WWE SmackDown results, recap, grades: Seth Rollins weakens his opponents; John Cena, Logan Paul send message

Rollins made an early investment in Saturday's Money in the Bank ladder match

Seth Rollins is investing in his future. Rollins and his troops stormed WWE SmackDown, softening up his opponents ahead of Money in the Bank.

Rollins, Paul Heyman, Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed came to SmackDown to improve Rollins' chances of winning Money in the Bank. Rollins' stable accomplished this by systematically attacking half of the superstars in the men's ladder match.

Friday's show also featured a face-off between Cody Rhodes, Jey Uso, John Cena and Logan Paul ahead of Saturday's tag team match. 

CBS Sports was with you all night with recaps and highlights of all the action from Bakersfield, California.

Rollins stacks the deck for Money in the Bank, Cena and Paul stand tall

Rollins, Heyman, Breakker, and Reed kicked off SmackDown. Raw's top faction took in the scenery, claiming they'd soon rule the WWE. Rollins claimed no force could oppose them. His comments spurred the appearance of SmackDown's lead group, The Bloodline. Rollins and Solo Sikoa traded barbs. Rollins tried to sow division between Siko and Jacob Fatu; meanwhile, Sikoa dared Rollins to stop them. Tensions escalated as Fatu and Breakker squared off, encouraging Rollins to pull his troops.

LA Knight def. Aleister Black via disqualification after Rollins attacked Knight, laying him out with a Curb Stomp. Black stood up to Rollins, but was folded in half by Breakker's spear.

Penta and Andrade def. American Made (Brutus Creed and Julius Creed) via pinfall after Penta landed a Mexican destroyer on Julius. Post-match, Rollins' theme song hit, and his group surrounded the ring. Rollins and company stalked their prey before laying out Andrade and Penta.

After their attack, Heyman waxed poetic about how they were enacting Rollins' vision. Heyman's speech was cut short by Rhodes and Uso, who arrived for their main event segment. Hopes for an interaction between Rhodes and Rollins were thwarted, as Rollins' crew was nowhere to be seen when the show returned from commercial break.

Speaking of game plans, Cena and Paul sprang a trap of their own. Paul knocked out Uso with a sucker punch while everyone was focused on Cena's introduction. Rhodes tried to fight back but was thwacked with the undisputed WWE title. Cena landed an Attitude Adjustment for good measure, talked down to the crowd and made a few R-Truth mentions before signing off.

SmackDown benefited greatly from Rollins and company. Rollins' desperation to win Money in the Bank makes the match feel important. By contrast, the women's ladder match was underserved. Rollins' goons will aid him on Saturday, but Rollins has a major target between CM Punk, Sami Zayn and the superstars he crossed on SmackDown. Not having Rhodes and Rollins interact, even briefly, was a missed opportunity. The closing segment with Cena and Paul was textbook work, but felt like a step down from the Rollins stuff. Grade: A-

What else happened on WWE SmackDown

• Jimmy Uso def. JC Mateo via pinfall with a schoolboy pin. Mateo inadvertently struck Fatu off the apron, sparking a post-match argument.
• Zelina Vega def. Piper Niven via pinfall in a Bakersfield Brawl match after powerbombing Niven through a table. Giulia, wielding a kendo stick, evened the odds against the Secret Hervice. Post-match, Giulia attacked Vega and raised Vega's women's United States championship. 
• WWE announced the King and Queen of the Ring tournaments, with the finals taking place at Night of Champions on June 28. The winners will face their respective world champions at SummerSlam.
• Alexa Bliss, Rhea Ripley and Stephanie Vaquer def. Giulia, Naomi and Roxanne Perez via pinfall after Ripley hit Riptide on Perez.
• Fatu overheard his Bloodline allies badmouthing him backstage. Mateo claimed Fatu was a liability, and Sikoa teased that Fatu was "all gas, no brains." 
• The Wyatt Sicks made cryptic threats against the tag team division.