WWE SmackDown Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from February 18

Every week on Bleacher Report, I take an in-depth look at WWE SmackDown to recap the results, 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.

WWE Fastlane is on Sunday, so this week's SmackDown was the last chance management had to tie up any loose ends before the pay-per-view.

Shows before a PPV can often suffer from too many video packages, but that was not the case this time. We actually got to see some solid wrestling and storyline progression.

Out of the five matches, two of them featured the Divas division, and both of those contests delivered some entertaining moments. That is not always the case with multiple women's bouts.

WWE was advertising this as Brock Lesnar's return to the blue brand after a 12-year absence, but he only appeared for a few moments in the final segment, so it was nothing special.

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

The Lucha Dragons and Dolph Ziggler vs. League of Nations

SmackDown seems to be opening with matches instead of promo segments lately, and it has been helping the show's momentum a lot. It's always nice to see management change things up once in awhile.

Dolph Ziggler teamed up with The Lucha Dragons to take on Rusev, Sheamus and Alberto Del Rio in six-man tag action.

Ziggler and the luchadores helped keep the pace quick, while Sheamus and Rusev delivered all the power moves they are known for.

Nothing about this match was original, but that didn't stop it from being entertaining. The action was fun, and it combined two different feuds into one segment.

Kevin Owens provided a distraction so Sheamus could hit the Brogue Kick to get the win for his team.

Grade: B

Notes and Highlights

• Owens shoving the Intercontinental Championship in Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler's faces was hilarious. This guy is a natural heel, and he should be in the main event scene within the year. When he decides to retire, he should pursue a role with the commentary team.
• "Ziggler and the luchadores" would make a great band name.
• It sucks seeing King Barrett at ringside when we know he probably won't be around for long after he hinted he was leaving on Twitter. He has so much untapped potential.
• Sheamus' beard actually looked normal for once.

Sasha Banks vs. Tamina Snuka

Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks, Naomi and Tamina Snuka have had just about every combination of singles matches they could put together over the past few weeks, and for the most part, they have lived up to expectations.

Tamina has always been a mid-level performer, but Banks is so good she makes everyone she wrestles look better.

Banks brought the speed, and Tamina brought the power. In the end, Banks' quickness helped her pick up the win, but Naomi wasn't about to let her have the last laugh.

Banks was viciously attacked until Lynch made the save and sent Naomi and Tamina packing. The Boss was not thankful for the help judging by her reaction.

This bout could have been longer, but it was decent for what it was.

Grade: C+

Notes and Highlights

• Naomi apparently has an unlimited supply of the pants she was wearing in different colors.
• It was nice to hear the crowd chanting Lynch's name instead of Banks' for a change.
• Banks and Lynch got into an argument backstage after the commercial break, but they put their differences aside so they have a fighting chance at Fastlane.
• Uneasy alliances such as the one between Banks and Lynch are a nice change of pace. We see former rivals become friends out of nowhere far too often, so it's refreshing to see some logic applied to this storyline.

The Miz vs. Chris Jericho

Chris Jericho came to the ring to call out AJ Styles, but he got The Miz instead. These two have always had good chemistry on the mic, but they didn't get a lot of time to talk before a match between the two started.

We have seen The Miz and Y2J wrestle many times over the years, so this was nothing new. They work well together because their styles and gimmicks complement each other.

However, this bout didn't even come close to what we have seen from Jericho and Styles in the past few weeks. It was good but not great.

Counting the exchange they had before the match, they had three segments to work with, giving them more screen time than anyone else on the show. The Miz put up a good fight, but Jericho's veteran experience helped him pick up the victory.

Styles came out after The Miz had left, and Jericho told him he would not be accepting his challenge for a rematch at Fastlane. Styles attacked Y2J, which forced Jericho to begrudgingly agree to a contest at Sunday's PPV.

Grade: B-

Notes and Highlights

• I wonder how much Jericho's jackets cost to make and whether it would be worth it for WWE to sell them? If a cheaper copy could be made for less than $200, people would probably buy them.
• Jericho told The Miz he should quit the business and the fans started chanting "Quit!" You have to wonder if that was inserted into the script before or after Barrett gave notice to WWE.
• When was the last time The Miz came out on top in a feud? It seems like he is becoming a glorified jobber. At least Jericho gave him credit for being a great performer after the match was over.

Charlotte vs. Natalya

It's been almost two years since Natalya and Charlotte stole the show at the first NXT TakeOver. That match was incredible, and it would've been nearly impossible for them to live up to it.

They were given two full segments to work with, so they had plenty of time to tell a story. This wasn't as exciting as their encounter at TakeOver, but they still managed to put the other Divas to shame with their physicality.

Unfortunately for The Queen of Harts, Charlotte picked up the win after locking in the Figure Eight. Charlotte mocked the "Yes" chants after the match was over, so Brie Bella came out and attacked the Divas champion.

For the first time since this storyline started, we had a reason to care about what was happening.

Grade: B+

Notes and Highlights

• Natalya's entrance wasn't televised, which just shows how low she is on WWE's list of priorities.
• Charlotte's big boot to the face always looks brutal, and Natalya sold it like a champ.
• Are the fans actually chanting "Yes" for Brie or do they just like chanting "Yes" over and over?

The Dudley Boyz vs. Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose

The main event of the evening saw Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns take on The Dudley Boyz, who were fresh off their heel turn from the previous week.

This was a solid match between four physical competitors, but it was overshadowed by an appearance from Brock Lesnar.

Reigns and Ambrose were close to taking out Lesnar when a miscommunication led to them fighting each other. This allowed Lesnar to get the upper hand.

The Beast took out both of his opponents and then had a stare down with Triple H to end the show. It wasn't the best ending, but it was a good way to send us into Sunday's PPV.

Grade: B-

Notes and Highlights

• Paul Heyman and Ambrose had a hilarious confrontation backstage earlier in the show. Ambrose is at his best right now, so he was able to get the better of Heyman in their verbal sparring match.
• How much would it cost to get AC/DC's "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" for Ambrose's entrance music?
• Ambrose sold a punch to the gut from Bubba like he was hit with a baseball bat. The look on his face when he got hit was hilarious.

Final Thoughts and Predictions

WWE Fastlane has the potential to be an outstanding event. The card is filled with matches that could steal the show, and most of the bouts' outcomes aren't as predictable as they usually are for a pay-per-view.

This week's SmackDown didn't have any five-star bouts, but every contest was enjoyable on some level. Most of the major feuds were addressed through matches, and the few that weren't were at least talked about.

Since this was the final show before Fastlane, all of this week's predictions will be about the PPV.

Predictions

• The New Day will be goaded into defending their Tag Team Championships while being interviewed by Edge and Christian.
• Banks and Lynch will defeat Tamina and Naomi.
• Charlotte will retain the Divas title.
• Owens will retain the IC title.
• Kalisto will retain the United States Championship.
• Styles will defeat Y2J.
• Jericho will turn heel after losing to Styles.
• Ambrose will surprise everyone and defeat Reigns and Lesnar.

What did you think of this week's SmackDown?

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