WWE SmackDown Results 3/20 - We Hear From Randy Orton, Three Championships On The Line & More

Welcome to Wrestling Inc.'s results for "WWE SmackDown" on March 20, 2026, coming to you live from the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina!

While titleholder Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton made their WrestleMania 42 Undisputed WWE Championship official during last Friday's edition of "SmackDown" when they put pen-to-paper, Orton shocked many when he turned his back on Rhodes in the moments that followed and used both the ring steps and a chair to leave him laid out. Following such, Orton will be making an appearance on tonight's show with something on his mind to share.

Nikki Bella and Brie Bella sat at ringside for the Women's Tag Team Championship match between Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss and The Irresistible Forces last Friday, having called their shot as next in line moments before the match. However, Nikki and Brie ultimately caused the match to end in a double disqualification when they became involved and allowed Nia Jax and Lash Legend to retain their title. In light of last Friday's events, Jax and Legend will be putting the Women's Tag Team Championship on the line once again tonight as they defend against Nikki and Brie.

JC Mateo and Tama Tonga will be putting the WWE Tag Team Championship on the line for the first time ever since dethroning The Wyatt Sicks' Joe Gacy and Dexter Lumis on the January 23 episode of "SmackDown" as they defend against Damian Priest and R-Truth. Priest and Truth emerged victorious against The Motor City Machine Guns, Nathan Frazer and Axiom, Los Garza, and the aforementioned Wyatt Sicks in a Number One Contenders Tag Team Turmoil Match on the March 6 episode of "SmackDown" to secure their spot in tonight's bout. Elsewhere, Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin will be going head-to-head with Frazer and Axiom in tag team competition following their March 6 meeting.

Drew McIntyre will be returning to action as he collides with longtime rival Jacob Fatu. Tensions between the two men have been meteorically on the rise over the course of the last couple of months, with the two of them coming face-to-face with one another last Friday in a verbal altercation moments that ended with McIntyre made the decision to quit WWE before McIntyre cost Fatu a match against Trick Williams later that same night

Additionally, Jelly Roll and Kit Wilson will be meeting with one another following a verbal confrontation with one another last Friday.

We are live! The show kicks off with a video recapping Randy Orton's betrayal of Cody Rhodes last Friday. Wade Barrett and Joe Tessitore then greet audiences at home.  

We head outside the arena and see Drew McIntyre ripping off the broken windshield of Jacob Fatu's car. He rains down right hands on Fatu on the hood of his car, but officials pry McIntyre off Fatu.

McIntyre storms down to the ring and vents his frustrations with Cody Rhodes taking the WrestleMania 42 main event from him, but Nick Aldis appears with a few security guards and asks McIntyre what his problem is. Aldis says McIntyre didn't want to defend his Undisputed WWE Championship, but now he can't wait to face Fatu.

McIntyre says Aldis' son Donovan should be ashamed of his father, but Fatu storms down to the ring and exchanges right hands with McIntyre. McIntyre sends Fatu crashing into one of the barricades and rains down right hands on him, but Fatu sends McIntyre crashing into the ring post and sends him crashing into the ring steps. The two men brawl on top of the announce desk, but security finally manages to get them separated. Fatu breaks free and delivers a splash to McIntyre off one of the barricades to send McIntyre crashing through the announce desk.

Damian Priest and R-Truth then make their way to the ring. MFT follows. 

Priest and Mateo begin the action. The bell rings and Priest rains down right hands on Mateo. Mateo clotheslines Priest out of the ring, then sends Priest's face bouncing off the ring apron during the commercial break.

Tama tags in and rains down right hands on Priest. Mateo tags back in and continues wearing down Priest before Tama tags back in and lands a pair of strikes on Priest. He rains down Hammer and Anvil Elbows on him, but Mateo tags back in and lands a splash on Priest in the corner back from the break.

Priest runs over Mateo with a boot, but Truth and Tama tag in. Truth levels Tama with a pair of shoulder blocks and a slam, then cinches in an STF on Mateo.

