WWE SmackDown results, recap, grades: The Bloodline stand tall in chaotic ladder match ahead of Bad Blood

The Bloodline builds momentum ahead of Saturday's pay-per-view

Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa did their part to maintain The Bloodline's stranglehold on WWE SmackDown. The brothers turned away two sets of challengers in a ladder match one night before their stablemates Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu battle Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns at Bad Blood.

The Bloodline defended the WWE tag team titles on Friday against recent rivals #DIY and Street Profits. The chaotic ladder match featured huge spots with Tonga and Loa often on the receiving end. Ultimately, the defending champions stood tall and gave their stable a morale boost ahead of Saturday's main event.

SmackDown also featured AJ Styles' return. The two-time WWE champion was absent since losing an "I Quit" match to undisputed WWE champion Rhodes at Clash in the Castle in June.

CBS Sports was with you all night with recaps and highlights of all the action from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.

The Bloodline endures and overcomes wild ladder match

WWE Tag Team Championships -- The Bloodline (Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa) (c) def. #DIY (Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa) vs. Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford) by retrieving the belts in a ladder match to retain their titles. The challengers' hatred for The Bloodline immediately put the champions on defense but their competitive side quickly took over. The Bloodline eventually got a hold of a ladder and cleared the field with it. The Street Profits took turns diving over the ropes onto their opponents. B-Fab gave Ford a supportive splash to the face and ordered him to grab tables, eliciting another cheer from the fans. Tonga was the first superstar to seriously reach for the titles but was yanked off the ladder into a vicious shatter machine. #DIY also squished Loa with a Meet in the Middle while Loa had a ladder around his neck. Ford's athletics was on full display as he lept off the ropes over a ladder into a picture-perfect double blockbuster.

#DIY and Street Profits again aligned late in the match. #DIY rescued Angelo Dawkins from a steel chair assault by The Bloodline. #DIY held down Loa across a table while Ford crashed through him with a top rope frog splash to the outside. The quartet turned their attention to Tonga, powerbombing him through the announcers' table. #DIY wisely blindsided Street Profits and rushed to the ring to retrieve the belts. Ford cut off Ciampa by springboarding onto the top of the ladder. Dawkins climbed up behind Ciampa and both men crashed through a ladder in the corner. Loa revived himself in time to push Gargano and Ford through a ladder in the opposite corner. Loa climbed the ladder as Tonga held it in place to retrieve the belts.

It's a treat anytime you get a ladder match on television. The six participants maximized their main event opportunity on the Bad Blood go-home show. Naturally, the more athletic superstars in #DIY and Street Profits had the lion's share of big spots. But Loa especially deserves credit for being a good body. He took the full impact of that frog splash through the table. I assumed #DIY would stop stretching him out at the last second so he could brace for the blow but that was not the case. I will give the show a demerit for doing the bare minimum to hype Rhodes and Reigns vs. Sikoa and Fatu on Saturday. A brief promo by Fatu is all we got on the last show before Bad Blood's main event. Grade: B+

What else happened on WWE SmackDown?

• Carmelo Hayes def. AJ Styles via stoppage after Hayes hurt Styles' knee. Before the match, Styles expressed regret for his actions earlier this year. LA Knight also said he'd give Hayes a title shot if Hayes beat Styles. Knight hit Hayes with a BFT post-match.
• Michin def. Chelsea Green by powerbombing Green into a dumpster and closing the lid in a dumpster match.
• Bayley beat down Nia Jax with Tiffany Stratton's Money in the Bank briefcase. Stratton subtly teased a cash in.
• SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis did not recognize Hayes' stoppage victory over Styles as legitimate.
• Naomi def. Tiffany Stratton via pinfall