WWE Draft Day 1: Top RAW champ leaves; 3 off-brand champs drafted - SmackDown Winners, Recap, Grades & Highlights (April 28, 2023)
Triple H kicked off Day 1 of the WWE Draft on SmackDown and told us that the entire RAW and SmackDown rosters, including some NXT superstars, were eligible for the draft.
.@TripleH lays out the rules for the #WWEDraft...
The post-draft rosters will go into effect after #WWEBacklash!
#SmackDown https://t.co/O0Vwglsnfg
Straight off the bat, Paul Heyman, Solo Sikoa, and Roman Reigns were drafted to SmackDown while RAW got the renewed World Heavyweight Title.
#SmackDown gets the first pick in the #WWEDraft:
Undisputed WWE Universal Champion @WWERomanReigns, @WWESoloSikoa & @HeymanHustle! ☝️🔥 https://t.co/GABXUrpSfq
Cody Rhodes and Becky Lynch were drafted to RAW, while SmackDown got Bianca Belair, concluding Round 1 of the draft.
The Usos were out next, and they hyped the tag title rematch before Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn interrupted them.
Where will @WWEUsos be drafted?
#SmackDown or #WWERaw?
#WWE https://t.co/BzkZqP5kHK
Sami reminded the Usos that Roman hadn't contacted them even once since they lost their titles. They argued about who would win tonight before KO let it be known that he didn't care about all this drama and was just there to defend his title.
WWE SmackDown Results (April 28, 2023): LA Knight vs. Butch
Will LA Knight end up on #WWERaw or #SmackDown? #WWE https://t.co/goTuk3Y48G
Butch was in control early on and locked Knight up on the ropes and hit the Beats of the Bodhran. Knight managed to send Butch out of the ring and hit a spine buster on the apron before we headed for a break.
Back on SmackDown, Butch hit some big boots before getting a moonsault off the apron to the outside. Knight got back in the ring and hit a big superplex before getting the Blunt Force Trauma for the win.
Result: LA Knight def. Butch
MASSIVE SUPERPLEX from @RealLAKnight to @PeteDunneYxB! 🫢
These men want to show the WWE Universe that they're a TOP #WWEDraft pick!
#SmackDown https://t.co/hhcXTC7pHc
Grade: B
Backstage, Paul Heyman told the Usos that winning the tag titles tonight was their only option to stay in the Bloodline before telling Solo something in secret.
"Tonight IS the night..." 👀
@WWEUsos @WWESoloSikoa @HeymanHustle #SmackDown https://t.co/FRB3TAsOFe
Rob Van Dam and Michael P.S. Hayes were out next for Round Two of the WWE Draft. SmackDown picked up the Street Profits and Edge, while RAW selected Imperium and Matt Riddle.
Braun Strowman & Ricochet vs. LWO vs. The Street Profits on SmackDown
"THERE ARE BODIES FLYING EVERYWHERE!" 😱
This Triple Threat Tag Team Match is AWESOME!
#BraunStrowman & @KingRicochet vs. The #StreetProfits vs. @deltoro_wwe & @joaquinwilde_!
#SmackDown https://t.co/rJHhgiNwsb
Ricochet and Braun immediately cleared the ring before the latter tossed Ricochet outside on top of the others. After a break on SmackDown, Ricochet and Del Toro teamed up against Dawkins and sent him out.
Del Toro took down Ricochet next and tagged in Wilde, who hit a springboard to the outside and took out the Street Profits. Strowman took the LWO out at ringside before Dawkins took Braun down with a dive to the outside.
WHAT A MATCH! 🤯
@KingRicochet @Adamscherr99 @MontezFordWWE @AngeloDawkins #SmackDown https://t.co/0O17roAFOP
In the ring, Dawkins took Ricochet down with a spinebuster before Ford followed up with a Frog Splash and got the win.
Result: The Street Profits def. Braun Strowman & Ricochet & LWO
.@MontezFordWWE & @AngeloDawkins get the W!
WHAT A MATCH.
#SmackDown #WWE https://t.co/KBLZIkwbcr
Grade: B+
JBL and Teddy Long were out next for Round Three of the WWE Draft. Bobby Lashley, The O.C. were going to SmackDown while Drew McIntyre and The Miz were now on RAW.
