The Road to WrestleMania continued in Pittsburgh with a lively SmackDown show at PPG Paints Arena on the March 27/28, 2026 edition. The night mixed big match announcements, a title change, messy segments, and several celebrity moments.
Main results and a title change
Sami Zayn scored a key win on the show when he defeated Carmelo Hayes in a U.S. Championship open challenge. The finish came when Trick Williams accidentally hit Hayes, allowing Zayn to get the pin. After the match, SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis quickly made Zayn vs. Trick Williams an official WrestleMania match.
Other results included Jelly Roll defeating Kit Wilson in his first singles match, and Giulia retaining her U.S. title against Tiffany Stratton after interference from Kiana James. Rhea Ripley’s match with B-Fab ended in disqualification after Jade Cargill interfered.
WrestleMania matches set and announced
WrestleMania is starting to take shape. Nick Aldis announced an unsanctioned match between Drew McIntyre and Jacob Fatu for WrestleMania, a bout expected to be violent and unpredictable. Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton continued their heated main event brawl, with Orton briefly sending celebrity Jelly Roll to the mat with an RKO.
Sami Zayn’s win has official stakes: he will face Trick Williams at WrestleMania for the U.S. title. Aldis told Williams he would be on the WrestleMania card, and Zayn’s new title moment made that match feel important.
Women’s division: promise and problems
The women’s side of the show had several moving parts. A tag match featuring The Bella Twins vs. Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss spilled into a larger brawl when the Irresistible Forces got involved. Lyra Valkyria and Bayley also came out to even the sides. The action has fans talking about a possible four-way tag match at WrestleMania.
However, the Ripley-Cargill-Michin-B-Fab segment did not land. The backstage and in-ring exchange felt chaotic and hard to follow, and the quick DQ finish to Ripley vs. B-Fab left several questions about booking and momentum for the women involved.
Celebrity moments and crowd reaction
Jelly Roll again dominated much of the night’s coverage. He won his singles match and later involved himself in the Orton–Rhodes brawl before being hit with an RKO. The heavy Jelly Roll presence drew mixed reactions from fans and critics, with some praising his energy and others saying he overshadowed the top title storyline.
Matt Cardona also appeared in the main event, adding another familiar face to the chaotic closing angle.
| Fighter | Recent Result |
|---|---|
| Sami Zayn | Defeated Carmelo Hayes; now set to face Trick Williams at WrestleMania |
| Jelly Roll | Defeated Kit Wilson; later took an RKO during Orton–Rhodes brawl |
| Giulia | Retained U.S. title vs. Tiffany Stratton (with help from Kiana James) |
| Rhea Ripley | Match with B-Fab ended in DQ after Jade Cargill interfered |
Overall, the Pittsburgh SmackDown delivered headlines and new WrestleMania matches, but the show also had messy segments and uneven booking. With about three weeks left until WrestleMania 42, many storylines still need clearer direction.
