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WWE SmackDown Preview (3/20/26): Start Time, Match Card, How To Watch & Live Stream

Randy Orton returns to Friday Night SmackDown one week after his brutal betrayal of Cody Rhodes. He'll explain his actions, and perhaps we'll find out who was on the phone this past Monday.
Rick Ucchino|
Randy Orton
Randy Orton | WWE

We are still four weeks away from WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas, and Randy Orton is already firmly locked in on winning his 15th World Championship.

Moments after signing his WWE Championship contract for the 'Showcase of the Immortals', The Viper shed his skin and unleashed an absolutely brutal assault on his longtime friend and former protégé Cody Rhodes.

A few nights later on Monday Night Raw, following a phone conversation with an unknown person, Orton revealed that someone had recently reminded him who he truly is — a killer. He'll walk into the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina tonight to further explain his attack on The American Nightmare.

Drew McIntyre is no longer the WWE Champion, thanks in large part to Jacob Fatu, and he's furious about it. The Scottish Warrior orchestrated his own attack on The Samoan Werewolf last week, and both men are scheduled to meet each other in the ring later tonight.

There are also two major championship matches on the card. The MFTs are set to defend their WWE Tag Team Titles against Damian Priest & R-Truth, while the Irresistible Forces and the Bella Twins battle for the WWE Women's Tag Team Titles. And Kit Wilson has also said that he will be calling out multi-time Grammy Award winner Jelly Roll.

WWE Women's Champion Jade Cargill, Tiffany Stratton and Sami Zayn are all being advertised locally as well. Here is everything we know about tonight's episode of SmackDown. Check back for updates as more matches and segments may be announced ahead of the show. And just a reminder, the card is always subject to change.

Jacob Fatu vs. Drew McIntyre

The rivaly between Drew McIntyre and Jacob Fatu has reached a fever pitch. The Scottish Warrior layed a trap for the Samoan Werewolf last week by claiming to have quit the company, only to attack Fatu later in the night during his match with Trick Williams. With WrestleMania 42 only four weeks away, it was announced that these two men would go one-on-one this week, however, WWE has yet to advertise the match online. We'll wait and see if plans have changed.

WWE Tag Team Championship Match

The MFTs vs. Damian Priest & R-Truth
The MFTs vs. Damian Priest & R-Truth | WWE

Damian Priest and R-Truth have not been a team for very long, but they earned the opportunity to become the WWE Tag Team Champions by winning a five-team No. 1 Contenders Gauntlet Match a couple of weeks ago. They'll get their shot at Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga later tonight. Will The MFTs be able to stay focused on retaining their gold with the Wyatt Sicks no doubt lurking nearby? It's possible they lose both the titles and the Wyatt's lantern in Raleigh. 

WWE Women's Tag Team Championship Match

The Irresistible Forces vs. The Bella Twins
The Irresistible Forces vs. The Bella Twins | WWE

The last time that Nikki and Brie Bella teamed together, the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship was still months away from being commissioned. Which means that for the first time in their Hall of Fame careers, The Bella Twins will have the opportunity to win tag team gold when they face off against Nia Jax and Lash Legend. This is a match that Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss will be watching very closely.

Motor City Machine Guns vs. Fraxiom

The Motor City Machine Guns have not been on the same page as of late. Chris Sabin is less than thrilled that Alex Shelley has been trying to snap Johnny Gargano out of his current catatonic state, and is calling on him to prove that he's still committed to their team. They'll take on Fraxiom just two weeks after their controversial match-up in the WWE Tag Team Championship No. 1 Contenders Gauntlet.

How to watch WWE SmackDown tonight:

TV Channel: USA Network

Streaming: Peacock, Fubo, YouTube TV, DirecTV, Hulu+ Live TV, Sling TV

WWE SmackDown start time:

Time: 8 p.m. EST (7 p.m. CST)

WWE SmackDown location:

Location: Lenovo Center, Raleigh, North Carolina

WWE Smackdown card (Announced):

Randy Orton will address his assault on Cody Rhodes last Friday

Jacob Fatu vs. Drew McIntyre

Solo Sikoa & Tama Tonga (c) vs. Damian Priest & R-Truth for the WWE Tag Team Championship

Nia Jax & Lash Legend (c) vs. The Bella Twins for the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship

Motor City Machine Guns vs. Fraxiom

Kit Wilson calls out Jelly Roll

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Rick Ucchino
RICK UCCHINO

Rick Ucchino is the Assistant Editor & Content Coordinator for The Takedown on SI. He also works full-time for 700WLW Radio in Cincinnati, Ohio as a local news and sports anchor, in addition to his time covering the Cincinnati Bengals for Sirius XM. Rick has been on the professional wrestling beat since 2019, having provided coverage for a number of outlets, including Fightful, SB Nation’s Cageside Seats and the Bleav Podcast Network. With an educational background in theater, creative writing and journalism, Rick focuses primarily on the storytelling aspect of pro wrestling, but he’s no stranger to the squared circle himself. He had the privilege of training with former WWE & WCW cruiserweight Jimmy Wang Yang for nearly two years and retired early due to back issues with a perfect 1-0 record in singles competition. Rick is a married father of two incredibly adorable children, who are budding pro wrestling fans themselves. Much to the chagrin of their mother. You can reach Rick at rwucchino@gmail.com

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