WWE SmackDown Preview & Predictions (3/6/26) – Elimination Chamber Fallout Hits Portland!
Road to WrestleMania 42: Friday’s SmackDown is the first big fallout after Elimination Chamber 2026 in Chicago.
Randy Orton won the Men's Chamber to earn a shot at the Undisputed WWE Championship, Rhea Ripley won the Women's Chamber to challenge Jade Cargill, and chaos reigns—especially after Drew McIntyre's interference cost Cody Rhodes big.
GM Nick Aldis wasn't having it, so he booked a massive title match for tonight to sort things out. This Portland show is stacked with fallout segments, celebrations, and likely some surprise additions as we ramp up to the Showcase of the Immortals.
Without further ado, here’s the officially announced lineup along with my predictions and latest podcast video! #AutismAwareness
Announced Lineup for SmackDown – March 6, 2026
World Title #1 Contender Randy Orton will open SmackDown
Undisputed WWE Championship Match: Drew McIntyre (c) vs. Cody Rhodes
WWE Women's Tag Team Champions Celebration: The Irresistible Forces (Nia Jax & Lash Legend)
Face-to-Face Confrontation: Jade Cargill (WWE Women's Champion) vs. Rhea Ripley (#1 Contender)
#1 Contender's Match for the WWE Tag Team Championships
(Challengers TBA, but set to determine the next team for the champs—MFT) This was announced earlier in the week/build, so expect a multi-team bout or something competitive to heat up the tag division.Carmelo Hayes U.S Title Open Challenge
Other expected stuff: fallout from other Chamber moments (like Seth Rollins' return impacting things indirectly), and random matches/appearances from the roster (Carmelo Hayes, Charlotte Flair, Sami Zayn, etc., are in town per venue hype).
WWE loves adding matches last-minute on these go-home-style shows, so check WWE.com or socials closer to showtime for updates.
#AutismAwareness
SmackDown Predictions
Undisputed WWE Championship: Cody Rhodes defeats Drew McIntyre to win the Undisputed WWE Championship
Nia Jax and Lash Legend celebrated until Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky crashed the party.
Rhea Ripley confronts Jade Cargill in a Face-To-Face Confrontation to confirm that Jade Cargill went through Iyo Sky and then Rhea Ripley says that she went through Jade Cargill.
#1 Contender's Match for the WWE Tag Team Championship: Fraxiom defeats The Street Profits
WWE United States Championship: Johnny Gargano defeats Carmelo Hayes to win the WWE United States Championship
Randy Orton was supposed to be in the arena and instead, Kevin Owens returns to surprise Randy Orton with the Stunner and then walks away from the arena
WWE SmackDown is one of WWE's flagship weekly programs, showcasing the biggest Superstars on the SmackDown brand in explosive matches, heated rivalries, intense promos, and major storyline advancements that shape the future of WWE.
It airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. ET on the USA Network (in the US), with episodes also available on demand shortly after the live broadcast on Peacock (in the US) and on WWE Network or Netflix internationally (depending on the region).
