Friday Night SmackDown Review - March 13, 2026

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Drew McIntyre Quit After Being Confronted by Nick Aldis and Jacob Fatu

Honestly, this segment did more to get me excited for a potential match between McIntyre and Aldis than McIntyre vs. Fatu. Nothing against the latter as I'm sure it would be damn good, but I just really want to see Aldis get a shot in the ring in WWE at this point and it's never made more sense than it does right now. As for Fatu, he could still be added to the Undisputed WWE Championship match at WrestleMania 42, but I know that's not the direction they're going in. Oh well. This was a solid segment, but McIntyre "quitting" wasn't all that interesting because we saw him "quit" less than two years ago and he was back soon after, not to mention he was "suspended" in storyline late last year and that didn't last long, either.

The Wyatt Sicks (Uncle Howdy and Erick Rowan) def. The MFTs (WWE Tag Team Champion Solo Sikoa and Talla Tonga)

I had no issue with Wyatt Sicks feuding with The MFTs when the storyline started, but I definitely have an issue with it going on for so many months, especially since it hasn't exactly been lighting the world on fire and has been devoid of meaningful development. Even The MFTs winning the WWE Tag Team Championship was an afterthought because they haven't defended the belts at all. Post-match, Tama Tonga took the lantern from Howdy. Color me shocked.

WWE Women's Champion Jade Cargill def. Michin (Non-Title)

We were supposed to get this match on the first SmackDown of the year before Michin got hurt at a house show. There wasn't much to the match as it was basically a glorified squash match, but there didn't need to be much more to it than that since we already know Cargill is defending against Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania. Speaking of Ripley, she and Cargill exchanged words again afterward, but it was more of the same from them.

WWE Women's Tag Team Champions The Irresistible Forces def. Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair by Disqualification

The Bella Twins returned right beforehand to stake their claim at the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship, so you had to know they were going to factor into the finish somehow. That's what ended up happening, but the match itself was decent prior to that point. As expected, it looks like we're getting a multi-team bout for the tag titles at WrestleMania, and I wouldn't be surprised if a team like Bayley and Lyra Valkyria are added as well.

R-Truth and Damian Priest def. Los Garza

I appreciated that this was a somewhat competitive contest and that it was given some time, but there was zero doubt surrounding the outcome because Priest and Truth just became number one contenders to the tag titles last week. It was better than them being beaten in a matter of minutes, so there was that. I get that this pairing gives Truth and Priest something to do, but it's coming at the expense of actual teams.

Kit Wilson Joined Jelly Roll and The Miz on Miz TV Before Jelly Roll Attacked Miz

To his credit, Jelly was impressive when he wrestled at SummerSlam last year and he played his role well on television leading up to the event. That said, I don't need to see him taking up a spot on the WrestleMania card, but this segment seemed to confirm that will be the case. The segment wasn't terrible, and I liked that Miz and Jelly Roll played off their history from SummerSlam 2024, but it didn't do much for me, personally. Based on what was teased, are they setting up Miz and Wilson vs. Jelly Roll and Danhausen?

Tiffany Stratton def. Kiana James

It was reported this week that Stratton could challenge Giulia for the Women's United States Championship at WrestleMania, which I'm in full favor of. Unfortunately, this match was a mess with Stratton and James clearly not being on the same page. At least it was relatively brief. Hopefully Chelsea Green is healthy by WrestleMania so she can be included, too.

Trick Williams def. Jacob Fatu

In predictable fashion, McIntyre interfered toward the end and cost Fatu the win, revealing his "quitting" wasn't real after all. Aldis announced before the contract signing that Fatu vs. McIntyre will take place on SmackDown next week and I have to imagine that will either not get underway or will end in chaos so it can be saved for WrestleMania. As for Fatu vs. Williams, it was well worked and gave Williams a big victory.

Randy Orton Attacked Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes During Their Undisputed WWE Championship Contract Signing

To call this the highlight of the night would be an understatement. Nothing else came close. The early goings of the contract signing felt awkward, but that may have been because they were going for a more authentic vibe and not something that was scripted. The Orton heel turn was exceptionally executed and made for a strong close to the show. I worry fans will cheer Orton over Rhodes on the road to WrestleMania, but this does make the build to their bout much more compelling.

Overall Show

I thought last week's show was fine albeit boring on the whole. This week, SmackDown was actually offensively bad with it being so close to WrestleMania. A majority of this episode lacked life. I mean, it was painful how quiet the crowd was for almost everything. Road Dogg departed WWE over a week ago and you would never know from watching this abysmal show. It's weird because the backstage segments were great, but the matches and segments in the ring (other than the contract signing) were forgettable and inconsequential. I'm invested in Orton vs. Rhodes, but the rest of SmackDown desperately needs help.

SEE MORE: SmackDown Reviews