WWE SmackDown Preview (December 26, 2025): Match card, news, spoilers, timings & where to watch

The final SmackDown of 2025 will feature the return of Drew McIntyre.

After delivering more than 50 episodes throughout 2025, Friday Night SmackDown will wrap up the year with its December 26 broadcast. This will also mark the final two-hour episode of the Blue Brand for the foreseeable future, as the show is set to return to a three-hour format beginning in 2026.

The show is set to emanate from the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and will feature top names from the Blue brand. WWE has announced a singles match, along with the US title open challenge and the return of Drew McIntyre, who was suspended last month.

Let us now take a look at the detailed preview, match card, timings, and telecast details for the December 26 episode of WWE SmackDown.

Announced matches & segments for WWE SmackDown (December 26, 2025)

• Joe Hendry vs The Miz
• Ilja Dragunov U.S. Open Challenge
• Drew McIntyre returns

WWE pre-taped the December 26 episode of SmackDown on December 19 at the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan, due to the Christmas holiday season. As a result, spoilers for the show have already surfaced, and they can be found below.

WWE SmackDown Spoilers 12/26

• SmackDown kicked off with a Joe Hendry concert, featuring a holiday-themed remix in which he mocked The Miz during a parody of “Jingle Bells.”
• Following the performance, a Miracle on 34th Street Fight between The Miz and Joe Hendry was made official. Ahead of the match, The Miz cut a promo boasting about himself. Alpha Academy accompanied the bout at ringside, with Otis dressed as Santa Claus, Tozawa as an elf, and R-Truth wearing a rabbit costume. The match ended with Joe Hendry defeating The Miz in the Miracle on 34th Street Fight.
• Ilja Dragunov and Carmelo Hayes appeared in a backstage promo to build anticipation for their match later in the show.
• Drew McIntyre delivered a backstage promo, stating that all the answers would be revealed by the end of the night, while teasing that everyone would have to wait until later in the episode.
• Jade Cargill cut a backstage promo with Byron Saxton, calling out Michin. In response, Michin and B-Fab fired back from a different location with their own promo aimed at Cargill.
• Charlotte Flair defeated Lash Legend via pinfall. Legend looked “very stiff in the ring,” notes @LvlUpReports.
• United States title match: Ilja Dragunov (c) vs Carmelo Hayes. Carmelo defeated Ilja to become the new United States Champion. Dragunov put the title belt around Hayes’ waist after the match.
• A backstage segment between Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss quickly escalates into a heated shouting match, erupting into a full-blown women’s tag team brawl. Amid the chaos, an 8-woman tag team match is announced for the first SmackDown in January to determine the #1 contenders.
• Chelsea Green and Alba Fyre faced Giulia and Kiana James, with Giulia pinning Chelsea Green to secure the victory in the tag team match.
• Backstage, Kit Wilson had a short encounter with Nick Aldis, setting up Cody Rhodes to intervene and demand an apology from Drew McIntyre.
• A hype package for Oba Femi played, highlighting his dominance and building excitement for his next move.
• Drew McIntyre took the mic in the ring and launched a scathing rant against the referee. The matchup was then made official: Drew McIntyre will face Cody Rhodes in a Three Stages of Hell Match in Berlin on the January 9th episode of SmackDown. The segment ended with Drew turning to Cody and warning, “When I bury you deep in hell, say hi to your dad for me.” Drew then faltlines Rhodes to end the show.

Courtesy of Rindside News.

WWE SmackDown Timings & Telecast Details

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