WWE SmackDown Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from April 30

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, as well as offer a few predictions for future events.

This week's show not only managed to deliver some great action and entertaining moments, but it also gave us some good storyline progression on a number of mid-card feuds.

It's rare to get a show that has almost no disappointing segments these days, but SmackDown was able to pull it off this week. Most of the matches had just the right amount of time, and a few of them were better than anything we saw on Raw. 

One of the more noticeable things about the show was that it did not end with a random tag team match being thrown together during the first segment. That formula was getting stale, and it was nice to see a great singles match cap off the broadcast.

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

Opening

After WWE put up the usual "In memory of" title card for Verne Gagne, Seth Rollins and Kane had a heated confrontation which saw the Director of Operations put him in a match with Dean Ambrose.

After the SmackDown intro was played, Roman Reigns made his way to the ring to talk about Seth Rollins. He wished Ambrose luck in his match and warned him to watch his back.

It didn't take long for Kane to come out and put himself in a match against Reigns. Reigns seemed more confident than he usually is in the short time he was talking. It felt like we were getting more of the real Roman Reigns than the character he plays.

For the first time in a long time, I was wishing he had more time to speak his mind, and that is a big step in the right direction. He might not be ready to be "The man" yet, but he is well on his way.

Grade: B

Notes and Highlights:

• It's hard to tell because SmackDown is always edited, but it seemed like Reigns got a good reaction when he came out. I think his great match with Big Show was a turning point for him in the eyes of a lot of fans.
• Kane gave absolutely no explanation as to why he was going to fight Reigns. Then again, there isn't a reason behind a lot of matches, so it was business as usual.
• WWE did not upload these segments to YouTube, so instead you can watch Michael Cole's interview with Kevin Owens from this week.

Roman Reigns vs. Kane

The idea of another Reigns and Kane match probably didn't get a lot of people excited. They have had plenty of bouts in the past, but they are always physical enough to make it watchable.

The fight quickly spilled to the outside and Kane hit a sidewalk slam right into the announce table. It was a good way to set the tone for the match.

Kane gets too much criticism. He is one of the most consistent wrestlers in the company and can make anyone look good. Guys like Reigns probably learn a lot from him every time they step into the ring together.

Reigns kicked out of a chokeslam, so Kane tried to hit the tombstone piledriver. Reigns countered with a DDT and a Superman punch, and that is when Kane decided to call it a day.

It was a decent way to open the show, but the way it ended will leave a bad taste in many mouths.

Grade: C+

Notes and Highlights:

• I like that Kane is not simply making a babyface turn. Continuing to act like a heel while he slowly turns is the best way for this story to unfold.
• Reigns and Kane exchanging lefts and rights for about 20 seconds was pretty entertaining.
• Is it just me or does Kane look more muscular than he used to?
• Jamie Noble and Joey Mercury are finally matching their suits. Now they look like a real security team. White shirts with black ties would make them look more legit, but matching at all is a good start.

Damien Sandow vs. Curtis Axel

After what happened on Raw, it came as no surprise to see Damien Sandow face Curtis Axel. It was relatively quick, but the pace was fast and Sandow looked good.

He even used his old finisher to put Axel away. The fans seemed to be into his new attitude, but we will see if they feel the same way in a few weeks.

What Sandow needs to do is establish himself as a great technician again. He has relied on his humor for a long time, but his best asset has always been his ability to put together a good match.

This was too short for him to show off what he is really capable of, so hopefully he gets some longer bouts in the near future.

Grade: C+

Notes and Highlights:

• Sandow's new entrance music is too generic. His original theme totally set him apart from the rest of the roster.
• Sandow repeating everything Jojo was saying as she introduced him was funny mainly because he took eight pounds off how much he weighed.
• It looks like his new gimmick is pretending to sarcastically be everyone's stunt double.

Ryback vs. Luke Harper

Any time Ryback is involved in a match, you never really know what you are going to get. He is somewhat entertaining, but he has never been known for his versatility.

Putting him in the ring with a guy like Luke Harper is a great way to make him look better than he is. Harper is quite possibly to most well-rounded big man in the company right now, and he can have a good match with anyone because he can adapt to any style.

My biggest fear is that nobody in control realizes just how good Harper is. He could be a huge star if used properly, but we have yet to see him used to his fullest potential as a singles star.

The match these two powerhouses put on was one of the highlights of the night, and Harper deserves about 90 percent of the credit for making it as good as it was. Ryback picked up the win, but he was put down by Bray Wyatt after the bell.

Grade: B+

Notes and Highlights:

• The weight belt Ryback wears to the ring might be the only belt he ever gets to wear in this company.
• Ryback's power is out of this world. To be able to hold a guy the size of Harper in a vertical suplex for as long as he did is very impressive.
• Wyatt's attack on Ryback was as predictable as Michael Cole screwing up the name of a wrestling move at least once during a show.

