WWE SmackDown Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from February 28

The Road to WrestleMania is underway on SmackDown Live and the brand wasted little time laying the groundwork for the rivalries it will present on wrestling's biggest stage.

From Randy Orton's betrayal of Bray Wyatt to John Cena and The Miz's intensely personal verbal confrontation, the show was full of red-hot angles and segments devoted to building programs that will engage fans and separate the Tuesday show from its Monday-night opposition.

Factor in a huge Number One Contender's match between AJ Styles and Luke Harper and the February 28 episode was one of the most noteworthy broadcasts in recent SmackDown history. 

What went down?

Take a look back with this recap of Tuesday's USA Network presentation.

Miz TV with John Cena

This week's broadcast kicked off with The Miz and Maryse hosting another edition of Miz TV.

Their guest? Familiar foe John Cena, who hit the ring to his typically mixed reaction.

Miz muted Cena's mic and proceeded to criticize him for ruining his main event run in 2011 and calling The Rock out for leaving for Hollywood when Cena himself is in the midst of doing the same. Chants of "you sold out" followed, which Miz egged on.

Cena mocked Miz for bringing up the same handful of criticisms everyone else has, then alluded to the fact that if he had his choice, he would be working with Undertaker headed into WrestleMania 33, not Miz. He delved deeper, accusing Miz of not really knowing who he is and spending his entire adult life stealing other guys' gimmicks.

He named The Rock, Chris Jericho, Daniel Bryan and AJ Styles as examples.

Maryse refused to let Cena leave and said he was half the man Miz is. This brought out Nikki Bella, who threatened to "break you, b****" before embracing Cena, the heels watching from the entrance ramp.

Grade

A

Analysis

There was some major concern that a Mixed Tag Team match against Miz and Maryse was beneath Cena. If these two guys can continue to bring the heat-seeking shoot comments they did here, the potential is there for their match at WrestleMania to be the hottest of the entire show.

This was fantastic as the Superstars mixed just enough real-life dirt into the promo to suggest they may not actually like each other. It helped, and the result is a program that has more life now than anyone could have possibly imagined.

Maryse is perfect as the unlikable vixen and Bella's threat drew a nice pop, suggesting the women will be able to hold their own when it comes to ensuring the animosity within the rivalry.

Best 2-out-of-3 Falls Match: Becky Lynch vs. Mickie James

The issues between Becky Lynch and Mickie James continued into this week's show as they met in a Best 2-Out-of-3 Falls match, presumably aimed at bringing an end to their differences.

James scored the first fall off of a stiff Mick Kick to her adversary. Lynch evened things up coming out of the break, scoring the win on a nondescript rollup.

With the score evened at one fall apiece, the action picked up significantly.

SmackDown women's champion Alexa Bliss hit the ring, attempting to interfere on behalf of her associate, James. Instead, she was errantly run into by James, who fell prey to the Disarmer by Lynch. Moments later, a tapout secured the victory for The Lass Kicker.

Result

Becky Lynch defeated Mickie James

Grade

C+

Analysis

This failed to reach the quality of the match from Elimination Chamber, but it was a solid bout to say the least.

The interference from Bliss suggests that she will find herself challenged by Lynch in the lead-in to WrestleMania, but one must wonder if James will wind up in the equation, somehow using Bliss' botched interference as reasoning for her interjection in the match.

Only time will tell.

Luke Harper vs. AJ Styles

A spot in the WrestleMania main event was up for grabs as AJ Styles and Luke Harper battled in singles competition, each vying for the right to headline the most important show of the year.

The match with rife with controversy.

Styles blasted Harper with a Phenomenal Forearm at one point and pinned him for a count of three.

Except Harper's foot was under the rope, something that went undetected by the official.

SmackDown commissioner Shane McMahon appeared and ordered the match restarted. Infuriated, Styles confronted the McMahon and exchanged words with him. Harper, looking to catch Styles off-guard, threw a nasty looking sidekick that missed The Phenomenal One and blasted McMahon.

