WWE SmackDown Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from Sept. 26

WWE SmackDown remains the upside-down world.

The main event scene is junk. The creative team continues to trot out the same, bland stuff for the Jinder Mahal vs. Shinsuke Nakamura rivalry.

As we saw on Tuesday night, it's the midcard scene, the tag team division and the Kevin Owens vs. Shane McMahon feud where the blue brand is thriving.

Rusev and Sami Zayn each had stirring promos, the Hype Bros continued to crumble and The New Day welcomed The Usos to the Hell in a Cell in a most welcome move.

And KO's villainy remains the heart of the show. His battle with the brand's commissioner is miles more engaging and electric than what's happening with the WWE Championship.

Read on for a full breakdown of those rivalries and the rest of what unfolded on the latest edition of SmackDown. 

Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn Cross Paths Again

Owens called out McMahon, urging him to fight him.

Sami Zayn appeared instead and questioned Owens' actions. KO shrugged him off and dismissed him as a failure in WWE.

As they were about to come to blows, SmackDown general manager Daniel Bryan showed up and booked a match between the two.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

• "I have completely and utterly outshined and eclipsed you."—Owens.
• "I want the United States title at WrestleMania while you watched from the back."—Owens.
• "My day will come. And when it does, I will do it my way and the right way."—Zayn.
• "When I look in the mirror, I don't see a giant piece of trash looking back at me."—Zayn.
  

Grade

A

Analysis

The opening segment was a reminder of how great the chemistry between these archrivals is. The moment was intense, folded in the right amount of reality and gave Owens a worthy verbal sparring partner.

Owens correctly pointed out the wideness of the gap between their resumes.

It's smart to shine a light on Zayn's failings. His rise will be more powerful if he can stir up sympathy as he did here.

Tye Dillinger vs. Baron Corbin

AJ Styles sat in on commentary as Tye Dillinger and Baron Corbin clashed.

The Perfect 10's aggressiveness gained him an early edge, and he had Corbin on the run thanks to rapid-fire strikes.

The Lone Wolf was able to slow the bout down and wear down his foe with a methodical offense.

The fight moved to the outside where Corbin sent Dillinger flying into Styles. The babyface wasn't able to climb back into the ring before the referee's 10-count.

Styles chased off Corbin.

Result

Corbin wins via pinfall.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

• Corbin misses Dillinger and slams into the ring steps.
• Corbin throws Dillinger into Styles.
• "I'm not going to take any shortcuts. I'm not going to squander any opportunities."—Corbin.

Grade

B-

Analysis

A good, if brief, showing from Dillinger here. He's showing he belongs in the U.S. title picture.  

The Corbin-Styles interactions have been fine to this point.

There's not a ton of story surrounding their feud; it's been simple, straightforward and a bit too ordinary so far.

Jinder Mahal Addresses His Controversial Comments

Mahal apologized for his promo from last week before proceeding to show pictures of Nakamura's face and mocking him.

The King of Strong Style appeared on the big screen to surprise the WWE champ. Nakamura then stepped down the entrance ramp where he brawled with The Singh Brothers and Mahal.

Nakamura kicked the heels around before knocking his foe on his back.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

• The crowd loudly chants Nakamura's name.
• Nakamura floors The Singh Brothers with roundhouse kicks.

Grade

D+

Analysis

Repetitive, unfunny, lifeless: Mahal's promos have been a drag during this feud. 

After last week's controversy, WWE wiped away the racism and returned to the same uninspired "comedy" that we've already seen from the champ.

Nakamura dishing out kicks and knees was fun, but this has been an underwhelming rivalry to be kind. There needs to be a transfusion of creativity for this story in a hurry.

The Hype Bros vs. The Usos

Credit: WWE.com

While these two teams met in the ring, The New Day watched from the front row of the stands.

Mojo Rawley charged into battle only to find himself in trouble. The Usos overwhelmed him in their corner.

Zack Ryder fared better, but Rawley tagged himself back in during the former U.S. champ's flurry. The mistake cost The Hype Bros, and The Usos pinned Rawley after a splash. 

After the match, The New Day announced their title match would be in the Hell in a Cell.

Result

The Usos win via pinfall.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

• "You're right where you belong. Sitting with the rest of those chumps."—Jimmy Uso.
• Big E pulls a microphone out of a box of popcorn.

