WWE SmackDown Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from August 27

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.

The last week has been a busy time for the men and women of WWE. We've seen some incredible matches, big surprises and shocking returns—and that was just during Raw.

NXT TakeOver, SummerSlam and Raw gave us almost 10 hours of entertainment in the span of three days, so it was nice to have a break for a couple days before the final show of the week.

Thursday's episode featured the return of one of the most successful tag teams in wrestling history, and based on what we saw, Bubba Ray and D-Von Dudley still have plenty of fuel left in the tank.

Let's get right into it and take a look at what happened on this week's episode of SmackDown.

Bray Brings Braun

SmackDown opened with the new and improved Wyatt Family coming to the ring. New member Braun Strowman joined Luke Harper and Bray Wyatt for his first entrance as part of the crazy clan.

Wyatt called Strowman his savior, which is a bit of a role reversal from Wyatt claiming to be the savior of Harper and Erick Rowan.

Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose came through the crowd to confront the men who decimated them on Raw. For some reason, the Wyatts backed off instead of engaging in a fight in which they would clearly have had the advantage.

As far as opening segments go, this was nothing special. We didn't get any new information about Strowman and nobody threw a punch.

Grade: C

Notes and Highlights

• If Rowan is able to return soon, he might feud with Strowman so we can see a black sheep-versus-white sheep storyline. Or he could just join back up with the group and make it a quartet.
• Wyatt needs a couple of strong wins, and then WWE needs to book him in a title feud. He's been around too long and feuded with too many big stars not be in contention for a belt by now.
• It was cool to see Ambrose in the crowd with Reigns instead of coming down the ramp. It made them look like the Shield again.
• Ambrose's joke about taking on the ugly one was funny enough to warrant mentioning.
• WWE needs to resist the urge to bring back the Shield with a new third member. Reigns and Ambrose can have an ally, but the group should never get back together unless it's the original three members.

The Dudley Boyz vs. Ascension

The returning Dudley Boyz took on the Ascension in the first match of the evening. Konnor and Viktor might not be as visible as they were in NXT, but this matchup made sense.

The Ascension made a habit out of insulting teams of the past during their promos, so having them be the first victims of one of the most popular and successful tag teams in WWE history was the right move creatively.

Bubba and D-Von tried to use a table halfway through the match, but Konnor and Viktor were able to cut them off before they had the chance.

The pace of this bout was slow at times, but not in a bad way. This gave fans the opportunity to get to know the Dudleys again. They hit all their signature moves, and the crowd was loving every minute of it.

Unsurprisingly, the Dudley Boyz picked up the win with the Dudley Death Drop. The New Day came out with some protest signs to mock Bubba and D-Von, but all it did was cause Bubba to powerbomb Viktor through a table.

Grade: B-

Notes and Highlights

• Is it surprising to anyone else that Bubba Ray and D-Von had their first match back on SmackDown? It seems like the kind of thing WWE would normally save for Raw or a pay-per-view.
• Bubba and D-Von were great during their time in TNA, so it should come as no surprise they haven't lost a step.
• Xavier Woods' "Save a table, break a Dudley" sign was great. The New Day's journey from a joke into one of the most entertaining acts in WWE has been a lot of fun to watch.

Neville vs. Kevin Owens

Neville and Kevin Owens had some great encounters in NXT, so expectations were high heading into this match. Both men are gifted performers in different ways, but their styles work well together.

While this was an entertaining contest, it fell short of their past performances a bit. There was something about the pace that felt off. It was like they were cruising along in second gear the whole time.

Owens picked up a clean win with the Popup Powerbomb, which was a strange booking decision. Neville was just involved in a highly publicized feud involving a celebrity and is already losing clean. It's possible this was just the first match in a new feud between Owens and Neville, but that seems unlikely.

Grade: B-

Notes and Highlights

• Jerry Lawler comparing Kevin Owens' body to the Thing felt mean-spirited.
• Too many people are using the superkick these days.
• Neville and Stardust should keep feuding. They worked well together, and their storyline could easily be extended to Night of Champions.

Charlotte and Becky Lynch vs. Nikki and Brie Bella

There was a backstage segment before the match in which the Bellas tried to get into the heads of Becky Lynch and Charlotte, but by the time it was done, it seemed like the former NXT standouts had turned the tables and made Brie have some doubts about Nikki.

Naomi, Tamina and Sasha Banks sat in on commentary. This bout was a little shorter than most of the matches we have seen since the start of the Divas revolution, but it wasn't so short that it felt rushed.

