WWE SmackDown Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from March 5

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.

With just over three weeks until the biggest night of the year, WWE has a lot of work to do in order to fill up the card and make WrestleMania 31 a show worth seeing.

This week's SmackDown did a good job of pushing all the storylines forward while introducing some new elements that may end up being part of the end product, especially when it comes to the Intercontinental Championship.

The biggest surprise of the night was that the Divas were not only given a decent amount of time to work with but they managed to make the most of it.

It's not as if the show didn't have some disappointing moments, but as a whole, it was an episode that will have entertained the majority of fans.

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

IC Title Drama

Dolph Ziggler kicked off the show wearing his ill-gotten Intercontinental Championship belt, which was stolen from Bad News Barrett for the 40th time in two weeks.

He talked about the Ladder Match at WrestleMania and how Daniel Bryan should be in it with him. At this point, Barrett came out in an attempt to reclaim his lost property.

Luke Harper attacked Ziggler from behind, but he wasn't doing it because he was on BNB's side. As the two big men stared each other down, Ziggler pounced.

They were eventually joined by Dean Ambrose and R-Truth and more antics ensued. When the dust settled, it was Truth who got away with the belt.

Some might think these segments are ridiculous, but this makes the IC title look like a championship a lot of people have their eyes on and, in turn, makes the belt look more important.

WWE has done a good job of making these moments entertaining. This might not be what brings prestige back to the IC title, but it's a step in the right direction. Having this many talented wrestlers all pursuing it can only help in the long run.

Grade: B+

Notes and Highlights:

• Ziggler said "this just feels right" when pointing to the title belt. A lot of people will equate that to him belonging in the midcard and not the main event scene.
• Truth's spy moves were hilarious. This guy can add humor to almost any situation.
• It was a little surprising that Bryan didn't appear after Ziggler put him over so well.
• The past few weeks have proven that Truth is worth using more often. He has added a new element to this program that was sorely needed.

Tyson Kidd and Cesaro vs. Los Matadores

Tyson Kidd and Cesaro picked up a really quick win thanks to some outside help from Natalya. After months of issues, it looks like husband and wife are finally on the same page.

Natalya acting more like a heel will prevent anyone from sympathizing with her, so having them start to get along makes sense.

It's just too bad this bout didn't last a little longer. The different styles of these two teams could mesh very well in an extended match, especially since they both utilize a lot of exciting double-team maneuvers.

Grade: C-

Notes and Highlights:

• That fact Los Matadores didn't get an entrance on TV tells you a lot about where they stand in the division. They are talented wrestlers, but their gimmick will keep them down.
• How has nobody nicknamed Kidd "Tyson Kitty" by now?
• Natalya's recent outfits seem to indicate that someone thinks it's a good idea to capitalize on all this 50 Shades of Grey nonsense. She looks more like a dominatrix with each passing week.

Ryback vs. Kane and Ryback vs. Big Show

Kane and Big Show had a little argument backstage before making their way out for this match. Both men announced that they will be in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, which will also include Ryback.

A communication breakdown led to Big Show basically costing Kane the match. It's more of the same thing we have seen from these two giants over the past few weeks.

It's all going to lead to a feud at some point. The question is, do fans really want to see it? Probably not.

Kane decided to put Big Show in a match against Ryback immediately, which Show ended up winning thanks to a little help from Kane.

Grade: C

Notes and Highlights:

• It would be interesting to see a statistic on how many times Kane and Ryback have fought each other. It has to be several dozen by now.
• Ryback was in the St. Patrick's Day spirit with his green-and-white attire.
• "You sold out" chants apparently apply to everyone in the Authority. It was cooler when it was just Seth Rollins getting them.
• Big Show will always draw comparisons to Andre. He may never reach the level of popularity Andre had, but there is no denying that he can do more in the ring than Andre ever could.
• Big Show had the benefit of a surgery to fix some of the issues that plagued Andre throughout his life, but he has made the effort to get better over the years, and he must be commended for that.

AJ vs. Brie Bella

The Bella Twins came out and talked about how they are the ones who have been leading the Divas division while AJ has been taking a vacation. They essentially took credit for the popularity of #GiveDivasAChance.

AJ came out with Paige to take on Brie in a singles match. Despite their past issues, the alternaDivas seem to be on the same page against Brie and Nikki.

It's good that it was Brie who faced AJ in this match because she is the more technically sound of the sisters. She's no AJ, but she has been getting better.

They ended up doing a decent job in this one. It wasn't on the level of some of the women's matches we have seen in NXT, but it was an improvement over what we have been seeing on the main roster.

A lot of people will give AJ all the credit for a good performance, but a match takes two people to work. Brie did her job well, and the two women outside the ring did little to distract from the action while still having a presence.

WWE management has obviously taken this new Divas movement seriously. They ended up having a bout that lasted almost eight minutes. That's like an Ironman Match compared to what they usually get.

