The road to WrestleMania 42 continues tonight in “The Big Dumper.”
WWE SmackDown is live this evening at 8/7c on the USA Network and Netflix from Raleigh, NC.
The following are WWE SmackDown results for March 20, 2026. The report was written by PWMania.com reporter Matt Boone (@MattBoone0709) as the show aired on USA Network from 8-11pm EST.
WWE SMACKDOWN RESULTS – MARCH 20, 2026
‘WWE Then. Now. Forever. Together.’ kicks things off as always. We then see footage of Randy Orton’s attack of Cody Rhodes on last week’s show. Back live, Joe Tessitore and Wade Barrett recap what went down, and then we see the usual show-opening Superstar arrival shots.
Drew McIntyre Attacks Jacob Fatu In The Parking Lot
The last Superstar arrival shot we see is a skinny Jelly Roll getting out of a car in the parking lot. As he does, we see a ton of officials and security go sprinting by him, to his confusion. The cameras follow them, where we see Drew McIntyre beating the hell out of Jacob Fatu on the hood of a car. Fatu is left bloody.
Inside the arena, Tessitore and Barrett talk about what just went down. As they do, they are interrupted by an angry, out of breath McIntyre, fresh off of the aforementioned attack. He rants as he storms his way down to the ring. SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis comes out and talks about McIntyre being self-sabotaging.
McIntyre yells back at Aldis, bringing up his son Donovan and saying he should be ashamed for having a corporate stooge for a father. Before Aldis can respond, we see a bloody Fatu sprint past him, with security trailing him. He and McIntyre meet at ringside and the brawl continues. Fatu beats McIntyre down and puts him through a table.
WWE Tag-Team Championship
The MFTs (c) vs. Damian Priest & R-Truth
We head to a commercial break after that chaotic start to the show. When the show returns, we see replays of what just went down. Back live inside the arena, R-Truth and Damian Priest make their way out to the ring for their big tag-team title opportunity.
After they settle in the ring, their music dies down. From there, The MFTs make their way out for their WWE Tag-Team Championship defense. Mateo charges at Priest at the bell and Priest punches out Mateo and slams him down. Tonga runs in and Truth comes in and they both take out Tonga.
Priest slams into Mateo and knocks him down with a boot. Talla Tonga attacks Truth and pulls him off the apron distracting Priest. Mateo clotheslines Priest over the ropes and we cut to a commercial break. Back to the match, Tama Tonga beats on Priest in the middle of the ring with forearms to Priest’s neck.
Mateo is tagged in and Priest is double teamed and Mateo covers Priest and Priest kicks out. Mateo chops Priest in the corner and Priest fires back with some strikes to Mateo. Mateo slams into Priest in the corner and then knocks him down in the ring and hits a standing moonsault and covers Priest for a two count.
Mateo splashes into Priest and then knocks Truth off the apron. Priest kicks Mateo down with a spinning kick and both men are laid out. Truth and Tonga are tagged in. Truth takes down Tonga with running shoulder tackles and then hits the five knuckle shuffle.
Truth goes for the attitude adjustment but Tonga counters and tags in Mateo and Truth is double teamed and covered and Priest breaks the pin. Tonga tosses Priest out of the ring and Truth hits a stunner on Tonga and he rolls out of the ring. Priest comes off the steps and clobbers Tonga.
In the ring, Truth locks in an STF on Mateo. Sikoa gets on the apron distracting the ref. Talla Tonga pulls Truth out of the ring and slams him on the apron. Mateo covers him and Truth kicks out. The Wyatt Sicks come out and Tall Tonga and Tonga Loa go after Dexter Lumis, Joe Gacy and Erick Rowan.
At ringside, Uncle Howdy attacks Sikoa and Mateo makes the save. Sikoa tells Mateo to get back in the ring and Truth takes him out and Priest takes out Tonga. Truth hits the Attitude Adjustment on Mateo and gets the win. We have new champs.
