WWE SmackDown Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from February 26

Every week on Bleacher Report, I take an in-depth look at WWE SmackDown to recap the action, offer analysis and grade the matches, segments and anything else that takes place on the show. I also provide some predictions on the direction of storylines.

This week's show had two main focus points: Concluding the fallout from Fastlane and continuing the build toward WrestleMania 31.

Just about every feud going on right now was addressed in some way, and it ended up leading to most of the matches not having nearly enough time.

However, two bouts were entertaining enough to keep the show from being a total disaster, and the feud surrounding the Intercontinental Championship had some interesting moments.

Let's take a look at everything that happened on this week's SmackDown.

Daniel Bryan's Promo

Daniel Bryan opened the show to a huge "Yes!" chant from the crowd, but he confused everyone for a few moments by screaming "No, No, No!" Then he explained how the "Yes!" Movement took him to the top of the company and the main event of WrestleMania 30.

Bryan talked about how he failed to beat Roman Reigns at Fastlane, but he reminded everyone that just because he isn't in the main event doesn't mean he won't be on the WrestleMania card.

It's really great that Bryan brought this up because wrestling fans are narrow-minded. If the guy they like isn't in the final match, they think he is being treated unfairly. What everyone needs to remember is that Bryan can steal the show from any spot on the card.

Bad News Barrett came out and talked a little trash before Dean Ambrose showed up with Barrett's Intercontinental Championship. The two immediately began brawling, while Bryan sat in the ring and watched.

He picked up the IC title and looked like he was going to hand it back to Barrett, but it was just a distraction so Ambrose could get back in the ring and attack him.

The segment ended with Bryan and Ambrose celebrating. While it wasn't a particularly memorable opening, it was definitely entertaining.

Grade: B-

Notes and Highlights:

• The way Bryan responded to Barrett by saying "What are you going to do?" when BNB was threatening him was funnier than it should've been.
• While Bryan is certainly beyond midcard feuds at this point, it was nice to see him used in a segment with two guys in a totally different storyline. He has been fighting The Authority for almost two years, which made this segment kind of refreshing.
• Ambrose needs a shower and a change of clothes before he starts to look like Luke Harper.

The Miz vs. Dean Ambrose

Ambrose stayed in the ring after the opening segment so he could battle The Miz, who was alone for the first time in months. Michael Cole said Damien Mizdow might be filming a commercial he had mentioned on Raw to explain his absence.

They haven't had a lot of time together, but Ambrose and The Miz actually make a good combination. They are similar in size, but they have completely different styles, which can make for a very entertaining match.

Unfortunately, The Miz and Ambrose didn't have enough time to make this anything special, but their bout wasn't really the focus here. It was all about BNB coming out to reclaim his title.

Ambrose tried to stop him, but he also had The Miz to contend with, so Barrett was able to escape with his belt. If you are looking for great wrestling, you won't get it here, but you will get some storyline progression in the IC title feud, which is never a bad thing.

Grade: C+ 

Notes and Highlights:

• Playing hot potato with the IC title belt is a good way to make Ambrose and Barrett's program a little more entertaining. It gets boring seeing the same thing in every championship feud, so coming up with little tweaks to the standard storylines goes a long way.
• The Miz is such a great heel. He doesn't even have to say anything to make you hate him. When he and Mizdow eventually break up, The Miz will be just fine.
• Renee Young interviewed Barrett backstage after the break. It should be noted that she is being used more than any other non-wrestling talent who is not a commentator and for good reason. She is charismatic, has a lot of wrestling knowledge and is the kind of personality who makes her innately watchable. She's also very easy on the eyes, which helps when you are on camera every week.

Natalya vs. Naomi

Natalya and Naomi were put into this match after they both got involved in the tag team bout involving Tyson Kidd, Cesaro and The Usos on Raw.

The men got into a fight at ringside, which helped get the crowd a little more invested, but it mainly distracted from what was happening in the ring.

