WWE SmackDown Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from May 12

This week's SmackDown took place just over a week before Extreme Rules, which meant WWE had to fill up the rest of the card and tie up any loose ends before the pay-per-view.

The New Era has seen many new faces, and one of the most recent call-ups, Dana Brooke, made her SmackDown debut this week against Becky Lynch.

Other matches and segments dealt with existing storylines, but we got some good action, so the program was worth watching.

Let's take a look at everything that happened on Thursday's show.

Opening Segment

Dean Ambrose kicked off the show with a promo directed at Chris Jericho. He gloated about ruining Jericho's jacket on Raw and said they are even after Jericho smashed Mitch the plant the previous week.

Y2J's music hit and the lights went down, but instead of appearing on the ramp, he attacked Ambrose from behind to get a little payback after Ambrose took him out during his own entrance on Raw.

Jericho put Ambrose in a straitjacket before hitting him with a Codebreaker. Just to add insult to injury, he hit another one before celebrating on the announce table.

While trying to put The Lunatic Fringe in a straitjacket was a little odd, this was a decent segment for both men. Ambrose is always good on the mic, and it's great to see Jericho be portrayed as the wily veteran he is.

Grade: B

Notes and Highlights

• This feud felt underdeveloped heading into Payback, so it's nice to see WWE take things up a notch as we head toward Extreme Rules.
• Only in WWE will you see the crowd bring signs for a plant. Mitch is more popular than a few of the wrestlers on the roster.
• Ambrose needs to get a main event push after this feud. He is too good on the mic and too popular with the crowd not to give him a chance with the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
• I hope WWE doesn't put some sort of stipulation involving a straitjacket on this match at Extreme Rules. That would be like WCW circa 2000. They may as well get Judy Bagwell to make an appearance.

Rusev vs. Sin Cara

Kalisto sat with the announce team as his partner, Sin Cara, faced Rusev in a rematch after the member of The Lucha Dragons scored an upset victory over The Bulgarian Brute on Raw.

Lana threw a glass of water in Kalisto's face before Rusev went outside the ring and took the U.S. champion out with a kick to the back of the head.

Sin Cara was able to get in a little offense halfway through the match, but Rusev asserted his dominance by controlling the first half and then finishing him off with The Accolade.

The match was alright, but this was more about the build toward Rusev and Kalisto's match at Extreme Rules than it was about Rusev vs. Sin Cara.

Grade: C+

Notes and Highlights

• I like how Lana is doing Rusev's introductions from the ring. It reminds me of Ricardo Rodriguez, who needs to return in order to make Alberto Del Rio interesting again.
• Lana needs more time on the mic. She was the main reason Rusev got so much heat early in his run.
• Rusev vs. Kalisto needs a stipulation. Extreme Rules should be the night on which every match is hardcore in some way. Hopefully management will add one ahead of the event.

Dana Brooke vs. Becky Lynch

Dana Brooke gave an interview backstage before her match with Becky Lynch, and she did a good job putting over herself and Emma as dangerous heels. It's almost like the move from NXT made her better at giving promos overnight. 

Her first official bout on the main roster was against another woman who made an impact in NXT but never managed to win the Women's Championship in Lynch.

Any match involving Lynch ends up being a little more physical than the average contest, and this was no exception. Both women used stiff strikes and kept the pace quick from start to finish.

Brooke was impressive, but a lot of credit has to be paid to Lynch. She is something special, and it's just a matter of time before she gets her hands on the Women's Championship.

Emma got involved to help Brooke pick up the win. Interference can work when done properly, and this was one of those times. Emma and Brooke need to get as much heat as possible, and cheating to beat a fan favorite like The Lass Kicker will get that done.

