WWE Friday Night Smackdown Live Coverage - April 17th, 2026
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Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal Returns
A WrestleMania-sized edition of SmackDown will feature the 12th Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. Past winners have included Carmelo Hayes, Bronson Reed and "Main Event" Jey Uso. With Superstars from Raw and SmackDown appearing to kick off WrestleMania weekend, who will hoist the trophy?
:smackdown:
— SmackDown begins with a recap of WrestleMania's history. Wrestlers like CM Punk, The Usos, Cody Rhodes, Damian Priest, Shawn Michaels, Undertaker, Jade Cargill, Dominik Mysterio, Liv Morgan, Roman Reigns, Gunther, Stephanie Vaquer, Chelsea Green, Je'Von Evans and a bunch of celebrities and fans all weigh in on their favorite WrestleMania is and what WrestleMania means to them.
— We cut to the arena, Jade Cargill with B-Fab & Michin, Rhea Ripley, Sami Zayn, Trick Williams, Lyra Valkyria & Bayley, Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss and Randy Orton & Pat McAfee are all shown arriving to the venue or backstage. Nick Aldis approaches McAfee and Orton and gives McAfee a contract to sign and talks about a meeting they have scheduled. McAfee says he'll read over the contract and sign it after - Orton let's them deal with the contract and he says he's going out to the ring to speak his mind and leaves. McAfee signs the contract and asks Aldis to park his truck.
— At ringside, Randy Orton comes out and heads to the ring.
Orton admits that he doesn't need Pat McAfee, but he wants him in his corner because McAfee is the only straight shooter in WWE. He says McAfee doesn't tell him what he thinks he wants to hear, but what he needs to hear and that was to just be himself. He says he was originally set to challenge Drew McIntyre for the Undisputed WWE Championship and dethrone him, but Cody Rhodes ultimately took the title from McIntyre.
Orton says he let Rhodes give him permission to be himself, but asks Rhodes who he is to give him permission to be himself. He says Rhodes and himself will main event Night One of WrestleMania 42, then recalls Rhodes calling Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 40 instead of him. He says all Rhodes ever does is take, then says Rhodes gifted an Undisputed WWE Championship to Kevin Owens. He recalls Owens betraying Rhodes despite him trying to talk some sense into him, but he got dropped on his head with a piledriver.
Orton says McAfee has done more for his career and legacy than Rhodes ever did, then says while Rhodes thinks having McAfee with him hurts his legacy, the thing that really hurt his legacy was Rhodes himself. He promises to write the wrongs tomorrow and win his 15th World Championship.
— We cut backstage and Pat McAfee is in his truck and Nick Aldis waits outside the truck. Randy Orton gets in the truck and McAfee says Orton's a real champion and then speed out of the parking lot.
— MFT make their way to the ring. The Wyatt Sicks follow.
MFT vs. The Wyatt Sicks
The Wyatt Sicks slide into the ring and begin brawling with MFT as the bell rings and Erick Rowan sends Talla Tonga crashing out of the ring with a boot. Joe Gacy and Dexter Lumis fly out of the ring to level Tama Tonga and JC Mateo on the outside.
Talla sends Rowan crashing into one of the barricades, then hits Gacy, Lumis, and Rowan with the ring steps. Tonga Loa lands a right hand on Gacy on the outside, but Rowan levels Mateo with a roundhouse kick in the ring and runs over Tama.
Solo Sikoa hits Rowan with a kendo stick from the outside, and Gacy rocks Mateo with a right hand. Lumis rakes Mateo's eyes, and Loa holds Uncle Howdy in place for Sikoa to crack a kendo stick across his spine, but Gacy catches Tama with the Upside Down and double teams on Mateo with Lumis back from the break.
Mateo sends Lumis crashing into the mat with a spinning slam, then connects with a belly-to-belly suplex on him. Howdy rains down right hands on Mateo in the corner, but Talla delivers a Samaoan Drop to Howdy and sends Lumis and Gacy crashing into the mat with ones of their own.
