Tonight’s episode of SmackDown featured a singles match between Rhea Ripley and Mia Yim. This came after Yim and B-FAB joined forces with the Women’s Champion Jade Cargill to take on The Mami a couple of weeks ago.
Michin tried her best to take out the former Judgment Day star, hitting her with moves like Frankensteiner and Sole Food. Ripley refused to stay down, however, and in the end, she won the match after locking her opponent in the Prism Trap submission.
B-FAB tried to attack Rhea as the bell rang, but the former champion was able to cut her off with a headbutt. Jade Cargill then got on the apron, but it was Mia Yim who got the first shot at Mami.
The Women’s Champion finally entered the ring and positioned her WrestleMania opponent for the Jaded finisher. Before she could execute the move, however, IYO SKY’s music hit.
Cargill quickly retreated as SKY hit the ring. Rhea Ripley then also recovered and the former Women’s Tag Champions then took out B-FAB and Mia Yim with dual dropkicks.
IYO SKY is not booked for a match at WrestleMania 42 and after tonight’s events, it seems likely that she will accompany Rhea Ripley for her title match at the Show of Shows.
Randy Orton had teased the reveal of the mystery man that inspired his recent actions for this week’s SmackDown. Though fans were not happy when the person behind the mystery call turned out to be none other than a returning Pat McAfee.
PWInsider provided some update on the turn of events after tonight’s show. They suggested that the idea for this storyline did not originate from the WWE creative, and it was an edict from TKO officials instead:
“Regarding the Pat McAfee reveal on SmackDown, those spoken to believe this was an edict from TKO brass to WWE creative, not an idea that originated in the WWE writing room, and was approved by Paul Levesque. One source believed the edict may have come from as far up as Ari Emanuel.”
This is not the first we’ve heard of Emanuel being high on McAfee. Previous reports have suggested that the TKO Chairman sees the next big crossover Hollywood star in the former NFL Punter.
Cody Rhodes cut a promo on the underwhelming reveal later in the night, comparing McAfee to Disco Inferno. Now we’ll have to see how this story progresses with only a couple of weeks remaining to WrestleMania.
What did you think about tonight’s reveal? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Chelsea Green won’t be competing at WrestleMania 42, but she’s not exactly sitting it out either.
In an interview with Esteban Ramirez recorded ahead of the Las Vegas event, the WWE Women’s U.S. Champion confirmed an ankle injury is keeping her out of in-ring action. Her plan for the weekend: watch every match from backstage and do as much press and media as she can to help fill seats.
“I will be sitting there backstage watching every single match, doing as much press and media as I can to make sure those seats are filled and everyone enjoys their time,” she said.
Green spoke candidly about the pressure this year’s event carries. WrestleMania returns to Las Vegas for the second consecutive year, which she said raises the stakes for everyone involved.
“There’s so much pressure this year to put on a really incredible show because we’re in the same place that we were last year, and that does not happen very often,” she said. “This WrestleMania is going to be absolutely insane, because it has to be.”
Undertaker, Michael Hayes, and a Ceiling She Refuses to Accept
Green also addressed the widely-discussed comments from WWE Hall of Famer Michael Hayes, who suggested she was better suited as a mid-card act. She admitted the remarks stung, even if she understood where he was coming from.
“Two things can be true at the same time,” she said. “I can care that there’s maybe this ceiling put on me, and I’m not able to get out of that box. But I can also come to terms with the fact that I have this really amazing job that pays me great money to do exactly what I want to do in life.”
She revealed that the Undertaker has been a private mentor throughout her run, well before he publicly backed her against Hayes. According to Green, he recruited her for Triple A, put the belts on her and Ethan Page, and has been coaching her character backstage in ways that never made it to television.
“He’s the one that has really hyped me up backstage and told me things you guys don’t get to see,” she said. “Try this with your character, try that with your character, turn this up, turn this down, you can do it. He has been there.”
His public defense of her was gratifying, but not a surprise. “I knew he believed in me,” Green said. “But the fact that he just said it right to Michael Hayes, it was all so hilarious to watch.”
Still Chasing a Bigger Spot
Despite her championship reign, Green said she has never appeared in an Elimination Chamber and has rarely been given significant pay-per-view time. That’s the next thing she wants.
