had with Alberto Del Rio on Thursday. Other than that, it was business as usual.

As we inch closer to the Royal Rumble, more an more attention is being paid to building up the card. Hopefully this year's pay-per-view isn't met with the same kind of negative reaction as last year's event.

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

Opening Segment

The show opened with Renee Young waiting outside for Dean Ambrose to arrive. He showed up in a small pickup truck driven by someone with no sense of safe driving and said he wanted to meet Kevin Owens in the ring.

Usually, it's the champion receiving challenges, but it was the other way around this time. Ambrose challenged Owens to a Last Man Standing match at the Royal Rumble, but Sheamus came out instead.

The Celtic Warrior said he didn't want to wait for their tag team match to finish what they started on Raw. Before Sheamus could get to the ring, Owens came out to accept Ambrose's terms for a Royal Rumble encounter.

As expected, a fight broke out, and Neville came out to even the odds. He and Ambrose quickly dispatched Owens and Sheamus to end the segment.

Neville felt slightly out of place in this foursome. He is an exciting performer, but he lacks the intensity to match up with the other three men. This was an average opening segment, but it was a little too predictable to stand out.

Grade: B-

Notes and Highlights

• Whoever dropped off Ambrose probably won't have their license for long if they keep driving like that.
• Ambrose's look of surprise at successfully requesting a drum roll was pretty funny.
• Sheamus got rid of most of those little things hanging from his beard. If he gets rid of the last two, it will be a lot easier to take him seriously.

The Dudley Boyz vs. Luke Harper and Erick Rowan

The Dudley Boyz and The Wyatt Family have been feuding for quite some time, and this probably won't be the last time we see them mix it up in the ring.

A match involving tables played right into the Dudley's strengths, but Luke Harper and Erick Rowan are no strangers to bouts with hardcore stipulations.

The Dudleys picked up the win after Harper was shoved off the turnbuckle through a table, but the Wyatt Family got the last laugh after they left Bubba Ray and D-Von in a pile of broken wood.

All of the men involved in this match are known for their physicality, so it should come as no surprise this ended up being the most brutal encounter of the night.

Grade: B

Notes and Highlights

• It almost looked like Bubba back-dropped Harper in slow motion.
• Referee Charles Robinson looked like a child next to everyone in this match.
• Some might question the decision to leave Bray Wyatt out of this match, but his absence allowed Harper, Rowan and Braun Strowman to shine on their own. They didn't win the battle, but they definitely won the war.

Social Outcasts vs. Jack Swagger, Goldust, Zack Ryder and Damien Sandow

It looked like the Social Outcasts might have turned babyface on Raw, but this match made it clear the group is staying heel for the time being.

With the exception of Goldust, everyone involved in this bout had a terrible second half of 2015. It's great to see these guys get some screen time, but some of them actually deserve to be pushed as midcard stars or better.

Jack Swagger, Zack Ryder, Damien Sandow and Goldust has to be one of the most random teams ever created. Since they were only thrown together to give the Social Outcasts a win, it's easier to swallow.

Ryder produced a nice flurry of offense at one point, but it wasn't enough to get his team the victory. The end came when Bo Dallas hit his finisher, the Bo-Dog, on Ryder.

Grade: C

Notes and Highlights

• Sandow is back to wearing his pink trunks and purple knee pads. It's too bad his entrance wasn't shown to signify his return to the Intellectual Savior gimmick.
• Bo Dallas accidentally kicking Heath Slater off the apron during his finisher was strange. It didn't need to happen and didn't cause any issues between them.
• Why even have an eight-man tag match if everyone isn't going to get time in the ring? At least three people were never tagged in.

Alberto Del Rio vs. Kalisto

Well, that was quick. Just days after Kalisto upset Alberto Del Rio to win the United States Championship on Raw, he dropped the title back to Del Rio in a mostly one-sided contest.

Granted, King Barrett affected the outcome, but the game of hot potato with the belt completely negated Kalisto's big win.

Everyone was so happy when the luchador won the title on Monday because it seemed like WWE was finally going to take a chance and push someone new, but it doesn't look as though that will be the case.

This was a good bout, but it was nowhere near as exciting as the match they had on Raw. We will have to wait to see whether this feud will continue or if it was a one-off thing to pass the time until Sin Cara returns.

Grade: B-

Notes and Highlights

• If you believe Kalisto is actually 170 pounds, I have some swampland in Florida to sell you.
• Kalisto is so creative when it comes to his offense. He could end up being better than Rey Mysterio if he can stay healthy and gets the chance to succeed on his own.
• Del Rio is great in the ring, but he is so boring on the mic. How do we start a petition to bring back Ricardo Rodriguez?

Becky Lynch vs. Brie Bella

Brie Bella was surprisingly aggressive in this match. She has improved a lot over the past two years, but the one area she always needed to work on was her intensity, so it was nice to see her kick things up a notch.

Unfortunately, this match was shorter than the average commercial break. Becky Lynch picked up the win with the DisArmHer, but it was a meaningless victory in the grand scheme of things.

Grade: D+

Notes and Highlights

• Have we figured out whether Brie and Alicia Fox are supposed to be heels or babyfaces? It seems like they go back and forth every week. Inconsistency is never a good thing.
• Is it just me or does Lynch have new attire every week?
• It pains me to give a match involving Lynch such a low grade, but there wasn't enough action to justify anything higher.

Dean Ambrose and Neville vs. Sheamus and Kevin Owens

The final match of the night was given two full segments to play out, and all four men contributed to what ended up being a fun tag team contest.

Owens and Sheamus work well together because their styles are so similar, but Neville and Ambrose produced some of the best moments.

Neville's combination of strength, quickness and agility makes him one of the most versatile Superstars on the roster, and it's a shame he hasn't been given a bigger push in recent months.

Just like last week's main event between Owens and Ambrose, this match ended in a double count-out. The babyfaces sent the crowd home happy by hitting their finishers on Owens.

Grade: B+

Notes and Highlights

• The way Sheamus is lit up during his entrance makes him look like a human light bulb. It was hilarious when Jerry Lawler asked whether he was transparent.
• Owens' yelling at the announcers while he wrestles is always entertaining.
• Neville and Owens trading German suplexes was one of the better sequences in this match.

Final Thoughts and Predictions

This was a decent episode of SmackDown, but a couple of the matches we saw were somewhat disappointing, especially the Divas bout.

The Owens vs. Ambrose Last Man Standing match at the Royal Rumble will certainly make things more interesting. Their feud has become one of, if not the most entertaining storyline going on right now.

Seeing Kalisto lose the U.S. title so quickly was a huge let down after the incredible performance he produced on Raw, but it might not be the end of his push as a singles star.

The Royal Rumble is right around the corner, so we can expect all of next week's shows to be devoted to tying up loose ends as we head into the pay-per-view.

Predictions

• Kalisto will get another shot at the U.S. title.
• Lynch will get another shot at Charlotte's Divas Championship at the Rumble.
• At least one NXT Superstar will appear in the Royal Rumble match.
• Reigns will be booked in another ridiculous handicap match on Raw.
• Within two months, the Social Outcasts will be a jobber stable.

What did you think of this week's SmackDown? 

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