WWE SmackDown Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction, Highlights Ahead of Backlash
Just 24 hours before WWE Backlash, Bad Bunny headlined a historic episode of SmackDown, live from a jam-packed Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan.
A red-hot crowd of WWE fans watched as one of the world's top streaming artists laid the final groundwork for his San Juan Street Fight against Damian Priest at Saturday's premium live event.
Elsewhere on the show, Shinsuke Nakamura sought to avenge weeks of torment by Karrion Kross in a battle for former NXT champions.
Match Card
1 of 9Advertised for Friday's show in advance:
- A rare SmackDown appearance from Bad Bunny
- Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Karrion Kross
Rey Mysterio and LWO Kicked Off SmackDown
2 of 9
Rey Mysterio and Zelina Vega battled Dominik Mysterio and SmackDown Women's Champion Rhea Ripley in a Mixed Tag Team Match in the main event of this week's show, the result of a red-hot promo at the top of the broadcast.
The fans in San Juan completely bought into the entire segment, loudly cheering the babyfaces and drowning out Dom's taunts. The energy was at a high, the emotion painted Vega's face, and the result was an opening segment with a bit more gravity than others.
The main event is going to be extraordinary, at least from a reaction standpoint.
A great start to the show, enhanced exponentially by the reaction of the fans to everything that unfolded in the ring.
Grade
A+
Top Moments
- The fans in San Juan were electric for the start of the show and greeted Mysterio and LWO with a thunderous pop.
- Vega was visibly emotional as she basked in the audience's love for the babyfaces.
- The Judgment Day interrupted, the jeers for the faction nearly as loud and passionate.
- The heat for Dominik was deafening, the fans barely allowing the second-generation star to speak.
- Dominik caught his father with a cheap shot to wrap up the segment, setting the table for the main event.
Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows vs. The Viking Raiders
3 of 9
On the heels of an electric debut a week ago, The OC's Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows defeated The Viking Raiders Friday night in a hard-hitting, physical battle.
Ivar and Erik controlled the pace early and throughout the break, but a late payback from Michin to Valhalla at ringside sparked a babyface comeback, and The Good Brothers netted their first, significant victory in what felt like months.
The OC is fixing to be a major part of SmackDown, something that has been evident since they were drafted to the blue brand last week, and that was apparent again this week.
AJ Styles, who spent the match on commentary, feels like the star that he is, and the group has an air about them that was missing during their renewed run last year. Expect them to be foundational pieces of the blue brand moving forward, and gritty wins in hard-fought matches like this will only help with getting fans to accept them in that role.
Result
Anderson and Gallows defeated The Viking Raiders
Grade
C+
Top Moments
- AJ Styles joined the commentary team for the match. "Michin" Mia Yim and Valhalla were in the corners of their respective teams at ringside.
- Ivar delivered the big splash from the top rope to Gallows, but Anderson just barely broke up the pin.
- Michin wiped out Valhalla at ringside, the distraction allowing Gallows to wipe out Ivar and The Good Brothers to deliver the Magic Killer for the win.
Bianca Belair Promo
4 of 9
Raw Womens' Champion Bianca Belair hit the ring for a promo, one night before defending against Damage CTRL's Iyo Sky at Backlash. With a win at the show, she would make history as the longest-reigning women's champion in WWE history.
Sky, Bayley and Dakota Kai predictably interrupted, a beatdown ensued and Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez made the save, leaving the babyfaces to stand tall and close out the segment.
This did little to establish Sky as a legitimate threat and, worse yet, did not create much hype for the title match Saturday night. As a result, The EST is likely to break the record and retain her championship, but it will mean less than it would have with an otherwise stronger opponent in a more meaningful match.
But, hey, at least they set the stage for a six-woman tag match or something.
Grade
C+
Top Moments
- Michael Cole reiterated that a win for Belair at Backlash Saturday night would make her the longest-reigning women's champion in WWE history.
- "No matter what brand I'm on, I'm always going to show up and show out," Belair said as the San Juan audience rained down with chants of "EST!"
- "I made you on this show!" Bayley claimed in response to Belair claiming that the blue brand holds a special place in her heart.
- Sky launched herself off the top rope with a dropkick and joined her Damage CTRL teammates in a beatdown of Belair before women's tag team champions Morgan and Rodriguez made the save.
- Backstage, Karrion Kross issued an ominous warning promo ahead of his match with Shinsuke Nakamura.
The Street Profits vs. Imperium
5 of 9
The Street Profits were drafted to SmackDown with an early pick, emphasizing their importance to the blue brand in the coming weeks and months.
They earned their second victory as a part of the roster Friday night, defeating Imperium's Giovanni Vinci and Ludwig Kaiser to move their win-loss record to 2-0 on the show.
It was a fun sprint of a match that put over the prowess of the heels but ultimately highlighted the resilience of the babyfaces, not to mention their awe-inspiring feats of athleticism.
What it meant and how long WWE can resist the urge to split Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins, and move into Ford's singles push, remains to be seen.