Winners and NEW WWE Tag Team Champions: R-Truth & Damian Priest
Backstage With Danhausen, Johnny Gargano & Motor City Machine Guns
Candice LeRae is backstage with Johnny Gargano who is laying on a crate. Danhausen comes by and LeRae asks him if he can help and before she knows it Danhausen vanishes. Alex Shelley comes by and before he can get a word in Chris Sabin shows up and tells Shelley that they have a match to focus on. Shelley and Sabin leave and we get a commercial break.
Backstage With Sami Zayn & Trick Williams
When the show returns, we shoot backstage where Cathy Kelley talks to Sami Zayn. Kelley asks for Zayn’s thoughts about Cody Rhodes being attacked. Zayn says he should be thinking about his match against Aleister Black but all he’s doing is thinking of Rhodes.
Zayn says Rhodes tries to be good and he gives the fans everything. Zayn says it got Rhodes nowhere after the attack from Randy Orton and Orton does what he wants and he’s on top. Trick Williams walks by and asks Zayn about what he thinks about Williams coming out on top over Jacob Fatu.
Zayn gets in Williams face and Williams says he will see if he has some time, he’ll check out Zayn’s match and maybe even give Zayn pointers. Zayn tells him to get a good look. From there the show moves on, as we head back into the arena for our second match.
FrAxiom vs. Motor City Machine Guns
The ring entrances take place and then the bell sounds to get this tag-team tilt officially off-and-running. Frazer and Shelley start things off for their respective teams at the onset. Frazer whips around the ring and kicks Shelley.
Axiom is tagged in and Sabin is tagged in and Axiom is double teamed and Sabin covers Axiom and he kicks out. Shelley is tagged back and Axiom kicks and punches them. Sabin is kicked down and Axiom tags in Frazer. Shelley is double teamed and Sabin and Shelley are kicked out of the ring.
On that note, the show shifts gears and settles into a mid-match commercial break as the action continues. When the show returns, we see the match still in progress and things immediately start to pick up, as the crowd comes alive in the background.
Sabin and Shelley double team Axiom and Axiom is kicked out of the ring. Shelley is taken out by Axiom on the floor and then Axiom trips Sabin. Axiom tags Frazer and Frazer flips over the ropes and takes out Sabin and Shelley and then back in the ring, Frazer hits a crossbody from the top rope on Sabin and covers Sabin.
Shelley comes in and Frazer takes him out. Axion is tagged in and Sabin is double teamed and covered and Sabin kicks out at two. Frazer is tagged back in and Axiom climbs the ropes with Sabin. Sabin pushes both Frazer and Axiom off the ropes and cross body’s onto them.
Shelley is tagged in and Frazer is double teamed and covered and Frazer kicks out. Candice LeRae comes out and stands in the entryway and watches the match. Sabin is tagged in and Frazer is double teamed. Axiom comes in and kicks Shelley.
Frazer sends Sabin out of the ring. Axiom and Frazer take turns diving out onto them. Frazer rolls up Sabin and Sabin kicks out. LeRae clocks Frazer. From there, Sabin quickly follows up with the cover to get the three-count and the victory for Motor City Machine Guns.
Winners: Motor City Machine Guns
Randy Orton Explains Attack Of Cody Rhodes
Once the match wraps up, we are reminded of Randy Orton’s dastardly deeds from seven days ago, which saw him violently attack his longtime friend Cody Rhodes during the contract signing for their WrestleMania 42 showdown for the Undisputed WWE Championship.
We see Orton in the parking lot. The commentators mention he will explain his actions when the show returns. On that note, the show shifts gears and settles into another commercial break. When we return, Randy Orton’s music hits and out he comes.
He pulls a dented chair from the time keeper’s area and grabs a microphone. Orton places the chair in the ring and has a seat on it. Orton says for years, when his entrance music hit, everyone would sing along. What a feeling that is, the love that they show him and he tries to return it.
He gives the fans high fives, he signs the action figures, replicas, titles. He will see a kid on his birthday and wish him a happy birthday. The love that he shows them, that he gets back, that puts a smile on his face. And that smile is the emptiest feeling that he has felt in his entire life.
