WWE SmackDown Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from Sept. 27

WWE SmackDown turned the volume up on feud after feud on Sept. 27.

John Cena slugged his way into the WWE World Heavyweight Championship bout between Dean Ambrose and AJ Styles to increase the bad blood between each of those three men. Dolph Ziggler put his career on the line in order to secure another chance at the Intercontinental Championship. 

Carmella put Nikki Bella on the mat again. Alexa Bliss attacked Becky Lynch. And Randy Orton toyed with a monster in his lair as he stalked Bray Wyatt.

A taut, well-paced show jacked up the intrigue heading into the No Mercy pay-per-view on Oct. 9. 

SmackDown proved once more that it is WWE's superior show in terms of storytelling right now. It produced more emotion and plot advancement than Raw offered in its three hours on Monday night.

In grading and breaking down Tuesday's SmackDown, there was plenty to praise, even on a night with only a limited number of matches and segments.

Bray Wyatt Lures Randy Orton into His Lair

Randy Orton dismissed Bray Wyatt's attempted mind games. He called out The Eater of Worlds who soon appeared on the big screen.

Wyatt told him the story of Hansel and Gretel before daring Orton to come at him.

Orton hurried back up the entrance ramp to go after his rival backstage. He traveled to a dark hallway, following a trail Wyatt left for him. Messages written in red covered several doors.

Wyatt waited for Orton in the dark, disappointed The Viper had not found him.

Orton sneaked behind him wearing a sheep mask. The Apex Predator tagged Wyatt with right hands until he retreated.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

• "Bray Wyatt, you are afraid of me."—Orton."
• "You're being sucked into the morass of the underbelly of life."—Wyatt.
• Orton sees a cardboard cutout of himself with the word "prey" written on it.

Grade

A-

Analysis

The eerie series of segments were creative and in part a good use of Wyatt's gimmick. So often, Wyatt's rivalries are talk-heavy, but this was more visual, more visceral, a horror-movie-like experience.

Where it missed the mark, though, was in Wyatt's reaction to The Viper stepping into his territory. The Eater of Worlds scurried away.

That did well to announce how different an opponent Orton is and showcase his lack of fear, but why not have Wyatt tear apart the invader here to help catapult the emerging star?

The Ascension and The Usos vs. American Alpha, Heath Slater and Rhyno

Jason Jordan outwrestled The Usos early on. The match morphed into a brawl soon after that favored Jimmy and Jey.

The Usos attacked Chad Gable's injured knee. The heels then pummeled him, focusing on his bad leg.

Rhyno and Heath Slater each hit the opposition with flurries. The momentum didn't last long, though. The Usos zeroed in on Slater's leg before forcing him to tap out.

Result

The Usos and The Ascension win via submission.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

• American Alpha hits a double monkey flip on The Usos.
• Rhyno bowls over several foes at ringside.

Grade

B-

Analysis

The Usos continue to thrive thanks to their heel turn. They came off as vicious and bloodthirsty in this short bout.

The Ascension, meanwhile, were non-factors. This was a chance to get them some juice, but they were relegated to background players.

The action wasn't anything special, even with a few bursts of Slater's infectious enthusiasm. It was clearly a means to further The Usos' momentum ahead of No Mercy. The match did a solid job of that.

Natayla and Carmella vs. Nikki Bella and Naomi

Nikki Bella and Naomi took control of Carmella early on, flustering the heel. 

Natalya, though, pounced when Naomi hit her leg on the ring steps. She and Carmella kept a limping Naomi in their corner. Naomi eventually escaped to tag in a charged-up Bella.

An enraged Bella floored her foes. The Prince of Staten Island sneaked up on her, however, and rolled her up for a three-count.

Result

Carmella and Natalya win via pinfall. 

Memorable Moments and Quotes

• Carmella and Natalya hit Naomi with a double Northern Lights Suplex.
• "I can't stand you, Naomi!"—Natalya.

Grade

C+

Analysis

An OK match trumped last week's truncated contest. Carmella and Bella's bad blood was the best part of a bout with minimal highlights.

WWE has nurtured the Carmella-Bella feud with steady violence, but the story needs more depth to help the audience invest. Why is Carmella so intent on destroying Bella? How is this feud different from everything else?

Carmella continually getting the best of the former Divas champ has been a welcome part of the narrative. It's made the newcomer from NXT look like a bigger deal in a hurry.

The Miz's Homecoming Celebration

Backstage, The Miz instructed a worker to cover up a LeBron James poster on the wall with one of himself.

With fireworks exploding at the entrance ramp, he made his way to the ring where he and his wife Maryse celebrated The Miz. A video package aired tracing his journey to WWE stardom. He trashed Cleveland for not appreciating him sooner.

The Miz insulted Dolph Ziggler's parents who sat in the stands. That inspired an angry Ziggler to confront the intercontinental champ.

Citing his recent losses, The Miz said Ziggler didn't deserve another title shot. The Showoff grew emotional as he talked of his love of wrestling and begged for a crack at the champ, even offering to put his career on the line.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

• "This is like Muhammad Ali coming back to Louisville after knocking out Joe Louis."—John "Bradshaw" Layfield.
• "I'm the only hero in Cleveland."—The Miz.
• "You created a world-class, elite-level loser."—The Miz to Ziggler's parents.
• "Your career just makes me sick. And I would be embarrassed if it was mine."—The Miz.
• "It's a sickness, and I can't stop."—Ziggler on his career.

Grade

A+

Analysis

Ziggler's emotional speech and The Miz's grade A heel work led to one of the best segments of the year.

WWE is finally taking advantage of the story of The Showoff's failures. He has become so desperate for victory, he is willing to leave the business he loves if he can't grab the gold from The Miz. That instantly injected adrenaline into this rivalry.

Minus these high stakes, Ziggler vs. The Miz would have been ho-hum fare. With them, it has suddenly morphed into a match that will propel the PPV card.

AJ Styles vs. Dean Ambrose (WWE World Heavyweight Championship)

Credit: WWE.com

John Cena sat in on commentary as Dean Ambrose challenged AJ Styles. The Lunatic Fringe pummeled Styles, peppering him with fists on the announcers' table.

The Phenomenal One gained control during the commercial break. He and Ambrose traded high-impact moves as Cena talked of looking to become one of the greatest of all time.

Styles attacked Ambrose's right knee, setting him up for the Calf Crusher.

The back-and-forth match left each man drained. Champion and challenger took big risks to try and end the contest.

In a chaotic finish, Styles bumped into Cena leading to the powerhouse disrupting the match. Styles rolled up a distracted Ambrose to secure the win.

Result

Styles wins via pinfall to retain the WWE World Championship.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

• Ambrose says he will turn Styles into "The guy who is going to cry."
• "Last week, I beat John Cena. That's old news, much like John Cena."—Ambrose.
• Ambrose clamps a cloverleaf on Styles.
• "It's tough to get a lunatic to give up."—Cena.
  
• Ambrose clotheslines Styles off the ring ropes.
• Styles misses a 450 Splash.

Grade

A-

Analysis

Thrust into chase mode again, Ambrose has been more enthralling. He has flourished as the hungry, desperate man with a carrot dangling over his head.

He and Styles put on another strong match. Although, it wasn't nearly as dramatic as their Backlash encounter.

Cena has made his motivation quite clear. He is going after Ric Flair's record 16 world-title reigns. That's a smart goal to give his character, offering him something bigger to chase than just the championship itself.

Animosity bubbled over here—each man more upset with the other after the contest. Continuing to do that will be key to getting the most out of No Mercy's main event.