WWE SmackDown Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from Nov. 15

Brand loyalty reigned on the 900th edition of WWE SmackDown.

Raw's women charged onto the blue brand to tackle Nikki Bella and her crew. American Alpha and The Usos were willing to ignore their animosity as they focused on prepping for a showdown with Raw at Sunday's Survivor Series pay-per-view.

And even when Undertaker stepped back into the spotlight, he did so to fire up the SmackDown squad.

Out-of-character actions got in the way of a solid PPV build at times, but SmackDown once again pulled off the better go-home show. A series of clips of SmackDown's highlights throughout the years left little time to play with. Still, an adrenaline-rich opener and Undertaker's warning made for a memorable night.

What did SmackDown get right? And where did it trip up?

Read on for a breakdown of Tuesday's matches and moments.

Dolph Ziggler vs. The Miz (Intercontinental Championship)

Dolph Ziggler stared intently at his Intercontinental Championship before the bell.

The Miz and The Showoff traded momentum early during fast-paced sequences. The challenger slowed Ziggler by focusing on his left knee. 

A hobbled Ziggler still managed to score a number of near-falls. He fended off many of The Miz's best moves. Maryse lent a hand, though, helping The Miz roll up Ziggler for the win.

Result

The Miz wins via pinfall to become the IC champion.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

• The Miz hurls Ziggler into the security barricade.
• Ziggler dropkicks Miz out of the air.
• The Miz mocks Daniel Bryan's "Yes!" chant.
• "This is the kind of guy we want representing us."—David Otunga on Ziggler.

Grade

A-

Analysis

An excellent opener fed off counters and chemistry, as Ziggler and The Miz put on another strong performance. WWE wisely kicked off the show with hot in-ring action to get the crowd fired up early. 

WWE had neglected this rivalry and title in the past few weeks, so it was refreshing to see SmackDown revisit it. It's surprising and a bit deflating that all the build to Ziggler's reign led to such a short tenure.

The Miz's win is likely a setup for Sami Zayn to take the crown at Survivor Series.

Kalisto vs. Oney Lorcan

Oney Lorcan from NXT pounced on Kalisto, sending the luchador reeling with uppercuts. Kalisto responded with Salida Del Sol to score the quick win.

Result

Kalisto wins via pinfall.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

• Lorcan hits a running uppercut that sends Kalisto off his feet.

Grade

C-

Analysis

The idea here was to have Kalisto face a warm-up for his Survivor Series match against The Brian Kendrick. The announcers tried to sell the similarities between Lorcan and Kendrick, but they didn't ring true.

It would have made more sense to have a visitor from Raw's cruiserweight division.

A short match was a fine way to propel Kalisto, but the story here was missing a beat or two. Hard to showcase The King of Flight when he only leaves his feet once.

Nikki Bella vs. Carmella

Backstage, Alexa Bliss and Natalya argued when the latter tried to coach the former.

In the ring, Nikki Bella and Carmella hesitated briefly before brawling. Bella gained the advantage until the action moved to the outside. The Princess of Staten Island attacked her neck and punished her with a relentless attack.

Charlotte Flair emerged in the audience, waving around a ticket for the show.

Bella battled back but soon got focused on Flair. She attacked the Raw women's champ, but the rest of the red brand's females jumped on her. A full-scale brawl between the two show's women's divisions broke out.

Team SmackDown stood tall.

Result

Match ends in a no-contest. 

Memorable Moments and Quote

• Natalya quotes Chumbawamba lyrics.
• "The enmity between Carmella and Nikki Bella about to hit a fever pitch."—Mauro Ranallo.
• Carmella mocks John Cena's "you can't see me" gesture.
• Carmella hits a neckbreaker off the ring apron.
• Nia Jax crashes through the security barricade after Becky Lynch rolled out of the way.

Grade

B

Analysis

A mirror image of Raw's closing segment, this scuffle put some spotlight on the women, which we didn't get much of on Monday.

The animosity between the brands was palpable, but there just hasn't been enough narrative justification for it. Is the pure-of-heart Bayley so motivated by representing Raw that she would attack Bella while she was down? Her actions didn't match her character.

Carmella and Bella were on their way to putting on quite the match. The Princess of Staten Island has grown noticeably during this rivalry. She looks poised to make a significant impact at Survivor Series.

16-Man Tag Team Match

The Hype Bros, The Usos, American Alpha and Breezango vs. The Ascension, The Headbangers, The Spirit Squad and The Vaudevillains 

Backstage, Booker T, in his king garb, rallied the SmackDown troops backstage—but only briefly. Breezango interrupted and handed out tickets as the fashion police. 

SmackDown's Survivor Series squad (minus Heath Slater and Rhyno) went to battle and dominated early. The Hype Bros isolated Simon Gotch. The Usos beat up on The Spirit Squad.

The match soon broke down, with everyone getting involved. Chad Gable scored the win after hitting Grand Amplitude.

Result

The Hype Bros, The Usos, American Alpha and Breezango win via pinfall.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

• "You have to dress like champions, not some rejects from The Pirates of the Caribbean."—Booker T.
• Fans chant "We want Slater!"
• Gable hits Thrasher with a Alphaplex from the top rope.
• The Usos leap over the top rope onto all of their opponents.

Grade

C+

Analysis

This match showed off Team SmackDown's surprising team unity. It's smart to not tell the same story of the inner turmoil hurting Raw's squad.

Still, it's jarring to see Gable help The Usos so soon after the heels tore up his knee and put him out of action. Like with the women's segment, brand loyalty apparently trumped everything else.

This was a crowded bout. It served its purpose, but it makes one wonder whether the 10-on-10 Survivor Series match will be a jumbled mess.

Edge and Undertaker Return to SmackDown

Edge welcomed SmackDown's male Survivor Series team—Bray Wyatt, Randy Orton, Dean Ambrose, AJ Styles, James Ellsworth and Shane McMahon. The Hall of Famer shook Ellsworth's hand, saying he was proud of him.

Styles insulted Edge, who ignored him. The Rated-R Superstar asked Orton what has been wrong with him lately.

McMahon tried to get his teammates on the same page. 

Ambrose and Style argued, hyping their TLC match in December. Undertaker cut them off, entering through blue-lit fog. The Deadman stared down McMahon before praising his fearlessness. 

Undertaker said that, if Team SmackDown lost, its members would have reason to fear him.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

• "Anybody who knows me knows that I bleed blue."—Edge.
• "The Randy you once knew is dead."—Wyatt.
• "WrestleMania will no longer define me."—Undertaker.
• "I'm back, taking souls and digging holes."—Undertaker.

Grade

A-

Analysis

Undertaker left the audience with a myriad of questions, but he intrigued them. The Deadman implied he was going to be a bigger part of WWE, specifically SmackDown, going forward.

That would be massive for the blue brand. It's hard to imagine his body is up for the grind, though.

Although Undertaker's threats were rather vague, Survivor Series added some more stakes and another subplot.

It would have been great for Styles and Edge to go at it more. There was a chance to boost the world champ by letting him trade verbal blows with the Hall of Famer. If Undertaker does indeed stick around, however, Styles will have another icon to clash with.