Our WWE SmackDown results for tonight include the 2026 Royal Rumble winner Liv Morgan returning to SmackDown, Shinsuke Nakamura battling Tama Tonga, the men’s and women’s 2026 Elimination Chamber qualifying matches begin with Lash Legend clashing with Tiffany Stratton and Chelsea Green, and Aleister Black taking on Solo Sikoa and Randy Orton, and RHIYO defending the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships against Giulia and Kiana James. Here’s our review and grades for tonight’s show, live from the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.
WWE SmackDown Card:
- Liv Morgan Returns
- Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Tama Tonga
- Elimination Chamber 2026 Qualifying Match: Lash Legend vs. Tiffany Stratton vs. Chelsea Green
- Elimination Chamber 2026 Qualifying Match: Aleister Black vs. Solo Sikoa vs. Randy Orton
- Women’s Tag Team Championship Match: RHIYO vs. Giulia and Kiana James
WWE SmackDown Results:
After a highlight package from the Royal Rumble, the Undisputed WWE Champion Drew McIntyre makes his way to the ring.
The Champ is Here
As McIntyre makes his way to the ring, the former Champion Cody Rhodes attacks McIntyre from behind. McIntyre escapes via the crowd. Rhodes grabs a microphone and goes nuts on McIntyre. McIntyre ruined Rhodes chances at WrestleMania. On Monday, Rhodes watches two of the best (Roman Reigns and CM Punk) declare their match at WrestleMania and their hatred for each other.
They say their match is going to be a d*ck-measuring contest. Well, that explains why Reigns and Punk are happy he isn’t in it, because he didn’t get the nickname “Rahiem” for no reason (huge pop, pun intended). Rhodes says McIntyre wasn’t upset that McIntyre wasn’t champion; he was upset that Rhodes was. Rhodes promises that McIntyre won’t make it to the Elimination Chamber.
Grade: B+
Ok, first of all, HA! That Rahiem line from Rhodes was a bar and a half. Rhdoes always deliver in these situations. Also, McIntyre not being able to get to the ring was a welcome change. We don’t always need the show to start off with a promo. This was different enough that it didn’t have the stink of a normal show kick-off.
Women’s Tag Team Championship Match: RHIYO (c) vs. Giulia and Kiana James
After a bit of back and forth, Giulia wants SKY. SKY tags in and trades shots with Giulia. Giulia mocks SKY’s emote. SKY flips out of a hip toss. After a leg sweep, SKY lands a basement dropkick. Mat slam by Giulia. Giulia distracts the referee while James stuns Giulia on the top rope. Giulia and James work over SKY. SKY manages to tag in Ripley. Ripley cleans house after the hot tag. Ripley lands Riptide on Giulia. SKY follows that with the Over the Moonsault for the win.
Winners and STILL Women’s Tag Team Champions, RHIYO!
Grade: B-
Fun tag match. Odd that they pinned the United States champ here, but hey, who cares about a champ getting pinned in a tag match, amiright?
United States Champion Carmelo Hayes vs. The Miz
Hayes floors Miz with a springboard clothesline. Miz takes control after a cheap shot. After some back and forth, Miz blocks the first 48 and flips Hayes into the Skull Crushing Finale. Hayes rolls out of Miz’s finish and hits the first 48 for the win!
Grade: B
This match was great. The Miz takes a lot of crap, but depending on who he is in the ring with, Miz puts his working boots on. Hayes’ counter of Miz’s Skull Crushing Finale into the First 48 was extremely inventive.
Elimination Chamber 2026 Qualifying Match: Lash Legend vs. Tiffany Stratton vs. Chelsea Green
Green starts the match by slapping Stratton in the face. Green slaps Legend in the face. Legend and Stratton proceed to beat the brakes off of Green and toss her out of the ring. Legend and Stratton trade shots. Stratton sends Legend out of the ring. Suicide dive by Stratton. Stratton crushes Legend with a standing moonsault. Green tries to steal the pin. Green lands a dive. While Green is celebrating, Legend obliterates Green with a pump kick that sends Green careening over the commentary desk.
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After the break, Legend press slams Stratton on top of Green. Death from about by Legend to Stratton and Green. Legend counters a rana with a powerbomb into the turnbuckle. Chokeslam by Legend. Stratton kicks out. Green goes coast to coast and dropkicks Legend and Stratton. Nia Jax pulls Green out of the ring. Alba Fyre gets in Jax’s face and gets pushed to the floor. Legend is back, body-dropped by Stratton and Green into the timekeeper’s area. Stratton crushes Green with the Prettiest Moonsault Ever for the win.
Winner- Tiffany Stratton
Grade: B-
This was a weirdly fast-paced triple threat match. They managed to keep the “person disappears for minutes at a time” thing that happens in all of these matches. Stratton’s win was a bit obvious, but getting there was fun.
