WWE SmackDown Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from November 28

Kevin Owens would serve his penance for interfering in, and costing, Team SmackDown its match against Team Raw at Survivor Series, as he faced the reality of a No Disqualification match against Randy Orton in Tuesday night's main event.

Worse yet, there was no safety blanket in the form of Sami Zayn to be found, as SmackDown Live Commissioner Shane McMahon banned The Underdog from the Underground from ringside.

Would The Prizefighter be able to overcome the insurmountable odds and buck McMahon's attempt at revenge once more, or would he become the latest victim of the vaunted RKO?

Newcomers Sarah Logan, Liv Morgan and Ruby Riott were in action as they battled women's champion Charlotte, Naomi and Natalya in a Six-Woman Tag Team match. After The Queen dethroned Nattie two weeks ago, would they coexist long enough to score a victory and teach the NXT exports a lesson?

WWE champion AJ Styles took on The Singh Brothers in a Handicap match, while The New Day battled Shelton Benjamin and Chad Gable to round out the night's in-ring content.

Shane McMahon Promo

Shane McMahon was a bit dismayed that SmackDown Live general manager Daniel Bryan did not fire Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn as he had instructed a week earlier and called the immensely popular authority figure to the squared circle for the night's opening segment.

Bryan attempted to justify the further employment of Owens and Zayn, to which McMahon ran down the list of crimes against the heels.

Bryan claimed Owens and Zayn did what they did in the name of competition and grabbing the proverbial brass ring. If they were fired, they would have ended up on Raw, Bryan argued.

McMahon applauded Bryan on the Randy Orton vs. Owens main event and added to it, barring Zayn from ringside and announcing No Disqualification rules.

Grade

A

Analysis

Forget the main event announcement, this segment scored an "A" rating because it planted the seeds for major dissension between SmackDown Live's commissioner and general manager.

It is that sort of foreshadowing that makes for a more interesting show and the types of storylines fans can invest in. Throw in Bryan, arguably the most beloved star of the so-called Reality Era, and you have even more reason for fans to care.

A strong segment far beyond the continuation of the vendetta McMahon has against Owens and Zayn.

The New Day vs. Shelton Benjamin and Chad Gable

The New Day controlled the pace of the match early, frustrating Chad Gable until the former Olympian was able to ground Xavier Woods and make the tag to Shelton Benjamin heading into the commercial break.

The upstart tandem continued to control the action until Woods used his last ounce of energy to catch Gable with a missile dropkick. A hot tag to Kofi Kingston ignited The New Day's comeback. The former tag team champions cleared Gable and Benjamin out, allowing Woods to soar over the top rope and wipe them out at ringside.

Back in, The New Day delivered a backbreaker/double-stomp combination to score the victory.

Result

The New Day defeated Shelton Benjamin and Chad Gable

Grade

B-

Analysis

It is virtually impossible for The New Day to have a bad match these days given the chemistry among its members, and Benjamin and Gable are strong enough workers to ensure a quality bout.

With that said, the match was far too quick to reach its full potential, even with strong performances from all involved. Woods is low-key great, while Kingston had a spark of energy late that really fueled the closing moments.

A quality match that did more to create a hunger for a rematch than satisfy fans.

Hype Bros vs. The Bludgeon Brothers

The match between The Bludgeon Brothers and The Hype Bros lasted mere seconds, as the tandem obliterated Zack Ryder, pinning him following a double chokeslam reminiscent of Kronik's High Times from WCW.

After the match, Dasha Fuentes interviewed Ryder, who was attacked and laid out by a frustrated Mojo Rawley. The 2017 Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal winner paid off weeks of teases by pummeling his mentor and tag team partner, punishing him despite an attempt by Charles Robinson to pull the NXT star away.

Rawley was intense and unrelenting as he unloaded on his partner. Content in his assault, he exited the squared circle, a stoic look on his face.

Result

The Bludgeon Brothers defeated The Hype Bros

Grade

A

Analysis

Not only are Luke Harper and Erick Rowan incredibly fun to watch in this incarnation, the post-match heel turn by Rawley was so excellently executed Bret Hart would give it a solid 7/10.

The turn has been weeks in the making and capped off a breakup that really should have occurred a month or so ago.

It should be interesting to see where Rawley goes as a heel. He was fantastic here, but his hyped character does not fit the role at all. Does he get a complete makeover, or does WWE attempt to fit the proverbial square peg in the round hole, forcing something that will never work?

Handicap Match: AJ Styles vs. The Singh Brothers

Credit: WWE.com

The Singh Brothers introduced former WWE champion Jinder Mahal ahead of their scheduled Handicap match against new titleholder AJ Styles.

