SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT
APRIL 3, 2026
ST.LOUIS, MO. AT ENTERPRISE 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 10,963 tickets were distributed so far. The arena has a capacity of 22,000 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 ProWrestling.net’s Jake Barnett 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/srt6vtgnb9
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 and called it “a power-packed Smackdown.” They showed a scene of the St. Louis skyline and arch. Then they showed backstage snippets of Rhea Ripley, Michin with her crew, Charlotte Flair & Alexa. Bliss, and Bayley & Lyra Valkyria. Tessitore touted a crowd of 11,620. They went to Tessitore and Wade Barrett at ringside. Barrett said there is nervous energy everywhere you look.
-A video package aired on Cody Rhodes and Stephanie McMahon on Raw at MSG on Monday.
-Orton made his ring entrance. He wore a t-shirt that said, “RKO Everybody, St. Louis.” Orton picked fluff of the microphone cover as he waited for his music to finish. When it stopped, fans cheered and chanted, “Randy! Randy!” He broke into a smile and said, “So, St. Louis, Missouri, what do you want to talk about?” The fans cheers dropped off to silence. He looked at his watch. “It’s not secret that this is my hometown,” he said. He said he still calls St. Louis home. He said the next time they see him in that arena, he’ll have “number 15 firmly planted around my waist.”
He said he isn’t doing that for them. He said he was doing it for him and his family and his real home, “which isn’t St. Louis, Missouri, it’s the six people in the front row.” He said he will walk out of Las Vegas with the title. He said Cody is going home empty-handed. Some fans cheered. He said Cody gave him his blessing and a green light and that he could be the best version of himself and listen to the voices.
He said he saw Cody in the ring at MSG with Stephanie. He said she wasn’t lying to him when she said that Cody couldn’t beat him “because you are not a killer.” He said what Cody woke up inside of him “there ain’t no putting back to bed.”
Cody’s music played and he walked out in a suit with the title belt. He charged into the ring and he and Orton swung wildly at each other. Cody got the better of Orton in the corner. Some boos rang out. Pat McAfee entered the ring wearing and Orton t-shirt. He kicked Cody in the crotch. “What is he doing?” asked Tessitore. Orton pulled a chair from ringside into the ring as McAfee continued to beat on Cody. Orton jabbed Cody with the chair. McAfee said, “The Rams left town, the Blues aren’t going to make the playoffs, the Cardinals are ass,” he said. He said now Orton said St. Louis isn’t home anymore.
McAfee said if everyone was wondering why he just kicked Cody in the balls, he said he recently said he felt the business has passed him by. He said the sport he once loved was now absolute shit. He said Orton called him and told him that the business hasn’t passed him by, but it’s gone a direction they don’t like. He brought up the Attitude Era fans. He mocked the “What?” chant and then said, “If you smell!” He said he didn’t like turning on WWE TV and watching “two 5-foot-5 guys do a 45 minute Iron Man match ten weeks straight for no rhyme or reason when Randy Orton is around.” Some fans cheered. He said when he watches Netflix, he sees “Gorilla circle-jerking themselves episode after episode after episode when Randy Orton is around.” He said tickets for WrestleMania are still somehow available when Randy Orton is around. “Smackdown, fresh off the worst-rated episode of all-time, has a puppet for a champion who represents everything that we hate.”
He said he’s the one who was on the phone telling Orton he has to kill everything because the business that Cody is leading is terrible. “And he is going to save the f—ing business.”
(Keller’s Analysis: Are there words available to describe how awful that was on so many levels? It’s the kind of desperate hot-shot nonsense that is hard to come back from in terms of your reputation as a creative leader of a pro wrestling company. When you start talking about your own company being in bad shape and ripping on “small wrestlers” having long matches, you’ve lost all confidence in yourself. This had dying WCW vibes including the juvenile swearing and nut shots being presented as edgy content. If it were April 1, not April 3, I would truly expect Paul Levesque to come out after the break and say, “April Fools! That was non-sense. Thanks to everyone for participating in my ruse. Now back to regularly scheduled content.” It’d be stupid as shit, but at least it would be acknowledging it was a joke of a segment. This could be a moment we look back on as the most decisive sign of the downfall of WWE from the pedestal it earned in recent years. Like, what did anything McAfee said have to do with anything storyline-wise that fits the structure of the show otherwise? When any pro wrestling company starts pointing storylines toward the company-centric and business aspects and drives TV stories based on the notion that WWE’s goal is to create a compelling, profitable business – as if fans care about ticket sales or profits – as opposed to presenting a world where great athletes compete to see who is the best and the fans have the privilege to watch, it’s the sign of a lost or desperate or clueless creative hierarchy. It actually felt like a manifestation of a late-night incoherent rant session by whoever Vince McMahon grumbles to about what he perceives to be the missteps of WWE Creative without him. And that’s not even getting into the “heel wrestling personality fantasy camp” for McAfee that we were all just subjected to. Sigh. Oh, and if you thought Cody Rhodes had any pull in that company, he doesn’t because that buried him and his entire hot run.) [c]
-Barrett commented on clips of the prior segment.
