WWE kicks off 2026 with a new era for Friday Night SmackDown tonight at 8/7c on USA Network. The show returns to a three-hour format, debuts a new announce team, and features a stacked card from the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York.
- Ambulance Match: Damian Priest vs. Aleister Black
- 8-Woman Tag Team Match: Alexa Bliss, Charlotte Flair, Rhea Ripley & IYO SKY vs. The Kabuki Warriors, Nia Jax & Lash Legend
- Non-Title Match: Jade Cargill vs. Michin (if Michin wins, she earns a title shot)
- New Announce Team: Joe Tessitore & Wade Barrett debut on SmackDown
- Appearances: Cody Rhodes, Drew McIntyre, Carmelo Hayes, Solo Sikoa, The Wyatt Sicks and more expected
New Announce Team
Joe Tessitore and Wade Barrett take over the SmackDown commentary desk, swapping places with Michael Cole and Corey Graves, who move to Raw ahead of Monday's Netflix anniversary episode. Tessitore and Barrett previously called SmackDown before switching to Raw in September to accommodate Tessitore's college football schedule.
Ambulance Match: Damian Priest vs. Aleister Black
The months-long rivalry between Priest and Black should finally reach its conclusion. Black won their Last Man Standing match in October with help from wife Zelina Vega, including a fireball that injured Priest's eye. Priest got payback when the Terror Twins defeated Black and Vega in a mixed tag earlier this month, but Black responded with a vicious shovel attack backstage. One man leaves in an ambulance tonight.
8-Woman Tag Team Match: Alexa Bliss, Charlotte Flair, Rhea Ripley & IYO SKY vs. The Kabuki Warriors, Nia Jax & Lash Legend
A showcase of the women's division kicks off 2026 as four of SmackDown's top babyfaces unite against the heel alliance. WWE Women's Tag Team Champions Asuka and Kairi Sane team with Jax and Legend in a match with major tag title implications. Expect chaos with this many rivals in one ring.
Jade Cargill vs. Michin
WWE Women's Champion Cargill faces Michin in a non-title match, with Michin earning a future title shot if she wins. Note: Michin was reportedly injured during the WWE Holiday Tour, so her status is uncertain—rumors suggest Tiffany Stratton could return to take her place and reignite her rivalry with Cargill.
Cody Rhodes/Drew McIntyre Fallout
Last week, Drew McIntyre announced he'll face Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship in a Three Stages of Hell match on January 9 in Berlin. After telling Rhodes to "say hi to your dad in hell," McIntyre dropped the champion with a Claymore. Rhodes also accidentally struck GM Nick Aldis while trying to get at McIntyre—expect fallout tonight as the Road to Berlin intensifies.
Looking Ahead
- SmackDown in Berlin - January 9: Cody Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre, Three Stages of Hell for the WWE Championship
- Raw Netflix Anniversary - January 5: First year of Raw on Netflix, with Cole and Graves on commentary
- Royal Rumble - January 31 in Saudi Arabia
WWE SmackDown airs tonight at 8/7c on USA Network. This is the first three-hour SmackDown of 2026.
