WWE SmackDown Results: Biggest Winners, Losers and Moments from April 3

The Road to WrestleMania has nearly reached its end. The April 3 edition of WWE SmackDown was the go-home show before the Showcase of the Immortals on April 8, with every major match featuring SmackDown stars highlighted.

Everyone was looking to put their name in the win column before going into matches that could define their careers. Charlotte Flair did just that by defeating Natalya and staving off a Carmella cash-in. Similarly, Baron Corbin was a clear winner when he dominated his competition before the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.

Two men who had mastered the mind games before tonight met challenges that could spell their doom.

Jinder Mahal fell decisively to Rusev after helping The Bulgarian Brute get into his U.S. title match last week.

Shinsuke Nakamura added a win to his resume, but AJ Styles was the one who picked up the pinfall and made Nakamura look silly by playing his own trick on the Japanese superstar.

These final winners made their mark and helped define the last steps on their journey to WrestleMania, while the losers might have derailed their journey at the final turn.

Winner: Charlotte Flair

Before WrestleMania, Charlotte had a score to settle: avenging her loss to Natalya. Again, Carmella tried to cash in during her match, forcing The Queen to both deal with Carmella and avoid losing again to Natalya. She did just that in an impressive sequence.

She big booted Carmella and her briefcase out of the ring, then made Natalya tap to the Figure-Eight. On top of it all, the SmackDown women's champion got an extra surprise when Asuka arrived to once more announce she would defeat Charlotte at 'Mania, with the champ refusing to be intimidated.

As far as momentum is concerned, this was as good a night as Charlotte could have hoped for. The Queen established herself once more as SmackDown's best female talent, and she did not let Asuka get in the last word, even while catching her breath after a grueling battle against Natalya.

Of all the matches on the WrestleMania card, few are more exciting than Charlotte vs. Asuka. There has not been a singles match involving the women on the Grandest Stage of Them All since WrestleMania 23, a travesty finally rectified with a match between arguably the best female wrestlers in the world.

Asuka should walk out as champion with her winning streak continuing on for a long time to come, but it is still interesting that Carmella's cash-in looms over this match. Could we see Ms. Money in the Bank actually end the streak? It's unlikely, but it's worth keeping in mind.

Loser: Jinder Mahal

Credit: WWE.com

With one last chance to build momentum, Mahal battled Rusev, and The Bulgarian Brute emerged victorious with a dominant, clean win. The former WWE champion had complete control of the buildup to this moment, playing mind games with Bobby Roode and Randy Orton, but Rusev's arrival has changed everything.

Many titles will change hands at the Showcase of the Immortals, and it is certainly possible Orton loses his championship along the way. It would make sense for Rusev or Mahal to emerge with the title so that Orton and Roode can continue feuding higher up the card.

With this loss, The Modern Day Maharaja lost standing and made it look far more likely Rusev would be the one to escape with the United States Championship. Mahal was clearly treated here as the fourth biggest star in the matchup.

While Mahal made sense taking the midcard title before, Rusev is a far more interesting option as the next U.S. champion. His popularity is still consistently impressive, plus he continues to work at the highest rate of his career.

Just as quickly as Mahal took over the story of this 'Mania match, he has now become a side note. At least he will finally get to compete in a major match on the main card of the Grandest Stage of Them All, which is a huge step up in his career.

Winner: Baron Corbin

Credit: WWE.com

SmackDown stars who will soon fight in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal competed in an eight-man tag match to prove who was most ready for Sunday. While four men had their names stated as winners, it was Baron Corbin who commanded most attention.

The former Battle Royal winner ran through his competition and stood tall, making clear he is the absolute favorite for SmackDown in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. While it is not surprising booking, it was still telling right before 'Mania.

The Lone Wolf would be the first man ever to win the Battle Royal twice, an impressive distinction in spite of how little good the match has done to make top stars. If Corbin did win for the second time, it would have to be a sign he is in for a big push in 2018.

2017 should have been Corbin's year, but one mistake backstage derailed his career for a while, making him the third man ever to fail his Money in the Bank cash-in. He is a good hand and an impressive big man, though he has not grown past that yet.

He may never be the main eventer he looked to be becoming last year, but he has too much going for him not to be heavily featured again on either of the WWE brands. If I was putting a bet down for winner of the Battle Royal, I would not bet on Corbin, but he's certainly not too far from being the favorite.

Loser: Shinsuke Nakamura

Nakamura went into this show with a huge mental edge on Styles. Last week, he revealed the flaws in The Phenomenal One's game by playing to his emotions. However, this week's SmackDown revealed the strength of Styles as he fought off Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin on his own after the hot tag from The Artist.

Styles took out Shelton then hit Gable with a Phenomenal Forearm right in front of Nakamura. Afterwards, he managed to make The King of Strong Style cower as he teased hitting him with a Phenomenal Forearm before patting Nakamura on the head.

The Artist looked silly, just like the WWE champion looked last week. It would seem this will all come down to a fair fight between two greats, and the fans are the winners in that case. It will be a battle of wills in a thrilling high-octane match.

This story has luckily ramped up in the final weeks. Styles and Nakamura also had solid sit-down interviews earlier on in the show to highlight how serious both men are about this match. While it could have used more development, this match will be great regardless of the build.

SmackDown will likely be overshadowed by the higher profile bouts from Raw at the Showcase of the Immortals, but Styles vs. Nakamura has to be the favorite to steal the show. At the top of their game, no one will be able outwork these elite competitors.