Basically, this is a perfect example of why so many people are upset with the treatment of the Divas. The very short amount of time they had still allowed these two talented athletes to do some good work, but it didn't matter because their fight is not the central conflict in this storyline.

Grade: C-

Notes and Highlights:

• Naomi needs new entrance music immediately. Her current song is good, but it's always going to remind everyone of Brodus Clay, and she has definitely risen above her days as a Funkadactyl.
• It's really sad that two of the best female wrestlers on the roster are playing second fiddle to their husbands and their feud. No wonder #GiveDivasAChance caught on the way it did.
• Then again, maybe it's the fans who need to give the Divas a chance. These two women put on a decent show, and the crowd was about as lively as a corpse.
• Why is Natalya acting more like a heel all of a sudden? It makes no sense when she is still having issues with Kidd. WWE needs to decide what it wants to do with her. Either have Natalya turn full heel and make up with her husband or have her leave him. Dragging this out for this long just makes her look like an idiot.

Rusev and Lana Promo

Rusev and Lana came to the ring to gloat about his victory over John Cena at Fastlane. They even read a fake letter from Vladimir Putin congratulating him on his win.

Rusev has started carrying more of the verbal load recently, but Lana is still doing most of the talking, which is the smart way to go. She is so good in her role that it's hard to imagine her doing anything else.

Jack Swagger interrupted their celebration and called Rusev scared for not giving Cena the rematch he requested. The crowd seemed really happy to see him, which made the beating he received a little depressing.

Ever since Zeb Colter was taken of TV, Swagger hasn't been used effectively. This segment made it look like he was starting a new push, but he ended up being sacrificed so Rusev could look dominant.

The whole thing worked to generate heat for the Bulgarian Brute, but it was even more effective in reminding us just how little faith WWE management has in Swagger to be anything more than a punching bag.

Grade: C+

Notes and Highlights:

• It would be really interesting to hear what Putin actually thinks about the two or if he even knows they exist.
• SmackDown is usually heavily edited, but it actually seemed like Swagger was really over with the crowd.
• Rusev has always been physically gifted, but he is finally coming into his own as a heel. Lana is a great spokesperson, but having him do more talking has really helped in recent weeks.

Daniel Bryan vs. Bad News Barrett

After their interaction from earlier in the evening, it's no surprise Bryan and Barrett ended up having a match. The premise was a little thin, but it doesn't really matter when you have two guys as talented as them.

Barrett had a significant size advantage over Bryan, but he did a really good job of making Bryan look like someone who could stand toe-to-toe with him.

R-Truth ended up stealing Barrett's title while he was in the Yes! Lock and then giving it to Ambrose backstage. Barrett looking confused and depressed at the thought of losing his belt again was the best part.

Overall, this was a solid match and a good way to continue the storyline surrounding the IC title. Bryan picked up the win with a Running Knee.

Grade: B+

Notes and Highlights:

• It's kind of funny that Truth tried to start #GiveTruthAChance, and it ended up turning into something for the Divas instead. It's also a little sad.
• Truth was pretty entertaining on commentary. Adding him to the Ambrose vs. Barrett feud was a smart move because he is a veteran who can do whatever the company needs him to do.
• Truth confusing Byron Saxton for Jonathan Coachman was hilarious.

Fandango vs. Curtis Axel

Curtis Axel came out for this match with a mic so he could keep complaining about something that happened over a month ago.

Unfortunately for the son of Mr. Perfect, he was unable to pick up the win over Fandango, who finished Axel off with a flying leg drop in about two minutes.

Actually, two minutes might be generous. This bout was shorter than the Divas match from earlier, which is really saying something. 

Grade: D

Notes and Highlights:

• Axel now has a clock counting how long he has been in the Royal Rumble match. He screwed up when saying how long it had been by confusing hours for days.
• Seriously, is Fandango still a heel? He has mostly faced other heels recently and hasn't been cheating, but he never really made a turn. We can probably chalk it up to lazy booking.
• WWE should invest in dance classes for Fandango and Rosa. It would make their gimmick a little more entertaining and believable.