“I would love to show people what I can do if I was given 15, 20, 25 minutes, or if I was put in the ring with some of the quote-unquote top girls,” she said. “I’ve never even experienced an Elimination Chamber. That’s crazy.”
She was clear about her long-term ambitions: “I’m not doing this to be a mediocre star. We’re all doing this to go to WrestleMania, to be a top dog, to make the most money we can possibly make.”
Husband Matt Cardona Also on the Card
Green’s husband Matt Cardona is back in WWE, which marks the first time the two have been under the same roof at the company for any meaningful stretch of their relationship. She said the return matters to him on a deeper level than opportunity.
“WWE is his first and really his only love,” she said. “He grew up wanting to be at WrestleMania. He didn’t just want to wrestle, he wanted to be a WWE superstar. And so he needed to come back and close this chapter in whatever way that looked like.”
Her greatest WrestleMania memory is watching Cardona win the Intercontinental title off a ladder, from a hotel room in Dallas surrounded by fellow indie wrestlers. She said she wants to be there live if he has another moment like it.
The two WWE names have been involved in a heated rivalry for months now, and there have been multiple moments where they came very close to exchanging blows. Some fans even speculated that the SmackDown General Manager could be returning to the ring to face the former World Champion at WrestleMania when he booked The Scottish Warrior in the WWE Championship match against Cody Rhodes after Elimination Chamber.
While the story has since pivoted towards a WrestleMania encounter between McIntyre and Jacob Fatu, fans are still hopeful about getting the Aldis match somewhere down the line. During a recent interview with Chris Van Vliet, Drew McIntyre was also asked about a potential future bout with Nick Aldis. The former WWE Champion suggested that he is open to the possibility, noting how the fans are always invested whenever the two of them share the screen:
“Every time we go back and forth, you can feel the tension. You can cut it with a knife. We’ve known each other a long time. I name-dropped his son because I have known him for that long. But what a corporate stooge he is, his Donovan must be ashamed of him having such a corporate stooge for a father instead of backing me, the one who’s in the right and the one that he’s known for years, and his one is his actual friend. So when the time is right, be it Mania, be after Mania. I think we should have a match.”
Drew McIntyre later praised Nick Aldis for his accomplishments outside of WWE, saying that he is probably the greatest NWA Champion of the modern era. The SmackDown star also said that he would like the match between the two to be free of any interference and claimed that he would love to see what damage Aldis can do in a real match.
In a new episode of The 2 Count on YouTube, former WWE personality Jonathan Coachman gave his thoughts on topics such as the $10,000 Cody Rhodes bus tour, Toni Storm taking time off from AEW, the build to WrestleMania 42, and more.
During the talk, the former commentator revealed an interesting titbit about Kim Kardashian’s WrestleMania appearance in 2008. Jonathan Coachman claimed that Kardashian, who served as the hostess for the PPV, was paid $25,000 for her appearance:
“2008, my last WrestleMania, Kim Kardashian was just becoming big. I remember we paid her $25,000 to come out at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando and announce the attendance. Do you know that she could not remember the number and had to write it on a card?”
WrestleMania XXIV was headlined by Undertaker and Edge in a singles match, with The Dead Man expanding his streak to 16-0 by defeating the Ultimate Opportunist. Apart from Kardashian, the event saw appearances from other non-wrestling names such as Floyd Mayweather and Snoop Dogg.
The show also featured the famous match between Shawn Michaels and Ric Flair, as well as Umaga’s final Mania appearance before his passing in 2009.
People speculated that the SmackDown star might be going on a hiatus after he unexpectedly lost the US Championship to Sami Zayn only a few weeks before WrestleMania 42. These rumors were fuelled by what appeared to be wedding photos the 31-year-old posted on social media recently.
The now former Champion seemingly addressed these talks during his appearance on the Battleground podcast. When asked about his wedding preparations, Carmelo Hayes confirmed that his wedding with fellow WWE star Kelani Jordan is still months away:
“It’s going good. Kelani is handling a lot of it. She’s on top of it. And I’m giving my two cents when warranted. A lot of people thought that we already got married, I guess, that was like the big thing. But the wedding is in October, everybody. Those are engagement photos. I’m super excited, and we’re halfway there really.”
