Best and Worst of SmackDown before WrestleMania 39: 46-year-old star to benefit after huge match gets canceled, Major disappointment with Roman Reigns (March 31, 2023)

After SmackDown this week, the road to WrestleMania is officially over. Both RAW and SmackDown this week were not as enticing and felt less important than some of the previous episodes.

While the blue brand had a few top matches advertised this week, it didn't feel good enough. With that said, the card itself is fantastic, and all fans need are consistently good matches to be happy. The WrestleMania 39 card itself is promising, and there were some upsides on SmackDown this week:

#3. Best: Bobby Lashley winning the Andre the Giant Battle Royal on SmackDown

The 2023 Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal Winner: @fightbobby 🏆
#SmackDown #WWE https://t.co/6P8itRZ5rJ

Bobby Lashley is this year's winner of the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. Yes, it is unfortunate that Lashley is missing WrestleMania after Bray Wyatt dropped out of the card for health reasons, but this might just be a blessing in disguise.

The match itself was fun, and fans loved how over LA Knight is. Lashley going down the Wyatt road would have likely killed his momentum like it has for many stars before. We expect big things for the All Mighty in 2023.

#2. Worst: An underwhelming main event segment

The final face-off!
Who'll walk out of #WrestleMania as the Undisputed #WWE Universal Champion? 🏆
#WWE #SmackDown https://t.co/Mulx4kgkFY

Roman Reigns' segment with Cody Rhodes closed the show, and it was, unfortunately, a disappointing interaction. We don't have an issue with the fact that Roman Reigns spoke less. There have been several instances in the past that prove that less can be more, and even segments without any words spoken can be impactful.

However, this was neither of that. After Cody Rhodes cut a promo, Reigns simply came out, told Rhodes that he needed to acknowledge him, and lifted the WWE Title in front of him. It was disappointing, given that it's the headlining act.

#2. Best: LWO re-formed

Representing the culture!
#SmackDown #WWE https://t.co/NAOHM4iFpw

Rey Mysterio went backstage this week on SmackDown to express his gratitude towards Legado Del Fantasma. Santos Escobar vowed to have his back at WrestleMania if The Judgment Day interrupted. Soon after that, Mysterio gifted all four members with a Latino World Order (LWO) t-shirt.

It was a great moment and a possible tease of them being involved with Bad Bunny at Backlash in Puerto Rico in May. This was a wholesome segment overall, and the alliance has been good to watch.

#1. Worst: A forgettable women's match and no build-up between Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley

Your Winner: @RaquelWWE 💪
#SmackDown #WWE https://t.co/UMCZnHTCKS

Raquel Rodriguez, Sonya Deville, Natalya, and Shayna Baszler went at it in a Fatal-Four-Way before the Showcase tag team match on Sunday. The match was disappointing, although Raquel's showcase of power was promising.

She was the main highlight in a dull match, and hopefully, it's a sign that WWE will begin to push her in the years to come.

Also, it was disappointing that WWE made no effort to further build up to the SmackDown Women's Title match at WrestleMania between Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley.

#1. Best: The opening segment of SmackDown

The @WWEUsos vs. @SamiZayn & @FightOwensFight. TOMORROW. It’s gonna be 🔥 at #WrestleMania!

#SmackDown #WMGoesFilmy @SonyLIV @SonySportsNetwk https://t.co/ZKJy6AwKZx

The opening segment on SmackDown saw Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn go face-to-face with their WrestleMania opponents, The Usos. Unlike the last segment, this was the perfect way to build up towards the match, and the intense back-and-forth and investment put into this was essentially a confirmation of the report that they are headlining WrestleMania 39 Night 1, and not Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley.

Overall, the segment did well to build up the hype, and it felt truly personal. We can't wait to see how it plays out at WrestleMania 39.