WWE SmackDown Results: Winners, Live Grades, Reaction, Highlights Before WrestleMania

The Wells Fargo Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was packed with an excited WWE Universe for the first big show of WrestleMania weekend, the April 5 edition of Friday Night SmackDown.

Before fighting Jimmy Uso at 'Mania, Jey Uso would face his other brother Solo Sikoa. Could he put an end to his rivalry with his family over this next weekend?

The top stars not fighting at WrestleMania would compete in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. Would "Big" Bronson Reed, Ricochet or another great rising star emerge with the career-defining victory?

Kevin Owens hosted one of his WrestleMania opponents Randy Orton on "The KO Show". What would they both have to say about their match and Logan Paul?

New Catch Republic and A Town Down Under would battle for momentum ahead of their participation in the tag team ladder match.

Zelina Vega and Elektra Lopez fought in the latest chapter of the LWO vs. Legado rivalry.

Who would make their statement on WrestleMania weekend? This show had a chance to set the stage for the future of WWE.

"The KO Show" Featuring Randy Orton Heads to the WrestleMania XL Stadium

Kevin Owens and Randy Orton talked about their mutual hatred of Logan Paul. The Maverick appeared on the titantron live from the WrestleMania XL stage.

They decided to go meet Paul at the stadium next door. Austin Theory and Grayson Waller were under the ring and appeared a little late, running after the faces.

Everyone involved in this segment seemed to be just a bit off. With the roar of a jam-packed crowd and the air of The Show of Shows on the horizon, that is understandable.

Still, it was fun to have both KO and Orton agree that hating The Maverick was worth more than even teasing turning on one another.

Without including the follow-up, this was a surprisingly short SmackDown segment opener, and WWE set up a fun story for the rest of the night.

Grade

C+

Notable Moments

• The show started with a WrestleMania XL video package backed by Meek Mill.
• Corey Graves announced that the stadium was sold out with 19,833 in attendance.
• After the commercial, KO and Orton grabbed a cart, rolling toward the arena as A Town Down Under chase them.
  

Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal

In honor of Andre the Giant, the big men dominated this match. Ivar and Bronson Reed worked together to eliminate Otis and Akira Tozawa before a final clash that ended with Mr. Nice Guy clotheslining The Viking to the floor.

The right man won a very sloppy battle royal. While there was a ton of talent in this one, no one seemed to be on the same page. The choreography was obvious throughout combined with some spots that might put some talent in concussion protocol.

Still, WWE at least got a ton of wrestlers a WrestleMania weekend spotlight, and Reed finally got a deserved victory.

Mr. Nice Guy has built some momentum on the road to WrestleMania and has a big win over Sami Zayn. While the battle royal win never guarantees a title shot, Reed should get an Intercontinental Championship opportunity soon.

Result

"Big" Bronson Reed wins the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle, last eliminating Ivar.

Grade

D

Notable Moments

• Omos made his rare appearance on WWE television, highlighting as the scariest man in the battle royal. Shame his booking has not backed that up.
• Angel did not make his elimination look impressive, hopping out after a hurricanrana. Legado attacked LWO afterward.
• The first favorite to get eliminated was Ricochet when JD McDonagh caught him from behind, continuing the growing Judgment Day rivalry.
• There were some rough landings in this match including Ricochet going head-first into apron and Akira Towaza landed on the floor when Otis couldn't catch him.
  

Kevin Owens and Randy Orton Outsmart Logan Paul

Logan Paul made a surprise appearance in the Wells Fargo Center, revealing that he had tricked Randy Orton and Kevin Owens. A video showed Austin Theory and Grayson Waller searching for them.

The Maverick realized he was surrounded by Kevin Owens and Randy Orton, KO stunned Paul followed by an RKO from Orton.

The funniest part of all this was the confidence and confusion of the heels. Theory and Waller sold how much they were shocked by Orton and KO getting past them.

WWE probably could have stretched this out a bit longer, but it was smart to tease absolutely no dissension between the faces. This makes it less obvious how the triple threat will go at WrestleMania.

Grade

C+

Notable Moments

• The Maverick called himself a "Don" then named Theory and Waller as his "associates", leaning almost as much into mafia lingo as The D'Angelo Family.
  
• Paul realized KO and Orton were behind him then refused to turn around, hoping he might be wrong.
  

Zelina Vega (w/ Rey Mysterio) vs. Elektra Lopez (w/ Escobar, Dirty Dom and Andrade)

Rey Mysterio was the only man in Zelina Vega's corner while Santos Escobar, "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio and Andrade all support Elektra Lopez.

A distraction by Dirty Dom allowed Elektra Lopez to hit the Elektra Shock for the win. Afterward, The Ex-Con and Escobar tried to beat down Rey, but El Idolo turned on them, saving Rey and Vega.

It seems WWE decided to go a different direction at the last minute for WrestleMania. Andrade was supposed to be in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. Instead, he is now likely to take Dragon Lee's place in the tag match.

While it is good to see Andrade was not forgotten for WrestleMania, there was no reason to take Dragon out of the match unless he suffered an unannounced injury.

This conversation is more important than the match that preceded because that was ugly. Vega and Lopez had no chemistry, which made for a flat singles main roster debut from the Legado Superstar.

At least the right woman won as she needed to build some credibility.

