WWE SmackDown Results: Winners, Live Grades, Reaction, Highlights Before Backlash

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WWE SmackDown Results: Winners, Live Grades, Reaction, Highlights Before Backlash

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Welcome to Bleacher Report's live coverage of WWE SmackDown on May 3.

This week's show took place in Lyon, France, which is also where Saturday's Backlash PPV is taking place, so this was a rare pre-taped episode.

Here is a look at the card from Friday's show:

• Bayley, Naomi, Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill vs. Damage CTRL and Tiffany Stratton
• AOP vs. New Catch Republic
• LA Knight vs. Angel
• A-Town Down Under vs. Street Profits

Let's take a look at what went down Friday night in France.

Bayley, Belair, Cargill and Naomi vs. Damage CTRL and Stratton

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After we saw some shots of Superstars arriving at the arena earlier in the day, Bayley came out for the opening eight-woman tag bout. She was joined by Belair, Naomi and Cargill to take on Dakota Kai, Asuka, Kairi Sane and Stratton.

Sane and Naomi started for their team and the crowd was popping for every single move while chanting and singing the whole time.

Everyone got some time in the ring, but Cargill was saved until closer to the end so she had the biggest impact.

Bayley and Stratton had one of the longer exchanges, but the story between Bayley and Belair seemed to be just as big of a focal point. They had a couple of moments that showed how they still didn't like each other.

Belair was able to secure the win for her team with a KOD, giving us a possible preview of how the women's tag title bout will end on Saturday. This was an entertaining eight-woman match that advanced multiple stories at once, but the crowd being so hyped definitely made it feel more epic than it really was.

Result: Bayley, Belair, Cargill and Naomi won

Grade: B-

Notable Moments and Observations

• Bayley was getting some loud chants during her entrance.
• Foreign crowds who rarely get to see WWE live are always energetic. It adds a lot to the show. 
• Belair did a little dance while holding Sane up for a vertical suplex. 
• Stratton's cartwheel into an Alabama slam is a nice spot. 

Authors of Pain vs. New Catch Republic

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After some backstage segments with the winners of the first match, Carmelo Hayes and Bobby Lashley, and Grayson Waller and Austin Theory, the next match took place between AOP and New Catch Republic.

Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne were out first. Akam and Rezar had Scarlett, Karrion Kross and Paul Ellering with them as usual.

Bate and Dunne cost AOP the NXT tag titles at Spring Breakin', so Akam and Rezar were in an even worse mood than usual. They took out their frustrations by dominating their smaller opponents at every turn. Whenever the babyfaces tried to build some momentum, one big move would stop them dead in their tracks.

This was more competitive and longer than expected. The former NXT UK champions did a lot of selling but still managed to get in enough offense to give the crowd hope. This went from feeling like it was going to be a short encounter to being one of the most hard-fought matches WWE has put on all week.

Akam and Rezar got the win with a small assist from Scarlett and some big interference from Kross.

Result: AOP defeated New Catch Republic

Grade: B+

Notable Moments and Observations

• Having Melo feud with The Hurt Business is a fun possibility. 
• It's a crime that we no longer get Bate's old entrance music. 
• Bate and Dunne have some great double-team sequences. 
• Bate doing an airplane spin with one of the Authors of Pain was incredibly impressive. 

LA Knight vs. Angel

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Paul Heyman was shown talking to Nick Aldis and admitted he hasn't spoken to Roman Reigns since WrestleMania. Up next was Kevin Owens and Randy Orton hosting the RKO Show together for the first time.

Heyman was their guest and he tried to talk them into backing out of the tag team match at Backlash. Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga attacked them from behind and a brawl broke out.

After all of that was over, Knight came out to take on Angel in a random singles match. The rest of Legado Del Fantasma was at ringside but it didn't seem to bother Knight very much.

He quickly took control and kept the upper hand until the how cut to a break. Angel would occasionally get in some offense, but it was always short-lived. Knight got the win with the BFT to end a relatively uneventful match that was made exponentially better by a hot crowd.

Result: Knight defeated Angel

Grade: C+

Notable Moments and Observations

• KO speaking French to the crowd was a nice touch. 
• Heyman could be such a good actor in the right movie. Don't let his performance in Rollerball fool you. Nobody could have been good in that movie. 
• Knight's stomps in the corner looked a little weak. 

The Street Profits vs. A-Town Down Under

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We saw Carlito giving an interview backstage when Dragon Lee attacked him. Back in the arena, Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins came out through the crowd in their old gear to take on Austin Theory and Grayson Waller for the tag titles.

These are four guys who are all great athletes in different ways. This match had great energy and some fun moments, but it was way too short, especially compared to AOP vs. NCR from earlier.

Waller and Theory were able to steal the win to retain their title, much to the crowd's dismay.

Result: A-Town Down Under defeated The Street Profits

Grade: B-

Notable Moments and Observations

• Ford and Dawkins were so over with the crowd. WWE needs to make them a bigger priority. Ford is a legit main event talent just waiting for his chance to shine. 
• It's always nice when tag teams have matching gear. 
• Ford should be studied by scientists. He seems to have superhuman athleticism. 

The Final Word

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The segment that closed the show this week was a face-to-face confrontation between AJ Styles and Cody Rhodes to hype their title bout at Backlash.

The crowd went nuts for both men and chanted for a bit before Rhodes spoke a little French to pop the crowd. Before SmackDown went off the air, we saw RKOwens and The Bloodline brawling backstage.

On paper, this was a pretty average episode of SmackDown, but a raucous crowd helped elevate the go-home show before the PPV.

All four matches we saw had something to like, but AOP vs. New Catch Republic was the best thing we saw all night.

Rhodes and Styles did a great job closing the show with a non-wrestling segment that helped make their showdown at Backlash feel just a little more important.

International PPVs have become must-see events in recent years, so let's hope WWE sticks the landing this weekend.

Grade: B