General Manager Nick Aldis had told Trick Williams that he would be getting a match at WrestleMania before the title change on SmackDown. After the match, Aldis confirmed that Williams will actually be challenging Sami Zayn for the championship at the Shows of Shows.
WWE has announced a multi-person ladder match for the IC title at the PPV. It seems likely that Carmelo Hayes and one or two other names could be added to the US title bout before Mania as well.
The NXT star revealed news via a video on X this Wednesday. The 28-year-old noted that he has been dealing with pain in the hip since last year but had been trying to push through. He is trying to stay positive despite surgery and the young star claimed that he will be making a big comeback:
“Today’s the day. Finally getting hip surgery. I’ve been dealing with some pain in my hip for a very long time, since about July of last year. Pushed through to the best I could to make sure I didn’t miss any opportunities. But, God’s timing. When it’s time, it’s time so, today we’re taking care of that. Minor setback for a major comeback.”
Making his WWE debut at NXT Level Up in August 2023, Tyson Dupont has a background in Athletic. Born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, he holds the Haitian national records in shot put and hammer throw.
The wrestling star is one half of the High Ryze tag team with Tyriek Igwe and he has also made multiple appearances for TNA in 2025 as part of NXT’s partnership with the brand.
Though Dupont has largely stayed away from the ring this year, having wrestled only a Live Event match in February. There is no word on how long he will stay out of action.
AEW Collision this week is set to air on Thursday instead of the usual Saturday slot. The company taped matches for the episode after the Dynamite broadcast from Winnipeg on Wednesday.
One of the segments on the show was Willow Nightingale hosting an open challenge for the TBS Championship, and her call was answered by a returning Hikaru Shida:
The Japanese star was a pillar of early AEW, and she holds the record for longest reign with the AEW Women’s Championship, having held the title for 372 days between May 2020 and 2021.
Though she had not wrestled for AEW since November 2024 and Hikaru Shida’s last match for the company was a Dynamite singles match against Kris Statlander.
The former Champion had wrestled a few matches in Japan since then but she had largely stayed away from wrestling, having not entered the ring in 2026 before her Collision appearance.
There is no word on whether Shida’s return is a one-off or if the wrestling veteran will be sticking around, but we should get a better idea after the broadcast of her match.
Tonight’s episode of Dynamite from Winnipeg featured Darby Allin in a promo segment, where he once again talked about his World Title aspirations. The former TNT Champion called out MJF, but his call was answered by Don Callis, accompanied by Andrade el Idolo, Lance Archer, El Clon, and Hechicero instead.
The wrestling manager revealed that the AEW Champion has authorised a Dynasty match for Allin, and Darby will get his title shot if he wins the bout. Don Callis then announced Andrade as Darby Allin’s Dynasty opponent, though the former WWE star seemed unsure about the decision and argued with Callis before the end of the segment.
Randy Orton is teasing something big for SmackDown.
The Viper has been talking to someone on the phone for weeks, suggesting that the mystery person is the force behind his recent actions, including his vicious attack on Cody Rhodes.
The former World Champion posted another such tease on his social media on Wednesday night. Though this time, Randy Orton mentioned meeting the person at St. Louis, where SmackDown will be taking place this Friday night:
“Likewise, man, I appreciate everything you have been doing for me. Yeah, I think we’re good to go. This Friday, right? I’ll see you in St. Louis.”
There is no word on who the mystery person could be. After Chris Jericho made his AEW return tonight, the name whose involvement will make the most sense is The Rock.
This latest video featured a famous picture of Randy’s grandfather, Bob Orton Sr. in the background, however, possibly teasing a family connection behind the upcoming reveal.
Do you think the reveal will live up to the hype the company has created, or will the fans be left disappointed? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
The American Nightmare has found himself in uncharted territory for the first time since his WWE return as he heads into his 4rth straight WrestleMania main event. Despite the recent heel turn of Randy Orton, fans have been rallying behind The Viper, and the former AEW star has faced more negative crowds in recent months than he has in a while.
The WWE Champion was asked if he is fazed by these reactions during his most recent appearance on Busted Open. Cody Rhodes explained, however, that he is happy that fans are getting the chance to express themselves as they want:
“I don’t take it personally? I think maybe when I was younger, I did. And certainly, there’s no absolute in that. I’m sure some things kind of slipped through the armor a bit and you feel it. But my thought in terms of fans today, more than ever, is that we are out there, and whatever their emotional need is. If they need to cheer for you, if they need to cheer for him, if they need to yell at you. I can’t put a governor on that, and I will not.”