Result

Lopez def. Vega by pinfall.

Grade

D

Notable Moments

• LWO found Dragon laid out backstage before Vega's match.
  
• After El Idolo revealed he was on Vega's side, the two hugged, reuniting the power alliance from Andrade's first WWE run.
  

• In the locker room, Andrade agreed to team with Rey for 'Mania, which did not sit well with Carlito.
  

Jade Cargill, Bianca Belair and Naomi Send Final Message to Damage CTRL

Naomi and Bianca Belair came out first to talk about their history with Damage CTRL then brought out Jade Cargill. The Storm promised to make Damage CTRL pay for getting in her way.

Since this feud only really took off last week, a promo like this was important. Cargill further explained why she chose to side by The EST and The Glow.

More importantly, it is clear that this will likely be only the beginning for The Storm fighting Damage CTRL. If Iyo Sky retains against Bayley, she has multiple interesting challengers on the horizon.

Grade

B

Notable Moments

• All three women came out wearing cowboy hats, celebrating Beyonce's latest album.
• Cargill's new (debuted last week) entrance is fantastic, one of the best WWE has produced in recent memory.
  

• Bayley and Iyo Sky delivered their final words in a hype video for their WrestleMania XL Night 2 title match.
  

New Catch Republic vs. A Town Down Under

While Austin Theory and Grayson Waller found their groove early, they were still outmatched by the sheer chemistry of Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne. New Catch Republic won it with an assisted Burning Hammer.

The Judgment Day struck afterward, laying out all four men while Rhea Ripley directed traffic.

This was a great showcase for four men that will play a key role in the tag team ladder match on Saturday. The back-and-forth tag team action was nearly non-stop.

Bate continues to fit right in on the main roster, and Dunne has finally landed with the return of his name and a more sadistic in-ring focus. Waller and Theory though showed out nearly as well, keeping up with the speed of their opponents.

The post-match beat-down made The Judgment Day look dangerous at the right time, walking into a match where the group is in serious trouble.

Result

New Catch Republic def. A Town Down Under by pinfall.

Grade

B+

Notable Moments

• Commentary sold how the rough night for A Town Down, but they were able to take over the action early.
• Bate barely missed a disastrous landing on the corner of the announce table off a somersault plancha. It is one of those nights.
  

LA Knight Promises to Give AJ Styles the Boot at WrestleMania

LA Knight delivered his final words for AJ Styles, and the whole crowd was behind him in selling this as the most important match of his career to date. He promised to put the boots to his heated rival.

While The Million Dollar Megastar did not add anything to his match with The Phenomenal One, WWE took advantage of a hot crowd here to remind everyone that Knight is still a top guy.

The crowd was responding so well to Knight that it felt like the entire crowd was cutting the promo with him. It sold what should be a monumental difference in crowd reaction at WrestleMania XL Night 2.

Grade

B

Notable Moments

• The Final Testament and The Pride delivered pre-taped statement, promising to finish this fight.
  

Jey Uso vs. Solo Sikoa

Solo Sikoa beat down Jey Uso throughout a largely one-sided battle. Jey woke up when he saw the Samoan Spike coming, reversing into a superkick, Spear and Uso Splash.

Jimmy Uso broke up the pinfall to cause a disqualification. Sikoa and Jimmy looked ready to beat don Jey, but Cody Rhodes and Seth "Freakin" Rollins arrived. They sent Sikoa to the floor then Jey Splashed his brother.

The American Nightmare promised that he, Rollins and Jey would walk out victorious at WrestleMania. Rhodes promised a better story would begin after he defeated Roman Reigns.

Jey vs. Sikoa is a match that could be great down the line. This night was not about the in-ring action.

The pacing of this match was not helped by the TV format. They rushed to the finish so that Rhodes and Rollins could arrive to stand tall.

Rhodes and Rollins were a welcome sight at the end of the night as the show was surprisingly light on big names with so many in town. The American Nightmare said his piece with confidence, selling the entire audience on his coming victory.

Result

Jey def. Sikoa by DQ.

Grade

B

Notable Moments

• The crowd reaction was as loud as it has ever been for Jey during his entrance.
• Wade Barrett and Corey Graves talking about "Yeet" and "No Yeet" clubs on commentary is still surreal.
• SmackDown aired commercial breaks after Jey's entrance and just a minute into match, which cut into the early pace of the match.

Overall Show

While fans often anticipate the Raw after WrestleMania, the SmackDown before 'Mania is rarely talked-about for a reason. The company cannot afford any injuries, so the action was sparse and talent involvement light.

There were fun moments. Kevin Owens and Randy Orton running around Philadelphia to get their hands on Logan Paul was a fun segment, even if it could have been shorter.

The main event was a decent preview of a good match in the future coupled with a welcome surprise appearance from Cody Rhodes and Seth "Freakin" Rollins.

LA Knight, Jade Cargill, Bianca Belair and Naomi all sold their WrestleMania matches with short impactful promos in front of a hot crowd.

New Catch Republic and A Town Down delivered a solid preview of what could come on Saturday, followed by a surprise Judgment Day attack.

It was just the other matches, the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal and Elektra Lopez vs. Zelina Vega, that could not keep the momentum.

Overall, the crowd made this show worth watching, even if its true impact on WrestleMania weekend was light.

Overall Grade: C+