WWE SmackDown Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from July 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 make a few predictions for future events.

Last week's show saw a big upswing in the quality of matches and non-wrestling segments for the blue brand, and that continued with Thursday's episode.

Cesaro and Seth Rollins were the stars of the night after they opened and closed the show with two different bouts, with Kevin Owens and Dean Ambrose joining them in the main event,

Unfortunately, the advertised match between Becky Lynch and Nikki Bella never happened. Lynch ended up facing Brie on Main Event instead. After WWE hyped the contest on Raw, many fans were probably disappointed they didn't get to see it.

The fact that not seeing a Divas match is a bad thing shows the Divas revolution is accomplishing its goal. Unless WWE drops the ball in a big way, we are going to continue seeing the kind of change in the division we have all been waiting years for.

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

Opening Segment and Seth Rollins vs. Cesaro

Seth Rollins opened the show and was greeted with "You tapped out" chants from the crowd. He was able to stop the chants quickly with a simple, "So what?"

He bragged about breaking John Cena's nose and sending him to the emergency room, which is exactly what a heel should do after accidentally injuring an opponent.

Cesaro interrupted the promo, much to the delight of the crowd, and threatened to make Rollins tap out right then and there. An official appeared seemingly out of nowhere and the match began.

Kevin Owens joined the commentary team to watch his newest rival battle the WWE champion. Cesaro and Rollins showed off their chemistry in another great showdown. They could wrestle for two hours and it would never get boring.

Unfortunately, the match was cut short when Owens attacked Cesaro. Even with the interference, this was an outstanding way to open the show. Rollins' promo and the bout that followed set the bar high for the rest of the program.

Grade: A- 

Notes and Highlights

• Rollins is one of the few people who can actually get the crowd to shut up when he wants them to.
• There should have been a warning before they showed pictures of Cena's broken nose. It was disgusting, even in black and white.
• Owens is quickly becoming the best heel in WWE. His attitude genuinely makes you think he would be a jerk in real life.
• Remember when Vince McMahon said Cesaro wasn't connecting with the crowd? If he still feels that way, he obviously isn't listening to their reactions lately.

The Ascension and New Day vs. Los Matadores and Lucha Dragons

Darren Young and Titus O'Neil joined the commentary team for this eight-man tag match, and like always, they provided some humorous moments to complement the action in the ring.

Matches with this many people can be tricky. It's hard to find that balance that allows every participant to have time to shine without making the bout last 30 minutes.

Sin Cara took a lot of punishment from the heels, but Kalisto made up for it with a ton of high-flying offense that helped him get the win for his team.

This match wasn't a show-stealer, but it was entertaining enough to keep the crowd happy. The division has a lot of great teams gunning for a shot at the titles, and for once, they are actually being used the right way. 

Grade: B-

Notes and Highlights:

• Kofi Kingston is the funniest member of The New Day without saying a word. It's too bad it took him this long to find his groove as a performer.
• Be honest. How many of you had to look up the word "defenestration" after Xavier Woods said it in his promo?
• There has been a noticeable increase in wrestlers joining the commentary table during matches lately.
• O'Neil is the best dressed Superstar in WWE.
• Did El Torito hit the 619 using the ring post? Rey Mysterio is going to be mad.

Rusev vs. Jack Swagger

Jack Swagger and Rusev reignited their feud from last year for this match. Unlike 2014, Swagger went into this match with as little relevancy as possible.

Surprisingly, he actually put up a good fight against The Bulgarian Brute. Swagger is one of those guys who has all of the wrestling talent needed to be successful, but he doesn't have the charisma to match it.

If pro wrestling was only about the wrestling, Swagger would at least be a successful midcard star right now. However, personality is important, so he is destined to be a glorified enhancement talent.

As expected, Rusev picked up the win with The Accolade. What came as a surprise was Swagger turning the tables after the match was over and putting Rusev in The Patriot Lock. Could this be the beginning of a new push for the collegiate standout? Probably not, but time will tell.