Zelina Vega vs. Sonya Deville on SmackDown
Vega got an armbar early on before Chelsea Green ran interference. Deville took advantage of the distraction and got a boot to the head before getting a near fall. Vega kicked out and rolled Sonya up off the counter before picking up the win.
Result: Zelina Vega def. Sonya Deville
MAMI'S HERE! 🔥🔥🔥
@RheaRipley_WWE arrived to send @ZelinaVegaWWE a message but it didn't go as planned for the #SmackDown Women's Champion!
#WWEBacklash just got a little more interesting!
#SmackDown https://t.co/8XyOAAoNN5
After the match, Rhea Ripley attacked Zelina Vega and took her down before Sonya tried to take down the champ from behind. Rhea took Deville down and sent Chelsea Green running before trying to hit Vega with the riptide. Vega turned it into a DDT and hit Rhea before running away.
Zelina gets the best of @RheaRipley_WWE!
@ZelinaVegaWWE #OutOfCharacter https://t.co/Fbk4WX2Pl9
Grade: C
"SmackDown! We have just started."
@AJStylesOrg @MiaYim @MachineGunKA @The_BigLG #WWEDraft https://t.co/nBDbA92d3S
AJ Styles and The O.C. were out next, but before they could say anything, The Viking Raiders interrupted them.
We got a big brawl in the ring before The O.C. took the Vikings down, and AJ Styles came in with a Phenomenal Forearm on Ivar before SmackDown moved on.
Business? Handled. ✅
INCREDIBLE #SmackDown debut for The O.C.
@AJStylesOrg @MiaYim @MachineGunKA @The_BigLG
#SmackDown https://t.co/6ns6k8142C
HBK and Road Dogg were out next to announce the next round of the WWE Draft. Damage CTRL and NXT Women's Tag Champs Alba Fyre & Isla Dawn were headed to SmackDown, while Shinsuke Nakamura and Indi Hartwell were going to RAW.
WHAT A SHOCKER! 👏👏👏
#WWENXT Women's Champion @indi_hartwell just found out she was drafted to #WWERaw!
#WWEDraft #SmackDown https://t.co/vbtUBXclUs
Alba Fyre & Isla Dawn were at the Performance Center being interviewed about being drafted to SmackDown when Katana Chance and Kayden Carter challenged them to a tag title match next week on NXT.
Shinsuke Nakamura was being interviewed in the back when he was attacked by Karrion Kross, setting up a match for next week.
NEXT WEEK: @realKILLERkross vs @ShinsukeN!
#SmackDown #WWE https://t.co/e7Zgnx72kM
Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn (c) vs. The Usos - WWE Undisputed Tag Team Championship match
BIG FIGHT FEEL.
#SmackDown #WWE https://t.co/CSGSf8f6QX
The Usos were dominating and hit a double superkick on Owens before isolating him in the ring. They bounced KO's knees off the ring post before Owens could get out and make the tag.
Sami took the Usos out of the ring and hit a big dive before getting a sunset flip in the ring on Jey. Sami earned a near fall off the Blue Thunder Bomb and went up top before Jey took him out with a superkick.
It's a #WrestleMania rematch and you can FEEL IT! 🔥👏🙌
Can @SamiZayn and @FightOwensFight hold on to their Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships or will Jimmy and Jey @WWEUsos bring the titles back to #TheBloodline? 👀
#SmackDown https://t.co/Ngjom4CmIu
Mid-match, Paul Heyman got a phone call backstage and dispatched Solo Sikoa for a secret mission. Back in the ring, Sami took a superkick from Jey off a dive before Jimmy kicked out of a stunner from KO.
Riddle has unfinished business on #SmackDown!
@WWESoloSikoa @SuperKingofBros https://t.co/1ar2SWafZ3
Solo walked out to ringside before Riddle attacked him on the ramp, and they brawled their way backstage. KO took a double superkick in the ring for a near fall before Sami stopped the Usos from getting the 1D and sent Jey into the steel steps.
KO got a stunner on Jimmy before Sami came in with the Helluva Kick before picking up the win.
Result: Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn def. The Usos to retain the WWE Undisputed Tag Team Championship
#ANDSTILL! @SamiZayn & @FightOwensFight retain the Undisputed #TagTeamTitles on #SmackDown https://t.co/63MCoLcWKy
Grade: A
Episode rating: B+
We got a big title match tonight, while Night 1 of the WWE Draft had some big surprises.