The match ended with Charlotte defeating Brie with her awkward bridge pinning combination. The only surprising thing was that nobody attacked anyone else after it was over.

Grade: C+

Notes and Highlights

• They missed a perfect opportunity to have Lynch or Charlotte say, "Paige isn't here because she is spending time with your husband, Brie." Paige and Daniel Bryan were both judging Tough Enough when this was taped, so it would have been accurate and insulting at the same time.
• It seems like Team Bella is losing a lot more than they are winning recently. Maybe WWE is going to use a losing streak as a way to break them up down the line.
• The Divas revolution needs more focus. All it is right now is a series of matches with nothing at stake. Nikki needs to start defending the title more often or this whole storyline will be pointless.

Rollins Warns Sting

Seth Rollins came to the ring for a promo that saw him complain about Sting ruining what should have been the greatest moment of his life.

This is where Rollins is at his best. His mic work is always decent, but his angry promos are much better than the ones in which he is acting cocky.

He talked about what happened on Raw and how he will finish what Triple H started at WrestleMania by taking Sting out for good.

Rollins is going to have to do the heavy lifting in his feud with Sting, and if this promo is any indication, he is more than capable of carrying the load.

Grade: B+

Notes and Highlights

• Rollins talking about Sting toiling away in the minor leagues was obviously a shot at TNA.
• Rollins already has another new shirt. Maybe his anti-Cena shirts weren't selling that well.
• It's always a little shocking when someone gets through a promo without anyone interrupting them.

Ryback and Dolph Ziggler vs. Rusev and Big Show

This tag match combined two different feuds but didn't manage to advance either of them. It was filler in every sense of the word.

Ziggler and Rusev continuing their feud makes sense, but Ryback should move on from Big Show. The storyline is doing nothing to help him as intercontinental champion.

As far as the quality of the match is concerned, it was average at best. Rusev refusing to tag in Big Show as well as tagging himself in when Big Show was ready to win the match led to the giant delivering a KO Punch to the Bulgarian Brute, which allowed Ziggler to capitalize and pick up the win.

Grade: C+

Notes and Highlights

• Big Show's chokeslam is possibly the most countered finisher in WWE history.
• Lana looked better in the business suits. The acid-washed look went out with dayglo and hair metal.
• Does this mean Big Show is a babyface again? It's hard to tell with him because his turns come out of nowhere.

Dean Ambrose vs. Sheamus

Sheamus and Dean Ambrose always perform with a lot of intensity, and that makes their matches seem a little more brutal than the average bout between WWE Superstars.

There wasn't much of a storyline behind this one, but there doesn't need to be when you have two guys who always leave everything they have in the ring.

Sheamus and Ambrose are no strangers to one another, so they have a good chemistry. Of all the matches that took place on SmackDown, this was the most entertaining.

The Wyatt Family came out to provide the distraction that allowed Sheamus to pick up the win before the group of fanatics entered the ring to attack. Reigns came out to defend his partner, but in the end, Strowman's power was too much to overcome. 

Grade: B+

Notes and Highlights

• It's surprising that none of those things in Sheamus' beard ever get yanked out when he is wrestling.
• Strowman could be Mike Knox's brother.

Final Thoughts and Predictions

SmackDown was never going to measure up to Monday's Raw or any of the other events from the previous weekend, but it wasn't a bad episode by any means.

Most of the matches were entertaining enough to take the time to watch, but there was no real storyline development in any of the major feuds.

Seeing the Dudley Boyz back in action was fantastic. They are in better shape now than they were when they left WWE 10 years ago, and if they are booked properly, they could help the tag team division in a big way.

Ambrose and Sheamus put on the best performance of the night, while Owens and Neville fell short of what we all know they are capable of.

Now that SummerSlam is in the history books, it's time to begin the build toward Night of Champions. It's less than four weeks away, but that is enough time to make it a show people want to see.

Predictions:

• Big Show will turn babyface again before the end of the year.
• Sting will appear at least twice between now and Night of Champions.
• Seth Rollins will also be forced to defend the United States Championship in a rematch against John Cena at Night of Champions.
• The Dudley Boyz will earn a shot at the New Day's tag titles, and it will be a Tables match.
• All three of the Divas stables will start to have issues in the coming weeks because nobody will agree on which one deserves a title shot.

What did you think of this week's SmackDown? 

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