The biggest winners and losers on last night's SmackDown (March 27)

Daniel Bryan SmackDown March 27
A new match was announced.

An episode that was better than its preview suggested, last night's SmackDown dotted some final I's and crossed some last t's as its final WrestleMania card took shape. Two huge new matches were announced and one was modified in a way that massively improves it.

A superior showing to this week's Raw, let's see which people benefited the most.


Winner: Rusev

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By far the biggest winner on SmackDown last night was Rusev. Despite his huge popularity, it looked like Rusev was slated to compete in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal where no one really feels special or benefits from winning it.

That changed when Rusev pinned Randy Orton while tag teaming with Jinder Mahal. As a result of this victory over the reigning United States Champion, Daniel Bryan added Rusev to the title match at WrestleMania, and it's now a fatal 4 way.

It's a huge improvement to what was a heatless angle and despite his supposedly being a heel, the crowd in New Orleans will now have someone to truly care about in the match.

Loser: The SmackDown Women's Division

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The upcoming Charlotte/Asuka match is huge. It's big enough that it's masked the manifest weaknesses of the SmackDown women's division. Without Charlotte or Asuka there last night, we were glaringly reminded how weak the division is when Becky Lynch took on Ruby Riott in a throwaway filler match.

The women's battle royal, much like the men's equivalent, is solely to get everyone on the card. As a result of the endless multi-woman matches over the past year, no one feels like they matter, so this match was a perfect fit for that battle royal

Winner: Daniel Bryan

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It's official. Daniel Bryan is returning to the ring at WrestleMania 34. There, he and Shane McMahon (if his recent diverticulitis scare can be cleared up in time) will take on Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn for their jobs in a tag team match.

The excitement in the crowd was palpable. This match is a definite match of the night contender, and nowhere will the crowd be hotter in New Orleans than when seeing Bryan get into the action.

Winner: The Bludgeon Brothers

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The Bludgeon Brothers continued their monstrous ways when they fended off the Usos and New Day, who now show signs of dissension between them.

The long-awaited triple threat tag team match for the SmackDown Tag Team Championship was made official last night. It should be one of the best on the card and may have the highest ceiling of all. Will we see a stipulation added? That's one of the questions the blue brand can answer next week.

Loser: Dolph Ziggler

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A heatless match with the now-played out Breezango act, the objective here was to advertise the "importance" of the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. It sure didn't feel important.

Fandango's running around the ring was rather stupid as well.

Dolph Ziggler looking at the trophy up and down was also an advertisement of its worthlessness. This is the man who willingly relinquished the United States Championship a few months ago. Now he wants a trophy that's done little for those who won it?

Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura

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We finally saw some signs of life in the build to the WWE Championship match. Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Shelton Benjamin and went on to continue trolling AJ Styles.

The "rockstar's" obnoxiousness is now starting to get to the champion, and Nakamura teased what would happen at WrestleMania with his aborted Kinshasa.

Will champion and challenger come to blows next week?


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