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SmackDown
WWE SmackDown Results — April 03, 2026
Full WWE SmackDown results for April 03, 2026 in St. Louis, MO. Match card, winners, methods, and championship updates.
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April 03, 2026 — St. Louis, MOEvent Time: Sat, Apr 4, 12:00 AM UTC
Event Recap
SmackDown in St. Louis leaned heavily into chaos, turns, and WrestleMania positioning, and honestly, it worked more than it didn’t. The biggest talking point was the reveal that Pat McAfee has been the voice influencing Randy Orton, pushing him toward a more ruthless, throwback mentality. McAfee didn’t hold back either—he ripped into the current product and even took shots at Cody Rhodes, who fired right back and made him look more like a wannabe than a game-changer.
In the ring, things got more cutthroat. Sami Zayn fully leaned into being a heel, retaining the U.S. Title against Carmelo Hayes in a match where he absolutely took advantage of a bad situation instead of winning clean. That finish didn’t just protect him—it made it clear he’s willing to win however he can now. The post-match chaos sealed it, with Trick Williams and Lil Yachty jumping Zayn, setting up the WrestleMania direction in a big way.
Elsewhere, the show mixed in solid matches and character-driven moments—nothing revolutionary, but it stayed focused and didn’t feel like filler. Trick Williams came off like a star, the women’s division got meaningful ring time, and the tag matches kept the crowd engaged.
Not everything hit—some segments leaned a little too long—but compared to a lot of recent weeks, this felt tighter and more intentional. WWE didn’t reinvent anything here, but they didn’t need to. They just needed a show where things actually happened, and for the most part, they delivered.
Match Results
🎤
PROMO SEGMENT
In-Ring Promo
Segment recap
We’re live in St. Louis, where Randy Orton received a strong hometown ovation. The crowd stayed firmly behind him, even as he began to position himself with a more self-focused mindset.
Orton opened his promo by referencing Rhodes’ and set his sights on winning his 15th world title. He emphasized that his motivations are centered on himself and his family, not the fans, but the audience continued to support him. He also noted that his rivalry with Rhodes isn’t personal, while warning that embracing “the Viper” side of himself comes with consequences that can’t be undone.
Rhodes then made his way to the ring, leading to a quick escalation as the two began trading punches. The situation shifted when Pat McAfee entered and aligned with Orton, delivering a low blow to Rhodes.
With Rhodes down, Orton continued the attack using a steel chair while McAfee addressed the crowd. He explained that he had felt disconnected from the current product but was convinced by Orton that a change in direction was needed. The segment leaned into a more aggressive tone, with references to the Attitude Era, and ultimately established McAfee as aligned with Orton while adding momentum to Orton’s feud with Rhodes.
+3
Winning match: +2
On match card: +1
+1
On match card: +1
Summary
This was more physical than flashy. Ripley came in with control early, using strength to shut down Michin’s attempts to speed things up. Michin had a couple solid bursts—especially with strikes and quick counters—but Ripley kept dragging things back into her kind of fight. The match had a steady pace with more emphasis on impact than sequences. Ripley ultimately overpowered her, finishing things decisively after cutting off one last comeback attempt.
Not a match built around surprises—just Ripley looking dominant heading into bigger things.
+3
Winning match: +2
On match card: +1
+1
On match card: +1
Summary
This was more character-heavy and slower paced. Howdy leaned into the eerie, methodical style, while Tonga brought more aggression and bursts of offense. The match had a stop-start rhythm, with Tonga trying to speed things up and Howdy pulling it back into something more controlled. There were a few awkward transitions, but it stayed interesting enough because of the contrast in styles. The finish came after Howdy capitalized on a moment of hesitation and put Tonga away.
Not for everyone, but it did what it was supposed to.
🎤
PROMO SEGMENT
In-Ring Promo
Segment recap
Williams runs through a long-winded promo that doesn’t say much, aside from repeatedly taking shots at Zayn — including a few jabs about his red hair. He brags about having Yachty in his corner and even celebrates early, acting out what he thinks will be his future title win.
