WWE SmackDown Results: Biggest Winners, Losers and Moments from April 21

One of WWE's most valuable players of 2016 again took center stage Thursday night on SmackDown. Kicking the show off with his signature talk show, The Miz engaged AJ Styles in a wildly competitive match later in the broadcast. In the process, he established himself as the biggest winner of the evening.

The Miz has exploded back into relevance this year, both on the mic and in the ring. The Hollywood A-Lister has perfected his character and thrived with the addition of real-life wife Maryse by his side, going full movie star by reciting famous lines and obnoxiously making out with his significant other.

The way he talks down to his guests before getting his comeuppance is perfect heel work on the part of the veteran competitor, who has found new life despite this being the 12th year for him under the WWE umbrella.

His in-ring performances are better than ever, his timing is superb, and his in-ring psychology is far better than he will ever get credit for. His match with Styles Thursday night not only showcased the undeniable chemistry those two Superstars have, but it also demonstrated just how far Miz has come as a worker.

At a time when several characters have become somewhat stagnant—their motivations underdeveloped—Miz has found a way to continue evolving. One of the best and most satisfying performers on the entire roster, he has earned the respect of the audience.

Whether WWE fans are inclined to give it to him, though, is the question.

Who joined Miz as a big winner from SmackDown, and which Superstar was not quite as lucky as the intercontinental champion? Let us take a look.

Winner: Baron Corbin

Credit: WWE.com

The continued effort by WWE Creative to portray The Lone Wolf as a Superstar not to mess with paid off Thursday night, as Corbin brutalized rival Dolph Ziggler before a scheduled match between the two, leaving him lying in a heap of battered flesh at ringside.

Corbin is a nasty, unlikable bully who did not wait for the bell to take out The Showoff, who has become a punching bag of sorts for the former NXT standout. The result has been an effective heel who does not pander to the crowd and is not concerned about looking cool or having the backing of the Internet. He beats people up, leaves them lying and moves on to the next town.

It is a refreshing and welcome change to the usual booking of villains on the main roster. Now, it remains to be seen if the writing staff can maintain the strong build for the persona. Corbin could go the way of Kevin Owens and some of the other heels who started fast and ended up bogged down in the midcard, trading wins with guys they could, and should, clearly defeat.

For now, though, Corbin can relish in the fact that the booking behind his character has been as spot on as it possibly can be while he grows and develops him as a performer. If he can hold up his end of the deal, he has nothing to worry about. 

Loser: Kalisto

Credit: WWE.com

It is difficult to watch the current state of the United States Championship while remembering that, not all that long ago, John Cena was stealing the show every Monday night with his open challenge. In that series of matches, he wrestled pay-per-view-quality bouts against the brightest young stars in the industry. He did more in a monthslong stretch to put emphasis on the title than WWE had in years. 

Through no fault of his own, Kalisto represents everything wrong with the championship. He is often beaten in tag matches, carries the title without regularly defending it and loses in non-title singles matches whenever the opportunity arises.

That was the case Thursday, as the masked competitor lost cleanly to Ryback just weeks after defeating The Big Guy on the WrestleMania pre-show.

How the loss is supposed to create any more excitement for a feud already dead in the water is a mystery, even if the two have solid in-ring chemistry.

The U.S. title is in a bad place right now and in need of someone to rescue it. Unfortunately for Kalisto, his reputation as a singles competitor is damaged after SmackDown.

Winner: AJ Styles

Credit: WWE.com

The No. 1 contender continues to benefit from strong booking as he rolls into May 1's Payback pay-per-view. The Phenomenal One wins matches clean in a day and age in which distractions and cheating run rampant; they're crutches on which an overworked writing staff and unimaginative agents have leaned for too long.

Thursday night, Styles not only laid Miz out to end the talk show segment that kicked off the show, but he also beat him in the center of the ring following The Phenomenal Forearm, pinning the intercontinental champion's shoulders to the mat.

Styles has exceeded all expectations thus far in WWE, and management has exceeded expectations of its own with the way it has treated the former TNA, Ring of Honor and New Japan standout.