Grade

B

Analysis

The subplot of The Hype Bros' slow implosion will get lost in the Hell in a Cell announcement, but it's been great to see defeat have such a clear impact on two Superstars. Rawley and Ryder are serving as stepping stones for other teams while going through a compelling existential crisis.

The Usos and The New Day nailed their brief interaction.

Putting their next clash in The Devil's Playground is a terrific move. This is the kind of rivalry that belongs in that structure. They are going to create magic in there.

The Pride of Bulgaria

Credit: WWE.com

Aiden English played the emcee for the formal celebration. He sang the Bulgarian national anthem while Rusev strode to the ring with a flag in hand.

The mayor of Rusev's hometown spoke in his native tongue as the powerhouse stood on a podium.

The Bulgarian Brute gloated about defeating Randy Orton, and English then sang a song in his honor.

Orton leaped in and hit RKOs on both heels.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

• The mayor declares Sept. 26 Rusev Day.
• "The lion of Bulgaria ripped the fangs out of The Viper's mouth."—Rusev.
• "I destroyed the legend of The Legend Killer."—Rusev.

Grade

A-

Analysis

Rusev's delusions were entertaining. The over-the-top celebration for a single victory played up how egotistical and unhinged the villain is. The segment worked for everyone.

Rusev got his mic time, Orton got the last laugh, and English getting involved was such a nice touch, too.

The Artiste can make a career out of being the supporting player in other folks' dramas.

Charlotte Flair vs. Carmella

Charlotte Flair handled Carmella in the early part of the bout.

James Ellsworth's distractions cost her, though. The Princess of Staten Island took over, punishing her foe with a relentless attack.

A big boot from The Queen was enough to score the win, though.

Natalya came out to taunt Flair but only stuck around for a short while to do so.

Result

Flair wins via pinfall.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

• Ellsworth is tied to the ring post via a chain and a dog collar.  
• Carmella superkicks Flair to the floor.
• "He gets to see his overrated daughter fail."—Natalya.

Grade

B-

Analysis

The women's division didn't get much time to work with here. Flair and Carmella produced an engaging match even so. And a concise Natalya is a good Natalya.

WWE is going to have to find some room to add more to this narrative. There's plenty to work with, from their past rivalry to talk of legacy, but that can't happen with such brief segments.

Dolph Ziggler Meets Bobby Roode

Credit: WWE.com

Dolph Ziggler as Undertaker

Dolph Ziggler mocked Undertaker's entrance and laughed at fans who thought he was actually The Deadman.

Bobby Roode interrupted the heel's gloating. The Glorious One called Ziggler a hypocrite and challenged The Showoff to a match at Hell in a Cell.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

• "You look like you see a ghost!"—Ziggler.
• "Did you think you would see Undertaker two times in one year?"—Ziggler.
• Roode prevents Ziggler from saying "Rest in peace" a la Undertaker.

Grade

C+

Analysis

Finally. The endgame to all this Ziggler silliness arrived.

This was the best troll job from Ziggler to date, but the story that got us to the point was such a drawn-out, uninteresting way to go.

Roode vs. Ziggler isn't a match that screams excitement. At least The Glorious One will get to something for the first time in a long while.

Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens

Credit: WWE.com

Zayn and Owens pounced on each other right away and traded big blows before the fight moved to the outside.

Zayn took a series of high risks as he charged at his longtime rival.

Owens stopped his momentum, leaving The Underdog from the Underground hurting at ringside. The referee stopped the match. Officials tried to help Zayn to the back, but KO bowled over all of them.

McMahon tried to prevent The Prizefighter from doing further damage, but the heel slipped away as the commissioner crashed into Zayn.

Result

Owens wins by referee stoppage.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

• "Sami Zayn is intent on destroying Kevin Owens and vice versa."—Corey Graves.
• Zayn suplexes Owens on the ring apron.
• Owens powerbombs Zayn on the ring apron.
• Owens throws Zayn into McMahon.

Grade

A+

Analysis

WWE is letting Owens be a monster and it's beautiful.

Zayn and Owens excelled against each other again. The former got to look gutsy and fiery, and the latter came off as dangerous as he ever has been.

This feud with McMahon has brought out Owens' absolute best. WWE has to keep building on his momentum like this.