WWE SmackDown Results & Winners (January 2, 2026): Drew McIntyre torches Dusty Rhodes' photo to incite Cody Rhodes; Damian Priest dismantles Aleister Black & more
(Courtesy : WWE.com)
Matt Cardona & Randy Orton return, Trick Williams interrupts Sami Zayn & more!
As the calendar flipped to 2026, WWE kicked off the new year with momentum, mystery, and massive implications ahead of WrestleMania 42. The promotion started the year with the January 2 edition of Friday Night SmackDown, which emanated live from the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York.
The show returned to a three-hour format from this Friday, and multiple big names were advertised for the show, including Cody Rhodes, Tiffany Stratton, Randy Orton, and Jade Cargill.
WWE announced three exciting matches for the show, including an Ambulance match and an eight-woman tag team match. Get to know what happened this Friday, as we have the complete summary, highlights, results, and winners’ list for the 01/2 episode of WWE SmackDown.
WWE SmackDown Summary and Highlights
Randy Orton returns to RKO The Miz
The Miz interrupted commentary, declaring that he was not moving on to the new year of 2026 until he aired his grievances from 2025. Grievance number one was that he wanted one match with John Cena, insisting he should have been the one to make Cena tap out.
Grievance number two involved his offer of mentorship to younger Superstars, which he claimed was met with nothing but ingratitude and entitlement. Grievance number three was directed at Timothee Chalamet, with Miz stating he was passed over for Marty Supreme and tells Chalamet that this ain’t over.
Grievance number four concerned “he who shall not be named,” whom Miz accused of ruining his final SmackDown of 2025 and reviving an untrue nickname. This prompted the crowd to erupt in “TINY B*LLS” chants. Miz lashed out at the audience, declaring that Cena was gone and that there was now a new face of WWE, emphasizing that, unlike the city, he won championships.
Miz went on to list his accomplishments, boasting in front of the Buffalo crowd and reiterating that he was the face of the company and the locker room leader. Randy Orton’s music then hit, marking his first appearance since October. Orton entered the ring and immediately rattled Miz with the threat of an RKO, though the two ultimately exchanged words, leaving Miz visibly relieved.
Orton picked up a microphone as Miz attempted to hype up the crowd for him, and stated that it should not be Orton before welcoming him back once again, claiming that they were both adults, locker room leaders, and faces of WWE, even suggesting a reunion as “MIZ-KO.”
Orton appeared to consider the idea before delivering an RKO to Miz, sending the crowd into chants of “ONE MORE TIME.” Orton helped Miz back to his feet, wished him a Happy New Year, and then hit a second RKO to bring the segment to a close.
Grade: B
Backstage Moments:
- Backstage, Nia Jax & Lash Legend told The Kabuki Warriors that they will owe them a shot at the Women’s Tag Titles when they help them win the 8-woman tag match. Asuka stated that they will be happy to owe them a favor, and after their title defense coming Monday, they will face Jax and Legend.
- Backstage, Randy Orton catches up with Cody Rhodes and voices his intentions for the World title, after Cody is finished with McIntyre next week.
Alexa Bliss, Charlotte Flair, Rhea Ripley & Iyo Sky vs The Kabuki Warriors, Nia Jax & Lash Legend – Eight-Woman Tag Team match
Following their confrontation last week, Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky teamed up with Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss to take on The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka & Kairi Sane), Nia Jax, and Lash Legend. The first match was a fun affair, with multiple storylines in play and the three teams gunning for the Women’s Tag titles currently held by the Kabuki Warriors, who are set to defend them against Rhiyo next Monday.
In the closing moments of the match, Sane came off the top rope, but Ripley caught her mid-air and delivered a headbutt, followed by a Riptide. Ripley then tagged in Iyo, who connected with the Moonsault to pin Sane and secure the victory.
Winner: Alexa Bliss, Charlotte Flair, Rhea Ripley & Iyo Sky
Grade: B+
Match Insights & Backstage Moments:
- The last time all eight women featured in the match were in the ring together was at WarGames in November.
- Backstage, Jordynne Grace appeared as General Manager Nick Aldis revealed that he had major plans in store for SmackDown in 2026 and wanted Grace to be part of that vision. Chelsea Green then claimed she was unable to compete that night due to the emotional finale of Stranger Things, prompting Aldis to warn her of serious consequences if she failed to fulfill her obligations.
Kit Wilson vs Matt Cardona
Kit Wilson made his entrance and grabbed a microphone, declaring that he was redefining masculinity. He then criticized the Buffalo crowd, calling them the most toxic fans, and even labeled the Buffalo Bills as toxic. Suddenly, Zack Ryder, aka Matt Cardona, made his presence known as his music hit.
The WWE theme transitioned into his current theme, and he was introduced as Matt Cardona, not Zack Ryder. Michael Cole acknowledged the name change, while Corey Graves dismissed it, labeling Cardona as toxic. Cole confirmed that Cardona had officially joined the SmackDown roster. Cardona defeated Wilson in his first match following his re-signing.
