WWE SmackDown Highlights, Grades, and Analysis For Apr. 24, 2018

WWE SmackDown Live seems to be back on the rise after adding top talent during the Superstar Shakeup, namely Samoa Joe, The Miz, and Asuka. All three of those wrestlers figure to play big roles in tonight’s show and going forward when the summer hits.

When the brand split first occurred in 2016, WWE SmackDown Live was the “A” show, and nobody was more responsible for the show’s rise than The Miz, who took it upon himself to make the Intercontinental Championship as prestigious as possible. He’s certainly made the title proud, and while it is around Seth Rollins’s waist on Monday Night Raw, The Miz is back on SmackDown Live and ready to elevate this show once again.

He’ll start by having a little face-off with Daniel Bryan on Miz TV. The WWE has wisely wasted no time in getting these two together for a big-time feud, which was started in 2016 when The Miz cut a brilliantly scathing promo on Bryan, calling him a coward for not wrestling. Bryan is now cleared to wrestle and eager to get his hands on the A-Lister.

Another heel in need of comeuppance is Carmella, whose reign as SmackDown Women’s Champion began with a little ‘Mellabration. Carmella is an excellent heel whose work on the mic is good enough to overshadow the fact that she’s still learning in between the ropes. Her successful cash-in on Charlotte Flair has freshened up the SmackDown Women’s Division, and it will be interesting to see what happens tonight as the two sign a contract for a rematch at the dual-branded Backlash 2018.

SmackDown Live was criticized heavily last year for failing to showcase its female performers appropriately, but there will be a second meaningful segment tonight. Although it is a tag match, it will be exciting to see Becky Lynch and Asuka on the same team as they take on the Iconic Duo, who costed Charlotte her title by softening her up for the Carmella cash in. Peyton Royce and Billie Kay are a nuisance, and Becky and Asuka would love nothing more than to beat them both into a pulp.

And you know who enjoys beating people into a pulp? The Bludgeon Brothers. They will defend the SmackDown Tag Team Championships, which they won at WrestleMania 34, against The Usos at the Greatest Royal Rumble PPV on Friday. Tonight, Rowan will take on Jimmy Uso in singles competition, and I don’t expect a pretty result.

AJ Styles, Shinsuke Nakamura, Big Cass, and more also figure to have big roles in tonight’s show, and it certainly is an exciting time to be a WWE fan tuning in to the USA Network at 8 p.m. ET every Tuesday night to catch WWE SmackDown Live.

Check back here for the latest grades and analysis for tonight’s show!