Cody Rhodes claimed that for him, there is no wrong way to be a fan. He might feel the weight of the unfavorable reactions eventually, but it hasn’t gotten to him yet:
“Tully Blanchard rules in terms of, for me, when he’d say loudest, the longest. I can’t be angry at them, whatever it is they need, if they’re cheering for Randy as he seeks 15 and even with the things he did…OK. I’m not there to try and tell you, you’re wrong or right. There’s no wrong way to be a fan. So right now it hasn’t got to me. I’ll be honest, sometimes maybe it will, but right now, no.”
Tonight’s episode of NXT featured a backstage segment with Hank Walker, Tank Ledger, Eli Knight, Sean Legacy, and the Men’s Speed Champion LeFleur all sitting around chatting.
Legacy first gave an update on his ankle injury, confirming that he will not have to stay out of action for long and he’ll be good to go in a few weeks.
The masked star then revealed that he was not so lucky. Elio LeFleur announced that he will require shoulder surgery that will keep him out of action for six months.
As a result, Elio confirmed that he will have to relinquish the Men’s Speed Title. The French star also noted that the NXT GM Robert Stone has told him that a tournament to crown the new champion will begin next week.
Elio LeFleur had defeated Jasper Troy and Eli Knight in a triple threat to win the title on the February 24 episode of the show. The injury ends his reign at just 35 day and we’ll have to see who is crowned the new champion.
The main event of the development show this week was a Women’s Championship #1 Contenders match between Kendal Grey and Lola Vice.
The Champion Jacy Jayne and the rest of the Fatal Influence showed up at the ringside halfway through the bout, with a second referee coming out behind them to stop the faction from getting involved in the match.
The ending of the bout saw Vice locking her opponent in a choke, with Grey almost passing out. In a last-ditch effort, Kendal countered the hold into a Suplex, landing on top of Lola Vice in a pinning position.
The referee in the ring counted to three and declared Kendal Grey the winner. The second referee, however, then entered the ring and informed his colleague that Vice never let go of her hold and that Grey actually tapped out during the pin sequence.
The broadcast showed an alternate angle of the finishing sequence as Shawn Michaels made his entrance. HBK entered the ring as everyone argued but the show went off air without the confirmation on which talent would be heading to Stand & Deliver to challenge Jayne.
Multiple new matches have been added to WrestleMania.
The March 30 episode of Raw featured the surprise return of Gunther after being off TV for the last few weeks. He stopped Seth Rollins from attacking Paul Heyman. Adam Pearce then confirmed that the two former world champions will be meeting in a singles match at the upcoming PPV.
After Penta successfully defended his IC Championship against Kofi Kingston on the episode, he announced a ladder match for his title. Dragon Lee, Je’Von Evans, Rusev, and JD McDonagh were confirmed as participants for this bout by the commentary team later on.
Apart from this, a singles match between Finn Balor and Dominik Mysterio, as well as a fatal four women’s tag team title match was also made official during the night.
WrestleMania 42 will be returning to Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on April 18-19. Below is the updated card for the show after the latest announcements:
Women’s World Championship Match: Stephanie Vaquer (c) vs. Liv Morgan
WWE Women’s Championship Match: Jade Cargill (c) vs. Rhea Ripley
Singles Match: Oba Femi vs. Brock Lesnar
Women’s Intercontinental Championship Match: AJ Lee (c) vs. Becky Lynch
United States Championship Match: Sami Zayn (c) vs. Trick Williams
Unsanctioned Match: Drew McIntyre vs. Jacob Fatu
World Heavyweight Championship Match: CM Punk (c) vs. Roman Reigns
Undisputed WWE Championship Match: Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Randy Orton
Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match: Penta (c) vs. Je’Von Evans vs. Dragon Lee vs. JD McDonagh vs. Rusev
Singles Match: Seth Rollins vs. Gunther
Fatal Four Way Women’s Tag Team Championship Match: The Irresistible Forces (Nia Jax and Lash Legend) (c) vs. Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss vs. Bayley and Lyra Valkyria vs. The Bella Twins (Brie Bella and Nikki Bella)
Liv Morgan made an appearance on tonight’s episode of Raw and called out her WrestleMania opponent, Stephanie Vaquer. The women’s champion wasted no time in talking, and she went right into action.