Winner: Matt Cardona
Grade: C
Match Insights & Backstage Moments:
- Michael Cole announced during the match that Cardona is officially part of the Friday Night SmackDown roster.
- Per Cole, this was Cardona’s first in WWE in six years.
- In an interview with Cathy Kelley, Damian Priest stated that after six months of battling his opponent, he felt it was time for their feud to finally come to an end.
- Wyatt Sicks recorded a VHS-style promo discussing Solo Sikoa and the meaning of family, highlighting how Solo had been cast out from his real family and warning that they planned to destroy his family tree at its roots.
Trick Williams interrupts Sami Zayn
Sami Zayn stated that he had experienced something recently that affected him deeply, as he witnessed John Cena’s final match alongside his son, an experience that hit him in an unexpected way. Zayn revealed that his son had asked why Cena was called “the never seen 17,” prompting a fan to yell, “Because you can’t see him!” to everyone’s laughter.
Zayn explained to his son that Cena had won 17 titles, which led his son to ask how many titles Sami had won. Zayn said it didn’t make sense to his son, who had watched him wrestle against many greats and win multiple championships, yet the World Title still eluded him. He then announced that he was coming for the WWE Championship.
At that moment, Trick Williams’ music hit. Williams hyped up the crowd before introducing himself to Sami Zayn, declaring that he was both the most entertaining and the most dangerous man. He explained that Nick Aldis had called him and asked him to join SmackDown. As Sami tried to respond, Williams cut him off.
Williams asserted that he was there to become World Champion and emphasized that he was not someone who merely “almost” got the job done. Sami agreed that Williams had all the tools but noted that he had yet to be humbled. He reminded Williams that he wasn’t the first person to look down on him, but since Williams had come to interrupt him, Sami had no problem teaching him a lesson in humility.
Grade: B
Insights & Backstage Moments:
- Backstage, Carmelo Hayes ran into Ilja Dragunov, who said he had wanted to face the best last week and got exactly that in Hayes. While the result wasn’t what he had hoped for, Dragunov added that there were worse ways to lose than to him, and he didn’t believe it would be their last encounter. He asked Hayes if he would continue the open challenge, and Hayes confirmed that he would, promising Dragunov a rematch whenever he was ready.
- Later, Hayes ran into The Miz and credited him for his recent improvement. He thanked Miz sincerely for ‘leaving him alone’, noting that he had been performing better ever since.
Carmelo Hayes (c) vs Johnny Gargano – U.S. Title match
Johnny Gargano accompnaied by Johnny Gargano, stepped into the ring to battle Carmelo Hayes for the United States title. This was Hayes’ first defense as Gargano went right after him during the entrance. Gargano was able to slow the pace down, but the Champion fought back, making it a counter-for-counter showdown that left the fans in awe.
The two made the match a personal fight with bad intentions, where Hayes was on top, despite multiple interferences from LeRae, as Carmelo hit the First 48, followed by Nothing but Net to pin Gargano and retain the US title.
Winner & Still: Carmelo Hayes
Grade: A
Match Insights & Backstage Moments:
- This was Hayes’ first title defense as he continues the United States Championship Open Challenge.
- Backstage, Shinsuke Nakamura approached Tama Tonga. They exchanged a brief conversation in Japanese before Nakamura walked away. Solo Sikoa then came over and asked if everything was okay. Tama assured him it was and inquired about the plan for the Wyatts. Sikoa explained that he had spoken with Nick Aldis and secured a four-on-four family vs family match for next week. He added that once they won that match, their next target would be the tag titles.
- Aleister Black and Zelina Vega delivered a promo hyping the ambulance match, with Black promising that he would defeat Damian Priest that night.
- Cathy Kelley interviewed Jade Cargill, who admitted that she had intentionally injured Mia Yim during their house show match and rhetorically asked who could stop her. Jordynne Grace then rolled up, explaining that she was deciding whether to sign with SmackDown and wanted to get a good look at her options. Jade suggested that Grace sign elsewhere, insisting that this was her show and that she was “That Bitch.” Grace acknowledged that Cargill was definitely “one of those.”
- Backstage, Cody Rhodes ran into Sami Zayn and mentioned that he had heard what Zayn said, noting that it seemed everyone was being honest. Sami Zayn replied that he respected Cody but needed to understand his perspective. Before the situation could escalate, Nick Aldis stepped in. Cody then stated that they needed to settle things and head to the ring.
Drew McIntyre reveals the stipulation & turns up the heat
Cody Rhodes stated that he wasn’t the strongest or the youngest, but what separated him from everyone else was his mentality before approaching anyone inside the ring. The Champion continued, stating that he arrived early because he wanted them to see him, and that his success caused envy.
Rhodes claimed that Drew reeked of envy and then revealed that he saw Drew as lunch. Cody then cut a scathing promo, as McIntyre appeared backstage near Cody’s tour bus, stating that Cody was too predictable and too vanilla.
