Daniel Bryan def. Fandango

Daniel Bryan competes in front of a hometown crowd against Fandango.

SEATTLE – Perhaps it’s only fitting that the 2013 Slammys kicked off with a bout between two of its biggest nominees: Not only did Daniel Bryan and Fandango go head-to-head in several categories, but they also battled out the first tilt of the evening when Raw convened in Seattle. Unfortunately for the Breakout Star of the Year nominee, Bryan denied Fandango any in-ring glory, although the hometown hero’s night ended on an ominous note when all was said and done.

Photos: Bryan battles in his hometown

Bryan fed off the energy of his fellow Washingtonians to force Fandango onto his heels, but the dancing king gritted his way through the former WWE Champion's kicks to gain a brief advantage. A missed top-rope leg drop proved the difference-maker, giving Bryan all the room he needed to finish Fandango off with a flying headbutt and running knee.

Watch Bray's final offer to Bryan

Bryan didn’t get to “YES! YES! YES!” his way into the sunset, though, as Bray Wyatt appeared on the TitanTron and offered Bryan one last chance to join his Family or face his wrath; an offer that was met with an emphatic "NO!" that may cost Bryan dearly in six days' time.

Watch: Slammy winners accept their trophies | Photos of the victors

Damien Sandow def. Santino Marella

Santino Marella and Damien Sandow square off while Intercontinental Champion Big E Langston provides commentary,

Santino is responsible for more “LOL” moments than most in WWE, yet The Italian Stallion wasn’t exactly cracking up when Damien Sandow bested him in the ring just moments after The Rock won the “LOL!” Moment of the Year Slammy. Sandow put on a clinic for his TLC opponent Big E Langston at the announce table, picking Santino apart methodically and making a strong case for his status as the No. 1 contender to Langston’s Intercontinental Championship.

Photos: Sandow disdainfully defeats Santino | Watch the post-match showdown

The Italian Stallion briefly turned the tables and went so far as to produce The Cobra for a match-ending strike, yet Sandow was ready with a leg sweep that took Marella down. The Enlightened One followed up with “You’re Welcome” for a win that had him smiling. Langston, however, was less than impressed, getting in Sandow’s face and forcing the No. 1 contender into a hasty retreat.

The Miz def. Kofi Kingston

Kofi Kingston and The Miz continue their rivalry on Raw.

From one double-cross to another, The Miz and Kofi Kingston wasted no time continuing their tumultuous rivalry only minutes after The Shield awarded Shawn Michels the Double-Cross of the Year Slammy. The animosity between Kofi and The Awesome One – started over a bait-and-switch Miz pulled last month – seemed to finally get the better of the typically genial Boom Squad General. Despite a surprisingly ferocious display by Kingston, Miz displayed the patience of a born trickster when he reversed Kofi’s roll-up by launching him into the turnbuckle, pinning the loopy Kingston with a fistful of tights.

Photos: Miz swindles his way to a win | Watch Kofi's retribution

Lest anyone think Miz had the bragging rights sewn up, though, the “Wildcat” showed his claws and pounced on The Awesome One after the match, delivering an atypically aggressive Trouble in Paradise that felled his opponent like a tree.

WWE Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Goldust, Big Show & Rey Mysterio def. The Real Americans, Ryback & Curtis Axel

Rey Mysterio & Big Show team with the WWE Tag Team Champions against The Real Americans and Rybaxel.

Not only did The Real Americans lose the Tag Team of the Year Slammy to Cody Rhodes & Goldust, but the self-styled patriots were stewing in defeat when they teamed with Rey Mysterio & Big Show to topple Ryback & Curtis Axel in an Eight Man Tag Team Match on Raw. The four fan favorites started out strong thanks to Big Show; things got hairy for a while though after Jack Swagger turned the tide against Goldust to give their opponents a lengthy leg up.

Photos: Mysterio strikes Axel down | Watch the thrilling action

“Rybaxel” traded offense on The Bizarre One and softened him up for Antonio Cesaro, yet the former Intercontinental Champion managed to reach his brother for a last-minute tag. Axel entered the fray at the same time and immediately fell to a barrage of offense from both Cody and Mysterio, who capitalized on Big Show’s dismantling of Swagger, Cesaro and Ryback to finish the deed with a 619. Booyaka!

Sin Cara def. Alberto Del Rio

Sin Cara squares off with Alberto Del Rio on Raw.

Despite the fact that Sin Cara wasn’t in the running for Superstar of the Year, the masked International Icon is certainly making a strong case for consideration in 2014. The freshly-inked highflier not only defeated Alberto Del Rio for the second time in two weeks; he did so in gritty, heartfelt fashion, gutting out a lengthy victory over his cunning countryman.