Talla Tonga lands a chokeslam on Truth on the ring apron while the referee has his back turned, opening the door for Mateo to pin him. Truth kicks out, but The Wyatt Sicks appear on the entrance ramp and begin brawling with MFT. Uncle Howdy sneaks up behind Solo Sikoa on the outside, but Mateo attacks Howdy from behind.

Back in the ring, Truth catches Mateo with a kick. Priest runs over Tama with a clothesline, and Truth delivers an Attitude Adjustment to Mateo for the win.

Winners (and new): Damian Priest and R-Truth

We then head backstage, where Candice LeRae gives Danhausen $20 to fix Johnny Gargano. Danhausen disappears before he actually has to do anything.

Back from the break, we head backstage where Sami Zayn shares with Cathy Kelley that he feels like the world he knew and the people he knew is slipping away from him. Trick Williams interrupts things and a verbal confrontation ensues between him and Zayn, ending with Zayn saying they've been doing a lot of talking lately and should do some fighting instead. 

Back at ringside, Nathan Frazer and Axiom make their way out. The Motor City Machine Guns follow. 

Frazer and Alex Shelley begin the action. The bell rings and the two lock up. Frazer levels Shelley with a dropkick and tags in Axiom, but Chris Sabin tags in and runs over Axiom with a double shoulder tackle along with Shelley. Shelley then tags back in, but Axiom levels Sabin with a dropkick and lands a strike on Shelley. Frazer tags in and delivers a double superkick to Shelley with Axiom before the pair land a double superkick on Sabin.

During the commercial break, Sabin pins Axiom but Axiom kicks out. Frazer tags in back from the break, but Sabin fights him off and lands a double crossbody on Frazer and Axiom. Candice LeRae saunters out to ringside as Axiom ascends to the top rope. Shelley kicks out, but LeRae rocks Frazer with a right hand. This opens the door for Sabin to roll up Frazer for the win.

Winners: The Motor City Machine Guns

Randy Orton then makes his way to the ring.

Having grabbed a chair from the timekeeper's area and taken a seat in it inside the ring, Orton says the fans have sung along to his entrance song for years. He says that's quite a feeling and he tries to return the love to the fans by giving them high fives, signing their merch, and saying Happy Birthday to kids in the ring with a sign because it puts a smile on his face. He says he doesn't want his legacy to be about putting smiles on the fans, but how many championships he's put around his waist.

Orton says he didn't know if he could be who he needed to be in order to dethrone Cody Rhodes as Undisputed WWE Champion, but Rhodes took all the weight off his shoulders last week when he told Orton that he needed to be "The Viper" and listen to the voices in his head. He says the problem with listening to the voices in his head is that they can lead him to be impulsive, but he needs that killer instinct to become a 15 time World Champion. He looks at the WrestleMania 42 sign and says he'll do that with an RKO, then says the voices in his head counsel him, understand, and talk to him to tell him that he'll become the Undisputed WWE Champion and beat Rhodes at WrestleMania 42.

Back from the break, we head backstage and see Orton get into a verbal confrontation with Matt Cardona that ultimately results in Orton shoving Cardona.

Aleister Black and Zelina then make their way to the ring. Sami Zayn follows, and Trick Williams takes a seat at the ringside area to watch the upcoming match.

The bell rings and Black blindsides Zayn from behind. Zayn fires off chops on Black in the corner and rains down right hands on him, then levels Black with a clothesline during the commercial break and pins him. Black kicks out.

Williams gloats on top of the announce desk as Zayn becomes visibly annoyed inside the ring. Black cinches in a variation of a Knee Bar on Zayn back from the break, but Zayn pins Black to escape the hold. Black kicks out, but Zayn clotheslines him out of the ring over the top rope and sends Black crashing into one of the barricades twice.

Zayn dumps Black back in the ring, then connects with an Exploder on him and sets up for the Helluva Kick. Black rolls out of the ring to avoid it, but Zayn follows him out and knocks Williams' feet off the announce desk. Williams takes a sip of his beverage and spits it on Zayn.