AJ picked up the win with her Black Widow submission in a contest a lot of people will probably call "surprisingly entertaining."

Grade: B+

Notes and Highlights:

• Brie and Nikki's outfits have given me an idea for a new nickname. From now on, let's call them The BumbleBellas. It works on two levels: They look like bees, and they make mistakes from time to time.
• Also, how awesome is the name "alternaDivas" for Paige and AJ? I am sure other people have used that term before, but it's a great team name for them.
• The bump Brie took when she missed a missile dropkick looked really painful.

The New Day vs. Miz and Damien Mizdow

Kofi Kingston and Big E represented the New Day against the Miz and Damien Mizdow. Just like the other tag match from earlier in the show, this was too short to be anything special.

The drama between the Miz and Mizdow is always entertaining, even if it does sometimes feel like this storyline is dragging on forever.

Mizdow was over with the crowd like always, which led to the Miz kicking him out of the ring. This all led to the Miz being the architect of his own demise.

He took too long kicking Mizdow out of the ring, and as a result, Big E delivered a Big Ending to win the match for his team.

Grade: C

Notes and Highlights:

• WWE doesn't usually like to acknowledge anyone once they have left the company, so it was nice to see them highlight the exchange the Miz had with Maryse on Twitter.
• Have you ever noticed how Big E is in almost every match the New Day takes part in? It's almost never Kingston and Xavier Woods teaming together.
• Mizdow managed to keep his glasses on during his little flurry of offense.

Rusev vs. Jack Swagger

Jack Swagger and Rusev collided once again, and the outcome was the same as it has been every other time they have faced each other.

Rusev got the win after Swagger got in a little offense. Nobody was surprised. The real story came after the bout was over. Curtis Axel came on the big screen while Rusev was celebrating and gave a Hulk Hogan-inspired promo in which he challenged Rusev to a match at WrestleMania.

It's highly unlikely Axel will get a shot at the United States Championship, but it's great to see him finally being used in a different way. He has potential, he just needs the chance to realize it.

Grade: C-

Notes and Highlights:

• It's really sad that Swagger has turned into a glorified jobber for Rusev.
• Is Zeb Colter ever going to return?
• Axel's arms weren't long enough to tear his shirt completely in half like Hogan.

Dean Ambrose and Dolph Ziggler vs. Bad News Barrett and Luke Harper

The main event of the evening saw four men who will be in the IC title Ladder Match at WrestleMania compete in tag team action, with R-Truth taking what has become his weekly seat at the commentary table.

Dean Ambrose, Dolph Ziggler, Luke Harper and Bad News Barrett are four of the most consistent performers on the roster, so it should come as no surprise that they put on a good performance.

Ziggler and Harper were the ones who really stole the show; their contrasting styles mesh so well together that it's hard to imagine them having a bad encounter.

Ziggler ended up getting a clean win for his team with a superkick and a Zig-Zag, but his celebration was short-lived due to Barrett laying him out with a Bull Hammer.

BNB went after Truth to get his title back, but he was cut off by a suicide dive from Ambrose. Truth came face-to-face with Harper in the aisle, but he was able to take the big man out to get a little payback for what happened the last time they met.

Daniel Bryan came out at the end, and Truth ended up handing the title over to Bryan, but Stardust attacked him and took the belt for himself. It was a strange turn of events, but it made for an interesting conclusion to SmackDown.

Grade: B

Notes and Highlights:

• The running joke of R-Truth getting Byron Saxton's name wrong every week is pretty funny, but the best moment was when he handed the belt to Bryan and then danced his way to the back.
• Saxton is really good at looking like Truth annoys the hell out of him, especially when Truth compared him to Jonathan Coachman.
• Harper finally washed his shirt or started using a new one. That last one looked pretty ripe.

Final Thoughts and Predictions

Even though there were some definite low points, this was a solid week for SmackDown for several reasons.

There was a lot of storyline development for different feuds, the Divas actually had a good match with sufficient time and the IC title took center stage.

Bray Wyatt gave another one of his promos directed at the Undertaker, a few Divas had a quick backstage segment and Daniel Bryan was teased as a participant in the big Ladder Match.

With just over three weeks to go until WrestleMania, WWE is doing a great job spacing out the various developments that will build the matches that make up the pay-per-view.

Predictions:

• Stardust will be put into the IC title Ladder Match, and Goldust will come out and cost him the title so they can have a final encounter at Extreme Rules.
• John Cena will destroy anyone who challenges Rusev for the U.S. title, like Axel, so he has no other choice but to defend it against Cena.
• The Divas title will be defended in a Fatal 4-Way match at WrestleMania.
• Hulk Hogan will appear before WrestleMania to discuss AxelMania.
• Roman Reigns will attack Brock Lesnar on Raw next week.

What did you think of this week's SmackDown.

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