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WWE SmackDown comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (Mar. 26, 2021) with a show from the ThunderDome inside Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. This episode features all of the fallout from the Fastlane pay-per-view (PPV) that went down this past Sunday at the very same venue.
WWE has released a teaser video indicating the Universal championship match between Roman Reigns and Edge is now solidified for WrestleMania 37. But Daniel Bryan was screwed over by Edge at Fastlane. After Bryan forced Reigns to tap out on the pay-per-view, he clearly deserves another shot at the gold. Will tonight’s episode result in Bryan joining their WrestleMania match?
Come right back here at 8 p.m. ET when the SmackDown live blog kicks off once the show starts on FOX. It will be below this line here. (REMINDER: NO GIFS OR PICS ARE ALLOWED IN THE COMMENTS SECTION. OFFENDERS WILL BE BANNED.)
WWE SMACKDOWN RESULTS AND LIVE BLOG FOR MAR. 26
I’m sorry, but the hurt’s not going away. I’ll bury all the past, everything in its place, give us the monster. When skeletons live inside your closets, I liveblog this here pro wrestling show for you, folks.
The show opens with a recap of the Universal Championship match at Fastlane.
Daniel Bryan makes his entrance, chair in hand, and gets on the mic.
He says everyone saw the truth, something that Roman Reigns said would never happen— everyone saw him tap out. He’s never tapped in his entire career, and last week he said he’d rather die, but good news everybody, Roman is alive and he tapped out to Daniel Bryan. In a perfect world, what that would mean is that he’d be standing in this ring as the Universal Champion.
But instead Edge hit him with a steel chair and cost him the title. Everybody wants him to stand aside and let the Reigns/Edge dream match happen but he’s tired of standing on the sidelines and he earned a title match, winning the title, AND being in the main event of WrestleMania on Sunday. He’s willing to earn it all again, so here’s what he’s asking.
He’s not asking to just be given the title or a spot, he wants a rematch against Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship and he wants it tonight, and he’s not leaving the ring until he gets it. To punctuate, Dan unfolds the chair and sits on it in the middle of the ring, staring the entry ramp down to send us to break.
Back from commercial, Bryan is still seated in the middle of the ring.
We wait a long beat before five-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion Adam Pearce comes out.
He says he can’t give Dan a rematch tonight, Bryan protests that they could roll the footage of Roman tapping out, but Pearce says the referee’s decision is final and Reigns’ next defense will be at WrestleMania against Edge. Dan pitches immediately facing the winner at WrestleMania, and Adam points out that he knows just how unfair that is.
Bryan laughs and asks if he’s got it straight— it’s fine for him to wrestle for 40 minutes in the Elimination Chamber and then fight for the title right after, so there’s a double standard here? Okay so WrestleMania is two nights, why not night one is Edge vs. Roman and night two is Bryan vs. the winner of the match?
Edge makes his entrance, swatting the mic out of Pearce’s hand on his way.
He gets in the ring and on another mic, saying he’s sat back and watched Bryan look altruistic like a knight in shining armor, but every match could be his last and the second night of Mania is ten years to the day since his retirement. He wants to pick the bones on night two? How heroic. A brawl breaks out and Edge hits the spear! The Rated-R Superstar adds a chairshot for good measure before backing off and sending us to break.
Back from commercial, we get a recap of what we just saw, because it’s WrestleMania season and these things happen.
Roman Reigns is in his office with Jey Uso and Paul Heyman. He tells Heyman to go get five-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion Adam Pearce and tells Uso to use force is he has to. Jey asks if he’s sure, and Roman asks what are they gonna do, fire them?
Seth Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
Collar and elbow, side headlock from Nakamura, shot off, knee lift, into the corner for forearms and Good Vibrations. Hanging Rollins on the ropes, knee to the gut, to the apron, knee to the jaw, diving knee drop across the back of his neck as we go to break.
Back from commercial, a single-leg dropkick leaves both men down and out, Nakamura ducks a forearm, kick combos back him in the ropes and referee Danilo Anfibio counts as he backs off. Hanging Seth in the ropes, axe kick, sliding knee, sliding German suplex... NOPE! Rollins dodges, springboard knee sets up the Falcon Arrow... NOT ENOUGH! Shinsuke gets the 540 roundhouse, inverted exploder, Seth lands on his feet, thinking fast... LANDSLIDE CAN’T KEEP SETH ROLLINS DOWN!
Flying armbar follows, Rollins rolls over, Nakamura shifts to a triangle choke and Seth powerbombs him to break! Off the ropes...
Seth Rollins wins by pinfall with Blackout.