Grade: B+

Notes and Highlights

• Brooke is similar to Angelina Love from TNA in the way she delivers promos. Whether that is a good or bad thing depends on your opinion of Love and The Beautiful People stable she was instrumental in forming.
• Emma overshadowed Brooke a little in NXT, but the latter is someone to keep an eye on. She has the potential to be a major player in the women's division if she keeps improving at a steady rate.
• Using a bow and arrow submission was a nice touch from Brooke. It's one of those moves you never see anymore.

Aiden English vs. Kofi Kingston

We got our first taste of Aiden English as a singles competitor when he took on New Day member Kofi Kingston. Big E, Xavier Woods and Simon Gotch were all at ringside to support their partners.

It's hard to say whether Enzo Amore's injury forced WWE to change plans or The Vaudevillains were always meant to become the No. 1 contenders. Whatever it is, Gotch and English are seizing this opportunity with both hands.

A lot of people doubted their characters would work on the main roster, but so far, they have been a great addition to the tag team division.

English was aggressive in everything he did, and Kingston did his usual great job of selling his opponent's offense. Gotch was thrown out of the arena by the ref at one point, but his presence wasn't needed.

English did the perfect heel move and stole the win by holding the ropes for leverage while he pinned Kingston. Like most matches, this one would have benefited from a few more minutes, but these two talented competitors made the most of their time and put together a solid performance.

Grade: B

Notes and Highlights

• Big E being inappropriate is hilarious.
• If someone were to make a spreadsheet showing how much mic time everyone gets, The New Day would have to be at the top of the list. They give promos on both Raw and SmackDown almost every week.
• Gotch wins the award for weirdest haircut in WWE.
• It's easy to forget how good Kingston is when he is always in tag team matches. He is so versatile inside the ring, and he has regularly added new moves to his repertoire. However, being in The New Day has helped his mic skills improve more than they did in the seven years he spent on the main roster before forming the stable in 2014.

The Usos vs. Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows

Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows have lived up to the hype they came with from New Japan Pro Wrestling, and this match gave them the chance to show off their skills without any focus being taken away by AJ Styles and Roman Reigns.

The Usos are the perfect people to break them in because they are one of the most experienced teams on the roster and have the right set of skills to complement those of Anderson and Gallows.

Both teams played to their strengths throughout the match. Gallows used his power to dominate his opponents, Anderson used a more focused offense and The Usos sold like champs until it was their time to turn up the intensity.

Remembering how bad the division was a few years ago should make everyone happy to see WWE putting so much more effort into tag team wrestling. Duos such as the ones featured in this bout will help keep both the quality of matches and the level of excitement high.

This contest had a good long time to let the action unfold at a natural pace, so they kept it grounded when they needed to and picked things up at the right times.

The ref called for the bell after Gallows threw Jimmy over the announce table, and Anderson followed suit by throwing Jey into the steel steps before hitting the Rocket Kick.

Gallows finished the fight by hitting Jimmy with a steel chair. No-contest decisions are usually disappointing, but this actually felt like the right time to use such a finish. The Usos didn't have to lose clean, and Anderson and Gallows got to look dangerous.

Grade: A-

Notes and Highlights

• Gallows is proof you can come back from an awful gimmick. He was a joke as Festus, but he is being treated like the big international star he has since become. His journey has been more interesting than most, and it would make for a great book.
• I used to recommend that WWE should set up face-painting booths so fans could have their faces look like The Usos or one of the few others who still do it. Now I am thinking something along the lines of temporary tattoos for the face would be better. They would be easy to apply and could be sold online, as well as at live events. If I see this become a real thing, I want some commission. 
• It will be shocking if Anderson and Gallows don't have the tag team titles by the end of the year.

Gorgeous Truth vs. Goldango

After what feels like a year of buildup, R-Truth and Tyler Breeze finally took on Goldust and Fandango in a tag team match.

This storyline has been going on since January 25, which makes it the longest-running feud going. Think about that for a second. WWE has put more long-term effort into this program than any other existing storyline. 

When Truth and Goldust were tagged in, they refused to fight each other, and Truth ended up tagging in Breeze, who pushed Truth off the apron out of frustration.