Result
Street Profits defeated Imperium
Grade
C+
Top Moments
- Prior to the match, The Usos demanded answers from Solo Sikoa during a backstage vignette. The Enforcer ominously warned Jimmy and Jey to do their jobs at Backlash when the three of them battle Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn and Matt Riddle because he's going to do his.
- Imperium executed a crafty tag right off the bat and took the fight to their opponents.
- Ford and Dawkins picked up the win by way of the latter's jaw-dropping frog splash to Vinci.
Cody Rhodes Promo
6 of 9
Cody Rhodes will battle Brock Lesnar Saturday night at Backlash, and on Friday, he took to the ring among thousands of enthusiastic fans with the intent of hyping the match.
He succeeded.
The American Nightmare is one of the best promos in the business and, even here, with less time to work with than usual, he still managed to paint the picture of The Beast as a gatekeeper that he must conquer to achieve his goal of finishing his story.
It is a simple narrative that fans can invest in, and the result should be a molten-hot match at the top of the Backlash card.
Grade
B
Top Moments
- A fantastic video package set the stage for the Backlash main event between Rhodes and Lesnar. Another example of the fantastic production team employed by WWE.
- Rhodes referred to Lesnar as a "gatekeeper," something he once admitted he did not want to be in AEW.
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Karrion Kross
7 of 9
The battle between Shinsuke Nakamura and Karrion Kross was the only match hyped for Friday's show, and it did not disappoint.
A brawl of a match saw both competitors throw everything they had at each other as they searched for the knockout blow that would earn them the win. Ultimately, it was new Raw draftee Nakamura who scored that victory, delivering his trademark Kinshasa for the win.
It was interesting to see Kross lose, especially considering the fact that he will be a member of the SmackDown brand on Fox moving forward, but there has been a greater emphasis on Nakamura of late, so it at least makes sense that The Artist would be presented more favorably.
Of course, WWE could have saved itself a booking headache by avoiding the match all together.
Still, the match was a lot of fun and proof that not every showdown has to be an overly long epic.
Result
Nakamura defeated Kross
Grade
B
Top Moments
- Nakamura fired up and unleashed on Kross, much to the delight of the fans.
- Scarlett provided a distraction, and Kross flattened Nakamura with a Doomsday Saito for two.
- The Artist countered the Kross Jacket into an armbar, but the heel powered out of it. Nakamura countered with a guillotine choke.
- Kross countered a Kinshasa with a massive clothesline for two.
- Nakamura delivered the Kinshasa for the hard-fought victory.
Rey Mysterio and Zelina Vega vs. Dominik Mysterio and Rhea Ripley
8 of 9
Friday's show wrapped up with a red-hot mixed tag match that saw Rey Mysterio once again avenge months of disrespect by his son, Dominik, by defeating the ungrateful spoiled brat and securing the victory.
Zelina Vega, ahead of the biggest match of her career, gave Rhea Ripley all she could handle while suggesting it may not be quite the cakewalk The Eradicator expected come Saturday night.
Of course, the match was almost secondary to the arrival of Bad Bunny after it, as the pop megastar made the save for the babyfaces and had one last staredown with Damian Priest ahead of the San Juan Street Fight at Backlash.
A strong main event, an electric crowd, and the raw emotion of Vega competing in Puerto Rico for the first time helped elevate this one.
Result
Rey Mysterio and Vega defeated Dominik Mysterio and Ripley
Grade
A
Top Moments
- Vega and Ripley worked a great big vs. small sequence early, not unlike something Rey would have worked with The Undertaker or Batista just over a decade ago.
- Ripley missed on a blind charge into the corner, allowing Vega to create separation and make the tag to Rey.
- Ripley attempted to halt the 619, but Vega pulled her from the apron and Rey delivered the move.
- Rey scored the win for his team, but Balor joined Dominik for a beatdown of the Hall of Famer. Priest joined in before Bad Bunny made the save, drawing one of the biggest pops of the night as he hit the ring with the LWO.
- Priest stood unfazed, staring down Bunny, daring him to bring the fight. Dominik interjected himself, and Bunny blasted him with a kendo stick, allowing Priest to escape and stare a hole through Bunny to close the segment.
Overall Grade
9 of 9After a so-so edition of Raw Monday night, WWE really needed to hit the ball out of the park with the final hype for Saturday's Backlash on this episode of SmackDown. For the most part, it did, with an extraordinarily excited, hot, enthusiastic crowd in San Juan to really help elevate the entire production.
The Bad Bunny-Damian Priest match may actually rival Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar for the most anticipated on the card, and the great booking of the LWO-Judgment Day stuff here certainly helped with that.
Add to that the quite solid Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Karrion Kross match and an emphasis on highlighting The OC, Bianca Belair, Damage CTRL and The Street Profits as acts that will be key to the future success of SmackDown and you have a show that both built to the upcoming premium live event while looking down the road a bit at the men and women who will be the faces of the brand for the foreseeable future.
Not a perfect show, with some pacing issues hurting the timing of the in-ring product, but it was a marked improvement over Raw and one that nicely wrapped things up ahead of Backlash.
Overall Grade: B+
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