WWE SmackDown Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from April 23

Extreme Rules is right around the corner, but WWE still had to put together a good final show to keep people interested in the pay-per-view.

All the major feuds were addressed in one way or another, but a few notable top names were absent, leaving it up to their opponents to carry the load.

A few matches were kept short, but there were two tag team bouts that made the show worth watching. Neville and Dolph Ziggler put on a great performance against Sheamus and Bad News Barrett, and Roman Reigns joined Dean Ambrose to battle Seth Rollins and Luke Harper.

The one notable storyline that did not seem to get any attention was Daniel Bryan's program with Barrett. Bryan's status for Extreme Rules seems to be in limbo, so this was probably WWE not wanting to draw attention to the situation before a decision is made.

Sunday's PPV should be a good show, but for now, let's take a look at everything that happened on this week's SmackDown.

Opening Segment

Rollins opened the show with Jamie Noble and Joey Mercury by his side. He talked about how Randy Orton gave an RKO to anyone who crossed his path on Raw and how the move will be banned in their title match.

Kane eventually came out to address his role in the main event of Extreme Rules. The two exchanged some heated words, with Kane saying Rollins' fate was in the palm of his hand.

Kane told Rollins that he should return the favor Kane did for him and lie down to take a pin. He even brought out a referee and had him ring the bell to start the match. Rollins refused, which made the Director of Operations get very angry.

It looked like Rollins would comply, but then Kane said he was just kidding and instead, booked him in a match against Ambrose. The Lunatic Fringe was on his way to the ring when Harper came out and joined Rollins and J&J Security in beating him down.

Reigns made the save, and just like every week, a tag match was booked for later in the show. The conclusion was predictable, but it was still a fun segment to watch unfold.

Grade: B

Notes and highlights:

• Kane owned this segment. He is so much better than the material he has been given to work with over the past several months, and this was an example of how entertaining he can be.
• It was great to see Rollins show fear when Kane got really mad. It's been a long time since Kane was portrayed as intimidating.
• Rollins is so good at playing the cocky heel. You really get the impression that he is someone you would hate if you knew him in real life.

Dolph Ziggler and Neville vs. Sheamus and Bad News Barrett

The first official match of the night saw Ziggler team up with Neville to take on Sheamus and Barrett.

All four of these men are extremely talented, so it was no surprise that they put on a good show. Neville was in the ring longer than anyone, which gave him a chance to show off what made him so popular in NXT.

Ziggler was able to get in plenty of exciting offense during his short time in the ring, but it was Neville who ended up getting the win with a Red Arrow on BNB after Ziggler hit the Brit with a Zig Zag.

This match was a lot of fun. Sheamus and Barrett are great at working with smaller talents because they can work at a fast pace, and Ziggler was the perfect person for Neville to work with in his first main roster tag team match.

Grade: B+

Notes and highlights:

• What a waste to have Neville's first real words spoken on the main roster be in a split-screen video package. It seemed like he was staying quiet for a reason, but now, it's obvious WWE was just dropping the ball.
• Sheamus and BNB need to form a proper tag team. They are very compatible and could really help the division.
• Ziggler's and Neville's styles meshed very well. They also could be a good tag team to bring some excitement to the tag title scene.
• Neville hit the Red Arrow so hard, he propelled himself a couple feet back in the air before making the pin. It was pretty awesome.

Natalya vs. Naomi

Naomi and Natalya faced off in a match that was way too short. They only had a few minutes to work with, so everything felt rushed.

Naomi did a decent job playing up her new heel persona, but she didn't really break any rules. If she wants to generate real heat, she is going to have to start using more devious tactics.

The former Funkadactyl picked up the win with what has to be the worst finisher anyone is currently using in the entire company.

Grade: C-

Notes and highlights:

• Natalya is a heel when she is with Tyson Kidd and Cesaro, but apparently, she is a babyface when she wrestles on her own. Does that about sum up WWE's complete lack of effort in making her character consistent?
• A few fans were desperately trying to get a chant going. They did not succeed.
• If Naomi wants people to boo her, she shouldn't be showing off for the crowd.