Rowan delivers a suicide dive to level Talla on the outside, then dumps chairs, a kendo stick, and a pair garbage cans into the ring. Howdy cracks a garbage can across Sikoa's spine, then uses it to deliver a splash to Sikoa.
During another commercial break, Tama cracks one of the garbage cans across Rowan's spine. Nikki Cross flies off the top rope with a crossbody to level Loa on the outside, but Tama sets up for Cutthroat on Howdy. Sikoa catches Howdy with a Samoan Spike and pins Howdy to steal the win from Tama for MFT.
Winners: MFT
— After the match, Tonga stares at Sikoa and Sikoa stares back. Sikoa points at a fallen Howdy as if he's trying to get Tonga on the same page as him. Tonga looks pissed.
— R-Truth and Damian Priest walk backstage and talk about The New Day and Truth tells Priest that Asuka cursed them. Truth gets Priest all confused about who is in the New Day.
— We cut to a clip from earlier today where The Miz & Maryse renew their vows with Kit Wilson as the officiate. Danhausen shows up and curses The Miz & Maryse. The Miz and Danhausen fight and Maryse gets pushed into their renewal cake.
— A video package for Royce Keys plays highlighting his upbringing and childhood.
— Jacob Fatu makes his way out in a police car escorted by two officers.
Standing on top of the police car, Fatu says Drew McIntyre wants to tell the whole world that he's still a criminal. He says that he's not afraid of his past and doesn't live that life anymore, then says even the police know that he isn't the same man he once was. He says there will be no officials, security, an army, or a SWAT Team in his Unsanctioned Match with McIntyre tomorrow night, then says no one will be there to save McIntyre either.
Fatu says McIntyre tried to put him back in the jail cell, then says he'll put McIntyre in his rearview when he beats him tomorrow night.
— Alexa Bliss & Charlotte Flair talk backstage and they talk about how great 2025 was and how 2026 will be better. They talk about their match tonight and their goal is to stay friends regardless of what happens at WrestleMania. Flair says they should focus on the gold too and Bliss leaves.
— Damian Priest and R-Truth make their way to the ring. Kofi Kingston and Grayson Waller follows.
:tagteam:
WWE Tag Team Championship Match: Damian Priest & R-Truth (c) vs The New Day
Waller and Priest start off. Waller attacks Priest and gets kicked down by Priest. Priest throws Waller in the corner and then tags in Truth. Waller is double teamed and Truth then strikes Waller in the corner and punches him 10 times at the turnbuckle. Waller is able to escape at six and beat on Truth. Kingston is tagged in and Priest is knocked off the apron. Truth goes at Waller and Kingston on his own. Waller gets Truth out of the ring, and Priest goes to slams Waller on the apron and Kingston takes out Priest sliding under the bottom ropes and then we cut to a break.
Back from a commercial break, Kingston trips up Truth and Truth loses a shoe. Kingston hits a top rope double axe handle and covers Truth. Truth kicks out and Waller is tagged in. Truth rolls up Waller and Waller kicks out and elbows Truth to the mat. Kingston is tagged in and Truth is double teamed and Truth is covered and Truth kicks out. Kingston stomps on Truth and Waller tags himself in. Kingston is a little choked and Waller tells Kingston to get Truth up. Truth reverses and sends Kingston into Waller knocking him off the ropes. Truth tags Priest and Priest takes out both Waller and Kingston. Priest slams down Kingston and then grabs Waller and walks the ropes. Priest jumps at Waller with a cross body and hits a lariat and covers Waller but Kingston breaks the pin. Kingston tells Waller to get up. Truth is at Kingston's corner asking him to get tagged in. Kingston obliges and Truth comes in and beats up Kingston. Priest slams down Waller and both Priest and Truth do the five knuckle shuffle. Waller is then dropped in a 3D and covered for the win.
Winners and STILL WWE Tag Team Champions: R-Truth & Damain Priest
— A video recap of the Randy Orton/Cody Rhodes saga is shown.
— Jade Cargill walks backstage with Michin & B-Fab and she makes her way out to the ring to share her thoughts and we cut to a commercial break.