Grade: C+

Notes and Highlights

• Does Summer Rae only own that one suit? At least Lana had one for every color in the rainbow.
• Why hasn't Zeb Colter returned to make Swagger relevant again? They were an entertaining duo, even if they never won any feuds.
• Swagger needs a tag team partner. That is the only way he is ever going to climb his way out of obscurity.

Stardust vs. R-Truth

Stardust continued his transition from Superstar to supervillain in his match against R-Truth. WWE has been using comic book imagery and themes during his feud with Neville, and it has given the storyline a totally unique feel.

WWE Superstars are as close to costumed superheroes as you can get, and it's surprising that it took the company this long to embrace it.

The match barely lasted three minutes and didn't produce any memorable moments, but it was what happened after it was over that made this a good segment.

Neville showed some aggression by rushing the ring and attacking Stardust, sending the painted goofball running through the crowd to escape the Red Arrow.

Grade: C+

Notes and Highlights

• Jerry Lawler comparing Stardust to Bizarro from the Superman rogues gallery is a decent comparison, but I still think he is more like a combination of Scarecrow and The Riddler, with just a touch of The Joker thrown in for good measure.
• For those who don't know, Lawler is a very talented artist who has actually contributed to a few comic books over the years.
• For those who don't watch Arrow, "You have failed this city" is Stephen Amell's signature line as Oliver Queen. It's a pretty good show that you should take the time to watch if you haven't yet.

Kevin Owens and Seth Rollins vs. Cesaro and Dean Ambrose

Earlier in the show, Owens found out backstage that he had been booked in a tag match with Rollins against Cesaro and a partner of his choosing.

Cesaro said in an interview that nobody in the locker room owed him anything, so he was willing to go it alone against the former NXT champion and current WWE champion. Luckily Dean Ambrose is always willing to punch Rollins in the face, so he answered the call.

Putting these four men in the ring at the same time is a surefire way to make the crowd happy. Each man brings something different to the table, but their styles meshed well to produce a great main event.

Ambrose and Rollins know each other so well that everything they do looks flawless, and Owens and Cesaro are the kind of wrestlers who can have a good performance against anyone.

Cesaro picked up the win for his team by pinning Owens after he helped Ambrose avoid the Popup Powerbomb and rolled Owens up at the same time.

Grade: A

Notes and Highlights

• The fact that Cesaro got a clean pin on Owens is a sign WWE is beginning to have more faith in the Swiss powerhouse.
• Ambrose and Cesaro made a great team. If their individual pushes don't work out, they would be a tremendous addition to the tag team division.
• Cesaro is smart to go into the crowd to celebrate his wins. It helps him connect with the live crowd.

Final Thoughts and Predictions

This is the second week straight that SmackDown has been better than expected. It seems like the magic number is five matches to produce a good show.

Every bout was given enough time to tell a story and entertain the crowd, and the non-wrestling segments all hit the right notes.

The only thing missing was a Divas match. Brie Bella vs. Becky Lynch was announced on Raw for Thursday's show, but it ended up being moved to Main Event for some reason.

Lynch still got some exposure through a great video package that featured several pictures from her time in the indy circuit and an interview that showcased her likable personality.

If SmackDown continues to be this good on a weekly basis, it will start to overtake Raw in terms of entertainment. It used to be the better of the two shows because it focused more on wrestling than storylines, and that seems to be what is happening again.

The build to SummerSlam has been great so far. Let's hope WWE can keep up the good work.

Predictions

• WWE.com is reporting Cena suffered a broken nose on Raw. If he is forced to miss SummerSlam, Rollins will end up defending his title against Cesaro and Owens.
• Brock Lesnar will attack several innocent people next Monday on Raw.
• SummerSlam will have two different Divas matches. One will be a three-way tag team match and the other will be a Triple Threat for the Divas Championship.
• If Ryback is unable to return by SummerSlam, he will be stripped of the Intercontinental Championship and The Miz will face Big Show for the vacant title.
• Stephen Amell will appear on Raw within the next two weeks to confront Stardust.

What did you think of this week's SmackDown?

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