Winners And Grades As The 2023 WWE Draft Kicks Off

WWE SmackDown advertised Night 1 of a massive WWE Draft where Raw, SmackDown and NXT
XT
talent will be eligible to be drafted. Pretty Deadly, Roxanne Perez and Cora Jade are reportedly in town for the festivities along with AJ Styles.

SmackDown also advertised Zelina Vega vs. Sonya Deville and a huge main event as Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens defend the WWE Tag Team Championships against The Usos in a WrestleMania 38 rematch.

Last week’s broadcast of SmackDown drew 2.175 million viewers.

WWE SmackDown Results | April 28, 2023

• LA Knight def. Butch
• The Street Profits def. Ricochet and Braun Strowman and LWO
• Zelina Vega def. Sonya Deville

2023 WWE Draft Results

Drafted to WWE SmackDown

• Roman Reigns, Paul Heyman and Solo Sikoa | Round 1, Pick 1
• Bianca Belair | Round 1, Pick 3
• The Street Profits | Round 2, Pick 1
• Edge | Round 2, Pick 3
• Bobby Lashley | Round 3, Pick 1
• The O.C. (Styles, Michin, Gallows and Anderson) | Round 3, Pick 3
• Damage CTRL (Bayley, Sky, Kai) | Round 4, Pick 1
• Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn | Round 4, Pick 3

Drafted to WWE Raw

• Cody Rhodes | Round 1, Pick 2
• Becky Lynch | Round 1, Pick 4
• Imperium (GUNTHER, Kaiser and Vinci) | Round 1, Pick 6
• Matt Riddle | Round 1, Pick 8
• Drew McIntyre | Round 3, Pick 2
• The Miz | Round 3, Pick 4
• Shinsuke Nakamura | Round 4, Pick 2
• Indi Hartwell | Round 4, Pick 4

WWE SmackDown Ratings

• April 21, 2023 | 2.175 million
• April 14, 2023 | 2.135 million
• April 7, 2023 | 2.468 million
• March 31, 2023 | 2.484 million
• March 24, 2023 | 2.219 million

• WWE SmackDown Venue: American Bank Center (Corpus Christi, Texas)
• WWE SmackDown Tickets Distributed: 7,536
• Available Tickets: 0

WWE SmackDown Winners and Grades

Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn Confront The Usos

The sold-out crowd of Corpus Christi Texas was a far cry from the dead crowd’s this venue has had in the past. Of note, a mention of the NXT roster received a huge pop.

Jimmy Uso once again predicted that Kevin Owens would turn on Sami Zayn at some point, which is the only the material WWE seems to know how to write for him.

The Usos were not drafted with the Bloodline, which suggests The Bloodline will be split into two different factions on SmackDown and Raw, where Jey Uso will inevitably reunite with Sami Zayn.

Zayn-Owens vs. Usos Promo Grade: B-

LA Knight def. Butch

Anybody who thinks the LA Knight craze was a passing phase is an idiot. LA Knight once again received a loud pop and fans continue to get behind him. WWE finally seems to be running with it by giving LA Knight a clean win.

Michael Cole noted LA Knight and Butch are not eligible to get drafted until Monday which makes no damn sense if Raw stars were drafted on this show.

LA Knight vs. Butch Grade: B

The Street Profits def. LWO and Ricochet and Braun Strowman

Michael P.S. Hayes appeared as a guest to announce Round 2 of the draft. The irony of Hayes appearing on WWE TV while WWE is embroiled in another racial controversy is not lost on me.

Fans have been fantasy booking the Street Profit’s demise for about a year now, but all WWE did was draft them as a team.

Braun Strowman received a second chance to yeet Ricochet over the top rope after the two messed up the spot last week. It’s the type of second chance that Top Dolla was not afforded when he messed up a dive. Such a fitting microcosm for the wrestling business.

Triple Threat Tag Team Grade: B

Zelina Vega def. Sonya Deville

The special guests for Round 3 were Teddy Long for Raw and JBL for SmackDown.

While “building up” Zelina Vega as an underdog against Rhea Ripley at WWE Backlash, Micael Cole said “is it probable? No. Is it possible? Probably not…” and then he was interrupted by a Ripley attack on Vega. If it’s not probable or possible, then what could the good news possibly be? A miracle?

Zelina Vega’s victory might have been the first LWO victory since the group reunited.

Zelina Vega vs. Sonya Deville Grade: C+

AJ Styles Returns, The O.C. And Viking Raiders Brawl

The way AJ Styles just walked out like he hadn’t been off television for months was one of the most underwhelming returns you’ll ever see. Fans took their own sweet time to chant for Styles, and the chant didn’t even fully develop.

AJ Styles just posted up on a turnbuckle while The O.C. and Viking Raiders brawled.

DX members Shawn Michaels and Road Dogg were the special guests in Round 4, suggesting this was the round an NXT talent would be selected.

AJ Styles Return Grade: C

Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn def. The Usos

Sami Zayn went shirtless in this match and he’s gotten himself into great shape. He looked shredded like NXT-era Sami Zayn.

During a “this is awesome” chant, WWE cut to the backstage area where Paul Heyman sent for Solo Sikoa by way of a phone call from Reigns. Sikoa was cutoff by Matt Riddle.

Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens retained. Michael Cole suggested Roman Reigns was pulling the strings behind the scenes to keep The Usos away from The Bloodline unless they prove they can regain the tag titles. Though this is probably the story being told, Wade Barrett compared Cole to a flat-earther.

Owens-Zayn vs. Usos Grade: B+