Orton says he has been doing this a long time, longer than most but the reality is that nothing lasts for ever. He doesn’t want his legacy to be the smiles that he puts on their faces, he wants his legacy to be how many World Championship gold he has put around his waist.
He says not too long ago, he won the Elimination Chamber and he was going to fight Drew McIntyre for the title. And he knew that he can be who he needed to be to beat Drew. But when Cody won, he didn’t know if he can be who he needs to be to beat Cody.
He says he loves Cody like a brother but last week, Cody took that burden off his chest. Cody took that weight off his shoulders when he told him that he needed him to be the best version he can be. He needs him to be the viper, to listen to the voices.
The problem with listening to the voices is that he is not always in control. Sometimes things can happen, sometimes he gets hurt, just like anyone else but he needs that killer instinct. He needs that to add number 15 to his legacy. He looks at the WrestleMania sign and says that he will do it with an R-K-O.
Orton says he hears voices in his head, they council him, they understand, they talk to me and they tell me that I am going to beat Cody Rhodes. He says the voices tell him that he will beat Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship.
They tell him he is going to beat Cody Rhodes for the WWE Championship and he is going to do it at the main event of WrestleMania. That about wraps things up here. No reference to whoever the man on his mystery phone call was. The show heads to another break.
Randy Orton walks by some superstars backstage and comes face to face with Matt Cardona. Cardona says he’s known Rhodes and Orton for years but what he did to Rhodes was out of line. Orton gets pissed and tells Cardona off and goes to leave. Orton comes flying back and punches Cardona and tells him to stay out of his business.
Sami Zayn vs. Aleister Black
A video recap of The Bella Twins return is shown to promote their tag-team title tilt later tonight against The Irresistible Forces. From there, Aleister Black makes his way to the ring accompanied by Zelina Vega. We head to a quick pre-match break on that note.
When the show returns, Sami Zayn makes his way out. Before the match can start the lights go off and Trick Williams comes out to watch this match. The bell rings and Black takes Zayn down and punches him in the middle of the ring. Black kicks and strikes Zayn and punches Zayn in the corner.
Zayn chops Black and punches him several times in the corner and we cut to a break. The show returns and Black knocks Zayn to the mat and elbows him a few times and then hits a leg drop and covers Zayn who kicks out at two. Black and Zayn trade elbows and Zayn kicks Black in the corner and sunset flips over him.
He then covers him but Black reverses the pin and Zayn kicks out at two. Black now kicks Zayn in the chest and elbows him. Zayn punches Black and Black knocks Zayn to the mat with a spinning back elbow. Black hits Zayn with a knee and covers Zayn who kicks out again.
Zayn gets locked in a pretzel type submission and Zayn rolls out of the hold. Black kicks Zayn again. Zayn goes for a Helluva kick and misses. Black hits Zayn with a middle rope meteora and covers Zayn for a near fall. Black elbows Zayn and Zayn clotheslines Black over the ropes sending him outside the ring.
Black is thrown into the barricades and does it again and then throws Black back in the ring. Zayn sends Black into the corner with an Exploder and then sets up for a Helluva Kick. Black rolls out of the ring before Zayn can connect.
Zayn goes out to get Black and pushes Williams’ feet off the announce desk. Williams spills a drink on Zayn and Zayn decides to attack Williams instead of going back to the match. Zayn gets in the ring after beating up Williams and Black hits him with Black Mass and gets the win.
Winner: Aleister Black
Backstage With Nick Aldis, Matt Cardona, Carmelo Hayes & Ilja Dragunov
Matt Cardona talks to Nick Aldis and he wants a match with Randy Orton. Aldis says it won’t happen and Cardona leaves. Carmelo Hayes approaches Aldis and asks why the open challenge is closed.
Aldis says it’s because someone came to him and made a case to be the next challenger. Aldis leaves and Ilja Dragunov is standing there and he says he’s the guy who spoke to Aldis.
