WWE SmackDown Results: Winners, Live Grades, Reaction, Highlights Before Crown Jewel

For the second straight week, WWE SmackDown emanated from the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, just one day ahead of Crown Jewel.

Rey Mysterio and Logan Paul would meet in a final weigh- in for their United States Championship match.

Bayley looked to weaken Bianca Belair in a one-on-one contest before The EST challenged Iyo Sky.

Roman Reigns and LA Knight were both in attendance and certain to want to get the final shot in before their Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. John Cena has his own score to settle with Solo Sikoa.

The Brawling Brutes challenged Pretty Deadly in a Donnybrook Rules match. Kevin Owens hoped to shut up Austin Theory with another punch to the face.

This week's SmackDown would set the final stage for Crown Jewel, one of WWE's biggest shows of the year.

LA Knight Gave Roman Reigns His Final Words

Roman Reigns and LA Knight met in the ring. The Tribal Chief tried to act confident, but The Million Dollar Megastar shut him down with a strong retort. The two almost came to blows, but officials got involved.

This was not a groundbreaking exchange but was probably necessary for a story that has felt a bit rushed. Knight stood tall last week physically, and this week, he went over Reigns verbally.

This all sells Knight as a serious challenger to Reigns. No one believes that The Tribal Chief is going to lose the Undisputed Universal Championship until at least WrestleMania, but Knight is still a believable challenger.

In some ways, The Million Dollar Megastar may actually be better positioned than the expected man to dethrone Reign, Cody Rhodes, but Crown Jewel is not the right stage for the end of this legendary reign.

Grade

B

Notable Moments

• "The kids nowadays, they call what I do cinema." You could tell Reigns was waiting to deliver this one.
• "I'm not here to finish something. I'm here to finish something." Knight taking a shot at Rhodes helps differentiate him from every other babyface.
• Paul Heyman later gave Nick Aldis a warning backstage to have medical staff on hand after what Reigns does to Knight.
  

Kevin Owens vs. Austin Theory

Austin Theory stayed in the match for a while, but he never truly challenged Kevin Owens. KO finished him off with a Stunner.

This was a fine match, but there was little energy to it. The fans were not interesting in any time Theory was in control. Even KO's best offense got muted responses.

A-Town has struggled consistently to invest the crowd, slowly moving more into the Baron Corbin role on the main roster. He has talent enough to work with anyone but not enough charisma to interest fans.

KO vs. Grayson Waller should be a lot more exciting. The Aussie was the best part of this segment on commentary.

Result

Owens def. Theory by pinfall.

Grade

C

Notable Moments

• Waller joined commentary to talk up himself and his tag partner.
• Owens caught Theory on the second rope with a twisting Fisherman Buster and pop-up powerbomb.
• KO made a point to tell Waller to watch before he finished the match.
  

Chelsea Green and Piper Niven vs. Shotzi and Charlotte Flair

Charlotte Flair was revealed as Shotzi's mystery partner. After Shotzi took some heavy offense, she tagged in The Queen, who dominated. She ended the match with a big boot to Chelsea Green after sending Piper Niven to the floor.

Once again, Niven and Green cannot win on the main shows. The champions have barely gotten time on television period most weeks.

The lopsided result was hardly a surprise, but it was still disappointing. Charlotte made the champions look like chumps all on her own, never selling any chemistry with Shotzi as a partnership.

The women's tag division deserves much better booking. Matches like this help no one unless the goal is to put the gold on Charlotte and Shotzi, another makeshift alliance.

Result

Charlotte and Shotzi def. Green and Niven by pinfall.

Grade

F

Notable Moments

• On Saturday, Green and Niven challenged Shotzi to find a friend to face them, seemingly that The Queen has regularly teamed with her.
• Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn watched this closely backstage.

John Cena Cooked Solo Sikoa in 90 Seconds

Solo Sikoa took the microphone for a rare time to speak for himself. He awaited his chance to end John Cena. The GOAT responded with a raspy voice due to the attack of The Enforcer last week, tearing him down verbally in just 90 seconds.

Cena roasts are always fun in abstract but often lead to his opponents looking worse long term, even if they beat him in the end. The GOAT delivered his part well but damaged the image of a protected wrestler.

Hopefully, Sikoa can make it up with an impressive showing against Cena, but fans have not seen a quality performance from The GOAT in years in the ring. Both have a lot to prove.