Post-match, Rollins beats Shinsuke down some more and lies in wait... CESARO MAKES THE SAVE! Karelin lift drops him, headlock punches, uppercuts... SWISS DEATH! Double leg into the giant swing but Seth scrambles and runs away! Cesaro checks on his buddy and jaws at Rollins.
Back in Roman’s office, Paul Heyman and Jey Uso drag five-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion Adam Pearce into the ring. Paul thanks him for not giving into Bryan’s pressure but Reigns cuts him off and gets into Adam’s face, saying they don’t thank him, Pearce thanks them, and he needs him to understand that you only get one night and one title defense at WrestleMania. Adam says he understands Roman’s point and he’s inclined to agree with it but he has other considerations.
He thanks him and says everyone will have his decision by the end of the night before leaving.
Big E makes his entrance, flanked by the Street Profits to send us to break.
Back from commercial, Seth Rollins is ranting and raving backstage when an interview rolls up.
He says he’s not surprised Cesaro attacked but he’s sick of the disrespect and he’s sick of being embarrassed by a failure. If he’s got the guts and he’s man enough to step up and face him, he’s got a match at WrestleMania where he’ll teach him a lesson about respect once and for all.
CESARO COMES OUT OF NOWHERE AND SWINGS SETH, EVENTUALLY LETTING HIM LOOSE TO SKID ALONG THE SMOOTH POLISHED FLOOR! HE ACCEPTS THE CHALLENGE!
Alpha Academy (Chad Gable & Otis Dozovic) & Apollo Crews vs. Big E & Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford)
Dozovic and Dawkins to start, Angelo with a dropkick, tag, stereo dropkick, up and over, Ford with a fancy evasion and a leapfrog but he goes for a second and Otis hits a powerslam! Tag to Gable, dragon screw, spinning stepover toehold, Montez goes for the ropes, springboard... COUNTERED INTO A NORTHERN LIGHTS SUPLEX FOR TWO! Tag to Crews, beating Ford down, whip into a back elbow, cover for two.
E gets the hot tag, Gable in as well, clear the apron, belly-to-belly suplexes on Chad! Off the ropes, big splash, going for the Big Ending but Gable blocks and works the arm. Rock Bottom out of the corner for the comeback, the match breaks down, Hart Attack takes Dawkins out in the “everybody do something cool” part of the match. Ford off the ropes, tope con giro takes Alpha Academy out!
Apollo with the Olympic Slam...
Alpha Academy & Apollo Crews win by pinfall with an Olympic Slam from Crews on Big E.
We get a recap of Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn business.
We see both of them walking backstage to send us to break.
Back from commercial, we get some hype for WWE’s YouTube subscriber numbers.
Five-time NWA World Heayvweight Champion Adam Pearce is walking backstage when he runs into Edge.
Edge asks him if he’s going to give into Daniel Bryan’s pressure, and he says he answers to WWE, not to Roman or Edge or Bryan, and it’s his job to take in all the facts and come to a decision. Edge hopes he makes the right decision, or else.
Kevin Owens makes his entrance and welcomes us to the KO Show before calling Sami Zayn out.
Zayn tries apologizing for last week and when Owens says that’s not what he’s looking for Sami shifts to saying he can still be part of the documentary. Next week he’s having a red carpet premiere for the trailer for the doc and it’s gonna be huge! But wait, there’s more— Logan Paul will be a special guest at the premiere! (Gross.) Kev says he doesn’t care about his documentary or his special guest or whether he’s sorry or not for last week.
Sami mocks him but Owens backs him into the corner and demands an answer to one question— A one-on-one match between them at WrestleMania, yes or no? Zayn begs off but KO presses the issue and Sami agrees to it, in tears. Kev says that now that he has his answer he’s gonna beat him senseless, and he does, putting boots to him in the corner before taking him to the floor and dropping him with a lariat!
Back inside, kick to the gut, Stunner!
Backstage, Daniel Bryan runs into Adam Pearce.
He says he gets it, he used to be GM and he knows what he’s going through. He’s just here to remind him that deep down, he knows the right decision and all he has to do is make it.
And so we go to break.
Back from commercial, we get a recap of the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship match from Fastlane.
Bianca Belair is interviewed backstage.
She says her mama told her that sometimes you have to be the bigger person and focus on her business, and she was the bigger person last week so she could be the better person at WrestleMania. Sasha’s the boss and the blueprint, but she’s just a little better and she’s gonna make history. But first she’s got some business with Natalya, and you should get your little kids out of the room, because they shouldn’t see what she’s about to do.
Bianca Belair vs. Natalya
Belair in with a dropkick, shoulder thrusts in the corner, referee Jason Ayers warns her off, whip reversed, up and over, handspring into a shoulder block and Neidhart falls to the floor and regroups with Tamina. Back inside, Bianca with windmill punches, kicks, Nattie ducks under and hits the slingshot back suplex into the running boot to the back of the head.