— Back from the break, Jade Cargill, B-Fab, and Michin make their way to the ring.
Cargill looks to talk, but Rhea Ripley's music cuts her off and she makes her way out. She says she wanted to come out before Cargill started talking and says when it comes to WrestleMania 42, she can't wait to embarrass Cargill.
B-Fab says Ripley should be the only embarrassed one because she comes for Cargill and fails. Ripley says Cargill has done nothing but hide since Elimination Chamber, whether it's behind Michin or B-Fab or on social media. She says if Cargill wants to say anything to her, it's her last chance to do so in person alone.
Michin goes after Ripley, but Cargill stops her and says she's everything Ripley wishes that she could be. Michin and B-Fab leave the ring as Cargill tells Ripley that while Ripley keeps talking, she'll make things quick. Ripley says she doesn't want to be like Cargill and says she's been fighting people like Cargill her entire life. She says her insecurities don't hold her back and make her the person that she is today as a multi time Women's Champion in WWE.
Cargill holds up the Women's Championship belt and stares down Ripley, then leaves the ring.
— MFTs talk backstage about finishing the Wyatts. Sikoa says they did that as a team and Tama Tonga seems like he's not on board and then agrees. Sikoa tells Talla Tonga to prepare for the Battle Royal tonight. Sikoa and Tonga share a weird moment before leaving.
— Giulia and Kiana James are sitting at ringside for the next match.
— Tiffany Stratton makes her way out. Jordynne Grace follows.
WWE Women's United States Championship No. 1 Contenders Match: Tiffany Stratton vs. Jordynne Grace
The bell rings and the two women shake hands. They lock up, but Grace gets Stratton in an electric position and sends her crashing into the top rope face first. She goes for a pin, but Stratton kicks out and Grace lands a right hand on Stratton's spine during the commercial break.
Stratton fires off stomps on Grace in the corner, then follows it up with a suplex. Grace whips Stratton into the corner spine first and connects with a slam, then delivers a Vader Bomb to her and goes for a pin. Stratton kicks out.
Grace sits Stratton on the top rope and delivers a superplex on her back from the break, but Stratton counters into a DDT on Grace. The two women exchange right hands with one another, but Stratton lands a shotgun dropkick on Grace and pins her. Grace kicks out and delivers a sit-out powerbomb to Stratton, then goes for a pin but Stratton kicks out. Stratton then delivers a springboard Stunner to Grace, then connects with Prettiest Moonsault Ever for the win.
Winner and new Number One Contender: Tiffany Stratton
— Trick Williams is seen walking backstage and we cut to a commercial break.
— Back from the break, Trick Williams makes his way to the ring.
Wiliams says he has something to get off his chest, then says Sami Zayn crossed the line last week by landing a Helluva Kick on Lil Yachty last Friday and throws it to a video of it. Williams says Zayn hit his friend with a Helluva Kick and hurt him, then says he doesn't know when Yachty will be back whether it's Night One or Night Two of WrestleMania 42. He says Zayn also ruined his planned entrance for WrestleMania 42, then tells Zayn to get his gingerbread man a** to the ring.
Zayn's music hits and someone in a gingerbread costume makes his way out. Williams asks the gingerbread man what's wrong and says Night Two of WrestleMania 42 is all about him winning the United States Championship at his first WrestleMania.
The real Zayn emerges at ringside and says he's glad that Williams is taking his first WrestleMania seriously. He says he hasn't been having a whole lot of fun and neither have the fans, then says he has plenty of fans at home and in the live crowd that will be in his corner at WrestleMania 42 and beyond.
Zayn says since Williams first showed up on "SmackDown" and interrupted him, everyone was talking about Williams. He becomes distracted by the person in the gingerbread costume and tells them to go away as Zayn continues on by saying that everyone said Williams was the future of professional wrestling. He says while he initially believed that, Williams hasn't shown him much where it counts in the ring. He says he sees a punk rookie when he looks at Williams now, then says Williams will realize that he bit off more than he could chew at WrestleMania 42 when he walks into the Premium Live Event without a plan.