Grade

C+

Notable Moments

• WWE showed a video recap of last week's interaction between Cena and Sikoa.
• The GOAT called Sikoa a "bargain-basement Taz ripoff" and said he only had a job with WWE because of his cousin Roman Reigns.
  

Good Old Fashioned Donnybrook: Brawling Brutes vs. Pretty Deadly

While The Brawling Brutes punished Pretty Deadly throughout, Kit Wilson and Elton Prince pulled out the win. They sent Ridge Holland through a stack of barrels then sent Butch through a table to win.

This was by far the best match of the show. Pretty Deadly and Brawling Brutes brought everything to the action and drew out the crowd's last "This is awesome!" chant.

It was a little sloppy in moments, but that will happen when consistently moving at this pace. There was too much fun action to hold anything against the performers.

Pretty Deadly continue to build a unique legacy as one of the best heel teams in WWE. When the tag team division gets the championships back from The Judgment Day, Prince and Wilson need a run with the gold.

Result

Pretty Deadly def. Brawling Brutes by pinfall.

Grade

A-

Notable Moments

• Brawling Brutes attacked Pretty Deadly right at the stage, starting the match off early.
• The ring was surrounded by barrels as well as a bar and shillelagh.
  
• This started off so one-sided for the faces that Michael Cole predicted quickly The Brawling Brutes would win right at the commercial break.
• Holland trapped Wilson in a Boston crab while Butch caught Prince in an ankle lock. Pretty Deadly found the strength to fight through after meeting hands.
• Butch threw out a Sheamus-inspired Brogue Kick.
  

Rey Mysterio Gets Revenge Against Logan Paul After the Weigh-In

Logan Paul weighed in at 213 pounds while Rey Mysterio weighed in at 175 pounds. The Master of the 619 slapped Paul and blasted him with a microphone despite Nick Aldis telling them to avoid contact.

WWE weigh-ins are weird and completely unnecessary to do at any stage, but at least this kept a key feud moving forward and did not go long.

This was about as animated as Mysterio has looked since dealing with his son Dominik. He rarely takes cheap shots like this, but WWE is selling how much The Maverick is getting under his skin.

It was good to let Mysterio get in his shot before their match since he will likely lose at Crown Jewel. This shows that he is taking the match seriously and should raise the tension in their US Championship clash.

Grade

B

Notable Moments

• Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits talked up Paul before his weigh-in. B-Fab asked to speak to The All Mighty privately.
  

Bianca Belair vs. Bayley (Damage CTRL Barred from Ringside)

Bianca Belair dominated this match early, but Bayley showed how much she knew The EST by taking advantage of every mistake. Belair was too strong in the end, using her braid as a weapon then hitting the KOD to win.

Bayley exposed the announce table during the match, but it was Belair that used it afterward. She sent The Role Model through the table with the KOD.

The EST looked as good as she ever has in this main event clash. Even though this is a match fans have seen time and again, this was an energetic effort from both women.

The Role Model has slowed down in recent years but remains a crafty veteran. She guided the action along while The EST showed off in a warm-up for Crown Jewel.

The result was obvious, but Belair showed her ruthless focus afterward by sending Bayley through the announce table. That could be a hint of a more dangerous focus than she has had before.

Result

Belair def. Bayley by pinfall.

Grade

A-

Notable Moments

• Damage CTRL attacked Belair backstage during her interview.
• Nick Aldis announced that Damage CTRL would be barred from ringside. It is odd that this was announced for a meaningless match and not the title bout.
• The EST dominated early including hitting an impressive rebound handspring moonsault and a trio of powerslams.
• Belair flipped off the second rope to set her feet again for a superplex.
• The Role Model nearly took the win after a diving elbow drop.
  

Overall Show

This week's SmackDown was absolutely affected by a muted crowd, which was on its third and fourth hours of wrestling. However, the performers gave a lot to the night.

The main event as well as The Brawling Brutes vs. Pretty Deadly both landed as rare memorable wrestling matches on a show that does not often give performers that kind of time.

Roman Reigns on SmackDown always gives the blue brand a spark, and John Cena came out swinging in his segment as well. Even the Rey Mysterio and Logan Paul weigh-in was short and to the point.

If WWE had allowed for a little more action instead of the frequent recaps (perhaps giving some of that time to the women's tag match), this show could have reached greater heights.

Still, it was a focused build for Crown Jewel. This go-home edition of SmackDown highlighted the key matches for the premium live event. This is what WWE needed to deliver pre-PLE.

Overall Grade: B-