WWE SmackDown results, recap, grades: Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks steal the show ahead of Crown Jewel clash (2024)

Lynch and Banks battled in a fantastic match on a 'supersized' edition of SmackDown

WWE SmackDown was "supersized" on Friday night, with an extra 30 minutes of commercial-free action ahead of next Thursday's Crown Jewel pay-per-view from Saudi Arabia. Those 30 minutes allowed Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch to deliver a show-stealing match before the pair meet as two of the three women in a triple threat match for Lynch's SmackDown women's championship at Crown Jewel.

Banks and Lynch battled for nearly 20 minutes before Bianca Belair -- the third woman in the upcoming title match -- made her presence known, giving Banks an assist to score the win.

That match was the highlight of the night, but Brock Lesnar was also on hand to deliver one final mental blow to Roman Reigns ahead of their clash for Reigns' universal championship at Crown Jewel.

CBS Sports was with you all night with recaps and highlights of all the action from Toyota Arena in Ontario, California.

What happened on WWE SmackDown?

• Edge cut an in-ring promo to kick off the show. Edge vowed to "scar Seth Rollins' soul" for invading his home. The two meet in a Hell in a Cell match at Crown Jewel. Rollins responded later in the show, repeatedly yelling that he is not afraid to face Edge inside Hell in a Cell. Solid promo work from both men ahead of what should be an extremely dramatic Hell in a Cell match next Thursday. Grade: B+
• King of the Ring semifinals: Finn Balor def. Sami Zayn via pinfall after a Coup de Grace. With the win, Balor advances to the finals at Crown Jewel. Balor and Zayn put on a very solid match, the best of the King of the Ring tournament so far. Grade: B
• Sonya Deville & Shayna Baszler def. Naomi via pinfall in a handicap match. Naomi thought the match would be one-on-one with Deville, but Deville announced that Naomi didn't let her finish last week and that it would be a handicap match. Deville got the pin after Baszler choked Naomi out. As a match, there's not much to talk about but Naomi being in a meaningful, developed storyline is something a lot of fans have been wanting for quite some time. Grade: C+
• Queens Crown semifinals: Zelina Vega def. Carmella via pinfall with a small package. Vega promised not to hit Carmella in the face but broke that promise after getting kicked in the face. Carmella went to retrieve her protective mask, which had been stolen by Liv Morgan, forcing her to return to the ring where she was immediately pinned. Another Queen's Crown match that did not last three minutes in a truly shameful tournament for WWE. Grade: F
• SmackDown Tag Team Championship -- The Usos (c) def. The Street Profits via pinfall in a street fight after a double Uso Splash. This wild match contained all the expected chairs, kendo sticks and tables before The Usos were able to finally put down the challengers by both hitting splashes on Angelo Dawkins to retain their titles. This was a fun enough garbage brawl between two teams with solid chemistry. It probably could have used another three-to-five minutes to really build to a better finish. Grade: B
• Sasha Banks def. Becky Lynch via pinfall after a backstabber. During the match, Lynch accidentally hit Bianca Belair with a forearm as Belair was on commentary. Belair would get her revenge at the end of the match, whipping Lynch's arm with her braid as Lynch was clinging to the ring steps. As Lynch stared down Belair, Banks hit the backstabber to score the pin in a very good match, a match so good it ranks among WWE's best TV matches of the year. Grade: A
• Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar participated in a Crown Jewel contract signing. Both men signed the contract before Reigns called Lesnar a "dumbass" for not reading the contract. Lesnar laughed and said, "I already read the contract this morning with my advocate, Paul Heyman." This whole thing felt rushed, but Lesnar getting one final laugh was a fun little wrinkle. Still, the entire segment lasted a couple minutes total. Grade: C+