The New Day vs. Tyson Kidd and Cesaro (Tag Team Championship)

Tyson Kidd and Kofi Kingston kicked things off with some nice chain wrestling, but the best parts of this match was the double team offense Kidd and Cesaro employed.

This is a team everyone criticized at first because they were just thrown together out of nowhere, but they have evolved into the best tag team in the company, in terms of the quality of their matches. The Usos are great, but Kidd and Cesaro don't need to rely on the same few signature moves to make things exciting.

It was great to see them given such a long time for their rematch. They used every second they had to make this just as good as the bout they had at Extreme Rules.

The only thing that could be criticized was the DQ finish, but it sets them up for another match down the line, most likely at Payback. It didn't hurt the grade simply because the rest of the match was so good.

Grade: A

Notes and Highlights:

• DH Smith was a great partner for Kidd, but Cesaro is so much better. He is one of the few people in the company who is just as good, if not better than Kidd from a technical standpoint.
• Xavier Woods is hilarious.
• Cesaro and Kidd are very creative. The way Cesaro stooped Kidd from being thrown over the top rope is something I have never seen before.

Nikki Bella vs. Cameron

This match was made after Nikki Bella caught Cameron and Summer Rae talking trash about Brie Bella backstage. It was a thin premise, but it helped establish Nikki as a babyface since she had no real turn to speak of.

The match that followed was a little better than anyone could have expected. Cameron and Nikki have both improved in so many ways over the past year. They aren't on the level of Divas like Paige and Naomi yet, but they are significantly better than they used to be.

It wasn't a particularly long bout, but that was probably not a bad thing in this case because Cameron's shortcomings become more evident the longer she wrestles.

Nikki picked up the win with the Rack Attack in what turned out to be a halfway decent match.

Grade: C+

Notes and Highlights:

• Cameron is so unlikable that she might actually be the best heel in the company. Everything about her character is detestable, but it seems intentional.
• Having Divas make random heel and face turns is getting really old. We are supposed to buy the Bellas as faces just because Naomi turned heel. It's ridiculous.
• Stardust should be pissed that Nikki is using the Beautiful Disaster.

Prime Time Players

The Prime Time Players delivered another entertaining promo which saw them mock the new tag team champions in typical PTP fashion.

Titus O'Neil and Darren Young work so well together. Their humor is their greatest asset, and it's awesome management is giving them a chance to show it in these short segments.

The tag team division is really improving at the moment. With The Usos being out of commission for the time being, it is giving everyone else a chance to step up.

The only team who isn't being used effectively is Los Matadores, but their gimmick will never let them become anything more than a novelty act.

Since WWE did not upload this segment to YouTube, you can watch The New Day talk about their match with Kidd and Cesaro.

Grade: B

Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins

Seth Rollins approached Dean Ambrose backstage and asked him to back out of their match because Kane was just trying to humiliate him. Obviously it didn't work.

After months of strange booking decisions, it was great to see Ambrose have a singles match against the WWE world heavyweight champion, even if it was non-title.

These two men know each other so well that everything they do looks effortless. Any combination of former Shield members in a singles match usually ends up being great, and this was no exception.

Rollins and Ambrose used just about everything in their respective arsenals, and they even pulled out a few moves they don't typically use.

In the end, Rollins, Kane and J&J Security were too much for Ambrose to handle, and Rollins picked up the win. Once the four-on-one attack started, Reigns came out to make the save and send the crowd home happy.

Grade: A

Notes and Highlights:

• What needs to happen eventually is a Triple Threat match for the title with Rollins, Ambrose and Reigns. It would be a main event any WWE fan would be excited to see.
• When Rollins hit his signature side kick, he definitely connected with Ambrose's face.
• Normally a bunch of drama from people not involved can hurt a match, but Kane and J&J Security actually contributed in a good way.

Final Thoughts and Predictions

This episode of SmackDown was better than Raw by leaps and bounds. There wasn't a single match or segment that brought the show down.

It's hard to understand how WWE can put on a terrible show one week and a great show the next. It seems like the key is not being so repetitive.

For the first time in what feels like forever, we did not have a tag team match to end the show, and that may have helped more than we realize.

Tyson Kidd, Cesaro and The New Day came very close to stealing the show, but it would be hard for anyone to outperform Ambrose and Rollins.

If WWE can find a way to make SmackDown this good every week, it might match Raw's ratings when it moves to the USA Network next year.

Predictions:

• Triple H will give Kane a WWE World Heavyweight Championship match on an episode of Raw, but he won't win the title.
• Cameron and Naomi will reunite to battle The Bella Twins.
• Ryback will attack Wyatt next week, and then they will be booked in a match for Payback.
• Damien Sandow will get a better theme song within a month.
• Daniel Bryan will be forced to relinquish the Intercontinental Championship at some point.
• Lana and Rusev will break up after Payback.

What did you think of this week's SmackDown?

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