The champ got the upper hand in the brawl that followed, and she then brought a chair into the ring. Before Vaquer could use it, however, Roxanne Perez made a surprise appearance and attacked Stephanie from behind.
The two Judgment Day stars then teamed up to beat down the Women’s Champion. The segment ended with Liv Morgan delivering an Oblivion to Stephanie, on the steel chair that Vaquer herself had brought to the ring.
Roxanne Perez had been off TV since January after last competing in the Women’s Royal Rumble match on the namesake PPV in Saudi Arabia. In February, she had revealed that she underwent surgery to remove a neoplasm from her back.
This is another setback for Vaquer who had failed to get the upper hand over Morgan last week as well thanks to some help from Dominik Mysterio. We’ll have to see how she responds to this new challenge.
Tonight’s episode of Raw featured a chaotic tag team championship match with The Usos defending the title against Logan Paul and Austin Theory in a Street Fight. LA Knight sat at the ringside for this bout while Speed and Paul’s mom were also in attendance.
The champs looked to be in control of the bout after they put Theory through a table, but they failed to get the pin. Logan then went to his mom, who pulled out the Brass Knuckles from her purse. Before Paul could do anything, however, LA Knight attacked him from behind.
Logan Paul tried to grab onto Speed for support, but all he managed to do was pull the fellow YouTuber over the barricade and into the action. Speed grabbed the Brass Knuckles as Paul went down. He was contemplating what to do next when Knight reached for him from behind, leading to the YouTuber inadvertently knocking him out with the weapon.
The Vision star then got hold of the Knuckles again, and he managed to hit Jimmy Uso when the high-flying star was attempting a dive. Jey took out Logan as a result, but the distraction allowed Theory to get the pin on an unconscious Jimmy.
The new tag champs were seen celebrating the victory with Speed later in the night. The YouTuber star was worried about the turn of events, and Paul told him that he had enemies in WWE now, suggesting that his involvement with the company was not over.
The Architect has been hounding Paul Heyman and the rest of the Vision since his Elimination Chamber return, and the hope was that he would face a member of the group at the Show of Shows.
Things took a different turn on this week’s episode of Raw, however, when Heyman hit the ring. Adam Pearce came out in the middle of the segment to inform Paul that all charges had been dropped against Seth Rollins after his arrest last week.
Heyman tried to laugh it off, but the Raw General Manager then also informed him that the Visionary had been cleared for in-ring action, and the former World Champion appeared behind Heyman.
Seth delivered a chair shot to his former associate. Though he couldn’t do any more damage as a mystery figure pulled him out of the ring, revealed to be a returning Gunther.
The Ring General, who had been missing from WWE programming for 3 weeks, put Rollins to sleep before pointing at the WrestleMania sign.
Pearce then made the match between the two former World Champions official for the Show of Shows in a backstage segment before the end of the night.
Jesse Ventura has drawn the attention of White House.
The WWE Hall of Famer has been a vocal critic of Donald Trump, and he did not mince his words when he recently appeared on Piers Morgan Uncensored. One remark of the former Minnesota governor that received mainstream attention was his comparison of Trump’s July 2024 assassination attempt to a wrestling blade job.
The Trump administration seemed to have noticed the publicity the comments received. In a statement released to US Weekly and other outlets on the matter, White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said that only a fool would believe such a story, without naming Jesse Ventura:
“On that tragic day in Butler, Pennsylvania, we tragically lost an American hero, Corey Comperatore, who selflessly laid down his life to protect those around him. President Trump will never forget Corey and his beautiful family.
On that dark day, God spared President Trump’s life by a miraculous millimeter. President Trump is standing stronger than ever as he continues to ‘fight, fight, fight’ for the American people. Only a fool would believe otherwise.”
50-year-old Corey Comperatore was killed while attending Donald Trump’s campaign rally near Butler, Pennsylvania, when 20-year-old Thomas Crooks fired eight rounds from a rifle, in an attempt to kill Donald Trump.