Ryback vs. Rusev

Lana and Rusev gave a pretty standard promo before Ryback came out to face the former United States champion. The two powerhouses had a decent match, with both men using their strength to do some pretty impressive things.

Ryback got in a lot more offense than you would expect since Rusev is the one with a title match Sunday, and Ryback isn't even on the card.

Despite his best efforts, Ryback was unable to defeat Rusev in the ring. Rusev got desperate and used the chain to get himself disqualified, and then, he used the weapon to show John Cena what he has to look forward to at Extreme Rules.

Considering how little these two have interacted in the past, they were able to put on a good performance. This could easily be a major feud in the future.

Grade: B-

Notes and highlights:

• It's great that Lana is back to doing most of the talking, but it feels like lazy writing that they never made more of the tension she and Rusev had after WrestleMania.
• Ryback holding Rusev in the air for a vertical suplex was one of the more impressive feats of strength he has ever performed.
• The way Rusev used the chain to apply The Accolade looked extremely painful.

Cesaro vs. Kofi Kingston

The New Day talked about how the lack of positivity in the WWE Universe is a plague, and apparently, the cure is more clapping.

The match that followed could have been great, but it suffered because of all the drama outside the ring and for being too short.

Kofi Kingston picked up the win with Trouble in Paradise, but he had some help from his buddies when they distracted Cesaro by attacking Tyson Kidd.

Grade: C-

Notes and highlights:

• Xavier Woods is easily the best heel of the group. Kofi and Big E haven't changed their characters too much since turning heel, but Woods has become very unlikable.
• Did Cesaro and Kidd turn babyface when I wasn't paying attention?
• The New Day's heel turn has been interesting to follow, but it feels like they're losing steam. They need to do something that solidifies them as villains.

Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins and Luke Harper

Rollins and Harper might not be the best of friends, but they did a good job working against the established chemistry of Reigns and Ambrose.

It's always fun to see former members of The Shield and The Wyatt Family do battle. All four of these men bring something completely different to the table.

The most surprising thing about this match was how much time Rollins spent in the ring. You would think Harper would do most of the heavy lifting because Rollins has a big match Sunday, but the WWE world heavyweight champion pulled his weight.

I may complain about how unoriginal it is to book a random tag match for the end of every SmackDown, but in this instance, I am glad it happened. These four men pulled out all the stops to put on an incredible performance.

Reigns was able to pick up the win for his team after Kane rolled Rollins back in the ring so he could take a Spear from his former Shield brother.

Grade: A

Notes and highlights:

• Ambrose and Reigns may as well reform The Shield. It feels like they never disbanded because they team up so often.
• Apparently, Harper and Noble are cousins through an uncle's mechanic, or something like that.
• Is it just me or does it feel like all four of these men try harder when they are in the ring together? When was the last time you heard a "This is awesome" chant on SmackDown? It's been awhile.

Final Thoughts and Predictions

There were a few matches that could have used more time, but as a whole, this was a decent episode of SmackDown.

The opening match and main event both featured some exciting action, but it was Reigns, Ambrose, Rollins and Harper who stole the show with their incredible chemistry.

We got some more backstage segments from Bray Wyatt and The Prime Time Players, some storyline progression in Kane and Rollins' feud and the first SmackDown promo from Neville.

It didn't really feel like the final show before a PPV because WWE didn't force a ton of video packages down our throats, but that is not a bad thing. We still got to see just about every feud be addressed, and that is what's important before a big event.

Since Extreme Rules is Sunday, this week's predictions will only be about the outcomes of the matches that will take place at the PPV.

Predictions:

• Ambrose will defeat Harper.
• The New Day will defeat Kidd and Cesaro, but they might not win the tag titles.
• Cena will retain against Rusev.
• Sheamus will defeat Ziggler.
• Bryan will announce that he is unable to compete and possible even forfeit the Intercontinental Championship.
• Naomi will win the Divas title from Nikki Bella.
• Reigns will defeat Big Show.
• Rollins will retain against Orton.

What did you think of this week's SmackDown, and what are your predictions for Extreme Rules?

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