Fandango came in and turned on Goldust, allowing Breeze to pick up the easiest win of his life. Breeze and Fandango ganged up on Goldie after the bell, and they did the same to Truth when he tried to help.

Everyone saw this coming from a mile away. Breeze and Fandango are better suited to being partners, and we always knew this would lead to Truth and Goldust joining forces.

It's hard to grade this segment because the match was nothing, but it was also a big step forward in terms of storyline development, which is what everyone has been asking for. 

Grade: C-

Notes and Highlights

• This storyline might provide the occasional entertaining moment, but all four of these men have more talent than they are being allowed to show. Had we been getting great matches since this whole thing started, it might have been easier to swallow.
• If anyone from WWE is reading this, this writer is begging you to put Goldust and Stardust back together. It's what's best for business.
• Fandango and Breeze might actually make a good tag team. They are both arrogant and like to dress a little weirder than the average wrestler. They're also good in the ring and have a better chance at being pushed as part of a duo than on their own.

The Miz and Kevin Owens vs. Cesaro and Sami Zayn

For the past few weeks, the Intercontinental Championship feud has been getting more interesting than the WWE World Heavyweight Championship program.

Styles vs. Reigns is being helped by Anderson, Gallows and The Usos, but every person in the IC title storyline is deserving of the belt, and that's what makes the Extreme Rules bout so unpredictable.

The way you know Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens' feud has been built well is by how the fans react whenever they are in the ring together. Every time Zayn gets his hands on KO, the crowd pops.

Cesaro and Zayn worked well together during the first half of the contest, but Owens and The Miz turned things around after the commercial break.

All four men worked hard to make this a fun main event, and it matched the earlier contest between Gallows, Anderson and The Usos. Owens got the win with a Frog Splash to Cesaro, but that wasn't the end of the action.

Everything broke down, and when the dust settled, it was The Miz standing tall with his title while his three challengers lay motionless in the ring.

Frankly, these four men should be fighting over the WWE World Heavyweight Championship while Reigns and Styles battle each other for the IC title.

Grade: A-

Notes and Highlights

• The Miz should grow his beard back. He looked a lot tougher when he had it.
• Seeing Cesaro and Zayn team up has to be awesome for anyone who has been following their history dating back to NXT in 2014. They put on some of the best matches of the year during their feud.
• The Miz has worked hard to earn his spot on the roster, but it feels like his character has improved since Maryse rejoined him. Maybe having his wife on the road with him has improved his mood, and he is trying harder as a result.
• At some point, we have to see Maryse try to insult Cesaro in French so he can respond in her own language and the four others he knows.

Final Thoughts and Predictions

Thanks to two great tag team matches, an impressive debut from Dana Brooke and actual storyline progression in the R-Truth and Goldust saga, this was an above-average episode of SmackDown.

If this is the beginning of the New Era, like the McMahon family keeps insisting, it's moving in the right direction. A lot of great Superstars are being featured in smart ways, and the injection of fresh blood into the main roster has done a great job shaking things up.

Having two women's and two tag team feuds running at the same time while every title is also being featured prominently is not something we see too often. It's hard to ignore the improvements WWE has made in recent months.

Since Extreme Rules is right around the corner, all of this week's predictions will be about the event. 

Predictions

• Goldust and R-Truth will take on Fandango and Tyler Breeze on the pre-show.
• Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows will face The Usos with some kind of stipulation—possibly Falls Count Anywhere or 2-out-of-3 Falls.
• The New Day vs. Vaudevillains match will have a stipulation added.
• Kalisto and Rusev will fight in a Last Man Standing or No Holds Barred match for the U.S. title.
• Becky Lynch will recruit someone to help her take on Emma and Brooke. Bayley is an obvious choice, but we could also see the return of Sasha Banks, who has been absent for several weeks.

What did you think of this week's show?

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