Apart from this, Jesse Ventura also questioned the US President’s place in WWE Hall of Fame, and suggested that he was open to a wrestling match between them. You can check out his remarks on the matter here.
Corey Graves has commented on the Pat McAfee controversy.
The WWE commentator recently had an interview with TVInsider. He talked about things such as his wife Carmella not being re-signed by the company, his thoughts on the WrestleMania card this year, his previous match with CM Punk and more.
During the talk, the Savior of Misbehavior was also asked about being reassigned to NXT last year and if the time away from the main roster added a chip on his shoulder. Corey Graves admitted that it made him want to prove his worth to the top brass:
“Definitely. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t. If anything else, that whole period in my career I looked at it and thought, ‘This isn’t where I want to be. This isn’t what I want to be doing. I’m going to show them.’”
Corey Graves had publicly voiced his frustrations on being moved to NXT to make room for Pat McAfee on the main roster broadcast team at the start of 2025. This led to Graves being kept off TV for a week before he returned to the development brand. He has slowly been able to make his way back up to the main roster since then, however, being helped by his well-received work with AAA.
The former NXT star explained that he has a mentality of be the hardest worker in the room. This leads to him saying yes to things others would hesitate over even if it sometimes gets him in trouble with his wife:
“At the end of the day, this is what I have done with my life. This is my life’s work. Yeah, when I got bounced so to speak, from that very first time, I intended to say, ‘I’m coming into NXT and will reinvent myself and show you guys I’m the best in the world at this.’
I kind of approached this with that mentality. It was very much a chip on my shoulder situation. I like to think I still have some of that chip on my shoulder because I’m still not quite back to where I want to be. “
Apart from this, Corey Graves also talked about a potential in-ring return, saying that he does not see it happening in the foreseeable future even if he has been cleared for action.
Seth Rollins has revealed how being a girl dad changed him.
Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David had recently said that having a daughter had helped him become a real man. The Architect reacted to this comment during his most recent appearance on Good Morning Football.
The former World Heavyweight Champion noted that as a guy, you always imagine yourself with a son. Now that he has a daughter, however, Seth Rollins cannot imagine a life without her:
“Yeah, he hit it on the nose. When you’re a guy, you kind of imagine yourself with a son, like what would it be like playing catch in the yard, and following in your footsteps, and like a little tiny Seth Rollins hitting people with chairs.
And now that I’ve got a little baby girl, she’s five, like I actually can’t imagine what it would be like to not be a girl dad. I don’t really know what that would feel like.”
There’s A Different Level of Responsibility: Seth Rollins
Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch welcomed their daughter Roux back in December 2020. The former Shield member said that David hit the nail on the head with his remarks about how having a daughter changes your perspective:
“He also hit the nail on the head when he talked about having a daughter helps you become a man. There’s a different level of responsibility, and you start to understand all the things maybe you thought when you were younger about what it was to be a man, nah, nah, nah. You be a girl dad, you figure out what it is to be a man,”
The former Vision leader has not been confirmed for a match at WrestleMania 42 so far. Though WWE is hopeful that Bron Breakker could return before the show to face Rollins at the PPV. You can check out more about it here.
The AEW star was believed to have suffered an injury while competing in a six man tag team match against Mistico and JetSpeed during the March 18 Collision tapings.
The Don Callis family member confirmed the injury in a new video published on his social accounts. Josh Alexander revealed that he will be undergoing knee surgery next Wednesday and there is currently no timetable for his return:
“I know I’ve been limping and been in pain for a week, but my surgeon told me, I’m gonna need surgery this coming Wednesday. My knee injury is pretty severe, so I will not be cleared to compete. And there’s, there’s no timetable set right now for when I will be back.”
The 38-year-old later also expressed disappointment at not being able to defend his MLP Canadian Championship at the Global Wars event this week, and urged fans to still support the show.
The Global Wars PPV tonight featured the same revelation from Alexander, though the promotion did not confirm how they will be handling the situation. Stay tuned for more updates on the matter.
Baron Corbin is not happy with the SmackDown results.
Tonight’s episode of the Blue Branded Show featured an unexpected title change as Sami Zayn beat Carmelo Hayes for the US title with some help from Trick Williams. Zayn was informed afterward that he will be defending his championship against Hollywood Trick at WrestleMania 42.
