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WWE SmackDown (4/26/2024) Results: 2024 WWE Draft Begins, Cody Rhodes & AJ Styles Contract Signing

Wrestling WWE
Luis Pulido Apr 26, 2024 6:15PM

On April 26, 2024, WWE hosted a new episode of Friday Night SmackDown on Fox.

The show was headlined by the first night of the 2024 edition of the WWE Draft. The full results & highlights are listed below.

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WWE SmackDown (4/26/2024).

  • Corey Graves & Wade Barrett welcomed the audience to the broadcast before transitioning into the opening segment.
  • Kayla Braxton interviewed Paul Heyman backstage, where Heyman said that Roman Reigns will be withdrawing from the 2024 WWE Draft. Heyman said that the pressure would be on Nick Aldis to decide who would be the first pick of the draft.
  • Jackie Redmond was moderating the NXT Draft Party from the WWE Performance Center, with the entire NXT Roster at the party.
  • The first in-ring segment was the contract signing for the match between AJ Styles and WWE Champion Cody Rhodes for the title at WWE Backlash, moderated by Corey Graves. AJ Styles said that he did not respect LA Knight, but understood the crowd booing him; however, Styles said that he respected Rhodes because they are Georgia Natives, they both had to prove themselves outside of WWE, and they both got advice from Dusty Rhodes. Styles said, despite the mutual respect, he had to regain the WWE Title and show he could still carry the company.
    Rhodes said no locker room respects the pedigree of AJ Styles, but that respect would go on the way-side at Backlash. Rhodes said that he understood that it wasn't about winning the title, it was about keeping it, and promised that Backlash would be a playing field and it was a must-win for him. After they both signed their contracts, Styles said that it would be a shame that Rhodes's reigns would end too quickly at WWE Backlash.
  • Paul Levesque appeared and got Cody to the podium to announce the first picks of the WWE Draft. SmackDown selected Bianca Belair as the #1 Pick of the WWE Draft, while Raw selected Jey Uso as pick #2. Pick #3 was revealed to be none other than NXT's Carmelo Hayes to Friday Night SmackDown, while Pick #4 was revealed to be Seth Rollins.
    After the first round, Carmelo Hayes appeared on the ramp and called out Rhodes to a match. Rhodes teased about forgetting his gear but accepted the challenge for tonight.
  • Latino World Order (Rey Mysterio & Dragon Lee) (w/ Zelina Vega & Carlito Colon) def. Legado Del Fantasma (Angel Garza & Berto Carrillo) via Pinfall (Destino).
    • After the match, Santos Escobar & Elektra Lopez came to the ring to say he was not a liar and emphasized that he did not attack Dragon Lee. Escobar said that Lopez had been working hard to find the footage and said that Mysterio would see the footage as interesting.
      The footage showed Carlito Colon attacking Dragon Lee the night before WrestleMania XL. Colon tossed Lee and attacked Mysterio from behind before running through the crowd.
  • Nick Aldis was walking around backstage before Tiffany Stratton confronted her. Stratton demanded a title match against Bayley, but Aldis said that Stratton would face Naomi tonight. Bayley revealed it was her idea and said the match between Stratton & Naomi would be a #1 Contender's Match.
  • Bron Breakker def. Cedric Alexander via Pinfall (Spear).
  • Torrie Wilson & Michelle McCool appeared on the ramp to announce Round 2 of the WW Draft. SmackDown picked Randy Orton & Nia Jax while Raw picked Bron Breakker & Liv Morgan.
  • Paul Heyman met with The Bloodline (Solo Sikoa & Tama Tonga) to inform them that Roman Reigns had withdrawn from the draft and that they had not been drafted yet because the brands did not know what to expect from them. Kevin Owens attacked Sikoa & Tonga from behind before an army of producers and referees separated them.
  • Kayla Braxton interviewed Bianca Belair on the ramp, where Belair said that she hoped Jade Cargill was also drafted to SmackDown on Night Two of the WWE Draft so they could bring the WWE Women's Tag Titles to SmackDown and finally dismantle Damage CTRL. The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka & Kairi Sane) interrupted but Jade Cargill joined Belair for a brief staredown.
  • Kevin Owens & Tama Tonga brawled past Belair, Cargill & The Kabuki Warriors before heading to the ring for a brawl inside the ring. Solo Sikoa joined Tonga in beating down Owens, but Randy Orton made the save.
  • The Dudleys (Bubba Ray & D-Von) came for Round 3 of the WWE Draft. They announced that SmackDown was getting LA Knight & The Bloodline (Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga & Paul Heyman), while Raw would get Ricochet & Sheamus.
  • WWE Women's Championship - #1 Contender's Match: Tiffany Stratton vs. Naomi ends in No-Contest.
    • WWE Women's Champion Bayley was on the broadcast team for the match.
    • Nia Jax attacked Naomi & Bayley, leading to the match ending in a No-Contest. Stratton got Bayley & Naomi back in the ring and hit the Prettiest Moonsault Ever on Bayley & Naomi.
  • B-Fab & The Street Profits (Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins) were interviewed backstage, where it was revealed that they would face A-Town Down Under (Austin Theory & Grayson Waller) for the WWE Tag Team Championships. Theory & Waller tried to talk trash, but Bobby Lashley escorted them out of the backstage area.
  • The Final Testament (Karrion Kross, Akem, Rezar, Scarlett & Paul Ellering) attacked The New Catch Republic (Pete Dunne & Tyler Bate) backstage, where they said that they would wreck havoc everywhere they went.
  • Teddy Long & JBL came to the ring to announce the 4th round of the WWE Draft. It was revealed that AJ Styles & Andrade would be going to SmackDown while Alpha Academy (Chad Gable, Akira Tozawa, Otis & Maxxine Dupri) & NXT's Kiana James would be heading to Raw.
  • Kiana James was interviewed at the WWE Performance Center by Jackie Redmond, where she said that she was surprised to be drafted but promised to prove why she was selected for Monday Night Raw.
  • Nick Aldis & Teddy Long announced two matches for WWE Backlash. The first match announced was Bayley defending her WWE Women's Title against Naomi and Tiffany Stratton. The second match announced was revealed to be The Bloodline (Solo Sikoa & Tama Tonga) facing the team of Kevin Owens & Randy Orton.
  • Cody Rhodes def. Carmelo Hayes via Pinfall (Cross Rhodes).
    • AJ Styles appeared after the match to confront Rhodes. Rhodes and Styles had a staredown to end the broadcast.

- Check out the post-show podcast for a full review of the show on Fightful's YouTube & Twitch channels. You can check Fightful's Results Section here.

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