WWE SmackDown Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from Draft Night 1
On the same night that things were shaken up by way of night one of the 2023 WWE draft, Friday's episode of SmackDown saw the top prize in tag team wrestling up for grabs in a momentous WrestleMania rematch.
Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn defended the WWE Undisputed Tag Team Championship against The Usos in a blockbuster main event. Were the underdog champions able to extend their reign atop the tag team division, or did Jimmy and Jey Uso regain the titles and the confidence of cousin Roman Reigns?
The answer to that question. as well as which stars will call Raw and SmackDown home for the foreseeable future, lies in this recap of the April 28 Fox broadcast from the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Match Card
1 of 9Announced in advance for Friday's show:
- WWE Undisputed Tag Team Championship Match: Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens (c) vs. The Usos
- Zelina Vega vs. Sonya Deville
- The start of the 2023 WWE draft
Superstars Eligible for the WWE Draft
2 of 9Superstars Eligible for Night One of the WWE Draft
- Becky Lynch
- Bianca Belair
- Bobby Lashley
- Candice LeRae
- Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville
- Cody Rhodes
- Damage CTRL (Bayley, Iyo Sky and Dakota Kai)
- Dexter Lumis
- Dolph Ziggler
- Drew McIntyre
- Edge
- Hit Row (Top Dolla, Ashante Thee Adonis and B-Fab)
- Imperium (Gunther, Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci)
- Lacey Evans
- Matt Riddle
- Maximum Male Models (ma.cé, mån.sôör & Maxxine Dupri)
- Mustafa Ali
- Natalya
- Omos
- Shinsuke Nakamura
- The Bloodline (Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa)
- The Miz
- The OC (AJ Styles, Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson and Michin)
- The Street Profits
- Viking Raiders (with Valhalla)
- Select NXT Stars
Round One of the WWE Draft and The Bloodline Speaks
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The 2023 WWE draft kicked off with a jovial Triple H announcing the first four picks, headlined by The Bloodline's Roman Reigns, Solo Sikoa and Paul Heyman sticking with SmackDown at the No. 1 spot.
The first round of draft picks gave way to a promo from The Usos and Undisputed WWE Tag Team champions Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn to sell the night's WrestleMania 39 main event rematch later in the show.
The crowd was pumped for the draft proceedings, Triple H appeared to be having a blast as he laid the foundation for the future of WWE as he sees it, and Zayn continued to plant the seeds that Jimmy and Jey Uso are just pawns in their cousin's manipulation.
A lot happened, all of it important, and the result was a hot start to the show.
Grade
A
Round One Recap
- SmackDown selected The Bloodline (Roman Reigns, Solo Sikoa and Paul Heyman)
- Raw selected "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes
- SmackDown selected Raw Women's Champion Bianca Belair
- Raw selected Becky Lynch
Top Moments
- "The post-Draft rosters will officially go into effect beginning Monday, May 8, after Backlash," Triple H revealed.
- Triple H pointed out that Rhodes' music cut off right before the big "whoa!" spot and allowed the audience to do it anyway.
- Jimmy revealed that Reigns has not responded to their attempts to reach out since WrestleMania.
- Zayn continued to try and convince The Usos that Reigns does not care about them, to which Owens responded by admitting exhaustion from the talking and sold the night's main event.
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Butch vs. LA Knight
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LA Knight shook off the stink of Maximum Male Models, and overcame shaky creative during his program with Bray Wyatt, to get over with the audience. Then, he lost. A lot.
After incessant defeats, Knight finally scored a quality win Friday night, knocking off The Brawling Brutes' Butch and looking like the star he is in the process.
The competitive match ended with Knight scoring the clean victory, much to the delight of a WWE Universe that has been solidly behind him in recent months.
With the WWE draft providing Superstars the opportunity of a fresh start, one can only hope the shakeup allows him to land in a situation that both suits and allows him to grow into a more substantial position on the card.
