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

Shelton Benjamin  Randy Orton

Result: Shelton Benjamin pins Randy Orton after “Paydirt” and a distraction

The new United States Champion and member of the SmackDown Live roster, Jeff Hardy, defeated Shelton Benjamin last week on his first match with the Blue Brand. Benjamin is an even more bitter heel as a singles competitor, so he wants a crack at Randy Orton to get some revenge for last week’s defeat. Jeff is at ringside for this match.

In the early going, it was Benjamin in control, as he was just beating Orton mercilessly. Orton almost got counted out at one point. Whenever Orton tried to get some momentum going after a counter, Benjamin would snuff him out quickly with a move like a spinning heel kick.

A belly-to-back suplex from Orton seemed to turn the tide, though, and he hit his comeback sequence thereafter, nailing Benjamin with his patented scoop powerslam before getting in an elevated DDT.

Just when Orton signaled for the RKO, Benjamin slithered out of the ring. Orton, of course, dropped Benjamin onto the announce table on the outside.

All of a sudden someone wearing a mask came in to injure Jeff Hardy. Orton tracked him down and removed his mask, revealing that Hardy’s attacker was none other than Sunil Singh, doing the bidding of Jinder Mahal ahead of Mahal’s United States Championship rematch against Jeff at the Greatest Royal Rumble PPV.

Orton hit Sunil with an RKO, which opened things up for Benjamin, who capitalized with “Paydirt” for the important victory.

Grade: C, storylines were progressed here and Benjamin got a nice win in a solid enough match.