Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Debuts New Theme, Randy Orton’s WrestleMania XL Match Decided: WWE SmackDown 3/15 Results, Recap & More

Coming live from the FedEx Forum in Memphis, this episode of WWE SmackDown was a special one. Not only would Dwayne The Rock Johnson be returning to Memphis, where he began his career, but he would also be addressing the slap. We also had Rey Mysterio returning, Bayley vs. Dakota Kai, and much more. Here is everything that took place tonight.

WWE SmackDown 15/03/2024 Results

In-ring segment: Opening the show was The Great One, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. Coming out with a new theme song that sounded like his original one with a heelish undertone, the crowd in Memphis erupted. An interesting aspect was the fact that The Bloodline did not follow Johnson. Taking the ring, Johnson recounted the start of his career in Memphis and how it meant a lot to him. Moreover, when doing the iconic line, he called Memphis home.

Following this was a Rock concert which hadn’t been seen since 2003. He sang about Cody Rhodes and his crybabies. Furthermore, he insulted Dusty Rhodes and emphasized that Cody was a mistake. He ended the segment by going after Rhodes’ mom, whom he also targeted in his social media video before the show.

WWE Unified Tag Team Championship Qualifying Match: Cruz del Toro and Joaquin Wilde vs. Angel Garza and Humberto Carrillo

Winner: Angel Garza and Humberto Carrillo

The heated rivalry between LWO and Legado del Fantasma continued tonight. The match was the qualifying match for the unification of the tag team championship titles. Both teams wanted this spot and stopped at nothing to get it. Unfortunately, Del Toro found himself on the wrong side of the ring, and Legado del Fantasma picked up the win.

In-ring segment: We get an interview with LA Knight, who is still on the hunt for AJ Styles. He gives his iconic Knight-styled promo and ends with challenging Styles to a match at WrestleMania XL. Unfortunately for Knight, Styles attacks him with a chair before accepting his challenge.

Backstage segment: Paul Heyman and Jimmy Uso accept Jey Uso’s challenge for a match at WrestleMania between the brothers.

Randy Orton vs Grayson Waller

Winner: Randy Orton

Prior to the match starting, Logan Paul came out to the ring. Despite having the match in his control at the start, Waller could not capitalize on The Viper. Austin Theory and Paul distracted Orton, giving Waller the lead, but an explosive Lariat ended that. An RKO out of nowhere and Orton picked up the victory.

Post-match: Paul tried to attack Orton, only to be stopped by Kevin Owens. Owens and Orton were able to end the match with a Stunner and an RKO.

Announcement: Nick Aldis came out to announce that Paul will be facing Owens and Orton at Mania XL. This match will be for the United States Championship.

Backstage segment: Damage CTRL is seen backstage, where Dakota Kai claims that Bayley was removed from the team to help the team grow. Kai would be facing Bayley tonight and claimed that she would break her. Kai also claims that Damage CTRL runs the show.

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Santos Escobar vs. Dragon Lee

Winner: Santos Escobar

The continuation of the feud between the two teams saw Santos Escobar face Dragon Lee. Lee showed great strength with a powerbomb. Unfortunately, after a Phantom Driver, Escobar picked up the win. Tonight was not the night for LWO.

Post Match: The team of Legado del Fantasma attacked Lee after the match. Despite Carlito coming to the rescue, the numbers game was too much. However, a returning Rey Mysterio evened out the odds. Mysterio challenged Escobar to a match next week.

WWE Unified Tag Team Championship Qualifying Match: Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne vs. Elton Prince and Kit Wilson

Winner: Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne

This was the second qualification match of the night. The match was a solid qualifying match. Brute strength took on athletic agility. Dunne and Bate looked good in the match, with Dunne cleaning the house in one go. Despite getting the upper hand near the end of the match, Bate and Dunne hit the Burning Hammer on Wilson for the pin. Bate and Dunne are the second qualifiers for the tournament.

Main Event: Bayley vs. Dakota Kai

Winner: Match ended in Disqualification 

After being betrayed by Kai last week, Bayley launched at Kai as the match started. Despite having Damage CTRL by ringside for support, Bayley looked fearless, taking them on. Bayley looked really strong against Kai, and the fans cheered her on. One by one, the members of Damage CTRL tried to attack Bayley, and she fended them off. However, she was no match for the numbers, and the match ended in disqualification. Despite Naomi coming out to help Damage CTRL beat down Bayley and stood tall.

What did you think of this episode of WWE SmackDown? Tell us in the comments down below.

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