-Backstage, McAfee told Orton, “Mission accomplished. Sometimes you just have to remind people that they’re in the GOAT conversation about to take the GOAT spot to save the business. He drove Orton away in a pick-up truck.
-They went to Barrett and McAfee at ringside. Barrett said it’s absurd to say Cody represents everything to hate about modern WWE. “We’re stunned here,” he said.
(1) RHEA RIPLEY vs. MICHIN
The bell rang 28 minutes into the hour. Rhea took Michin down with a hard kick to the chest. Ripley pounded her chest a minute in. Jade Cargill walked out. Michin back suplexed a distracted Ripley as they cut to a double-box break. [c/db]
Ripley landed a Razor’s Edge and a running knee after the break and scored a near fall at 8:00. When Michin went for a cannonball in the corner, Ripley moved. Michin took over seconds later and scored a two count after Eat Defeat.” Ripley came right back and applied the Prism Trap for the win.
WINNER: Ripley in 10:00.
-Ripley stared down Jade Cargill on the ring apron afterward. B-Fab and Michin then attacked her from behind. Iyo Sky saved Ripley from taking a Jaded.
-Aleister Black and Zelina Vega walked up to Matt Cordona backstage. He said Orton has gone back to being his true self and Cardona is the only one yet to accept that. Cardona challenged Black to a match. Black said he’s a master of making bad decisions.
-Solo Sikoa spoke to the MFTs backstage. He asked who is going to step up and deal with the Howdy problem. Tama Tonga asked, “Why are we fighting for that pantern? That damn thing has been nothing but problems for all of us – especially you.” Tama told him to go out there and fight for the lantern. Tonga said he’ll handle Howdy alone. Solo told him, “Do not mess this up.” [c]
-Tessitore plugged NXT Stand & Deliver
-Ripley and Sky were wrapped around each other as Ripley iced her neck and thanked Iyo Sky. Ripley said Jade didn’t realize she had back-up. She said Jade has followers, whereas she has friends. Sky said she will always have her back. Ripley said together they are unstoppable. She said that is why she will walk out of WrestleMania as champion.
(Keller’s Analysis: It will make zero sense of Sky turns on Ripley at WrestleMania, even though they’re laying their friendship on so thick that it feels like a tell that they’re going there.)
(2) TAMA TONGA vs. UNCLE HOWDY
The bell rang 49 minutes into the hour. Barrett said Solo knows the Wyatts are nothing without that lantern. They cut to an early break. [c]
Howdy put Tonga in a Mandible Claw. Solo walked to the ring and dangled the lantern. Howdy dropped his Mandible Claw and stared at Solo. Tonga then hit Howdy from behind, but was still selling the effects of the Mandible Claw. Tonga then yelled at Howdy that he wanted to do it alone, which gave Howdy a chance to recover and hit Tonga with Sister Abigail to win.
WINNER: Howdy in 10:00.
-Tonga confronted Solo afterward and snatched the lantern away from him. He placed it on the edge of the ring after telling Solo, “We don’t need this.” Howdy then took it. Tonga held him back. A few fans cheered.
(Keller’s Analysis: There was nothing to that match despite lasting ten minutes. Utterly forgettable. And that finish was so lame. Even if you buy into the idea the lantern is some sort of essential symbol of power for those who have it, Howdy releasing the Mandible Claw to just meander toward Solo and stared him was just stupid.)