Watch: Sin Cara repeats his victory | Photos of the high-flying action

Del Rio, clearly wary of Sin Cara in the wake of last week’s upset, initially picked his openings carefully and tried to whittle away at the luchador’s defenses. The strategy worked for a time, and “Mexico’s Greatest Export” kept his opponent earthbound with a smothering mat game … until Sin Cara reversed Del Rio’s top rope-superplex into a tremendous powerbomb. With Del Rio plastered onto the mat, Sin Cara had only to administer his signature senton to send the former World Champion home stewing once again.

Brodus Clay def. Xavier Woods

Xavier Woods has his work cut out for him against Brodus Clay.

Looks like big Brodus Clay wasn’t feeling particularly funky this evening. Despite the crowd-pleasing presentation of Fan Participation of the Year, The Funkasaurus wasted no time in spoiling the general mood of the WWE Universe – not to mention Xavier Woods – in a display of aggression he hasn’t shown in years. The exciting newcomer Woods has found himself in Brodus’ crosshairs of late after the big man accused Woods of piggybacking off his success, yet the PhD candidate has successfully schooled the tag-team titan over the last few weeks. That was not the case in Seattle; Brodus stomped the doctor out in a matter of moments, though he wasn’t content with a simple victory and continued to pound Woods with splashes until Tensai and R-Truth hauled him away.

CM Punk def. U.S. Champion Dean Ambrose

CM Punk and Dean Ambrose face off in the ring while the members of The Shield watch from ringside.

How’s this for Insult of the Year? Despite the fact that CM Punk bested the self-proclaimed “baddest man in The Shield,” Dean Ambrose, it was the star-spangled champion’s ascendant teammate Roman Reigns that truly left The Straight Edge Superstar humiliated after the match was over.

Photos: Punk & Ambrose's epic rematch | Roman Reigns strikes after the bell

Suffering through a set of bruised ribs, the bout was an uphill battle for Punk from the word go. Ambrose ruthlessly exploited his opponent’s injury, countering a cross body with a knee to the chest that left the former WWE Champion writhing in pain. Punk slowly fought his way to an advantage with body blows of his own, and Ambrose’s hasty dismissal of his Shield-mates after a ringside spat left him vulnerable to a surprise roll-up from Punk. The Shield’s pack-of-Hounds mentality kicked in immediately, though, when Rollins distracted Punk at ringside and Reigns capitalized, obliterating the battered victor with his Slammy Award-winning Spear.

The Wyatt Family def. The Usos

The Usos clash with The Wyatt Family on Raw.

The Usos have been on a scorching run of late, yet the twin brothers were left out in the cold when they felt the wrath of a different kind of Family. The highfliers’ hot streak was snuffed out in brutish fashion by The Wyatts, who grounded the Samoan sensations with impunity only six days before they face Daniel Bryan in a 3-on-1 Handicap Match at TLC.

Watch: Family vs. family in Wyatts vs. Usos | Wyatts roll to TLC

Despite the fact that Bray Wyatt himself did not partake in the action on Raw, his lieutenants Erick Rowan and Luke Harper acquitted themselves perfectly on his behalf, using their brute strength to counter Jimmy & Jey Uso’s high-flying offense. The brothers briefly gained the advantage against Luke Harper, but the bearded brute rallied from a top-rope splash to administer his crushing clothesline and put the twins to bed.

Natalya def. Tamina Snuka

Natalya goes one-on-one with Tamina Snuka while Divas Champion AJ Lee watches from ringside.

AJ Lee has said no challenger will ever be able to pry the Divas Championship from her clutches. It can’t bode well for the “black widow,” though, that her woman-at-arms Tamina Snuka was left tapping to AJ’s TLC challenger Natalya just days before AJ puts her prize up for grabs. Tamina stormed her way to the early advantage, dominating The Queen of Harts in an opening burst that seemed to indicate a decisive win was in order. But the two Divas’ first Raw match in almost three years ended with Natalya triumphant after she took advantage of a failed interference from AJ – and Tamina’s subsequent disorientation – to ply the Sharpshooter for a submission win.

WWE Champion Randy Orton and World Heavyweight Champion John Cena met in a ‘Championship Ascension’

The Championship Ascension Ceremony doesn't go as planned when chaos erupts inside the Raw ring.

With 20 former WWE and World Champions gathered in the ring, John Cena and Randy Orton exchanged their final words as individual champions, and, just as in their contract signing, the peace broke down in epic fashion. Orton delivered a cheap-shot to Cena following a handshake from The Champ and signature maneuvers were soon flying left and right: CM Punk received a retaliatory Sweet Chin Music from Shawn Michaels after he went to town on Triple H; Daniel Bryan responded by blasting HBK with a running knee; but disaster really struck when Bryan dodged the RKO and shoved Orton full-speed into a defenseless Stephanie McMahon.

Watch finishers fly in a "Championship Ascension" gone wrong | Photos of the melee

Despite Orton’s shock, Triple H immediately Pedigreed his “Face of WWE” while Kane and Cena rushed to Stephanie’s defense. And while The Champ stood unified in collective concern with The Authority, the corporate power’s chosen representative slithered away, stunned and alone, with history literally hanging in the air.