He then revealed the stipulations: the Three Stages were as follows: number one: a Standard match, number two: Falls Count Anywhere, and number three: a Steel Cage match!
Drew once again teased Rhodes, reminding him that he would be stripped of everything if he even laid a finger on him. Drew then revealed that he had gone on Cody’s tour bus and even used the bathroom. He looked around for sentimental items, and out of all the things he found, he revealed a framed picture of Cody with his late great father and wrestling royalty, Dusty Rhodes.
McIntyre played into it again, smashing the photo and stomping on it as Cody lost it and ran backstage to catch Drew. Security and officials rushed in, trying to calm Cody down, as Drew was revealed inside the ring with the photo in his hand and a trash can in front of him.
Security stopped Cody from getting in the ring as Drew pulled out a lighter and set the photo on fire. Rhodes lashed out as Drew dumped the photo into the trash can and got in Cody’s face, teasing him while the champion was restrained by a swarm of security and officials.
Grade: B+
Insights & Backstage Moments:
- Cody Rhodes posted an image on his X handle ahead of the promo, featuring Cody, Dustin, and Dusty Rhodes. However, the image used in the segment didn’t feature Dustin Rhodes, likely due to his being a part of AEW.
Chelsea Green (c) vs Giulia – Women’s U.S. Title match
After defeating Chelsea Green in a tag team match, Giulia finally got her rematch for the Women’s United States title. Alba Fyre was in Green’s corner, while Kiana James was in Giulia’s corner. Green almost won again, after hitting the Rough Ryder, but James distracted the official.
Fyre took care of James, but it was too late for Green as Giulia bounced back and delivered the Northern Light Bomb to pin Green and recapture the Women’s United States title.
Winner & New: Giulia
Grade: B
Match Insights & Backstage Moments:
- Green and Giulia have faced each other three times; Giulia leads the score with 2-1.
- Rhiyo were interviewed backstage. Ripley said they had been looking to get their revenge on the Kabuki Warriors and were planning to take the tag titles home with them. As the interview continued, Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair appeared. Rhea asked if the alliance was over and if they wanted a title shot next. Bliss responded that they knew the Kabukis were sneaky, and they only wanted to wish them luck. Ripley asked if she really meant it, and Charlotte reminded her that they were seriously next in line.
Damian Priest vs Aleister Black: Ambulance match
In a gruelling and punishing showdown, Aleister Black and Damian Priest clashed. This was the seventh Ambulance match in WWE, and both men entered with bad intentions. Zelina Vega continued to assist Priest until Rhea Ripley appeared from the Ambulance, taking down Vega with a Riptide as Priest and Black continued the battle.
With Vega out of the scene, Priest bounced back, attacking Black with a fire extinguisher, followed by a fireball, a payback from their meeting in the Last Man Standing match. Damian delivered a Razor’s Edge on the windshield of the Ambulance, followed by a Chokeslam from the roof of the van through a table and dumping Black into the Ambulance, closing the doors to win the match and decisively conclude the feud.
Winner: Damian Priest
Grade:
Match Insights & Backstage Moments:
- It was the seventh Ambulance match; the last Ambulance match was between John Cena and Ryaback, who battled in a Three Stages of Hell match, with the third being the aforementioned match.
- With the win, Priest ended (hopefully) the feud at 2-2.
- Fraxiom (Nathan Frazer & Axiom) confronted Johnny Gargano backstage, trying to convince him to return to his mask, but Gargano showed no interest. Axiom told Gargano that he was planning to speak with Nick Aldis about setting up a match between them. He added that he would defeat him and take his mask in the process.
WWE SmackDown 1/2 Results
- Randy Orton returned to RKO The Miz
- Alexa Bliss, Charlotte Flair, Rhea Ripley & Iyo Sky defeated The Kabuki Warriors, Nia Jax & Lash Legend – Eight-Woman Tag Team match
- Matt Cardona pinned Kit Wilson
- Trick Williams & Jordynne Grace appeared
- Carmelo Hayes (c) pinned Johnny Gargano – U.S. Title match
- Giulia defeated Chelsea Green (c) – Women’s U.S. Title match
- Damian Priest defeated Aleister Black: Ambulance match
Who won in the main event of WWE SmackDown tonight?
Damian Priest defeated Aleister Black in an Ambulance match to emerge victorious in the main event of the first SmackDown of 2026.
When and where will the 2026 edition of the Royal Rumble take place?
The event is scheduled for Saturday, January 31, 2026, at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as part of Riyadh Season.
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Abhijit Singh is a budding sports journalist with over three years of experience in the field, and a photographer capturing stories through his lens since 2018. With a background in philosophy and political science, he brings a thoughtful, analytical edge to his reporting where every word is guided by curiosity and intent. Whether he's capturing the emotion of a moment or unpacking the deeper narratives within the game, Abhijit’s work is rooted in insight and passion. When he’s not covering sports, he’s often exploring new ideas through reading, traveling or just procrastinating.
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