WWE SmackDown Results: Biggest Winners, Losers and Moments from August 23

The MVP of sports entertainment in 2016 continued his phenomenal run Tuesday night as AJ Styles defeated Dolph Ziggler to become No. 1 contender to Dean Ambrose's WWE Championship at Backlash and in the process, earned himself "biggest winner" status from the August 23 episode of SmackDown Live.

Just 48 hours after a Match of the Year candidate against John Cena at SummerSlam, The Phenomenal One delivered another pay-per-view-worthy performance against Ziggler, pinning the former world champion after the Styles Clash.

The win bolsters what has been an unbelievable year for the former IWGP and TNA world champion, whose success in WWE was no guarantee. He is smaller than the typical Superstar and was not always recognized for his mic skills. That he was not a Vince McMahon product also hurt him in the eyes of historians who had watched so many others, with similar backgrounds, fail in wrestling's grandest company.

His skill cannot be ignored, his ability to talk has clearly been underrated and the fans' acceptance of him helped him explode onto the scene.

Now, after pinning Cena clean in the center of the ring and earning a shot at the top prize in pro wrestling, Styles seems poised to dethrone Ambrose and stand atop the SmackDown brand as its Phenomenal champion.

Winner: Carmella

Credit: WWE.com

It is still far too early to call it an unqualified success, but Carmella's heel turn Tuesday night, which came about via her brutal sneak attack of Nikki Bella, was a necessary decision based on the struggle she has faced in getting over with the WWE Universe.

The complete lack of association with Enzo Amore and Big Cass hurt her significantly. It seems like an eternity ago, but remember: Carmella was heavily booed out of the gate in NXT. It took months for fans to accept her as the third piece of the puzzle in that act, so it was certainly interesting to see her called up to the main roster and placed on the brand opposite that of her cohorts.

Rather than allowing her to continue entering arenas to silence, WWE Creative took the initiative and turned her heel, setting up a program with Bella that should garner her some real heat in the weeks to come.

Far from a refined worker, Carmella does have the natural charisma that so many performers would give anything to have. Now she has to find herself in her new role. Thankfully, the SmackDown brand is conducive to creating stars out of fresh faces, a lack of a logjam at the top of any one division to credit.

Becky Lynch and Bella may be the top babyfaces on the blue brand; Carmella has the opportunity to step up and be the lead villainess on a brand that lost Eva Marie to suspension last week.

Loser: Dolph Ziggler

Credit: WWE.com

It is difficult to label Ziggler a loser when he was at the center of Tuesday's show and in a fantastic main event match against Styles, yet The Showoff finds himself stuck in a state of uncertainty in the wake of the event, with his main event push seemingly dead for the time being.

After a disappointing SummerSlam match with Ambrose, Ziggler remained a central figure on SmackDown, his frustration boiling over as he confronted Styles. As he endured the Styles Clash and had his shoulders pinned to the mat for three, though, reality set in.

Where does Ziggler go from here?

A potential feud with The Miz? The revisiting of his feud with Baron Corbin? Maybe a babyface vs. babyface showdown with Apollo Crews?

The options are limited and, honestly, none are that appealing. Ziggler has been there, done that all before, and a step back from where he currently is would feel too much like a return to mediocrity and repetition.

The brand extension was meant to cure that, to give guys like The Showoff the opportunity to rise through the ranks, break through the glass ceiling and finally attain the consistency as a main event performer that eluded them in the past.

Working Rhyno in the opening match of house shows or pairing off with Alberto Del Rio in 20-some days is not conducive to career growth for a guy who, up until the disaster at SummerSlam, was making the most of his latest shot at immortality.

Winner: Becky Lynch

Credit: WWE.com

The fans in Uncasville, Connecticut, recognized Lynch's greatness Tuesday, raining down with chants of "Becky!" as she stood in the center of the ring, surrounded by her fellow female Superstars at the top of the show.

From there, she rode that wave of popularity into the night's first match, where she defeated Alexa Bliss with the Disarmer and created momentum for herself ahead of Backlash and the Six-Pack Challenge match for the SmackDown Women's Championship.

On what WWE undoubtedly wanted to be Bella's grand homecoming, it was Lynch who stole the spotlight from her, as her hard work and unquestionable in-ring ability earned her the respect of the raucous crowd.

Lynch has the ability to outshine any of her fellow competitors between the ropes and the look to be highly marketable as the face of a brand. While Charlotte, Sasha Banks and Bayley have all received more hype, she has been the worker of the Horsewomen, putting in the effort but flying under the radar.

With a women's division in which her only real competition for dominance is a Bella with a history of serious neck injuries, the opportunity has finally arrived for Lynch to soar.

Winners: American Alpha and Breezango

Credit: WWE.com

The match between American Alpha and Breezango should never have been as good or as competitive as it was. In fact, it probably should have followed the same formula of The Usos-Ascension match from earlier in the evening, which was essentially a glorified squash.

Instead, it was a highly competitive match that did as much to put Tyler Breeze and Fandango over as a serious threat to their fellow tag teams as it did to further strengthen the push of Jason Jordan and Chad Gable.

Despite the outcome being a foregone conclusion, there were several instances in which fans in Connecticut reacted strongly to near-falls. That is the sign of an expertly constructed match and proof that Breeze and Fandango are among the most underutilized workers in the industry.

Jordan and Gable advanced in the tournament to crown the first SmackDown tag team champions, but do not be surprised to see the brand's creative team revisit the matchup sometime down the road.