-Kit Wilson told Miz that this past week has been toxic. He said he helped a lady get her carry on in the overhead bin and was grunting at the gym. Miz told him there is no curse. R-Truth told a guy with a clipboard they need hot water in the hot tub. Truth told Miz that The Judgment Day isn’t taking any applications. Miz said Truth doesn’t take anything seriously, but everything goes his way. Miz challenged him to step up, but Truth took that as a challenge for a match. Truth said there would be a WWE Tag Team Title match tonight tonight with Miz & Wilson. Miz and Wilson fist-bumped and seemed happy with how that turned out. [c]
-A vignette aired with Jacob Fatu speaking about facing Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania. He talked about his bumpy past. He said at WrestleMania, Drew is in his world. “Let’s see if you make it out,” he said.
-Sami Zayn was all smiles as he walked up to Nick Aldis. He said he heard he was getting pryo. Aldis confirmed it. Sami thanked him for last week. Aldis said all credit goes to Sami. Then Trick Williams’ music played instead of Sami’s. Sami seemed irritated.
-Trick made his entrance with Lil Yachty. Lil Yachty did the “What?” chant between “Whoop that Trick” lyrics. Trick said he and Lil Yachty go way back. Trick said he isn’t taking an lip off a gingerbread man. Trick was pleased enough with himself as he repeated himself that he managed to turn the fans against him. Trick said at WrestleMania, he’s going to get to the top rope and tell them to start Sami’s pyro “because Trick runs Smackdown.” Sami’s pyro blasted and then Sami came out to his music.
Sami said the pageantry was never his thing as he cares more about what happens in the ring and he’s more working class. He said all the fur coats and rap stars and fur coats won’t matter once the bell rings. He said he’s going to “humble your ass.” Fans chanted “Whoop the Trick!” Lil Yachty then did “What?” again. Trick said Gingersnap is upset. He told Sami the only reason he has that IC Title and the only reason he’s going to WrestleMania is because of him.
Carmelo Hayes came out to his music. Tessitore said Trick inadvertently punched Hayes in the mouth, costing him his U.S. Title. He entered the ring and told Trick he wants to issue a receipt and he knows the perfect place for that. Hayes said for months he carried Smackdown his back. He told Sami he ran the U.S. Title to the 1 yard line and Sami took it into the end zone. He said the fans don’t want Sami Zayn, they want Melo. Many fans cheered. He told Sami to give him his rematch. Trick and Lil Yacht were cartoonishlying laughing and enjoying the exchange with Hayes and Sami.
Sami said Hayes did carry Smackdown for a couple of months. He said Hayes had an open challenge and he beat him and now he’s going to WrestleMania. He said the match with Trick is official. He said he’ll happily give him his rematch after WrestleMania. Hayes didn’t like that. Trick told Sami no one wanted that answer. “With all that integrity you have, give that man a chance,” he said. Sami said he has a point. He said the only way to know if he can beat him on his own, since Trick did get involved, is a rematch. He said when Cody and Randy took advantage of opportunities at others’ expense, he called them out. He said circumstances finally worked out for him and he’s going to WrestleMania, but he doesn’t feel good about it. “So quit yapping and do the right thing, Sami,” said Hayes. Sami granted Hayes his rematch tonight. “Are we good?” he asked. Hayes said, “We good.” And then he left the ring.
After some snark by Trick, Sami turned and clotheslined Trick over the top rope. Sami yelled down at him as his music played to end the segment.
-Solo asked Tonga why he gave the lantern back to the Wyatt Sicks. Tonga said the lantern was tearing them apart. “Let’s get back to real business,” he said. “Taking over Smackdown and taking all the titles.” Solo said he’s right. He said they should finish the Wyatts and then get back to business. Tonga said that worked for him. Tonga eyed Talla as Solo gave a sinister stare back toward Tonga.
-Black made his ring entrance. [c]
(3) MATT CARDONA vs. ALEISTER BLACK (w/Zelina Vega)
The bell rang 27 minutes into the hour. Caronoda armdragged Black and then grabbed at his elbow in pain. Caronda came back with a dropkick, but kept grabbing a this arm. He wrecking ball kicked Black and went after him at ringside. He ducked a kick and then rammed Black into the top turnbuckle back in the ring. Vega distracted Cardona from the ring apron. Black then swept Cardona’s boot. He fell to the ground as they cut to an early break. [c]
Cardona rallied at 7:00 and scored a two count after a running boot. Black kneed Cardona and scored a two count. Cardona began a comeback a minute later, but then out of nowhere Black landed a Black Mass.
