Orton Dominates SmackDown as Mania Storylines Heat Up

Orton opened SmackDown with a fiery promo and a dominant win over Matt Cardona, setting the stage for his WrestleMania clash while Cody Rhodes watched from ringside. Sami Zayn captured the United States Championship from Carmelo Hayes after Trick Williams’ miscue, hinting at a Zayn–Williams program at Mania. Drew McIntyre and Jacob Fatu were booked in an Unsanctioned WrestleMania match, and Jade Cargill’s trio continued to target Rhea Ripley to keep their feud alive. Jelly Roll defeated Kit Wilson in a crowd-pleasing segment, and a post‑match confrontation saw Cody Rhodes confront Orton as the show closed with Orton’s ominous grin.