Backstage With The Irresistible Forces
A promo for the Irresistible Forces play. Lash Legend and Nia Jax talk about how they’re the center of attention and how The Bella Twins are trying to stay relevant. They talk about all the tag teams who are looking to take their gold. Jax says they’ll demolish The Bella Twins.
Jade Cargill And Rhea Ripley’s Road To WrestleMania Continues
We return live inside the arena, where WWE Women’s Champion Jade Cargill comes out to the ring. Cargill says she’s not here to waste time and she knows Rhea Ripley is backstage and tells her to come out. Ripley obliges and comes out to the ring.
Cargill and Ripley circle each other and Ripley asks Cargill what she wants and if they’re actually going to do something because they’ve said all that needs to be said. Cargill says Ripley needs the title she has and she doesn’t. She says she doesn’t need the fans or anything.
She tells Ripley she’s that bitch and she’s not here to make friends, she’s here to make money. Ripley says he goal to not have friends has been successful and tells Cargill she’s right. Ripley says she needs the title because she lives for this.
Ripley talks about her sacrifices and Cargill says it’s another sob story and she doesn’t care. Cargill says wrestling didn’t make her and even without wrestling she’s someone. Ripley stops Cargill and says she won’t let Cargill disrespect wrestling.
Ripley says since Cargill has the title, the title needs Ripley. Ripley says she wants Cargill’s championship belt and she will take it and Ripley asks if they’re done talking and if Cargill will actually do something about it and urges Cargill to strike her. Cargill says she will, but on her time and drops the mic and leaves the ring.
As Cargill is leaving, Michin and B-Fab appear. Cargill walks backwards and both B-Fab and Michin get in the ring and they start beating down Ripley. Cargill superkicks Ripley as Michin and B-Fab hold her. Cargill hits Jaded on Ripley and Michin, B-Fab and Cargill stand tall in the ring.
Backstage With Kit Wilson, The Miz & Danhausen
Kit Wilson talks to The Miz backstage and The Miz isn’t present. The Miz says his week has been terrible and talks about a sunburn on his back. Danhausen comes by and pats Wilson and The Miz on the back.
The Miz says he won’t mentor Danhausen and Danhausen tells The Miz to stay cursed and a ladder almost falls on The Miz. Danhausen leaves and The Miz tells Wilson to do this on his own and Wilson leaves. A ladder falls on The Miz.
Backstage With The MFTs, Jacob Fatu & Drew McIntyre
Solo Sikoa yells at JC Mateo and Tama Tonga about losing the titles. Tama Tonga tells Sikoa to give the lantern back to The Wyatt Sicks because Sikoa has changed and is starting to sound like Roman Reigns. Jacob Fatu and Drew McIntyre crash across the screen and they are still fighting. They’re separated backstage.
WWE United States Championship (Open Challenge)
Carmelo Hayes (c) vs. Ilja Dragunov
Back inside the arena, it’s time for our second of three advertised championship contests for tonight. This one features Carmelo Hayes defending his WWE United States Championship against Ilja Dragunov in his latest weekly open challenges.
Following the respective ring entrances of the champion and challenger, the bell sounds to get this one officially off-and-running. Hayes and Dragunov lock up at the bell and they lock up again and end up in the corner. Dragunov pushes Hayes and Hayes chops Dragunov back.
Dragunov slams into Hayes in the corner and then headbutts Hayes over and over again. Dragunov chops Hayes and then kicks Hayes. Hayes gets chopped and Dragunov is kicked and Dragunov hits Hayes with the Constantine Special and we cut to a commercial on that note.
We come back to see Dragunov has Hayes in a submission hold. Dragunov elbows Hayes to the mat and Hayes elbows Dragunov back. Dragunov lifts Hayes and slams him down and covers Hayes for a near fall. Hayes and Dragunov reverse moves and Hayes hits Dirty Diana and covers Dragunov and Dragunov kicks out.