Belair sidesteps a dropkick, cover for two, jackknife pin, not enough. Front kick, scoop and a slam, Bianca heads up top and Sasha Banks makes her entrance. Tamina takes advantage of the distraction to knock Belair off the apron with a superkick and send us to break!
Back from commercial, Natalya has the Romero Special locked in on Belair before breaking it with a boot to the back that send Bianca crashing face-first into the math. Forearms from the EST, whip reversed, powerbomb reversed into a Frankensteiner by Neidhart... NOPE! Windmill punches in the corner, tornado DDT blocked, suplex counters!
Bianca with comeback kicks, Nattie sidesteps the charge, up and over, big spinebuster from Belair... NOPE! Handspring moonsault, Natalya tries to roll away but takes the impact anyway! Sharpshooter reversed to a small package, discus lariat... STILL NO! Waistlock applied, standing switch, double chicken wing, Glam Slam reversed, pin reversed, no good!
Double leg, Bianca kicks her off, spin-out facebuster and Belair rolls out of the ring. Sasha Banks gets up from commentary to yell at her, they jaw at each other and Bianca slaps her full-force across the face! Back inside, block the lariat, forearm sets her up...
Bianca Belair wins by pinfall with KOD.
Post-match, Sasha hits a lungblower on Bianca and stands tall!
Edge walks into Roman’s office and Jey Uso gets in his face but Reigns backs him off, telling Edge it takes a lot of balls to come in her like this and he almost respects it, but if he doesn’t get to his point he’ll let the pit bull off his leash. Edge says Bryan is here to steal their spotlight and if Roman has the stroke he says he’s got, now is the time to use it.
And so we go to break.
Back from commercial, we get a WrestleMania hype reel before commentary proceeds to hype all the matches that have been announced thus far for us.
Rey Mysterio gets an inset promo about wanting to win the tag titles with his son Dominik.
Dolph Ziggler vs. Rey Mysterio
Ziggler backs Mysterio into the corner right away, kick to the knee, sidestep the charge, tilt-a-whirl tijeras sends Dolph flying! Off the ropes, slide under, Ziggler catches a boot but eats an enzuigiri and ends up on the second rope. Recovers with an uppercut right away, powerbomb lift, Rey Frankensteiners him over the ropes and to the floor! Diving Frankensteiner blocked... DOLPH ZIGGLER POWERBOMBS REY MYSTERIO OVER THE BARRICADE AND TO THE FLOOR!
DOMINIK TRIES TO CHECK ON HIS DAD AND DOLPH LAYS HIM OUT WITH A SUPERKICK AS WE GO TO BREAK!
Back from commercial, the match continues with Ziggler grinding him down in the ring. Setting Mysterio up in the corner, grinding his forearm into his face, setting him up top, jockeying for position, Rey knocks him down and hits the diving seated senton! Whip, Dolph with a sunset flip, Mysterio rolls through into a roundhouse kick for a nearfall!
Whip reversed, boot up in the corner, la casadora reversed into a facebuster, the Fameasser connects... NOPE! Robert Roode runs in, Dominik Mysterio counters him and gets sent to the floor, Rey dropkicks Roode out but Dolph catches him before he can springboard, Zig Zag... MYSTERIO KICKS OUT! Setting him up, 619, springboard...
Rey Mysterio wins by pinfall with a springboard splash.
Five-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion Adam Pearce makes his entrance.
Roman Reigns, Jey Uso, and Paul Heyman follow after.
Commentary hypes up Great Khali and Kane being added to this year’s WWE Hall of Fame class and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Edge and Daniel Bryan make their entrances.
Five-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion Adam Pearce says Edge and Roman’s arguments all make sense... but so does what Bryan says. He’s right to say there’s a double standard and he’s right when he says he deserves another opportunity at the title. Reigns is also right in that he’s only defending the title once at WrestleMania. His decision is as follows— it’s a triple threat for the Universal Championship!
Bryan attacks Edge, punching away at him, running dropkick... ROMAN LAYS DAN OUT WITH A SUPERMAN PUNCH AND LAYS GROUNDED PUNCHES IN! Jey Uso goes and gets a chair and slides it into his cousin, but Edge spears him before he can use it! Uso inside... HE GETS SPEARED TOO! Edge goes to that place, grabs a chair, and wallops the Big Dog and the American Dragon with it!
Road agents Jamie Noble and Pat Buck hit the ring and Edge chairs them too! Roman runs away, Bryan rolls to the floor, and Edge sets up a chair in the ring and sits in it.
That’s the show, folks.