That brings out Zayn, who fires back by reminding everyone he’s one of the best to ever do it, promising to humble Williams. Williams shoots back, claiming Zayn only has the U.S. Title because of him.
Carmelo Hayes then enters the picture. He makes it clear Williams has payback coming, but quickly shifts focus to Zayn, still frustrated over his recent loss. Hayes leans into the crowd, insisting they want ‘Melo, and calls for a rematch. Meanwhile, Williams and Yachty can’t help but laugh it off at ringside, adding a bit of chaos to the moment.
Zayn gives Hayes credit for his run as champion, but says he’ll have to wait—he’s already set to face Williams at WrestleMania. Hayes pushes him to make the match anyway.
Zayn admits he’s glad to be headed to WrestleMania, but not thrilled with how he got there, pointing directly at Williams’ involvement. After some back-and-forth, Zayn agrees to give Hayes a rematch later tonight, with the winner still set to face Williams at WrestleMania.
+1
On match card: +1
+3
Winning match: +2
On match card: +1
Summary
This one had a sharper edge stylistically. Black controlled large portions with strikes and timing, constantly interrupting Cardona’s attempts to build offense. Cardona got some moments in—mostly through counters—but it never felt like he had sustained control. Black’s pacing made the difference here, as he dictated when exchanges happened. The finish came after Black shut down a late push and landed his decisive strike to end it clean.
Shorter match, but effective in making Black look dangerous.
Summary
This tag match had a smoother flow than most of the night. Charlotte and Bayley handled a lot of the structure early, keeping things organized, while Bliss and Valkyria added speed during tag sequences. The match built well, with both teams getting extended control periods instead of constant tagging. The closing stretch picked up with quick tags and near falls before Charlotte and Bliss secured the win after isolating Valkyria.
Solid tag match that gave everyone something to do without overcomplicating it.
Champion Retains
Summary
Somehow, putting Damian Priest in the ring with four of the most absurdly funny, gimmick-heavy personalities imaginable turned into absolute magic. This one leaned hard into entertainment early, with R-Truth doing his usual blend of comedy and out-of-nowhere offense, keeping the crowd hooked from the jump. Priest played the perfect counterbalance, bringing the heavy strikes and slowing things down just enough to keep it grounded.
The Miz and Zack Gibson (Wilson) worked like a well-oiled machine, cutting the ring in half and isolating Truth for a solid stretch. But the moment everyone will remember? The chaotic arrival of Danhausen. Truth, in peak Truth fashion, tags him in for absolutely no reason, and Miz immediately loses it, insisting Danhausen has no business being in the ring.
Danhausen tries to curse Miz, but Miz, ever the opportunist, yanks the referee in front of him—resulting in the ref taking the curse instead. That little twist paid off instantly: Miz drills Truth with his finisher and goes for the pin, but the referee’s arm freezes mid-count at two. Perfect chaos.
That opened the door for the hot tag to Priest, who stormed in, cleaned house, and brought things back to reality with a dominant finish.
Not a technical masterpiece, but ridiculously entertaining—and the crowd ate up every second of it.
Main Event
Champion Retains
+11
Title defense: +4
Winning main event: +4
Main eventing: +3
+3
Main eventing: +3
Summary
This was the centerpiece match, and it told a very specific story. Hayes came in aggressive, clearly looking to prove he deserved the rematch, while Zayn slowed things down and played it smarter. Hayes had stretches where he controlled the pace and landed clean offense, especially during the middle portion where he started stacking momentum. Then things shifted—Hayes suffered a leg issue during the match, and instead of backing off, Zayn zeroed in on it immediately. When the referee got distracted, Zayn took full advantage and blasted Hayes with a Helluva Kick to steal the win rather than earn it clean.
Post-match, it got wild. Trick Williams and Lil Yachty hit the ring and attacked Zayn, making it clear this isn’t over and setting up the next step heading into WrestleMania. Hayes, meanwhile, is left on the outside looking in after getting screwed by both injury and timing.