Last week’s SmackDown was the kind of show that gave WWE plenty to point to and fans plenty to argue about. Cody Rhodes regained the Undisputed WWE Championship, Randy Orton’s WrestleMania 42 path came fully into focus, and the blue brand finally stopped teasing its top direction and committed to it. On paper, that should have made the March 6 episode a runaway success. In reality, it felt more complicated than that. The main event was big, the title change was important, and the road to WrestleMania became much clearer, but the larger reaction coming out of the show was not purely excitement. It was a mix of praise for the headline developments and criticism over how abruptly WWE got there. That is what makes tonight’s SmackDown matter so much. This is the first real chance for the blue brand to prove that last week was not just a dramatic reset, but the beginning of a focused and emotionally convincing WrestleMania sprint. With Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton set to sign the contract for their title match, Jade Cargill back in action against Michin, and Jelly Roll returning in the middle of WrestleMania season, this show has a real opportunity to add shape, texture, and urgency to a card that still needs stronger week-to-week connective tissue.
Here is everything advertised for tonight’s show
- Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton sign the contract for their WrestleMania 42 Undisputed WWE Championship match
- Three-time Grammy Award winner Jelly Roll returns to SmackDown
- Jade Cargill vs. Michin
What gives tonight’s show its weight is that SmackDown is now in a position where movement alone is not enough. Last week handled the board. Tonight has to handle the feeling. Cody Rhodes regaining the championship was a major development, and Randy Orton’s WrestleMania role is now obvious, but there is still work to do in making that rivalry feel as personal and rich as it should. The story has all the right ingredients. Cody is the champion again. Orton is the veteran who earned his spot the hard way and sees one more defining WrestleMania moment in front of him. Their shared history gives WWE more than enough material to build from. What the feud needs now is depth. The contract signing should be the segment that tells viewers what this match is actually about beyond the belt. Respect is there. Legacy is there. History is there. The question is whether WWE is willing to push it into something more uncomfortable, more emotional, and more memorable.
That is especially important because last week’s title change did not come out of SmackDown with universal goodwill. There was praise for the match quality, praise for the scale of the moment, and praise for finally locking in Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton as a true WrestleMania-level headliner. But there was also obvious criticism from fans and wrestling media who felt Drew McIntyre’s title reign was cut short to force a late correction. That split reaction is part of the story now whether WWE leans into it or not. Cody is still one of the company’s central stars, but there is a growing sensitivity around how quickly he is restored to the top whenever he drifts away from it. That does not ruin the feud with Orton. If anything, it gives it sharper edges. A divided reaction can be useful if WWE knows how to use it. Tonight is a chance to make Cody feel less like a company choice and more like a man carrying the pressure, expectation, and resentment that come with standing at the center of WrestleMania season again.
Orton’s side of the equation feels cleaner, and that is one of the reasons this contract signing should work if WWE gives it the right tone. Last week’s opening promo framed him as a man fully aware of what this moment means. After everything he has done in WWE, another WrestleMania main event still matters. Another world title still matters. That gives Orton instant credibility in this feud because he does not need to manufacture urgency. His résumé does that for him. He is not chasing nostalgia. He is chasing one more defining chapter. That is why the segment tonight has so much potential. If Cody brings the emotional burden of being champion again, Orton brings the cold reality of a legend who knows exactly what this opportunity is worth.
Jade Cargill vs. Michin has a different assignment, but it is still an important one. The WrestleMania 42 match with Rhea Ripley already looks major on presentation alone. Jade has star aura, championship presentation, and a true marquee feel. Ripley has the credibility and presence to make any title feud feel big. The issue is that the face-to-face last week did not hit as hard as it should have. The matchup still looks great on paper, but the segment left a lot of people wanting more substance and more intensity. That puts extra importance on Jade’s match tonight. Whether this is a dominant showcase, a physical struggle, or a setup for another Ripley confrontation, the point is the same: WWE needs to add more force to this feud. Five weeks out from WrestleMania, star power alone should not be doing all the lifting.
Michin is also a smart opponent for that purpose. She brings edge, aggression, and just enough unpredictability to keep Jade from feeling like she is simply coasting through a tune-up. WWE’s own preview language leans into Michin’s rougher identity, which suggests the company wants this match to have some bite instead of just existing as a straightforward showcase. If Jade runs through her, it reinforces champion dominance. If the match turns chaotic or Ripley gets involved, it becomes a stronger bridge to WrestleMania. Either way, this needs to feel like a step forward, because the women’s title story on SmackDown is at the point where it has to start giving viewers more than just the image of two stars standing across from each other.
Then there is Jelly Roll, the obvious wildcard on the show. WWE is only advertising his return, which usually means the company wants the mystery itself to help sell the appearance. During WrestleMania season, celebrity involvement rarely happens in a vacuum. Whether he is there to spark an angle, add spectacle, or simply create a mainstream moment, the timing makes it hard to believe this is just a random cameo. SmackDown is too close to WrestleMania for disconnected appearances that do not serve a purpose. If Jelly Roll is on the show, there should be a reason, and part of the intrigue tonight is finding out whether that reason ties directly into the road to Las Vegas.
The larger significance of tonight’s episode is simple. Last week’s SmackDown changed the direction of the blue brand. Tonight needs to make that direction feel worth following. That was the core issue with the March 6 show. It was consequential, but not always satisfying. It delivered movement, but not always momentum. Fans, wrestling sites, and journalists had plenty to say about the scale of Cody’s title win and the importance of setting up Cody vs. Orton, but the critique underneath it all was that too much of the show felt mechanical for this point on the calendar. Tonight is where SmackDown can start answering that criticism. If the contract signing lands, if Jade’s segment adds real heat to her title feud, and if Jelly Roll’s return actually means something, then the blue brand has a chance to feel focused instead of patched together.
Current WrestleMania 42 card
- Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Randy Orton (Undisputed WWE Championship)
- CM Punk (c) vs. Roman Reigns (World Heavyweight Championship)
- Jade Cargill (c) vs. Rhea Ripley (WWE Women’s Championship)
- Stephanie Vaquer (c) vs. Liv Morgan (Women’s World Championship)
Final Thoughts
Tonight’s SmackDown has a real chance to sharpen the blue brand at the exact moment it needs it most. Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton already look like a WrestleMania match. Now WWE has to make it feel like a WrestleMania feud. Jade Cargill and Rhea Ripley already have the visual appeal of a major title clash. Now SmackDown has to give that rivalry more edge and more substance. And Jelly Roll’s return has enough mystery around it to become either a useful WrestleMania-season talking point or just another piece of noise. That is the line SmackDown is walking right now. The show has the talent, the stories, and the headline developments. What it still needs is a stronger sense of emotional conviction. Last week set the direction. Tonight needs to make people believe in it.
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I’m the quiet one until the bell rings then I’ve got takes. I live for WWE NXT and TNA, I want every promotion to succeed, and I will absolutely roast the bad decisions on sight (because someone has to). Anime taught me to respect long-term storytelling; wrestling taught me that sometimes the plan is “we panicked” and called it “unpredictable.” The Miz got me into all of this, so yeah I appreciate confidence, commitment, and the art of talking like you’re already the main event. Now I bring that same energy to the page as the main writer for Late Night Crew Wrestling because if you’re not here to be must-see and tell the truth, why are you here?!