Styles capitalized on the distraction and shoved Harper into the ring post. From there he delivered a springboard 450 splash to score a second straight victory over the former Wyatt Family minion.

Result

AJ Styles defeated Luke Harper

Grade

B

Analysis

There is not a single way Harper comes out of this looking good.

Sure, some will argue that he lost both times in controversial fashion, but the fact of the matter is he lost twice. Even after having the match restarted to give him a fair shot at victory.

The win would be even more interesting if he was actually the winner, but given the inclusion of McMahon here it appears as though the speculated match between The Phenomenal One and the prodigal son is going to happen whether fans want it or not.

A strong match, but one that could have been so much better without the screwy finishes and interference.

Dean Ambrose vs. Curt Hawkins

Before a match between the two could even start, Dean Ambrose dropped Curt Hawkins with Dirty Deeds and called out Baron Corbin, refusing to allow The Lone Wolf to push him around.

Corbin vowed to introduce Ambrose to the pain he likes so much. Except, when they meet, he will introduce The Lunatic Fringe to a pain unlike any he has ever experienced.

Ambrose told Corbin not to start something he cannot finish to close out the segment.

Result

No match

Grade

C

Analysis

This was an average, almost lazy segment that did nothing to add any heat to the Ambrose-Corbin feud.

WWE so desperately wants Ambrose to be the witty babyface that fans think is cool, but the company's creative team is so out of touch with what is funny that every joke comes across as laughably bad.

What should be a red-hot brawl between two badass Superstars was instead at the heart of the most disappointing segment of the night.

Chairs Match: Apollo Crews vs. Dolph Ziggler

In the culmination of a feud months in the making, Dolph Ziggler squared off with Apollo Crews in a Chairs match.

Crews outclassed Ziggler for the majority of the fight. He used his speed and agility to keep the former world champion off-kilter and delivered an enzuigiri, lariat and moonsault for a near-fall.

Ziggler slowed the momentum, moving out of the way of a charging Crews, who smashed into the ring post. He rolled him up and tried cheating his way to victory, using the ropes for added leverage. Ziggler continued his cheating ways, poking Crews in the eye and dropping him crotch-first onto a chair and covering him for the win.

Result

Dolph Ziggler defeated Apollo Crews

Grade

B-

Analysis

The dynamic of this feud is so strange.

Ziggler is clearly supposed to be the heel, and Crews is obviously the babyface, but The Showoff is infinitely more over than his opposition. Fans care more about him; he is more over than Crews ever will be, and it shows in every match in which they compete.

With that said, Crews was booked strongly here.

It took a ton of cheating from Ziggler to win the match, and even up until the low blow Crews looked like he might thwart it all.

The question is whether or not any of this helped the underdeveloped young star or if he is supposed to disappear back into obscurity.

Bray Wyatt's Invocation

Bray Wyatt set out to cut a promo on AJ Styles and their presumed WrestleMania 33 match but made a brief mention of Randy Orton, who appeared on the TitanTron from a remote location.

Orton, broadcasting from The Wyatt Family Compound, announced that the evil that surrounded the building was Wyatt's...not his. It never was.

The Viper admitted that his plan all along was to join Wyatt, then screw him over when the time came.

Orton said he would be the servant to Wyatt's master, but in a moment it would be him that was the master and The Reaper of Souls the servant.

Wyatt was left in tears as Orton set the building ablaze, taking with it the soul of Sister Abigail, who it was revealed was buried underneath the compound.

The Viper posed in front of the blaze as the show went off the air.

Grade

B+

Analysis

This was a cool segment in that it was unlike anything fans have seen in a long time.

Cool, however, does not always make for the most sensible entertainment.

After all, Orton came across as the diabolical heel while the crying, prone and vulnerable Wyatt looked like the babyface. It is confusing psychology if the roles are meant to be reversed. Also, why would The Viper pledge allegiance two weeks earlier if the goal was to betray him so quickly?

It felt very much like a rushed reveal rather than the well-timed payoff fans deserve.

Still, an explosive conclusion to an excellent, hard-hitting show full of twists, turns and extraordinary promos.