WWE SmackDown Results: Biggest Winners, Losers and Moments from March 27

The WrestleMania 34 card is mostly set, especially for SmackDown, so the March 27 edition of the blue brand was all about creating momentum. Stars lined up for a chance to knock somebody down and gain a victory at the most crucial time of the year.

Rusev was one of the last men without direction going into the show, and he ended up leaving as the biggest winner after earning a spot in the United States Championship match by pinning Randy Orton.

One big star who was not so effective was Dolph Ziggler, who has stumbled into a place in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.

With their big matches looming, both Shinsuke Nakamura and Becky Lynch emerged with momentum-building wins. The Lass Kicker took out Ruby Riott even without any support from her friends, and The Artist defeated Shelton Benjamin before faking out AJ Styles, further solidifying his mind games.

These winners and losers are defining their paths to The Grandest Stage of Them All in New Orleans on April 8, and their successes and failures will ultimately decide just what is in store for them when it matters most.

Winner: Rusev

It took Rusev just one week to change his fortunes. A surprise partner for Jinder Mahal to open SmackDown, The Bulgarian Brute pinned United States champion Randy Orton with the help of miscommunication between The Viper and Bobby Roode.

This win is solid on its own, but it also gave Rusev his avenue to WrestleMania. SmackDown general manager Daniel Bryan agreed the win made him worthy of a spot in the U.S. title match, making the Mania clash a Fatal 4-Way bout.

This is a far better outcome than the alternative of Rusev getting a throwaway spot in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. Now he could be a great potential winner to take the title off Orton.

Rusev as U.S. champion makes too much sense with how popular he has become.

The Bulgarian Brute deserves this opportunity, and he's added some excitement to the least interesting match on the April 8 card. This is a rare case where adding more bodies to a match helps because there is more for fans to invest in now.

Roode vs. Orton was an uninteresting feud after the first month, and Mahal's manipulations have run thin. Just adding a spot for fans to get in their "Rusev Day" chants is enough to get the match back on track.

Winner: Becky Lynch

Credit: WWE.com

Momentum is everything, especially going into a big multi-wrestler match.

Becky Lynch has captured just about all the momentum possible with a win this week against the leader of The Riott Squad. She even capped it off by throwing Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan over the top rope.

Lynch has felt like a secondary character for too long on SmackDown Live with her one major accomplishment—becoming the first-ever SmackDown women's champion—now a distant memory. She needs a big win to set her back on track as her fellow Four Horsewomen continue to shine.

The Irish Lass Kicker is the perfect choice to win the women's battle royal at WrestleMania, giving her a milestone victory to add to her resume and setting her up as a new threat for Asuka once The Empress of Tomorrow is past Charlotte Flair.

Asuka vs. Lynch may not have the profile of Asuka vs. Charlotte or Asuka vs. Alexa Bliss, but it may be the most exciting combination of styles on the roster. The two are both submission-focused, fast-paced performers, and they have somehow never fought to this point.

It is more likely Bayley or Sasha Banks walk out of the marquee event with the win, but neither needs it in a heated rivalry that will keep them occupied for months to come.

Lynch needs this win more than just about anyone except maybe the woman she just defeated: Ruby Riott.

Loser: Dolph Ziggler

Credit: WWE.com

It's now official: Dolph Ziggler has been relegated to the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.

The Showoff and Baron Corbin are arguably the two biggest stars in the match, especially after main eventing Fastlane just a month ago. They seem completely out of place in the understaffed contest.

Ziggler technically won this week, but it did not feel like much of a victory. Relegated to a squash match against Tyler Breeze as Fandango jogged around the ring, this whole segment was a spotlight on stars who should be a bigger deal on SmackDown than they are.

Given the position The Fashion Police are in, Ziggler just looked like a joke giving Breeze any offense at all. The Showoff supposedly signed a big contract recently to stay with WWE, but it did not translate to any better treatment in 2018 than he got in 2017.

The Grandest Stage of Them All is jam-packed with great matches, so some were going to have to suffer. Braun Strowman arguably is being wasted two years in a row at The Showcase of the Immortals despite being just about the biggest rising star in WWE. Anyone can be affected by card makeup.

Still, beyond Matt Hardy, it is telling how few big names are set to compete in the Battle Royal this year, making Ziggler stand out as a likely wasted star at the most important time of the year.

Maybe Ziggler wins the match, but it feels unlikely.

Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura

The mind games of Shinsuke Nakamura reached their likely apex with The Artist proving just how much he is in AJ Styles' head.

After winning his match against Shelton Benjamin, Nakamura proceeded to again declare he would defeat The Phenomenal One.

He took it a step further though by faking out Styles by nearly connecting with a Kinshasa, stopping just in time and mocking his WrestleMania opponent by patting him on the head. Even if Nakamura's English is not great, his message here was loud and clear—his most direct to date.

With their hyped clash approaching, Styles and Nakamura need moments like this to sell the story of their bout if they want their match to stand out on a huge card. Finally, the two are moving beyond the casual respect of fellow faces.

It's easy to get excited for a match certain to be top tier, but watching these two get there has been a chore for weeks. This was the first time the story truly moved.

The King of Strong Style needs more moments like this rather than long promo segments, which will never play to Nakamura's strengths.

Most of the signs are pointing to The Rockstar winning the WWE Championship, with the feud possibly continuing with a jealous Styles turning heel. That would likely make for a more engaging second part in this tale.