WWE SmackDown Results: Biggest Winners, Losers and Moments from December 13

While Raw prepared for Sunday's Roadblock: End of the Line pay-per-view, WWE SmackDown focused its attention on filling in the remainder of its calendar year with meaningful matches.

This included promoting a Fatal 4-Way bout to determine the No. 1 contender to face AJ Styles for his WWE Championship during the final SmackDown show of the year on Dec. 27.

The brand also announced the return of franchise star John Cena, crowned new top contenders to the SmackDown tag team titles and featured an impromptu Women's Championship bout between new champion Alexa Bliss and former titleholder Becky Lynch.

It was a noteworthy broadcast, but which Superstars emerged as the biggest winner and loser of the night?

Superstar	Winner or Loser	Why?
Zack Ryder	Loser	The Hype Bros may be the new No. 1 contenders to the tag titles, but a significant knee injury threatens to sideline Ryder for the foreseeable future.
Alexa Bliss	Winner	The SmackDown women's champion continues to grow and evolve as a performer and now serves as the lead heel in a rapidly improving division.
Luke Harper	Winner	A spot in the main event and an increasing role as part of the newly revamped Wyatt Family? Harper appears poised to enjoy a breakout year in 2017, especially if he can capitalize on his newfound momentum.

Biggest Winner: Dolph Ziggler

For the second time since he arrived on SmackDown, Dolph Ziggler is the No. 1 contender to the WWE Championship.

To achieve that, he defeated the man he failed to beat for the title back at SummerSlam, Dean Ambrose, and he will now challenge Styles in 13 days.

Ziggler has been one of the revelations of this brand extension.

Since July, he has been one of the faces of Tuesday nights. Whether competing for the world title or holding down the midcard in a critically acclaimed rivalry with The Miz, Ziggler has done some of his best work of the last two years in this six-month span.

Now, he has the opportunity to close out the year in a huge championship clash against the best wrestler on the planet. That is a hell of a way to make a statement heading into 2017, a year in which Ziggler's influence on the SmackDown brand could expand even more.

Is it likely he'll dethrone Styles? No, but strong performances that keep the audience engrossed will only help when he finally does unseat the champion one day and embarks on one last great run.

Biggest Loser: James Ellsworth

Poor James Ellsworth.

The lovable loser went and turned himself heel, betting on his misguided belief that he can defeat AJ Styles for the WWE Championship on his own. He has yet to receive the title opportunity he was promised two weeks in a row.

Worse yet, he was taken out of the match with The Phenomenal One because of a cold and deemed unable to compete.

Yes, the excuse fits the puny Superstar, but at the same time, with every passing week, it feels like WWE Creative is backtracking a little more on the Ellsworth experiment.

His absence from Tuesday's show—besides a brief appearance in the backstage opener—suggests SmackDown's writing staff either recognizes it must pump the brakes with his push or has decided to move him away from such a high-profile role.

Either way, Ellsworth's stock dropped significantly Tuesday, with his championship match cancelled and his presence nearly nonexistent.

If it continues, the Great Ellsworth Experiment of 2016 may be over before fans can be granted any suitable conclusion to his story.