SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT
APRIL 10, 2026
SAN JOSE, CALIF. AT SAP CENTER
AIRED LIVE ON USA NETWORK
REPORT BY WADE KELLER, PWTORCH EDITOR
Commentators: Joe Tessitore, Wade Barrett
Ring Announcer: Mark Nash
Attendance: WrestleTix reports as of today 9,678 tickets were distributed so far. The arena has a capacity of 19,190 spectators when configured for concerts.
JOIN US LIVE ON YOUTUBE TONIGHT FOR THE VIDEO-FORMAT OF OUR LIVE POST-SHOWS…
PWTorch editor Wade Keller will be joined by PWTorch’s Javier Machado to review WWE Smackdown LIVE on YouTube. We’ll be incorporating live viewer comments into the show so join us LIVE!
Email our post-show at wadekellerpostshow@gmail.com with your comments and questions about Smackdown. We’ll read your emails live during the post-show.
If you can’t join us live on YouTube, stream the show on demand later at YouTube or listen or stream later on a podcast app. Subscribe to all of our free podcasts by searching “wade keller” and “pwtorch” in your podcast app of choice including Spotify and Apple Podcasts and most other iOS and Android apps.
VIDEO CALLER CODE: CLICK HERE
LINK TO BE A CALLER: https://streamyard.com/v624iesw79
Click that link during the post-show to enter the waiting room as “live video caller” (or just audio if you turn off your cam, which is fine).
OPEN TO EVERYONE – LINK TO WATCH LIVE RIGHT AFTER WWE SMACKDOWN TONIGHT: CLICK HERE
[HOUR ONE]
-Joe Tessitore introduced the show as they showed an aerial view of the Las Vegas venue hosting WrestleMania 42 next weekend.
-A video package aired on last week’s show-closing segment with Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, and Pat McAfee. They showed social media reaction screen grabs of people reacting. They replayed McAfee saying Cody is a puppet of a champion who represents everything they hate. They replayed him saying the business that Cody is leading is terrible and Orton will save the f—in’ business. Then they showed clips of Cody later in the show responding by saying McAfee and everyone who represents him can kiss his ass and that he can hear the voices in his head finally.
-They cut to the parking lot of Cody arriving in the parking lot. He asked G.M. Nick Aldis where Pat McAfee was. Aldis said he wasn’t there yet but he was on his way. He said he knows what is going through Cody’s mind, but he is under strict orders to tell Cody not to put his hands on McAfee under any circumstances. Cody asked who he is answering to. Aldis said it’s someone above him. Jelly Roll showed up and asked where McAfee and Orton were. Aldis told him to please not engage later with so much at stake. “Please, stay out of this,” he said. Aldis walked away. Jelly Roll said this doesn’t have anything to do with McAfee or him. He told Cody it’s about him and Orton and he said he’s fighting for something bigger than his own story this time.
-Rhea Ripley made her entrance. She addressed Jade Cargill. She congratulated her on managing to find her one and only weakness. She said now it’s not about physiques or titles; she attacked “my Iyo.” (At first I thought she said “my ego.”) She told her to come out so she could whip her ass. Iyo came out to her music and she sold a sore right arm.
Ripley expressed displeasure and frustration that she came out. “What are you doing here?” she asked. Iyo said she said she knows she will get Jade at WrestleMania, but she wants to face her tonight. Fans cheered. Jade said she’s not 100 percent and asked if she’s sure that’s what she wants. Rhea said she could handle it. Fans loudly chanted, “Iyo! Iyo!” She said she was sure. She said she’d talk to Aldis if she had to. “I want Jade tonight!” she exclaimed. Fans cheered.
Aldis stepped out to boos from the fans. He said he had something else in mind, but it’s a good idea so he booked it. Iyo was happy. Rhea looked concerned.
-They went to Tessitore and Wade Barrett who reacted. Barrett said that’s a big main event. Tessitore plugged other segments and matches as they showed Bayley & Lyra Valkyria outside and Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair tending to each other’s hair.