For Butch, may this be one of the last times he has to compete under that ridiculous name as Triple H finds a way to get him back to being the relentless, badass Brit, Pete Dunne.
Result
Knight defeated Butch
Grade
B-
Top Moments
- A brief recap of a backstage confrontation during last week's SmackDown LowDown served as the emphasis for this otherwise random match.
- Knight leapt to the top rope and delivered a big superplex.
- Knight delivered the BFT for a long overdue victory.
Round Two of the WWE Draft and Triple Threat Tag Team Action
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Fresh off being the third pick of SmackDown in this year's draft, The Street Profits set the tone for their upcoming run with the blue brand as they defeated Braun Strowman and Ricochet, and the LWO's Cruz del Toro and Joaquin Wilde, in an action-packed, high-energy Triple Threat Match.
It makes sense that the former tag team champions were drafted as a unit, since they never underwent any sort of breakup angle, but one has to wonder how long they will remain united before the inevitable Montez Ford push ensues.
As Angelo Dawkins has proved countless times over the past year, and again Friday with the explosiveness of his performance, he may be the surprise breakout Superstar if and when that split takes place.
Regardless of the timing, WWE is in a good place in that it will eventually have two dynamic and charismatic solo stars on its hands, both of whom have shown they can hang at the highest levels of competition.
Result
Street Profits defeated LWO and Strowman and Ricochet
Grade
C+
Round Two Recap
- SmackDown selected The Street Profits
- Raw selected Imperium's Gunther, Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci
- SmackDown selected Edge
- Raw selected Matt Riddle
Top Moments
- "The entire Raw locker room has gotta be on a high right now because Matt Riddle is coming to Raw."
- RVD announcing the Riddle pick was, like, most excellent, bro.
- Strowman and Ricochet made light of last week's botch before The Monster Among Monsters tossed his partner over the top rope and on to the opposition once again.
- Dawkins flew, wiping out Strowman at ringside, only for Ricochet to follow suit and lay him out.
- Ford, off a blind tag, delivered the frog splash to Ricochet for the win.
Round Three of the WWE Draft and Zelina Vega vs. Sonya Deville
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Bobby Lashley is headed to SmackDown following the fairly one-sided third round of the WWE draft, joined by The OC's AJ Styles, Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson and Michin on the blue brand.
The All-Mighty needed a fresh start, and he gets it on SmackDown, where he has the opportunity to challenge Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship in a match that has not happened since 2019.
Following the announcements of the latest picks by John Bradshaw Layfield and Teddy Long, Zelina Vega battled Sonya Deville, hoping to gain some momentum entering her SmackDown Women's Championship Match against Rhea Ripley at Backlash on May 6.
She did just that, scoring a win over the former WWE official. She added an exclamation point on her night, countering the Riptide from a sneak-attacking Ripley into a DDT.
It was a strong showing for Vega ahead of the biggest match of her WWE career, but there is no denying that Ripley is a buzzsaw that is as over as any other woman on the show. The crowd in Corpus Christi was red-hot for Mami and showered her with cheers, despite her role as a heel.
Result
Vega defeated Deville
Grade
B
Round Three Recap
- SmackDown selected Bobby Lashley
- Raw selected Drew McIntyre
- SmackDown selected The OC's AJ Styles, Michin, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson
- Raw selected The Miz
Top Moments
- Wade Barrett recalled his rivalry with The Miz, admitting he was happy to see The Hollywood A-Lister will be sticking on Raw.
- Chelsea Green accompanied Deville at ringside.
- Chants of "Mami" spilled from the stands as Ripley's undeniable popularity was on display.
The OC Sends a Message and the Fourth Round of the WWE Draft
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The OC's AJ Styles, Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows and "Michin" Mia Yim sent a message loudly and clearly to the rest of the SmackDown roster, just moments after being drafted to the brand, by laying out The Viking Raiders.
It was a statement by a group that has been utilized questionably over a few different runs with the company; one that suggests Styles and Co. are about to be significant players in the creative future of the brand.