Goldust vs. Adam Rose

Goldust and Adam Rose had an even shorter match than Fandango and Axel, which makes this the second time in one night that two male talents had less time than the Divas.

Considering the Divas only had about two minutes to work with, this is very sad. This show had almost as much time devoted to non-wrestling segments as it had to action inside the ring.

Having interviews, promos and backstage antics help break things up and push feuds along, but it should never trump the actual wrestling, and it felt like that happened this week.

Goldust picked up an easy win and was immediately attacked by Stardust in a monkey costume. It all felt very unnecessary. A backstage interview with a sneak attack would have been just as, if not more, effective.

Grade: D+

Notes and Highlights:

• It looks like Rose repurposed a pair a tights from the Hollywood Hogan days.
• I have to remember to ask Goldust where he found the fountain of youth. Not only is he doing great work for someone his age but he overcame substance and weight issues to become better than he ever was. It would be difficult to think of any wrestlers who were better in the 40s than they were in their 20s.
• Cody Rhodes is now the second person to hide among the Rosebuds using a costume. Remember when Summer Rae dressed as a chicken? Good times.
• It's kind of nice to see more wrestlers using ring jackets again. It's a trend that seemed to die for a long time, but now we see a handful of people use them for almost every match. It helps give a Superstar a little more personality.

Dolph Ziggler, Erick Rowan and Ryback vs. Kane, Big Show and Seth Rollins

The main event of the evening was a rematch from Fastlane that saw Dolph Ziggler, Ryback and Erick Rowan defeat Seth Rollins, Kane and Big Show.

After such a lackluster show, it was nice to see these six men get enough time to actually tell a story with their match. It wasn't a show-stopper by any means, but it was a good way to cap off the week.

No one person spent too much time in the ring, which helped keep the pace quick and the action flowing nicely. The chain of events that led to the finish was timed perfectly by everyone involved.

The really surprising thing was that Ryback pinned Rollins. You would think Kane or Big Show would be the one taking the pin so Rollins can continue to look strong.

Grade: B+

Notes and Highlights:

• WWE better get John Stewart to appear soon. It  has been milking the video Stewart put out a lot, and there needs to be a payoff.
• Erick Rowan's power is truly something to behold. The way he scooped up Kane, walked around the ring with him and then threw him over his head was insanely impressive.
• The new cameras WWE has on the ring posts make for some really strange shots. It also doesn't help that the video quality is significantly lower when they are used. At least WWE is trying new ways to present the product. It probably looks really cool on a 3-D television.
• J&J Security need to wear black ties and aviator sunglasses. It would give them more of a Secret Service look.
• Ryback looked like a Lithuanian flag.

Final Thoughts and Predictions

Jonathan Bachman/Associated Press

Other than Barrett vs. Bryan and the six-man tag match, this was a rather uneventful and somewhat disappointing episode of SmackDown. The antics involving R-Truth, Barrett and Ambrose were entertaining, but it wasn't enough to save the entire show.

It's almost expected that the Divas won't have enough time to do anything important, but it seemed like the majority of the matches that took place were rushed and poorly booked.

Considering we are on the Road to WrestleMania, WWE can be forgiven for trying to address every storyline happening at the same time, but it might be better to leave one or two out to give the others room to breath.

With three hours on Raw and two on SmackDown, you would think there would be more than enough time for everyone to shine, but that just didn't happen this week. 

Predictions:

• Rusev and John Cena will have a Last Man Standing Match at WM for the U.S. title.
• Axel will go right back to being irrelevant after WM. Maybe even before then.
• Zeb Colter will return to manage Swagger before WM.
• Tyson Kidd and Cesaro will defend their titles against The Usos, The Ascension and Prime Time Players at WM.
• Undertaker will only make one appearance leading up to WM.

What did you think of this week's SmackDown?

Thanks for reading, and follow me on Twitter @BR_Doctor.