WWE SmackDown Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from April 7

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.

WrestleMania 32 may have been a success on paper, but many fans were left unsatisfied with a lot of the booking decisions made by management.

With that said, WWE did a great job bouncing back with Raw and SmackDown. Not only did we get several main-roster debuts for NXT Superstars, but Cesaro returned to action after spending several months on the shelf with an injury.

Both shows delivered great main events and did a great job laying the groundwork for the upcoming Payback pay-per-view on May 1.

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

Roman Reigns

The show kicked off with the WWE world heavyweight champion coming to the ring for a promo. Roman Reigns got a few more cheers than he received on Raw, but the reaction was still largely negative.

He only spoke for about a minute before No. 1 contender AJ Styles came out to talk about their title match at WWE Payback. He congratulated Reigns on his big win at WrestleMania 32 and shook his hand to show good sportsmanship.

Styles touted his success all around the world, but Reigns didn't seem impressed by his past accomplishments. He even patted Styles on the shoulder in a condescending way before leaving the ring to show how he wasn't intimidated by the more experienced wrestler standing across the ring.

This wasn't a memorable segment, but it worked well because it was kept short and those involved got to the point quickly.

Grade: B-

Notes and Highlights

• Reigns really likes the line: "I'm not a bad guy. I'm not a good guy. I'm the guy." He's said it twice this week. WWE will probably put it on his next shirt.
• Was anyone else surprised when a Roman chant broke out in the crowd?
• Reigns needs to change up his attire a little. Even a slight color change would freshen up his look a little bit.

The Vaudevillains vs. Lucha Dragons

Two standout tag teams who held the NXT Tag Team Championships squared off in the first match of the night when Simon Gotch and Aiden English took on Sin Cara and Kalisto.

The crowd didn't seem to know how to react to The Vaudevillains, which is a good indicator of how many people actually watch NXT. Everyone is familiar with the big names such as Finn Balor and Samoa Joe, but a lot of midcard talents go unnoticed by the majority of the fans.

We have seen these teams wrestle in NXT a few times, so they had time to build some chemistry. Unfortunately, they only had a few minutes to work with.

Everything in the bout was executed well, but they didn't have enough time to get out of second gear. The Vaudevillains picked up the win in their debut match on the main roster after hitting The Whirling Dervish.

Grade: C

Notes and Highlights

• The Vaudevillains' gimmick worked in NXT, but they could end up like The Ascension on the main roster. The casual fans won't appreciate these guys unless they watched NXT regularly.
• WWE should have hired Leva "Blue Pants" Bates and put her with Gotch and English. She is a great wrestler and worked well with the team when she appeared at TakeOver: Brooklyn.
• English might be as pale as Sheamus. Jerry Lawler even commented on how white he looked.
• Having a debut on SmackDown without much hype is not a great sign for The Vaudevillains. It makes you wonder why WWE even brought them to the main roster if they weren't going to get a big push.

Summer Rae vs. Natalya

Natalya took on Summer Rae in what can only be described as a warm-up match before she eventually faces Charlotte for the Women's Championship.

Summer has been getting a little more screen time recently, which isn't a bad thing. She might not be as technically proficient as Natalya, but her charisma helps make up for any shortcomings.

And frankly, she has improved quite a bit since the last time she had a real push. Her strikes are stiffer, and she has mixed up her offense to add a little variety.

Natalya picked up the win with a Sharpshooter and almost went after the champion at ringside, but the ref kept them separated.

Grade: C

Notes and Highlights

• Summer Rae should go back to NXT for a little while. Not because she needs to improve, but because she could help create some new feuds. She would make a great rival for Bayley because they are basically polar opposites.
• I didn't even notice Ric Flair was at the commentary table with Charlotte until the match was over. It's good he isn't taking focus away from Charlotte, but he needs to add something, otherwise he will just become a prop.
• Charlotte sounds more and more comfortable and confident on the mic with each passing week.

The Miz vs. Zack Ryder

After losing the Intercontinental Championship just 24 hours after winning it at WrestleMania, Zack Ryder faced The Miz in a rematch for the title.

Maryse came out before her husband so she could introduce him, which might be a sign she is returning to the company, even if it's just for a little while.

You can tell Ryder has been putting every ounce of energy he has into his performances since he started being featured on Raw and SmackDown again. He is always energetic, but you can see passion in his eyes, which had been missing for quite some time.

It was great to see them given two full segments to work with. They are both talented wrestlers who usually don't get enough credit for how good they are.

The second half of this match was especially entertaining. Both competitors pulled out a few moves we don't usually see them use, and that always makes things more interesting.