Williams says that he is the plan, then says Zayn doesn't know how to find himself anymore. He says Zayn is one of the most respected guys in the locker room, but Zayn threw all of that away because of him and says Zayn is really the one without a plan. He promises to get the job done at WrestleMania 42.
Zayn says Williams and the boos of the fans aren't in his head, then says Williams' master plan was to stand in the ring with a gingerbread man two days before their WrestleMania 42 United States Championship match.
Williams says he's standing in the ring with two gingerbread man, and the two men begin brawling. Williams takes down Zayn, but Zayn clotheslines Williams out of the ring. Zayn spots the gingerbread man in the corner of the ring still and laughs at him, then lands a Helluva Kick on the gingerbread man. This opens the door for Williams to land Trick Shot on Zayn and stand tall over him holding up the United States Championship belt.
— In the parking lot we see Cody Rhodes' tour bus and Rhodes makes his way out.
— Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss then make their way to the ring. Bayley and Lyra Valkyria follow.
Bayley and Lyra Valkyria vs. Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss
Valkyria shoves Flair, but Flair lands a forearm on Valkyria. All four women begin brawling with one another. The bell rings, but Lash Legend and Nia Jax quickly appear to cause the disqualification.
Winners: N/A (no contest due to outside interference)
— After the match, Legend and Jax take out Flair, Bliss, Valkyria, and Bayley. Legend runs over Flair with a big boot, but Bayley jumps on Jax's spine. Legend comes to Jax's aid, but Valkyria fires off right hands on Legend. Legend levels her and holds Valkyria in place for Jax to fly off the middle rope. Legend and Jax stand tall in the ring holding up their Women's Tag Team Championship belts.
— The competitors in the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal make their way out, including Royce Keys and NXT star Joe Hendry.
Andre The Giant Battle Royal
The bell rings and everyone begins brawling with one another. Kit Wilson stares down Joe Hendry as AAA star Psycho Clown brawls with Axiom. Wilson trips over Johnny Gargano's spine to send him crashing out of the ring over the top rope and eliminating him.
Eliminated: Kit Wilson
NXT star Shiloh Hill brawls in the ring as Chris Sabin and Nathan Frazer brawl on the ring apron after going over the top rope. Gargano eliminates Frazer, and Sabin is then eliminated.
Eliminated: Nathan Frazer and Chris Sabin
OG El Grande Americano looks to unmask El Grande Americano. Talla Tonga takes advantage and eliminates both men.
Eliminated: El Grande Americano and OG El Grande Americano
Hill brawls with Ilja Dragunov, but Dragunov sends Hill onto the apron over the top rope. He sends Hill crashing onto with a big boot to send him to the back.
Eliminated: Shiloh Hill
La Parka brawls with Angel and Berto, then lands a knee on Angel and charges at him. Berto helps Angel send Parka crashing over the top rope to eliminate him, but Rey Fenix land a Tornado DDT on Angel and a dropkick on Berto to send him crashing off the ring apron and onto the floor.
Eliminated: La Parka and Berto
Talla lands a headbutt on Matt Cardona in the corner, but Clown land a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker on Angel. He rocks Angel with a forearm and rips off his mask to reveal a second anatomical mask underneath, but Royce Keys lands a clothesline on Clown to eliminate him. On another side of the ring. Gargano delivers a DDT to Axiom over the top rope to send him crashing onto the ring apron and eliminate him. Alex Shelley helps to keep Gargano balanced, but Rey Fenix lands a dropkick using the top rope on both men's spine to eliminate them.
Eliminated: Psycho Clown, Axiom, Alex Shelley, and Johnny Gargano
Shinsuke Nakamura and Apollo Crews exchange forearms in the middle of the ring. Nakamura sends Crews over the top rope and onto the floor, then lands a strike on him to eliminate him.
Eliminated: Apollo Crews
Hendry delivers a Fallaway Slam to Gargano and kips up, then strikes his signature pose. Aleister Black dumps Hendry over the top rope to send him to the back.