-A video package aired on Roman Reigns-C.M. Punk with scenes of them in Las Vegas and snippets of them trading insults and threats. [c]
-Tessitore plugged AAA streaming at 10 ET on YouTube and Facebook tomorrow night.
(1) BAYLEY (w/Lyra Valkyria) vs. ALEXA BLISS (w/Charlotte Flair)
Tessitore noted Bayley’s strong positive fan reception in her home town. Barrett commented on clips of what happened with the women’s teams on Raw earlier in the week. The bell rang 18 minutes into the hour. After an early “Bayley!” chant, Barrett said it’s not often you hear a crowd 100 percent cheering Alexa’s opponents and not cheering her at all. Bliss set up an early Sister Abigail, but Bayley blocked it. When Alexa got in some offense, Charlotte celebrated with a pose and smile at ringside. Bayley made a comeback and landed a wrecking ball kick to Bliss at ringside. They cut to a double-box break at 2:30. [c/db]
Bayley eyed Charlotte as she made her way to the top rope. Bliss recovered and knocked Bayley off balance. Barrett said Bayley should have stayed focused on her opponent. Bliss then climbed to the top rope. After fending off Bayley, she landed a leaping DDT off the second rope for a two count.
Bliss set up a Sister Abigail, but Bayley countered with a Bayley-to-Belly. Both were down and slow to get up. Another “Bayley!” chant broke out. Bliss caught Bayley in a small package for a two count. Bayley countered with a jackknife cover for a two count. They battled back and forth. Bayley landed a top rope elbowdrop for a believable dramatic near fall at 9:30. They battled at ringside. Bayley let out a “woo!” and threw Bliss back into the ring, then did a mock Ric Flair strut right in front of Charlotte. Charlotte was enraged and threw off her jacket. Bayley snapped Bliss over the middle rope. Charlotte threw her jacket a Bayley, and then Bliss schoolboyed her for a three count.
WINNER: Bliss in 10:00.
-Tessitore commented on clips of last week’s angle with Sami Zayn and Trick Williams with Little Yachty.
-Backstage, Matt Cardona told Carmelo Hayes he has to patiently wait for that WrestleMania Moment. He said he had to, but it was worth it. Trick and Yachty walked in. Trick told Hayes he thought he was going to win. Hayes said it was Trick’s fault he lost in the first place. Yachty said he gets to watch Trick win at WrestleMania from his couch. Hayes said he’s coming after Trick after WrestleMania. Trick asked Cardona what he was looking at. Cardona said he’s sick of guest running their mouths like they run the place. Tachty told Trick he should take on Cardona tonight. Trick didn’t like the idea at first, but then agreed.
-Tessitore said they were awaiting the arrival of McAfee. “What will Pat McAfee say tonight?” he said. “That is coming up.” [c]
-A graphic noted that Drew McIntyre vs. Jacob Fatu will be the second unsanctioned match in WrestleMania history.
-A vignette aired with McIntyre framing Fatu as “a failure as a man, a failure as a father.” McIntyre spoke from inside a jail cell. He said Fatu chose a life of crime over his family and his starving children. He said they needed a father “and you gave them a walking mug shot.” He said he’ll beat him within an inch of his life and he’ll end up back behind bars. He accused Fatu of stealing his title and his main event at WrestleMania. He closed: “I’ll be your judge, your jury, and your damn executioner!”
-Cathy Kelley asked Fatu for his thoughts on McIntyre’s comments. As he began to talk, in walked Solo Sikoa and the MFTs. He said anytime McIntyre or anyone brings up his past, it makes their family look bad. He said he’s a big embarrassment. Fatu said, “Solo, we’re not doing this today.” He said they can run it back. Solo laughed and suggested Tama Tonga might knock his teeth out again. Fatu asked, “What’s up there, Tama?” Tama eyed him back and said, “You know what it is.” Solo patted Tama on his shoulder and laughed before walking away to talk with Aldis.