Ryder failed to win back the title because of a little interference from Maryse, but he proved to everyone he is worth keeping around. Let's hope management sees his potential and keeps using him on Raw and SmackDown instead of wasting his talent on Superstars and Main Event.

Grade: B+

Notes and Highlights

• It might have sucked to see Ryder lose the IC title so quickly, but we also have to remember he went from being totally irrelevant to having three title matches in a row. That's a significant improvement no matter how you look at it.
• I never thought I would say this, but I missed Maryse. She wasn't the best wrestler, but her sassy attitude makes for a great heel character.
• Ryder's beard needs to be acknowledged. It's pretty sweet.

Apollo Crews vs. Curtis Axel

Apollo Crews followed up his successful Raw debut against Tyler Breeze with a win over Social Outcasts member Curtis Axel.

Crews' star will only continue to rise in 2016. He has that rare combination of explosive power and ridiculous agility you just don't see too often.

Even with Bo Dallas, Heath Slater and Adam Rose trying to help their teammate, Crews managed to overcome the odds and get the victory. It was a short match, but Crews was able to make the most of the minutes he had.

Grade: B-

Notes and Highlights

• You would think John Cena would be the only one allowed to wear jorts during his matches. The new look is an improvement for Axel.
• Crews never had much time with a mic in NXT, so he is still somewhat untested in the promo department. It's the one area he might need to improve.
• The Social Outcasts need to feud with The New Day. It's the only chance they will have to prove they can be entertaining, otherwise they will just end up being 3MB 2.0.

Tyler Breeze vs. Dean Ambrose

Dean Ambrose took on Tyler Breeze in what ended up being the shortest match of the night. It helped Ambrose look good after losing to Brock Lesnar at 'Mania, but it also made Breeze look like WWE's resident jobber.

Prince Pretty might not be the kind of Superstar you'll see end up in the world title picture, but he is capable of having great matches with anyone.

Chris Jericho made his entrance for the main event before Ambrose had time to leave the ring. He refused to look at The Lunatic Fringe as they passed each other on the ramp, which might be a sign of an upcoming feud.

Grade: D+

Notes and Highlights

• To give you an idea of how short this was, I accidentally fast-forwarded through the whole thing when I was skipping commercials on my DVR and had to go back.
• It pains me to give one of Ambrose's matches such a low grade, but they didn't have enough time to earn anything higher.
• Breeze needs to lose about 50 percent of the fur on his attire. It might be easier to take him seriously if he doesn't look like he skinned a dozen chinchillas to make his tights.
• A Jericho vs. Ambrose feud is a great idea because it's totally original and they could produce some stellar matches.

Cesaro and AJ Styles vs. Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho

Cesaro teamed up with Styles to take on Jericho and Kevin Owens in the main event. These are four completely different types of wrestlers, but they are also four of the best performers on the roster.

The phrase "you don't know what you've got until it's gone" sums up Cesaro perfectly. He is one of the best wrestlers in the world, and seeing him back in a WWE ring should make everyone happy.

There was enough time for this match to be good, but with a few more minutes, it could have been amazing. Seeing four performers of this caliber in the same ring at the same time almost makes you forget about everything that's wrong with WWE these days.

Sami Zayn tried to rush the ring, but a group of officials held him back. The distraction allowed Styles to roll up Owens for the win. KO went after Zayn and ended up throwing him into the steel steps to end the show.

Grade: A-

Notes and Highlights

• Owens is the only guy still selling injuries from the Ladder match at WrestleMania. That is what you call commitment.
• Owens supporting Jericho during his conniption fit by flipping over the steel steps for no reason was hilarious. Jericho diving for a tag when he didn't need to was even funnier.
• It was nice to see a tag match in which Owens didn't try to leave his partner high and dry for once.

Final Thoughts and Predictions

Even though WrestleMania only took place on Sunday, it already feels like the hype is dying down and the build toward Payback is taking priority.

Other than the criminally short contest between Ambrose and Breeze, this was a solid episode of SmackDown. Several storylines were developed, and we already have a good idea of what the Payback card will look like.

Styles, Owens, Jericho and Cesaro stole the show in the main event, but The Miz and Ryder gave them a run for their money with a great IC title match.

Since Payback is still several weeks away, most of this week's predictions will revolve around filling out the rest of the card.

Predictions

• Becky Lynch will battle Emma and Charlotte will defend the Women's Championship against Natalya.
• Zayn and Owens will wrestle inside a steel cage.
• Ryder will get one more shot at the IC title against The Miz.
• Kalisto will end up defending the U.S. title against multiple opponents at Payback.
• The Vaudevillains will end up being used as a novelty act instead of being taken seriously as a talented tag team.

What did you think of this week's show, and which matches would you like to see at Payback?

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