Zayn stares down Williams as Black rolls in the ring and the referee begins a ten count. Zayn rains down right hands on Williams and slides back into the ring at the last second, opening the door for Black to land Black Mass on Zayn for the win.

Winner: Aleister Black

Jade Cargill then makes her way to the ring.

Cargill says she's not here to play with the fans' time and calls Rhea Ripley to the ring.

Ripley's music hits and she makes her way out. She asks Cargill if they're going to talk or do something, then says she feels that they've said everything they need to and she doesn't feel like talking. Cargill says Ripley needs the Women's Championship while she doesn't need it, then says Ripley has been grinding to be somebody while she's been that b**** and is still that b****. She says she's not in WWE to make friends but more money.

Ripley says Cargill has been successful in not making friends, then says Cargill has lived for professional wrestling since she was 16 years old and won't let anyone walk all over her. Cargill says she doesn't want another sob story from Ripley and says she makes wrestling matter, but Ripley says it's obvious that Cargill knows nothing about the professional wrestling business if she thinks Ripley needs the Women's Championship. She says she now wants the Women's Championship and will take it from Cargill, then welcomes Cargill to the big leagues and asks her if they'll continue talking or do something. She dares Cargill to hit her, but Cargill opts to hop out of the ring instead.

Michin and B-Fab saunter out to the ring to prevent Cargill from heading backstage, but Cargill tells them to surround Ripley in the ring. Michin and B-Fab oblige as they reveal their new allegiance with Cargill, then both beat down Ripley before Cargill lands Jaded on Ripley.

We then head backstage, where Solo Sikoa berates Tama Tonga and JC Mateo for losing the WWE Tag Team Championship. Tama says Sikoa is staring to sound like Roman Reigns, but Jacob Fatu and Drew McIntyre crash the conversation as they continue brawling with one another. McIntyre rakes Fatu's eyes, but security pries him off Fatu once again. 

Back at ringside, Ilja Dragunov makes his way down. Carmelo Hayes follows.

The bell rings and the two lock up. Dragunov fires off chops on Hayes in the corner, then catches Hayes with a Constantine Special.

Back from the break, Dragunov sends Hayes crashing into the mat and goes for a pin. Hayes kicks out and lands a Dirty Diana on Dragunov, then flies over the top rope with a Tope Con Hilo to take out Dragunov on the outside and lands a splash on Dragunov off the top rope. He goes for a pin, but Dragunov kicks out.

Dragunov ascends to the top rope and flies, but Hayes lands a The First 48 on Dragunov. Dragunov manages to pin Hayes, but Hayes gets his foot on the bottom rope to break the fall. Dragunov then catches Hayes with a German suplex during another commercial break, but Hayes fires off back elbows on Dragunov before Dragunov catches Hayes with two more German suplexes.

Dragunov gets Hayes up on his shoulders on the ring apron back from the break and lands a Death Valley Driver on him, then drags Hayes up the ropes. Hayes sends himself and Dragunov crashing off the top rope with a variation of a cutter, but Dragunov fires off chops on Hayes and follows it up with a big boot.

Dragunov lands a powerbomb on Hayes and pins him, but Hayes kicks out and Dragunov lands an Oblique Breaker on him. He charges at Hayes as he sets up for a Torpedo Moskau, but Hayes catches Dragunov with The First 48 and pins him. Hayes kicks out and sets up for Nothing But Net, but Dragunov sees Hayes coming and moves out of the way. He delivers Torpedo Moskau to Hayes, but Hayes responds with a Sunset Flip to Dragunov and pins him for the win.

Winner (and still): Carmelo Hayes

We then head backstage, where Randy Orton and Jelly Roll make up after the events that transpired between them last week. 

Back at ringside, Kit Wilson makes his way out. Jelly Roll follows.

Wilson wastes no time calling Jelly Roll to the ring, and Jelly Roll makes his way out. Jelly Roll tells Wilson that this is what he'll get if he wants it and says that they'll fight right here and now, but Wilson stops Jelly Roll and says that he fights with his words rather than his fists. Jelly Roll asks Wilson if he called him to Raleigh to have a rap battle with him, then says Wilson is no rapper.