That benefits Gallows, Anderson and Yim, all of whom are more valuable than they have been portrayed since The Phenomenal One's untimely injury last December.
The draft continued from there, with the first three Superstars from NXT finally making their way to the main roster, as womens tag champions Isla Dawn and Alba Fyre joined the blue brand and singles champ Indi Hartwell joined the flagship.
Dawn and Fyre are most interesting in that they were in the process of establishing themselves as a tag team force on Tuesday nights and will now look to do so on the main roster.
Hartwell's call-up has been a long time coming. As of now, Johnny Gargano, Candice LeRae and Dexter Lumis are all members of the red brand, potentially setting up a reunion for The Way should Triple H opt go in that direction.
Grade
A
Round Four Recap
- SmackDown selected Damage CTRL
- Raw selected Shinsuke Nakamura
- SmackDown selected Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn
- Raw selected Indi Hartwell
Top Moments
- "Ah, four against three, you're smarter than you look," Styles said, mocking the heels' numbers disadvantage.
- "SmackDown...we have just started," Styles warned the blue brand locker room.
- Styles launched himself off the top rope with a Phenomenal Forearm, laying out Ivar and erasing any doubts that he is cleared for competition after suffering a broken ankle on December 29.
- "I don't know if it's possible to lose your smile twice, but you might just do it here tonight in Corpus Christi," Road Dogg teased Michaels over losing both his singles and tag team women's champions on NXT.
WWE Undisputed Tag Team Championship Match: Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn vs. The Usos
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The Usos dedicated their match against Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens to Roman Reigns, a decision Jimmy and Jey undoubtedly regretted the moment the officials' hand slapped the mat for a third time.
Zayn and Owens retained their titles in another stellar match between the teams, threatening The Usos' place in The Bloodline and their relationship with their cousin.
That Solo Sikoa, having created separation from Matt Riddle after a brief brawl, shook his head in frustration as he watched the champions celebrate their victory suggests that The Enforcer was sent to the ring to either prevent that outcome or knows now that he must excommunicate his brothers from the family.
The Bloodline story appears to be reaching a crescendo and, hopefully, culminates with Jimmy and Jey standing up for themselves after being utilized as pawns to help elongate The Tribal Chief's historic championship reign.
Result
Zayn and Owens defeated The Usos to retain
Grade
A+
Top Moments
- Backstage, Paul Heyman held Solo Sikoa back from joining The Usos in the arena, claiming Roman Reigns wanted his cousins to have the spotlight for themselves. The look he shot The Enforcer suggested otherwise, though.
- Heyman watched over Sikoa's shoulder from the backstage area and appeared to be thrilled as Reigns told him, via phone call, that tonight is Solo's night.
- Matt Riddle attacked Sikoa, preventing his interference in the match.
- Jey rocked Zayn with a superkick, leaving Owens to fend for himself. He valiantly stayed in the match, defiantly fighting off his opponents.
- Zayn recovered and delivered the Helluva Kick for the successful title defense.
- "The ocean of obscurity awaits The Usos!" Michael Cole said, expressing the displeasure Reigns will have with the outcome.
Episode Wrap-Up and Final Grade
9 of 9The April 28 episode of SmackDown was sold on two things: the first night of the WWE draft and the WrestleMania main event rematch.
Both delivered.
The draft brought with it a few surprises and much-needed changes of scenery for Superstars like Drew McIntyre, Bobby Lashley and Bianca Belair. It also brought about the return of AJ Styles, who will likely thrive on SmackDown and could provide Roman Reigns with a fresh challenger he has not faced since 2016.
The main event was the superb match you expect out of Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn and The Usos and featured the logical storyline advancement that fans have come to demand out of the Bloodline saga.
Throw in a fun three-way tag match and a big night for Zelina Vega ahead of Backlash and you have a successful show that made good on its promises.
Overall Grade: A
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