Welcome to Wrestling Inc.'s live coverage for "WWE SmackDown" on April 17, 2026, coming to you live from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada!With one day remaining before WWE WrestleMania 42 takes place, the annual Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal is set to take place tonight. While no competitors have been announced to take part as of writing, former United States and NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes emerged as the victor of the 2025 Andre The Giant Battle Royal by last eliminating current AEW star Andrade.Tensions between The Wyatt Sicks and MFT have boiled over the past several weeks, with The Wyatt Sicks seeking out retribution on MFT for taking Bray Wyatt's lantern from them. The two stables have met one another in a variety of tag team matches over the last several weeks, and MFT dethroned The Wyatt Sicks as WWE Tag Team Champions on the January 23 episode of "SmackDown" prior to losing them to current titleholders Damian Priest and R-Truth. The Wyatt Sicks finally took back Wyatt's lantern during last Friday's episode of "SmackDown" when Tama Tonga left it on the ring apron for them to take. Following such, the two stables look to put their issues to bed once and for all when they square off in an Eight Man Street Fight.Before they meet in a Four-Way Women's Tag Team Championship match at Night One of WrestleMania 42 tomorrow that will also involve The Bella Twins and titleholders The Irresistible Forces, Bayley and Lyra Valkyria will be going head-to-head with Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss. Bliss scored a win against Bayley on last Friday's episode of "SmackDown" thanks to a distraction from Flair, while Valkyria emerged victorious against Flair on this past Monday's episode of "Raw" thanks to some help from Bayley.Additionally, Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes will be making an appearance on tonight's show with a message for Randy Orton before Orton challenges him for his title tomorrow at Night One of WrestleMania 42. Jacob Fatu also has something on his mind to share ahead of his Unsanctioned Match against Drew McIntyre tomorrow night.We are live! The show kicks off with a video showcasing the history of WrestleMania.Corey Graves and Joe Tessitore then greet audiences at home before we head backstage and see Nick Aldis hand Pat McAfee a contract per an "agreement" that they have. McAfee signs it as Orton makes his way to the ring.
Orton admits that he doesn't need Pat McAfee, but he wants him in his corner because McAfee is the only straight shooter in WWE. He says McAfee doesn't tell him what he thinks he wants to hear, but what he needs to hear and that was to just be himself. He says he was originally set to challenge Drew McIntyre for the Undisputed WWE Championship and dethrone him, but Cody Rhodes ultimately took the title from McIntyre.Orton says he let Rhodes give him permission to be himself, but asks Rhodes who he is to give him permission to be himself. He says Rhodes and himself will main event Night One of WrestleMania 42, then recalls Rhodes calling Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 40 instead of him. He says all Rhodes ever does is take, then says Rhodes gifted an Undisputed WWE Championship to Kevin Owens. He recalls Owens betraying Rhodes despite him trying to talk some sense into him, but he got dropped on his head with a piledriver.Orton says McAfee has done more for his career and legacy than Rhodes ever did, then says while Rhodes thinks having McAfee with him hurts his legacy, the thing that really hurt his legacy was Rhodes himself. He promises to write the wrongs tomorrow and win his 15th World Championship.MFT then makes his way to the ring. The Wyatt Sicks follows.
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