Wilson tells Jelly Roll not to compare him to a rapper because he wants to have a slam poetry contest. Wilson reads a poem about Jelly Roll, his criminal past and weight loss, then tells Jelly Roll to bring it on. Jelly Roll responds with a poem of his own about Wilson and his mother, prompting Wilson to blindside Jelly Roll from behind and land an elbow drop on him off the top rope.

The Irresistible Forces then make their way to the ring. Nikki Bella and Brie Bella follow. 

The bell rings and Brie brawls with Lash Legend on the outside as Nia Jax whips Nikki into the corner of the ring. She levels her with a shoulder tackle, but Brie tags in. She tags back out to Nikki and holds Jax in place for Nikki to land a double ax handle on her off the middle rope. Jax sends Nikki and Brie crashing into one another, but Nikki and Brie land a double Bulldog on Jax.

Charlotte Flair's music hits, and she appears along with Alexa Bliss to watch the action. This opens the door for Legend to take out Brie with a forearm and send Nikki crashing into the corner face first during the break. Legend then jams her boot into Nikki's face in the corner and lands a splash on her before she tags in Jax.

Jax sends Nikki crashing into the announce desk face first and sends her crashing into both Flair and Bliss, but Nikki delivers a jawbreaker to Legend back inside the ring after Legend has tagged in. Legend rocks Nikki with a pair of shoulder tackles and steps on her to pin her, but Nikki kicks out.

Jax tags back in and charges at Nikki, but Nikki catches Jax with a back elbow and delivers a kick to her off the ropes. Brie tags in and delivers a dropkick to Jax off the top rope, then rocks Legend with a boot on the outside and delivers a kick to Jax's chest.

Jax lands a headbutt on Brie, but Nikki tags in and delivers a crossbody to both Legend and Jax on the outside. Jax then gets Nikki up on her shoulders and tags in Legend, then ascends to the middle rope and lands a Samoan Drop on Nikki. Legend follows it up with a splash of the middle rope and pins Nikki, but Nikki kicks out.

Nikki cinches in an STF on Legend, but Flair clocks Jax on the outside and delivers a kick to her to cause the disqualification.

Winners (and still): The Irresistible Forces (no contest due to outside interference)

After the match, Nikki gets in Flair's face for interfering. Bliss gets in Nikki's face, but Brie fires off strikes on Flair and Nikki sends her crashing into the corner of the ring face first. Bliss fires off stomps on Brie in one corner as Flair does the same to Nikki in the opposite corners, but Legend delivers a splash to Flair and Nikki as Jax lands one of her own on Bliss and Brie. Jax lands a leg drop on Flair.

We then head backstage and see Randy Orton on a phone call. He tells the person on the other side that he's heading to the ring, and he does so with a chair in hand.

Orton says he has an apology to make to the fans, but also has one he has to make to Matt Cardona. He calls Cardona to the ring.

Cardona makes his way to the ring, and Orton says he's legitimately sorry to Cardona. He says he thinks that action figures are cool and says they've known each other for 20 years, then says he has to apologize to Cody Rhodes next week and asks Cardona if he'll forgive him.

Orton hugs Cardona, then low blows him and dumps him out of the ring. He lays Cardona on the announce desk and fires off right hands on him and grabs one of the ring steps, but officials run down to the ring and try to stop Orton. Orton momentarily backs off as he tries to process all the voices in his head, then decides to dump Cardona back in the ring and fire off right hands on him. He slides Cardona's arm into the chair, but officials hold Orton back before he can do anything else.

Orton breaks free and stomps on the chair to injure Cardona's arm. Officials hold back Orton on the outside and escort him up the entrance ramp.

We then head outside the arena, where Drew McIntyre and Jacob Fatu brawl on top of a platform. Nick Aldis and officials try getting to them, but are blocked by a fence. McIntyre and Fatu then both go crashing off the platform as the show goes off the air.