Kit-Wil-SON!
Kit Wilson goes on a rant about everyone in the Royal Rumble being TOXIC. Wilson calls the crowd toxic. Oba Femi‘s music hits and… hehehehe. Someone PLEASE CALL 911. As Femi stomps to the ring, he notes that Wilson is going to die tonight.
Oba Femi vs. Kit Wilson
Wilson tells Femi he’s toxic. Femi slaps Wilson’s soul out of his body. After a few elbow strikes, Femi tosses Wilson high in the air with a tossing powerbomb. Femi hits a sit-out Fall from Grace for the win.
Winner- Oba Femi
Grade: B+
Femi killed that boy.
Backstage, McIntyre bumps into R-Truth, who is talking with Damian Priest. McIntyre gets in Truth’s face. Priest steps in and tells McIntyre to take a walk; McIntyre has enough problems.
McIntyre storms his way to the ring. Before McIntyre can do anything, Jacob Fatu teleports into the arena and beats the crap out of him.
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Tama Tonga
Tonga lands a flurry of strikes. Nakamura drapes Tonga on the top rope and lands a running knee. Good vibrations by Nakamura. Nakamura gets distracted by the MFTs at ringside. Tonga attacks Nakamura from behind. Tonga lays Nakamura on the commentary desk and lands a diving elbow to the back of Nakamura’s neck. After the break, Nakamura fires up and hits landslide. Nakamura sets up the Kinshasa. The MFTs distract the referee. Tonga catches Nakamura with a Cut Throat to the back of the head. Tonga lands another Cut Throat for the win.
Winner- Tama Tonga
Grade: C+
Standard stuff here. Nakamura looked energized out there tonight.
SmackDown GM Nick Aldis introduces the 2026 Women’s Royal Rumble winner, Liv Morgan. Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez make their way to the ring.
2026 Royal Rumble Winner
Morgan announces herself as the greatest Royal Rumble winner of all time. The crowd cheers as Morgan puts herself over as the hottest, smartest, and various other amazing things. Morgan has a decision to make. She can choose Stephanie Vaquer and the Women’s World Championship or Jade Cargill and the WWE Women’s Championship. Before that, there is a huge elephant in the room. Before Morgan can finish, Rodriguez grabs the mic and says no. Rodriguez wants to address the elephant in the room. This will shock you, but before Rodriguez can finish, Jade Cargill’s music hits.
Cargill says if Morgan picks her, she’s going to beat that a$$. Cargill turns to Rodriguez and asks her what the hell she’s looking at. Morgan notes that Cargill should be careful what she says because Morgan can pick Vaquer and have Rodriguez beat Cargill for her title. Jordynne Grace interrupts and says that if she could get Cargill to actually defend her title, Morgan may be facing Grace at WrestleMania. Morgan goes on a rant. Grace and Cargill simultaneously tell Morgan to “shut up, b*tch!” Pearce books a tag match right here, right now.
Jade Cargill and Jordynne Grace vs. Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez
Cargill and Grace quickly clear the ring. The Judgement Day works over Grace after the break. Cargill accidentally kicks Grace in the face. Rodriguez accidentally boots Morgan in the face. Rodriguez and Cargill circle each other. Grace pushes Rodriguez into Cargill, knocking her out of the ring. Grace rolls up Rodriguez for a quick three count.
Winners- Jade Cargill and Jordynne Grace
Grade: C+
Nothing to see here. They need to just get to Grace and Cargill already.
Backstage, Solo Sikoa can’t find the rest of the MFTs. Sikoa walks to the ring with the Wyatt Sicks lantern.
Elimination Chamber 2026 Qualifying Match: Aleister Black vs. Solo Sikoa vs. Randy Orton
Trick Williams is at ringside to watch the match. The fight spills out of the ring. Black catches Sikoa with a triangle moonsault. Black counts a suplex on the desk attempt from Orton and floors the Viper with a big boot. After the break, Orton powerslams Black and suplexes Sikoa on the commentary desk multiple times. Black charges in and gets suplexes on the desk as well. Hangman’s DDT by Orton. Orton calls for the RKO. Black breaks it up. Sikoa drops Black with Spinning Solo. Black kicks out. Orton avoids Black Mass and lands an RKO! Black rolls out of the ring to avoid getting pinned. Sikoa sneaks up behind Orton for a Samoan Spike. Orton surprises Sikoa with an RKO for the win.
Winner- Randy Orton
Grade: B-
Fun main event. Having Williams out there and not having him get involved in some way was an odd choice. There was no way Orton wasn’t winning this match, and as always, that takes away from the entire proceedings. What happened to the MFTs? Did the Wyatts get them? Will this ever be addressed? Who knows.
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