WINNER: Black in 9:00.
-Cathy Kelley interviewed Bayley and Lyra Valkyria backstage. She asked Bayley about losing her chance to be on WrestleMania last year. Bayley said she and Lyra are going to give Charlotte & Alexa a little taste of what they’re going to get at WrestleMania. Lyra said they will make everything they’ve been through over the last year worth it. [c]
-A video recap aired of the Oba Femi-Brock Lesnar angle including Triple H on Raw.
-Tessitore and Barrett plugged that match plus John Cena hosting WrestleMania.
-Backsatge, Truth told Candice LeRae that he thought Johnny Gargano was dead. Gargano was standing right there. LeRae said tomorrow he’s going to become the NXT North American Champion. Gargano looked up and told Truth that Johnny Wrestling is back and the best is yet to come. Damien Priest asked Truth why he gave Miz & Wilson a tag title shot with so many deserving teams. Truth said they are cursed by Asuka. Priest said he must mean Danhausen. Truth insisted it was Asuka. Priest said cursed or not, something bad is about to happen to Miz & Wilson. [c]
(4) CHARLOTTE & ALEXA BLISS vs. BAYLEY & LYRA VALKYRIA
Charlotte made her entrance followed by Bliss. Then Bayley and Lyra. The bell rang 56 minutes into the hour after they aired clips of what happened on Raw with the women’s tag team situation. They cut to a very early double-box break. [c]
[HOUR THREE]
Charlotte eventually put Lyra in a Figure-Eight. Bayley broke it up and then dragged Lyra to her corner. Bliss charged in and dropkicked Bayley who bumped hard into the corner turnbuckles. Bliss then leaped at Lyra, but Lyra caught her and set up a move, but Bliss countered with a Sister Abigail set-up. Bliss punched Lyra. Charlotte and Bliss each gave a Natural Selection to Lyra and Bayley. Bliss scored a three count on Lyra.
WINNERS: Charlotte & Bliss in 10:00.
-Afterward, Lash Legend and Nia Jax attacked both teams. Jax delivered a legdrop off the ropes onto Bayley as Lash held her vulnerable.
-They cut backstage to Miz and Wilson warming up. Miz said they aren’t cursed because they got a WWE Tag Team Title match. Danhausen showed up behind them with a jar of human teeth. Wilson told Danhausen he is toxic. Danhausen that he could come to ringside with them and help them. Miz said he should stay away or they’ll make his life miserable. Miz said he’ll make him take his curse and shove it, but Danhausen was gone.
-Priest and Truth made their ring entrance. [c]
-They showed Sexyy Red live at ringside, who is hosting NXT Stand & Deliver.
(5) DAMIEN PRIEST & R-TRUTH vs. MIZ & KIT WILSON – WWE Tag Team Title match
The bell rang 16 minutes into the hour. Truth took control early. He shoulder tackled Miz a minute in. Miz kicked Truth from his back as Truth did the You Can’t See Me bit. Wilson then snapped his neck over the top rope. He followed by delivering a flying elbow to Truth’s chest at ringside. They cut to a break at 2:00. [c]
With Truth and Miz both down at 7:00, Danhausen marched to the ring to his entrance theme. “He’s marching to the ring like a demented Oba Femi,” Barrett said. He reached for a tag to Miz. The ref told him he can’t do that. Miz stood and stared at him and told him to leave. Truth looked up and saw Danhausen, and then he leaped and taggedin Danahseun. He begran posing. Miz spun him around and said he doesn’t belong there. Danhausen cursed Miz. Fans yelled, “You are cursed.” The lights went out and then they came back on and showed Danhausen running to the stage.
Wilson charged at Truth, but Truth gave him an AA. Miz then caught Truth with a Skull Crushing Finale. The ref’s arm locked up at the count of two so he couldn’t count to three. Priest tagged in and gave Miz a South of Heaven for the win.
WINNERS: Priest & Truth in 10:00 to retain the WWE Tag Team Titles.
(Keller’s Analysis: The ref’s arm locking up could be seen as taking the curse too far, or the ref playing along for fun because he didn’t want to count three for Miz. A decent amount of harmless fun.)