Hayes slams into Dragunov in the corner and chops Dragunov. Dragunov is clotheslines over the ropes and Hayes flips over the ropes and takes out Dragunov but Hayes slams into the announce desk. Back in the ring, Hayes hits a cross body on Dragunov and covers Dragunov who kicks out at two. Dragunov catches Hayes and hits a back suplex.
Dragunov climbs the ropes and hits a Senton on Hayes and covers Hayes for a near fall. Dragunov goes for a coast to coast and Hayes catches him and hits 1st 48 and tries to pin Dragunov but Dragunov reverses as he falls and hits an H Bomb and goes for the pin and Hayes gets his foot on the ropes and we get another ad time out.
This time when the show returns, we see Dragunov stomp Hayes. From there, Hayes chops Dragunov and hits a springboard clotheslines and both men roll out to the apron. Hayes gets back in the ring and jumps over the ropes and tries for a DDT and Dragunov catches him and hits a Death Valley Driver on the ring apron.
Dragunov is bleeding, like he does in every match. Dragunov goes for a superplex and Hayes reverses it to a swinging cutter off the top rope. Hayes covers Dragunov and Dragunov kicks out at two. Hayes chops Dragunov and Dragunov asks for more. Hayes kicks and chops Dragunov and Dragunov chops and punches him back.
Dragunov chops Hayes several times and they’re no selling each other’s moves and going back and forth. Dragunov powerbombs Hayes and covers him and Hayes kicks out. Dragunov hits a backbreaker and covers Hayes again and Hayes kicks out.
Dragunov runs to Hayes with Torpedo Moscow and Hayes hits a 1st 48 and covers Dragunov who kicks out at two. Dragunov connects with Torpedo Moscow and goes for a powerbomb but Hayes counters with a sunset flip and gets the win to retain his U.S. title in a hard fought battle.
Winner and STILL WWE United States Champion: Carmelo Hayes
Backstage With Randy Orton & Jelly Roll
Backstage, the special Randy Orton edition of SmackDown continues with his third live segment tonight, sixth or seventh if we’re counting replays of his attack on Cody Rhodes last week. He stumbles across Jelly Roll backstage and the two have words.
Orton apologizes to Jelly Roll for him getting mixed up in his issue with Rhodes heading into WrestleMania. Jelly Roll says he wants the Orton that doesn’t listen to the voices in his head. Jelly Roll tells Orton to go apologize to Matt Cardona. This brief backstage interaction wraps up after that.
Kit Wilson Calls Out Jelly Roll
From Jelly Roll to the man advertised to call him out tonight, Kit Wilson. We see the former Pretty Deadly member walking the halls backstage. He calls out Jelly Roll live in the ring when we return. On that note, the show heads into a quick commercial break.
The show returns and we see Kit Wilson in the ring. He calls out Jelly Roll, who storms out and tells Wilson he wants to fight him right now and to get a referee. Wilson says he wants to settle this like civilized men and not like toxic men.
Wilson says he fights with words and not his fists and calls Jelly Roll toxic. Jelly Roll asks if he was called here to have a rap battle with Wilson. Wilson tells Jelly Roll to not compare him to a rapper because he’s better than rappers and he’s better than Jelly Roll.
He says tonight they’ll have slam poetry. Jelly Roll makes fun of Wilson’s poetry book. Wilson starts reciting a poem that makes fun of Jelly Roll and his weight loss. Jelly Roll recites his poem and takes a shot at Wilson’s mom.
Wilson gets pissed and hits Jelly Roll from behind. Wilson slams into Jelly Roll in the corner and then comes off the top rope and hits a flying corkscrew elbow on Jelly Roll who screams in pain in the middle of the ring. That’s how things wrap up.
Backstage With Giulia, Chelsea Green & The Irresistible Forces
Giulia is backstage with Kiana James. Giulia is pissed James lost to Tiffany Stratton. Chelsea Green and Alba Fyre show up and Green says the enemy of her enemy is her friend and suggests they work together. Giulia says they don’t need to work together.
