‘WWE Smackdown’ Review (Mar 20th 2026)
Welcome to this review of this past Friday’s episode of Smackdown, right here on Nerdly. Let’s see what went down on this week’s show!
Match #1: WWE Tag Team Championship – Damian Priest & R-Truth def. Tama Tonga & JC Mateo
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
R-Truth delivered the Five Knuckle Shuffle on Tama Tonga, but Tonga evaded an Attitude Adjustment attempt. On the outside and behind the referee’s back, Talla Tonga hit Truth with a chokeslam onto the apron, but Truth kicked out after Mateo covered him. The Wyatt Sicks attacked and almost left with their lantern, but Tonga prevented Uncle Howdy from acquiring it. Back in the ring, Truth took advantage of the chaos by hitting the Attitude Adjustment on Mateo to win the match and the WWE Tag Team Championship.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #2: Motor City Machine Guns def. Fraxiom
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Nathan Frazer and Axiom hit an incredible tandem move that left Chris Sabin reeling. Sabin and Alex Shelley responded with a modified magic killer on Frazer. Moments later, Candice LeRae made her way to ringside. Shockingly, LeRae punched Frazer behind the referee’s back, allowing Shelley to roll up Frazer for the big victory.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #3: Aleister Black def. Sami Zayn
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
As Sami Zayn was about to battle Aleister Black, Trick Williams went to ringside to observe Zayn’s match. Williams soaked up the WWE Universe at ringside, drawing the ire of Zayn, who kept becoming distracted by Trick. Zayn readied for the Helluva Kick, but Black rolled to the outside to evade the move. Zayn talked trash with Williams at ringside, leading to Williams splashing his drink onto Zayn’s back and enraging Zayn even further. Zayn then attacked Williams, but as Zayn got back into the ring, he was met with a match-ending Black Mass.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #4: United States Championship – Carmelo Hayes def. Ilja Dragunov
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Carmelo Hayes hit an epic dive over the top rope onto Ilja Dragunov, but he hurt himself when his ribs collided with the announce table. Hayes further enhanced his pain after hitting a frog splash from the top rope, but The Mad Dragon kicked out. Hayes hit the First 48 as Dragunov came off the top rope with a Coast-to-Coast attempt, but Dragunov followed up with the Torpedo Moscow. Hayes, however, somehow got his foot on the bottom rope. The two Superstars kept up their intense pressure, as Dragunov leveled Hayes with a Death Valley Driver onto the apron. The Mad Dragon’s reverse superplex attempt was miraculously countered by Hayes into a cutter, though Hayes hit a First 48 in mid-air. Hayes reversed a powerbomb attempt into a sunset flip powerbomb before locking in a cover to retain the title.
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #5: WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship – The Irresistible Forces vs. The Bella Twins (No-contest)
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
The Bella Twins teamed together for the first time since 2018, as they looked to become WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions for the first time ever. The Irresistible Forces, however, gave the WWE Hall of Famers a fight. Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair, who almost won the title last week, observed the match from ringside. Jax hit a huge top-rope Samoan Drop on Nikki before Legend executed a devastating splash, but Brie came in to stop the count. Outside the ring, Flair and Bliss prevented Nia from attacking Brie, but this attack ended the match and The Bella Twins’ title hopes. All three teams then got into a heated brawl that ended with The Irresistible Forces hitting an assisted top-rope leg drop on Flair to stand tall.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3/5
Overall this week’s Smackdown felt like a show with one clear highlight surrounded by a lot of fairly average, storyline-heavy matches. The opener was solid enough and the Motor City Machine Guns vs. Fraxiom bout kept the pace up, but neither really stood out as must-see. Aleister Black vs. Sami Zayn felt more about outside distractions than the actual match, while the women’s tag title bout ending in a no-contest killed the momentum the show was trying to build heading into the closing stretch. Thankfully, the United States Championship match between Carmelo Hayes and Ilja Dragunov delivered in a big way, easily the best thing on the show and the only match that truly felt pay-per-view worthy. Without that, this episode would have struggled badly. A watchable show, but far from essential.