-Cody entered and gave Wilson a Crossroads. He then said they got all dressed up tonight to find out who Orton was talking to on the phone. He said it was Pat McAfee.”Color me surprised,” he said. “That’s like Scott Hall and Kevin Nash talked about the third man in the NWO and instead of Hulk Hogan, it was Disco Inferno.” Some laughs from the fans. Cody called McAfee: “You stoner, grifter, Logan Paul without muscles human hat rack fly by night, you’re going to get your receipt.” He said him and everyone who represents him – “and I know who I’m talking to” – can kiss my ass. “What’re are you going to do to me? Fire me? It sure worked out last time.” (Geesh, is he actually talking about Vince McMahon now? Or setting up The Final Boss?) He said when John Cena was the angel on his shoulder, Orton was the devil. He said he loves Stephanie McMahon, and she told him he has to be a bad guy and go back to dark hair. “I don’t know if I know how to do it anymore,” he said. He said he has two kids and a dream job. He said Pat is tagging all the sites only exist because WWE is hot right now. He talked about the records they set in recent years when he was wrestling Roman Reigns, John Cena, and The Rock. “They were wrestling me!” he exclaimed. He pointed at the WrestleMania sign. He said he and Randy is a wrestling match with two of the best in history. He said he is hearing voices in his head finally, “but you don’t want to hear what they have to say.” He threw down the mic and immediately his music played.
(Keller’s Analysis: Too little, too late? Cody was fired up and rebutted the stupidity earlier pretty well in the sense that he pointed out business has been hot with him in main events the last couple years. I just don’t think fans CARE AT ALL about attendance and ratings and crowd sizes and the ebb and flow of revenue streams and the latest deal with a new partner. They want coherent, clear storylines built around cheering on wrestlers they like and rooting against wrestlers they will enjoy seeing lose, and they want it in a context of a simulated sports league where crowd size isn’t the story, but rather it’s the championships at stake and fans investment in a certain outcome to those matches. It isn’t hard. It isn’t controversial. But WWE is twisting themselves into a mess where fans aren’t sure how to respond to any of this anymore. So when Cody said this is really about is a match between two greats from the last 20 years, it didn’t get a pop. When he said he has voices in his head, fans weren’t sure how to respond. Yes, it’s St. Louis, but that opening segment just destroyed any clarity on what matters in the universe WWE creates and even made fans feel foolish for liking the product lately and paying whatever they paid for their tickets to this supposed ice cold product that McAfee was there to rant about. And then, ironically, the main event is the type of match McAfee demeaned earlier.) [c]
-Tessitore and Barrett hyped the WrestleMania line-up.
-Sami Zayn made his ring entrance. [c]
-A highlight package aired of Steve Austin-Kevin Owens at WrestleMania.
(6) SAMI ZAYN vs. CARMELO HAYES – U.S. Title match
The bell rang 47 minutes into the hour. Trick and Lil Yachty were watching at ringside. They cut to a double-box break at 4:00. [c/db]
Hayes scored a near fall at 8:00. Barrett said Hayes’s left knee is hurt and he couldn’t get proper leverage. Sami blocked a First 48 and then set up an exploder. Hayes countered with a roll-up for a two count. Then Sami did hit an exploder. Hayes blocked a Helluva Kick with a sidekick to the chin.
Hayes leaped off the top rope. Sami moved and then Hayes clutched his knee afterward. Sami then went after him, but the ref pushed Sani away to let him check on Hayes’s ability to continue. Sami decided to deliver a Helluva Kick anyway. He scored a three count.
WINNER: Sami in 11:00 to retain the U.S. Title.
(Keller’s Analysis: So are fans supposed to cheer Sami for being resourceful and not being overly nice? Or be upset at him for seizing an opening against a weakened hobbled opponent against the referee’s orders?)
-Afterward, as Sami was celebrating, Lil Yacht congratulated Sami for earning his way to a match against Trick at WrestleMania. He called him the Gingerbread Man. Trick then attacked Sami from behind. Trick landed a running knee Trick Shot to Sami’s jaw. Tessitore said it could be a sign of what’s to come at WrestleMania. Trick held up the U.S. Title belt.)
JOIN US LIVE ON YOUTUBE TONIGHT FOR THE VIDEO-FORMAT OF OUR LIVE POST-SHOWS…
PWTorch editor Wade Keller will be joined by ProWrestling.net’s Jake Barnett 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/srt6vtgnb9
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
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.