She and James leave. Green is beside herself with the disrespect from Giulia. Nia Jax pushes Green’s wheelchair aggressively and sends her off screen and she and Lash Legend walk to the camera as they defend their titles in our next match coming up momentarily.
Jelly Roll To Wrestle On SmackDown Next Week
But first, we shoot to a different area backstage. Jelly Roll comes up to SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis. He’s fired up after the Kit Wilson segment, and says he wants Kit Wilson next week. Aldis agrees to make a match for SmackDown next week.
WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship
The Irresistible Forces (c) vs. The Bella Twins
It’s main event (match) time!
Inside the arena, The Bella Twins duo of Nikki Bella and Brie Bella make their way to the ring. They settle inside the squared circle. The Irresistible Forces team of Nia Jax and Lash Legend are out next for their tag-team title defense.
We see Jax and Legend attack The Bellas off the bell. Legend and Brie battle outside and Nikki and Jax go at it in the ring. Jax takes down Nikki with a shoulder check and then misses an elbow. Nikki chokes Jax against the ropes and tags in Brie.
Brie hits Jax with a dropkick against the ropes and works on Jax’s arm. Nikki is tagged back in and Jax gets double teamed and they take down Jax. Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss come out and The Bellas get distracted. Legend is tagged in and she takes out both Bellas.
On that note, we head to a break. The show returns and we see Legend beating on Nikki in the middle of the ring. Flair and Bliss are sitting at ringside. Jax is tagged in and Nikki clocks both Jax and Legend. Nikki kicks Jax to the mat and tags to Brie.
Brie comes off the top rope with a missile dropkick and Brie hits the Brie Mode kick. Brie kicks Jax with some yes kicks. Legend comes in and gets kicked out of the ring. Jax hits a headbutt on Brie and Brie then sends Jax out of the ring. Nikki is tagged in and she comes off the top rope and takes out Legend and Jax outside the ring.
Back in the ring, Legend distracts Nikki and Jax hits Nikki and gets her on her shoulders. Jax tags Legend and then climbs the ropes and hits a top rope Samoan Drop on Nikki, Legend hits top rope splash and Brie breaks the pin. In the ring, Nikki gets Legend in the Fearless Lock. Flair attacks Jax outside and the ref calls for the bell.
Once the match is officially wrapped up, Nikki and Brie fight with Flair and Bliss. Jax and Legend come in mid battle and beat up both teams. Legend shakes Flair like a rag doll and then Jax comes off the middle rope and leg drops onto Flair.
Winners via DQ and STILL WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions: The Irresistible Forces
Randy Orton Is Going To “Fix This”
It’s main event (segment) time!
Randy Orton is backstage on the phone. He tells the person on the phone that they’re right and he’s going to go out to the ring to fix this. On that note, we shift gears and head into our final commercial break of the evening. When we return, Orton comes to the ring with a chair in hand.
Orton high fives kids on his way to the ring and gets to the ring and slides the chair into the ring, high fives some more kids and then gets in the ring. Orton says he needs to apologize to Matt Cardona and calls him out to the ring.
Orton asks Cardona for his forgiveness and Cardona does and they hug in the ring. Orton then low blow Cardona and hits an RKO and rips off Cardona’s shirt and tosses him out of the ring. Orton punches Cardona on the announce desk and then grabs the steel steps like he did last week with Cody Rhodes.
Officials run out and stop Orton. Orton backs away and acts like he’s fighting the voices in his head. Orton gets Cardona and throws him in the ring and beats him up some more. More security surrounds Orton and pull him off Cardona.
Orton had Cardona’s arm in a chair and then he snaps and stomps on the chair and leaves the ring. Officials stop Orton as other officials check on Cardona. Nick Aldis yells at Orton and we see backstage that things aren’t going any smoother.
Why? Well, because Jacob Fatu and Drew McIntyre are still fighting, this has been a three hour fight. Fatu and McIntyre are oon a scaffold up in the air outside the arena. Fatu and McIntyre fall from the scaffold. That shocking image is the last thing we see as the show wraps up. Thanks for joining us!
