WWE SmackDown Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from April 22 (2024)

A week after he defeated Jimmy Uso to build momentum for RK-Bro ahead of WrestleMania Backlash, Riddle sought to make it 2-0 against the SmackDown tag team champions as he battled Jey in the main event of Friday's Fox broadcast.

That meeting headlined a show that also featured a Lumberjack Match between Drew McIntyre and Sami Zayn and the continuation of Madcap Moss' newfound rivalry with Los Lotharios.

Find out who emerged victoriously from the night's advertised matches and what developments occurred in premier rivalries as the company inched closer to the annual post-WrestleMania premium live event with this recap of the April 22 episode.

A contract signing for the I Quit Match for the SmackDown Women's Championship at WrestleMania Backlash opened up the show as Ronda Rousey and Charlotte Flair put pen to paper for a match WWE hopes improves upon their lackluster affair in Dallas.

Nothing said was any different than the things Rousey and Flair have said in the past, nor was the feud propelled forward in any measurable way. Instead, it continued the status quo between champion and challenger as they bide time ahead of what is, hopefully, the blowoff to their feud.

The highlight was Drew Gulak, who steals every scene he appears in and has done wonders in making both women look like world-beaters by bumping and tapping out for them.

Grade

C

Top Moments

The feud between New Day and The Eastie Boys continued this week as Xavier Woods squared off with Butch.

The Rabid Wildebeast, labeled as such by Pat McAfee on commentary, controlled the match but saw his unbridled tenacity utilized against him as Woods caught him with a DDT into the Backwoods small package for the win.

The match was perfectly acceptable pro wrestling hurt by a mid-match commercial break. Woods is going to get the rollup over as a genuine finishing maneuver, and that is majorly impressive. It was Butch and the in-ring mannerisms that looked a hell of a lot like those previously utilized by Pete Dunne that really stood out, though.

Why even go through the repackaging process if the guy is going to be the same Bruiserweight we all knew, loved and grew to respect in NXT?

Anyway, the feud is going to continue for another week, with the added element of Butch apparently being a spoiled brat who sulks when he doesn't get his way.

Splendid.

Grade

C+

Top Moments

Poor Teddy Goodz.

The enhancement competitor found himself on the receiving end of a one-sided ass-kicking by Gunther, who chopped his way to a dominant showing before powerbombing his opponent for the win. Showcasing The Ring General in these squash matches while Ludwig Borgan handles all the talking is a formula that has worked thus far in the pairing's main roster run.

Later, Riddle looked to make it 2-0 against The Usos in consecutive weeks.

The back and forth showdown saw Riddle overcome a pop-up neckbreaker and late-match superkick from Uso to score a rollup for the win.

The match was fantastic. Riddle and Uso showed up and showed out with performances that would have been right at home in the main event. The Original Bro has become one of the workhorses of WWE over the last year and can typically be counted on to deliver. Uso, though, is one of the hidden gems on the roster. He proved himself against Roman Reigns in their 2020 feud and is absolutely capable of hanging with anyone on the roster.

He is a great worker, and together, he and Riddle had one of the best matches of the week.

Kudos to Randy Orton for putting over the emotional rollercoaster of it all with his facial expressions and mannerisms at ringside.

Grade

A

Top Moments

Kayla Braxton interviewed Women's Tag Team Champions Sasha Banks and Naomi in an in-ring promo that was quickly interrupted by Natalya and Shayna Baszler. The verbal back-and-forth concluded with the champs getting the best of their prospective opponents.

An inoffensive promo that allowed the babyfaces to showcase some personality while also introducing Natalya and Baszler as their next opponents, this was a perfectly acceptable way to jumpstart a rivalry with a ton of potential to produce in the ring. Nattie and Baszler make a solid team, too.

The rivalry between Madcap Moss and Happy Corbin continued Friday night, but not before the former won a glorified squash match against Los Lotharios' Angel. After the bout, Corbin stole the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal trophy and headed backstage, much to the disdain of his former associate.

The match was fine for what it was, but did we really have to sacrifice Angel's credibility to put Moss over? Was there no better option to get to the same conclusion with Corbin stealing the trophy? It felt wholly unnecessary and did more to damage Angel than strengthen Moss.

Grade

C+

Top Moments

The Drew McIntyre-Sami Zayn rivalry wrote its latest chapter in a Lumberjack Match, the main event of this week's show.

The action broke down late, with The Usos delivering a double superkick to Randy Orton, then laying out Riddle before stomping off. The lumberjacks brawled, McIntyre leaped over the top rope with a senton, and Zayn escaped through the crowd once again. This time, Adam Pearce, announced a steel cage match for next week.

Despite the latest in the feud between McIntyre and Zayn, it was The Usos and the mission Roman Reigns sent them on to put respect on his name that stole the focus of the commentary team and fans alike. The very Lumberjack Match that was meant to contain the fight between The Scottish Warrior and The Great Liberator, instead, overshadowed it.

The cage match next week should be great fun, but with WrestleMania Backlashon the horizon, do not be surprised if Zayn manages to weasel his way out of the structure to set up one last showdown between him and the former WWE champion.

Grade

C+

Top Moments