WWE SmackDown April 28, 2023 Results, Live Updates, Highlights

Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn vs The Usos — Credits: WWE

Welcome to the live results blog for WWE SmackDown episode of April 28, 2023, which featured night 1 of Draft 2023.

26 main roster wrestlers, teams and superstar were eligible to be drafted on night 1, along with select NXT superstars. Undisputed Universal Champion Roman Reigns, Solo Sikoa, Cody Rhodes, RAW Women’s Champion Bianca Belair and Becky Lynch were the biggest names on night 1 to be drafted on SmackDown April 28.

Two matches were announced in advance as we got a WrestleMania main event rematch with Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn defending WWE Tag Team Championship against The Usos. Zelina Vega took on Sonya Deville in a singles match in preparation for facing Rhea Ripley.

What surprises and NXT call-ups were on Draft Night 1? To find out, tune in below for our live results blog from WWE Friday Night SmackDown on April 28, 2023, with all the updates, winners, highlights and complete action.

RESULTS

LA Knight defeated Butch in a singles match via pinfall.
The Street Profits(Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins) defeated Braun Strowman & Ricochet & LWO(Joaquin Wilde & Cruz Del Toro) in a triple threat tag team match via pinfall.
Zelina Vega defeated Sonya Deville in a singles match via pinfall.
Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn(c) defeated The Usos(Jey Uso & Jimmy Uso) in a tag team match via pinfall to retain Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship.

LIVE UPDATES

The show opens with graphics that WWE Draft starts now.

HHH Announces Round 1

Triple H comes out to kick off night 1 of WWE Draft. There is a podium set up on the stage. HHH welcomes us to SmackDown and 2023 WWE Draft. Before starting, he wants to lay down the ground rules. Every superstar can be drafted to any brand. 50% of roster will be drafted tonight while the rest will be drafted on RAW. Some select NXT superstars are also available. Draft will go into affect on RAW May 8 episode. He has 1st round picks and asks if we are ready. The first picks are:

1st Pick – SmackDown picks Undisputed Universal Champion Roman Reigns, Solo Siko and Paul Heyman. HHH confirms World Heavyweight Championship will be on RAWl
2nd Pick – RAW picks Cody Rhodes
3rd Pick – SmackDown selects RAW Women’s Champion Bianca Belair
4th Pick – RAW picks Becky Lynch

Triple H then introduces The Usos who come out to the stage. They congratulate Roman for being the first pick in the draft. They promise Roman to bring tag team titles. They reveal that Roman is upset after they lost the title and has not responded to them to anything, but that will change after they win the titles back.

Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn come out to the ring. Sami questions if it is strange that Roman has not said a single word to The Usos since they lost the title. He also questions why Roman was drafted just with Solo and Heyman and wonders what happens when they retain the titles. Jey snaps at Sami saying that they are not walking away with nothing. Owens also snaps and says he is tired of all this talk and they should just face off in the ring.

We see NXT stars sitting in Performance Center waiting for Draft picks. We also hear from Bianca Belair who was drafted to SmackDown and says she is excited to be back on blue brand now.

Butch vs LA Knight

We see how Knight and Brawling Brutes agrued last week to set up this match while Knight made his entrace.

Knight starts with a kick to midsection. Butch ducks Knight as he run the ropes. Butch hits a clothesline before he goes to work on Knight. Knight sends Butch to the apron but Butch fights him off and goes to hit 10 Beats of Beltran and much more. Butch puts on a kimura lock. Knight drops Butch’s on the ropes. He slams Butch on the apron to take us to a break.

Knight nails a shot as we return. Butch fires back with a punch before kicks in the corner to get a two-count. Butch hits a moonsault when Knight moves to the floor. Butch goes to the top and Knight follows him up. Butch works on his finger to send him back down. Knight leaps to the top again and hits a superplex to get a two-count. Butch blocks a death valley driver but Knight hits a clothesline. Butch blocks BFT with more joint manipulation. Knight has to move to the floor to avoid more damage. Knight drives Butch’s shoulder into the ringpost. He hits BTF to get the pinfall.

Winner – LA Knight

The Usos are backstage and they hype themselves up to win tonight. Heyman, standing behind them with the Usos, says tonight is the night when The Usos can remain on the Island of Relevancy by winning the title or get to wide ocean by losing another title opportunity. Heyman hypes up The Usos some more. Heyman then turns towards Solo to hand him his tape while still talking to the Usos and says tonight is the night it all goes down.

We see Rob Van Dam backstage representing RAW for next round of draft picks while Michael Hayes will do the same of SmackDown.

Round 2 Draft Picks

Rob Van Dam and Michael come out after the break. The second round are announced now.

1st Pick – SmackDown picks The Street Profits.
2nd Pick – RAW picks Intercontinental Champion Gunther, Ludwig Kaiser & Giovanni Vinci
3rd Pick – SmackDown picks Edge
4th Pick – RAW picks Matt Riddle

The Street Profits make their way to the ring before their triple threat tag team match. They says they are back to SmackDown, but nothing has changed as they want the smoke.

The Street Profits(Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins) vs Braun Strowman & Ricochet vs LWO(Joaquin Wilde & Cruz Del Toro)

Strowman starts quickly by throwing everyone to the floor. He also goes to toss Ricochet on everyone on the floor after assuring Ricochet that he has got him. Ricochet and Strowman stand tall in the ring to take us to a break.

Back and forth action between Del Toro, Ricochet and Dawkins. Del Toro hits a missile dropkick on Dawkins. Ricochet gets to the top and Del Toro hits him with an enzuigiri. Wilde tags in hits a springboard senton on The Street Profits on the floor. Wilde hits a sunset flip bomb to get a two-count. Del Toro takes a shot at Strowman on the apron. He hits a suplex on Ricochet and Strowman comes in to break the pin.