Prior to the bell, The Maharaja attacked The Phenomenal One, pummeling him into the ground to a chorus of boos. He tossed him to the arena floor as the show headed to break, creating questions about the status of the match.

Back from the commercial, Sunil and Samir double-teamed Styles, working over the battered champion.

Styles, predictably, fought his way back into the match and even caught Mahal with a boot to the face.

The Phenomenal One thwarted Mahal's plan, delivering a Styles Clash from the middle rope to one brother, onto the other, and scored the pinfall victory.

After the match, a disgusted Mahal showed The Singh Brothers tough love, delivering a Khallas to Sunil, then Samir.

Result

AJ Styles defeated The Singh Brothers

Grade

B+

Analysis

On a night of character development and booking decisions that would dictate the direction certain stars take in the coming weeks, the apparent split between Mahal and The Singh Brothers creates a scenario where The Maharaja must now prove he can win matches and championships without Sunil and Samir interfering on his behalf.

On the surface, it looks like Mahal has lost a major piece of his act, but in reality, it will strengthen his credibility if he can roll into Night of Champions on December 17 and win the title.

If not, as is the case with any great heel, his legitimacy is called into question because he cannot win by himself.

Charlotte, Natalya and Naomi vs. Ruby Riott, Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan

A week after Ruby Riott, Sarah Logan and Liv Morgan burst onto the scene, they teamed up to battle Charlotte, Naomi and Natalya in a Six-Woman Tag Team match.

It took mere moments for the heel Natalya to walk out on her team, leaving the women's champion and her partner to fend for themselves.

The heels isolated Charlotte, working her over and ensuring she could not make the hot tag to Naomi.

The action spilled outside the ring, where the heels set up the ring steps and sent Naomi face-first into them, causing the referee to call for the trainer.

Charlotte, left on her own, endured further pain and punishment from her opponents.

Ultimately, group leader Riott scored the pinfall victory on Charlotte while medics immobilized Naomi and stretchered her out of the ring.

Result

Sarah Logan, Ruby Riott and Liv Morgan defeated Charlotte, Naomi and Natalya

Grade

A

Analysis

This was a great way to put the new competitors over as dangerous and uncaring. Riott, Logan and Morgan were believable in their attack, and the result was an engaging segment.

Of course, that was all undone after the break when the commentators failed to put over the gravity of the situation, instead opting to plug the next episode of Total Divas.

Still, the match was a great bit of storytelling that put the new trio over, created a sense of danger and injected a freshness into the women's division it desperately needed.

Randy Orton vs. Kevin Owens

Credit: WWE.com

Kevin Owens' judgment day was upon him Tuesday, as he came face-to-face with a Randy Orton determined to avenge Team SmackDown's loss at Survivor Series in a No Disqualification match.

The Viper took the fight to Owens, pounding away with hard rights to the head and an early RKO attempt, but The Prizefighter escaped. He did not escape, though, from Orton's punishing assault, as action spilled to the arena floor.

Orton drew curses from Owens as he obliterated him with a kendo stick, much to the delight of the WWE Universe. He also drew blood from the arm of his opponent as Owens screamed in agony. KO turned the tables in his favor, opportunistically catching his opponent with a kendo stick to the leg.

A fall-away slam into the guardrail followed as Owens seized control of the bout.

He pummeled Orton with the kendo stick and delivered a big senton for the count of two.

Owens continued to wear on Orton, beating him down and keeping him grounded. He tried for the cannonball, but The Viper rolled out of the way and began mounting his comeback. He hoisted Owens on the top rope and climbed up for the superplex.

Orton delivered the draping DDT, then a side suplex onto the barricade, followed by another to the announce table. Owens avoided an RKO by escaping through the fans. The fight spilled to the ramp, where Zayn appeared and attacked The Viper's leg with a steel chair, not technically breaking the rules because the fight was not technically at ringside.

With Orton hobbled but not out of it, he delivered a DDT to Owens and prepared for the RKO. Unable to plant on his knee, Orton hesitated long enough for Owens to deliver a superkick and the frog splash to score the hard-fought victory.

Result

Kevin Owens defeated Randy Orton

Grade

A

Analysis

This was a great, tough match in which Owens and Zayn added to their heel heat by cheating within the confines of the rules and beating the fan-favorite Orton. That type of heeldom, in which the villains outsmart the heroes and the authority figures, is even more effective in this day and age than the traditional villainy in which interference or overbooking robs babyfaces of victories.

Orton and Owens laid into each other with brutal shots, leaving the impression that they genuinely do not like each other. It added to the match and put over the idea that Orton really was avenging the loss of Team SmackDown at Survivor Series.

A perfect conclusion to a spectacular broadcast.