The former WWE star questioned this booking decision after the match on X. Baron Corbin advocated for Hayes to get a spot on the Mania card, suggesting that he should be the one defending the title at the PLE:
“Just my opinion but @Carmelo_WWE got screwed. He deserves a mania match!! Him and Ilja made that title matter again! Shit give me Ilja vs @_trickwilliams vs Melo at mania”
Just my opinion but @Carmelo_WWE got screwed. He deserves a mania match!! Him and Ilja made that title matter again! Shit give me Ilja vs @_trickwilliams vs Melo at mania
Carmelo Hayes won the title from Ilja Dragunov on the December 19 SmackDown after a series of highly praised matches. He had continued the tradition of Open Challenge after that, beating opponents such as Shinsuke Nakamura, Rey Fenix and Matt Cardona to retain his belt.
It’s possible that the storyline with the title will develop further before the Show of Shows, leading to a multi man match instead of the announced singles bout at the PPV.
Tonight’s PPV, coming live from New Orleans, Louisiana, featured Mike Santana defending the TNA World Title against Steve Maclin in the main event of the show. After some initial hard-hitting action, the bout ended abruptly when Maclin went down after eating a kick from the defending champion.
The referee checked on the challenger and stopped Santana from hitting Steve when Mike pulled him up. The ref then threw the X sign, indicating a real injury. The medical staff and TNA President Carlos Silva came out to check on Maclin, and he was then helped to the back.
Eddie Edwards, who won a TNA title shot in the Feast or Fired match in January, then ran out to try and attack Santana. The World Champion got the better of him, however, and he put Edwards through a table to end the show.
Based on the turn of events, it seems likely that an audible was called to send Edwards out after the unexpected injury to Steve Maclin. Stay tuned for more updates on his status.
Tonight’s episode of SmackDown saw Sami Zayn answering the US title open challenge after being told that there was no place for him on the PPV card. The Ultimate Underdog ended up defeating Carmelo Hayes for the belt with some unexpected help from Trick Williams. Nick Aldis informed Zayn afterwards that he will now be defending the title against Hollywood Trick at the Show of Shows.
The show also featured a confrontation between Drew McIntyre and Jacob Fatu, after the two brawled through the arena on last week’s episode of the Blue Brand. The SmackDown GM intervened before the two meaty men could get physical again. Aldis informed them that they will get the chance to beat each other up to their satisfaction in an Unsanctioned match at WrestleMania 42.
The Show of Shows will be returning to Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada, this year on April 18–19, 2026. Below is the updated match card for the show:
Women’s World Championship Match: Stephanie Vaquer (c) vs. Liv Morgan
WWE Women’s Championship Match: Jade Cargill (c) vs. Rhea Ripley
Singles Match: Oba Femi vs. Brock Lesnar
Women’s Intercontinental Championship Match: AJ Lee (c) vs. Becky Lynch
United States Championship Match: Sami Zayn (c) vs. Trick Williams
Unsanctioned Match: Drew McIntyre vs. Jacob Fatu
World Heavyweight Championship Match: CM Punk (c) vs. Roman Reigns
Undisputed WWE Championship Match: Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Randy Orton
Tonight’s episode of SmackDown featured a backstage segment where Nick Aldis informed Trick Williams that he will be getting a match at Show of Shows. Before the details of the bout could be revealed, Sami Zayn walked in asking about his own path to Mania.
The Ultimate Underdog started walking away at first after being told that the Mania card was full, but he then changed his mind. Trick Williams ate a right hand for telling Zayn that the catering was the other way, and Sami then told Aldis that he would find a way to get on the PPV.
We didn’t have to wait long to find out what the wrestling veteran meant as he answered the open challenge issued by US Champion Carmelo Hayes later in the night. Trick Williams walked out before the bell and took a seat at the ringside for this fight.
The ending of the match saw Hollywood Trick trying to enact revenge on Zayn by using the title belt as a distraction. He ended up hitting Melo while trying to take out Sami however. The shot allowed Sami Zayn to deliver the Helluva Kick on the US champion and pin him for the victory.
Nick Aldis met the new champion backstage to congratulate him after the bout. The SmackDown General Manager then revealed that Sami will be defending the championship against Trick Williams at WrestleMania.