-They went to Tessitore and Barrett at ringside. Barrett said Fatu’s motivation might not bode well for McIntyre. Tessitore threw to a video package on Royce Keys (formerly Powerhouse Hobbs in AEW).
-Keys was shown walking the streets of Oakland, speaking about gang violence and drugs, but his grandparents weren’t having it. He visited his childhood home. “We didn’t have a lot, but we had each other,” he said. He said wrestling brought him so much happiness. “Not a lot of people can make it out of here,” he said. He talked of his motivation. “I refuse to be defined by where I’m from,” he said. “But instead, by where I’m going.”
-They showed Keys walking backstage. Tessitore said he was making his debut next. [c]
-Tessitore plugged WWE World on WrestleMania weekend. “It is the best fan experience you’ll see in sports,” he said. Then he and Barrett said Fatu vs. Tama and Trick vs. Cardona had become official for later in the show.
(2) ROYCE KEYS vs. BERTO (w/Angel Garza)
Key came out to his entrance theme, with his eyed welled up with emotion. The bell rang 50 minutes into the hour. Barrett said, “What a specimen!” Berto got in some offense, but Keys came back, lowered his straps, and landed a spinebuster for the win. Barrett called it “pure dominance.”
WINNER: Keys in 3:00.
-They showed McAfee arriving in a pick-up truck. Boos rang out. He wore a t-shirt that said, “Saving the Business One RKO after Another.” He asked Aldis if they told everyone. Aldis said he did tell everyone they cannot put their hands on him. McAfee acted super full of himself and cocky. Jelly Bean confronted McAfee as he walked into the arena. “Did you tell Randy to RKO me?” he asked. McAfee said no, but he shouldn’t have been out there between Randy and Cody. He asked what he was doing. McAfee said he wouldn’t understand because he’s an outsider and it’s a lot bigger than he can imagine. Jelly Bean said someone is going to end up checking him. McAfee said that’s be a very bad idea. Jelly Roll shoved him against the wall and then Aldis barged in. Jelly Roll butted up against Aldis and said he doesn’t work there. McAfee asked security “to get this ex-convict outsider out of here, please.”
(Keller’s Analysis: This seems destined to get the wrong kind of heat. The whole bit of him accusing others of being outsiders is heavy-handed hypocrisy in a way that feels patronizing because it’s such an obvious broad stroke. His promo was so full of utter nonsense last week, it’s hard to see this at this stage as anything other than a top executive being a mark for his sports-world fame and giving him a “wrestling heel fantasy camp” role at the expense of actual wrestlers and what fans actually want to watch. We’ll see if he can improve upon last week’s embarrassment.)
-Tessitore commented on clips of a Zuffa boxing match last weekend. They showed Tony Hirsche Jr. at ringside.
-Kelley interviewed Keys backstage. She said she’s known him for a long time and working for WWE was always his goal. He said it’s a long time coming. He said he got to do his thing in front of his people, the Bay Area people, and how he gets to take it around the world. Solo approached him and said he did a good job out there. He said he runs things around Smackdown, so if he needed anything, let him know. Keys nodded and didn’t reveal how he felt.
[HOUR TWO]
-McAfee made his entrance. “San Jose, what a shithole!” he said. (Oh goodie, the localized insults on a worldwide TV show, the lowest form of an attempt to get heel heat.) He said fans shouldn’t boo him because he’s the hero in this entire thing. He said they cheer for the spineless bums like C.M. Punk. A “C.M. Punk” chant rang out.
Advertised Matches & Appearances
- Cody Rhodes to respond to assault by Randy Orton and Pat McAfee
- Drew McIntyre vows to expose the real Jacob Fatu
- Sami Zayn to address Trick Williams
- Pat McAfee to announce “massive surprise”
- Royce Keys debuts
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.