Ford hits an enzuigiri on Strowman before Strowman starts tackling and running over everyone. Dawkins hits him with a suicide dive on the floor. Ricochet hits a tope suicida on Ford back in the ring. Ford gets a blind tag before Dawkins hits a spinebuster on Ricochet. Ford hits a splash to get the pinfall.

Winners – The Street Profits

We get a video package for Damian Priest vs Bad Bunny match at Backlash. Bad Bunny will also be live at SmackDown next week.

Round 3 Draft Picks

JBL and Teddy Long are going to present next round of draft picks. They make their entrances after the break. The round 3 draft picks are:

1st Pick – SmackDown picks Bobby Lashley.
2nd Pick – RAW selects Drew McIntyre.
3rd Pick – Smackdown selects The OC AJ Styles, Michin, Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows
4th Pick – RAW selects The Miz

Sonya Deville vs Zelina Vega

Chelsea Green is in Sonya’s corner. Sonya starts by slamming Zelina face first into the mat. She repeats this when they lock up again. Zelina hits a lucha armdrag. Sonya throws her into the corner and hits some body shots. Zelina gets an armbar on the ropes. Chelsea distracts Zelina and Sonya hits a big boot to take the upper hand. Sonya hits some kicks in the corner before putting on a chinlock.

Zelina hits a jawbreaker to break free. Zelina runs the ropes but Sonya catches her with a roundhouse kick. Sonya hits quick punches in the corner. Zelina blocks a suplex but Sonya hits a back elbow. Sonya goes for a running knee but Zelina ducks and rolls her up to get the pinfall.

Winner – Zelina Vega

Rhea attacks Zelina from behind after the match. She also kicks away Sonya. Chelsea is scared off. Zelina counters Riptide with a DDT and quickly gets out of the ring.

After the break, Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar are backstage with Zelina. Rey Mysterio tells Zelina that he was not biggest in any of his matches but he was smarter and he made his way into WWE Hall of Fame. He tells Zelina to believe in herself and she could leave Puerto Rico as SmackDown Women’s Champion.

The OC come out to the ring as AJ Styles makes his comeback. They get into the ring but get interrupted by The Viking Raiders right away. The Raiders, with Valhalla, get into the ring. AJ asks if they want to pick a fight. He steps back to the the turnbuckle and tells the rest of The OC to handle the business. The Good Brothers Michin beat up The Viking Raiders and Valhalla. The Good Brothers hit Erik with Magic Killer. AJ proclaims that they are just getting started. He hits Ivar with Phenomenal Forearm to close the segment.

Round 4 Draft Picks

Shawn Michaels and Road Dogg are going to announce round 4 picks. The picks are as follows:

1st Pick – SmackDown selects Bayley, Dakota Kai a& Iyo Sky
2nd Pick – RAW selects Shinsuke Nakamura
3rd Pick – SmackDown selects NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions Alba Fyre & Isla Dawn from NXT
4th Pick – RAW selects NXT Women’s Champion Indi Hartwell

McKenzie Mitchell is at WWE Performance Center. She interviews Isla Dawn and Alba Fyre who get interrupted by Kayden Carter and Katana Chance.

We cut back to SmackDown to Kayla Braxton who is talking to Shinsuke Nakamura. Before Nakamura can say much, Karrion Kross attacks him from behind. Kross and Scarlett stand tall over Nakamura.

The Usos are about to get out for their match. Paul Heyman says Solo Sikoa will stay behind as per orders from The Tribal Cheif. Heyman says Roman wants the spotlight on The Usos as tonight is the night.

Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn(c) vs The Usos(Jey Uso & Jimmy Uso) – Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship

The Usos attack Sami and KO from behind after the bell. They beat up their opponents on the floor. Sami is sent into the barricade. A superkick from Jey to Owens. They take Owens back to the ring to hit a double superkick. KO kicks out of the pin to take us to a break.

The Usos are in control over KO as we return. They have targetted the knee during the break as per the commentator. Jimmy slams KO’s leg into the ringpost. Jimmy grabs both of KO legs but KO pulls him into the ringpost. Sami gets the tag and hits quick moves to send The Usos to the floor. Sami hits a suicide dive on the floor.

Jey hits an uppercut as Sami gets to the top. They fight on the top before hitting a sunset flip powerbomb to get a two-count. Sami hits a blue thunderbomb to get a near fall. Sami goes to the top. Jey hits him with an enzuigiri to drop him to the floor. We cut to another break.

Sami tags to KO who hits a punch on Jey to knock him off. KO hits a cannonball on Jimmy. KO goes to the top but Jimmy hits him with an uppercut. KO counters with a fisherman’s buster. He follow up with Swantan bomb. We cut to backstage where Paul Heyman is talking to Roman Reigns on phone. Heyman tells Solo that tonight is his night.

KO ducks a clothesline and hits a pop-up powerbomb on Jimmy. Jey breaks the pinfall. Sami hits punches on Jey when he gets in. Sami throws Jey to the floor. Jey cuts off his dive with a superkick. Owesn hit a stunner on Jimmy, but he kicks out of the pin. Solo comes out to the stage. Riddle attacks Solo and takes him backstage again. Jimmy hits a step up enzuigiri on KO. Jey tags in and hits a superkick to get a near fall.

The Usos hit a double superkick on Kevin Owens but KO kicks out of the pin. Jey hits another superkick after Jimmy holds him up. KO kicks out of the pin again. KO tries to fight back but The Usos cut him up. Sami gets up and pulls Jey out of the ring to stop 1D. KO hits a stunner on Jimmy. Sami tags in and hits Helluva Kick to get the pinfall.

Winners – Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens

After the match, The Usos are disappointed on the floor. Solo watches them as Sami and KO celebrate.