Layin' da SmackDown - SmackDown recap for March 24, 2023

"The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes beats Ludwig Kaiser. Paul Heyman shows up early in the match to watch from the stage, and later on, Solo Sikoa shows up and heads down to ringsde with Heyman. After the match, Heyman and Solo get on the apron, and Heyman tells Cody that he is owed an apology and that ring announcer Samantha Irvin did "a lousy job" of announcing Cody's victory before doing it himself, calling Cody a challenger as he does. He says that Cody will see his road to WrestleMania with a pothole in front of him on Monday night when he faces Solo Sikoa, and if Cody survives against Solo, all roads will lead to Roman Reigns, who will see Cody one final time face-to-face next week. Cody asks Heyman if he is moving the goalposts for him before calling him out for interrupting the fans as they sang his entrance theme, and tells Solo once again that he is not ready. Cody then tells Heyman that at WrestleMania, Roman Reigns will find out that he is not ready, either.

It is announced that John Cena will kick off WrestleMania weekend with his match against Austin Theory for the WWE United States Championship at the beginning of Night One.

WrestleMania 39 is eight days away!

Charlotte Flair heads to the ring. Charlotte says becoming a 14-time world champion was not built by fear, insecurity or nepotism, as this business was built on respect - not on fear - and that she respects, not fears, Rhea Ripley, and that she only feared her own potential. After stating that she respected all of her opponents, she admits that she has her insecurities, and that she has built her house on all the bricks that people have thrown at her. As for nepotism, she states that she loves her father and that she will never apologize for building on the greatest legacy in sports entertainment before declaring that diamonds are forever and that so is she.

Las Vegas magician Piff the Magic Dragon is seen in the crowd.

LA Knight beats Rey Mysterio. Before the match, it is noted that Rey Mysterio's wife and their daughter Aliyah are in the front row. Later in the match, Dominik Mysterio shows up, distracting Rey. Near the end of the match, Dominik trips Rey on the outside as he goes for the 619, allowing LA Knight to win with a schoolkid pin. After the match, Dominik asks Rey if he is going to give him what he wants while proceeding to shove him around. Rey says no and rolls out of the ring, and Dominik tells Rey to walk away like he always does before asking his mother in the front row what it is like to be married to a loser who cannot stand up to his own son.Dominik then tells his mother that she married a deadbeat and that she sat there every night while Rey was gone, and that makes her a deadbeat mom. Aliyah confronts Dominik, who tells her that she does not understand. Dominik then tells his mother to shut up and sit down, and Rey approaches Dominik and punches him out. Dominik then tells his mother to shut up and sit down, and Rey approaches Dominik and punches him out. Rey then tells Dominik that he pushed him to this point by disrespecting his mother, and if he wants a fight at WrestleMania, he has it.

Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez watch the next match from ringside.

Natalya and Shotzi beat Xia Li and Lacey Evans with a Sharpshooter from Natalya to Xia Li to qualify for the women's WrestleMania Showcase match. After the match, as Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez confront Shotzi and Natalya on the apron, "The Queen of Spades" Shayna Baszler and "Rowdy" Ronda Rousey show up. Shayna says Natalya and Shotzi have a reason to fight them, and they might as well fight them tonight. Ronda then says that they have given Las Vegas, Nevada more than they deserve and that it is not happening tonight, then Baszler announces that she and Ronda have been added to the women's WrestleMania Showcase match.

WWE official Adam Pearce moderates a contract signing between Drew McIntyre, Sheamus and Gunther for the WWE Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania. McIntyre appears before the commercial break, and Sheamus shows up with Butch and Ridge Holland after it. Sheamus says he is angry with Drew McIntyre because he has worked towards a goal for the last fifteen years and told McIntyre about it only for McIntyre to go behind his back and go for it before he could. He then says that he gets the chance to smash his face in at WrestleMania, but McIntyre tells Sheamus that he keeps trying to guilt trip him when they should be friends, but Sheamus cannot separate what is business from what is personal. McIntyre says he has beaten Sheamus and that he can beat Gunther while Sheamus cannot. Pearce reminds both men that he needs signatures on the contract right now, and both McIntyre and Sheamus sign the contract. Gunther then heads to the ring and demands Pearce to justify the decision of a Triple Threat Match for the Intercontinental Championship to him, but Pearce tells him to sign the contract, which Gunther does. Gunther then says that whatever he does to keep the Intercontinental Championship will be justified, and as he threatens to beat everyone up as well as Ridge Holland and Butch, Butch jumps Gunther, who then takes his anger out on Pearce, demanding a match against Butch.

Gunther beats Butch after Drew McIntyre fights Sheamus and Ridge Holland. After the match, Sheamus confronts Gunther, then dodges a Claymore Kick from McIntyre that hits Gunther. McIntyre and Sheamus then have a staredown.

We hear from The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford), who hype up the men's WrestleMania Showcase match before Braun Strowman and Ricochet show up and say they will prove they are the better team.

It's time for The Kevin Owens Show. Tonight's guest is Sami Zayn. Sami asks Kevin if he knows what they are on the verge of doing, then says they are on the verge of winning the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships at WrestleMania, which he says feels different this year. Owens says he has not lost sight of that, but he know what they are about to do. He then gifts Sami with a "KO Mania Goes Hollywood" shirt, but Kevin Owens is on the back while "WrestleZaynia Goes Hollywood" is on the front. Both men hug it out, but they are both attacked by The Usos, who hit Sami with the 1D before Owens chases them out of the ring with a chair.

Here are the full highlights from tonight's show!

Here are the top ten moments from tonight's show!

This week on The SmackDown LowDown: LA Knight! Shotzi and Natalya! Imperium (Gunther, Ludwig Kaiser, GIovanni Vinci)!