Eliminated: Joe Hendry
Cruz Del Toro and Joaquin Wilde go after Talla, but Talla eliminates both Wilde and Del Toro.
Eliminated: Cruz Del Toro and Joaquin Wilde
Fenix takes the fight to Talla, but Talla sends him crashing into the ring post chest first. Fenix looks to fly, but Talla chokeslams Fenix out of the ring to eliminate him.
Eliminated: Rey Fenix
Gargano and Dragunov take the fight to Talla, and Nakamura delivers a Kinshasa to Talla. Black takes advantage and sends Nakamura crashing over the top rope to send him to the back.
Eliminated: Shinsuke Nakamura
Black dumps Dragunov over the top rope and onto the apron. Dragunov ascends to the top, but Black eliminates him with a kick.
Eliminated: Ilja Dragunov
Akira Tozawa goes after Black, but Black delivers Black Mass to Tozawa to eliminate him.
Eliminated: Akira Tozawa
Otis levels Black and Matt Cardona with clotheslines, then lands a bodyslam on Angel and stacks him up on top of Gargano. He gets fired up and delivers The Caterpillar to Gargano, then dumps him over the top rope and out of the ring to eliminate him.
Eliminated: Johnny Gargano
Otis levels Cardona with a splash and dumps him over the top rope to eliminate him.
Eliminated: Matt Cardona
We are down to four: Keys, Black, Otis, and Talla. Otis fires off strikes on Black, Black takes out Otis with a Black Mass. Keys dumps Black out of the ring and over the top rope to send him to the back.
Eliminated: Aleister Black
Otis runs over Keys with a shoulder tackle and lands clotheslines on Keys and Talla in opposite corners. Talla runs over Otis with a boot after Otis has landed a slam on him, then eliminates him.
Eliminated: Otis
Keys delivers a spinebuster to Talla and clotheslines him out of the ring to eliminate him.
Eliminated: Talla Tonga
Winner of the 2026 Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal: Royce Keys
— We get a Roman Reigns and CM Punk feud recap.
— Back at ringside, Cody Rhodes makes his way out to the ring to respond to Orton's promo that opened the show.
Rhodes asks Las Vegas what they want to talk about, then says they aren't going to talk about the last three WrestleManias or someone messing with him at all those shows from The Rock to Travis Scott to Pat McAfee. He says his match against Randy Orton for the Undisputed WWE Championship tomorrow night will be for the oldest and most prestigious championship in professional wrestling, then addresses Orton saying that all he does is take earlier tonight. Rhodes says Orton has never taken responsibility, then says he saw what Orton did in 2009 to burn his path and lose at WrestleMania 25 that year for the WWE Championship to Triple H.
CM Punk's music hits and he makes his way out with his World Heavyweight Championship in hand. Rhodes asks Punk if he's here to shake his hand or turn on him like Orton did. Punk says he's not in the ring to turn on Orton, then says he wants to give Rhodes a bit of advice and stop Rhodes from naming Pat McAfee.
Punk says that himself and Rhodes are standing in the ring on a Friday night on Las Vegas. He says they're past the point of him giving Rhodes advice and says if he was ever a teacher to Rhodes, he surely isn't now. He tells Rhodes to focus on Orton, then says he's learned from the best and Orton isn't Rhodes' teacher. He says he doesn't know what happens at WrestleMania 42, then tells Rhodes that he's proud of him and to get it done while having fun.
Punk looks to leave, but Rhodes stops him and says he knows that Punk is up against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 42. He says Punk is up against the most dominating WrestleMania main eventer in WWE, then says Punk came into professional wrestling because he loves it. He says Punk came back to WWE better than he ever was and compares his return to that of Shawn Michaels in 2002. He says he knows that Punk wants to be Mr. WrestleMania and thanks Punk for everything he's taught him and sharing a moment with him in the ring tonight. He tells Punk that he loves him and embraces Punk, then celebrates WrestleMania weekend with the fans and Rhodes as the show goes off the air.
