WWE SmackDown Spoilers & Results (January 9, 2026): Drew McIntyre wins Undisputed title in gruelling three stages of hell match; Jacob Fatu attacks Cody Rhodes & more
(Courtesy : WWE)
Trick Williams & Jordynne Grace’s in-ring debut, Giulia retains & more!
The second SmackDown of the year marked the start of the WWE European Tour, and we are now well and truly on the Road to Royal Rumble 2026. The 9 January 2026 episode of the Blue Brand was held at the Uber Arena in Berlin, Germany.
Three top matches were announced for the show, with some rivalries reaching the boiling point and several top stars expected to feature. Additionally, Giulia was also set to defend the Women’s US title in her first title defense against Alexa Bliss on the show.
Get to know what happened this Friday, as we have the complete summary, highlights, results, and winners’ list for the 01/9 episode of WWE SmackDown.
WWE SmackDown Summary and Highlights
RKO Everybody
Randy Orton kicked off the show, but before he could say anything else, Trick Williams appeared, interrupting the Viper. Williams reminded Orton that a new star had arrived, stating that while he didn’t know about Germany, every country around the world loved Trick Willy.
Williams told Orton that it wasn’t 2006 anymore, but 2026. The Viper fired back, reminding Williams that he, too, stands 6’5” and that while everything Trick had said was fine, he also has 14 championships, a number that truly mattered.
Williams clarified that he had come out to put Orton on notice. Orton responded by warning that Williams should never turn his back on the Viper, saying he would let it go this time, but next time, he would whoop his ass.
Williams got in Orton’s face and slapped the microphone from his hand. Orton lost his composure and dropped Williams with a big right hand, followed by a scraping DDT, before calling for the RKO. The Miz suddenly appeared and attacked Orton, looking to retaliate with a Skull-Crushing Finale. Orton countered at the last moment, delivering an RKO out of nowhere.
Grade: B
Backstage Moments:
- Rey Fenix shared a brief moment with Orton during his entrance.
Rey Fenix vs Trick Williams
In the first match of the show, Rey Fenix took on Trick Williams, following their brief argument last week. This was Williams in-ring debut on the main roster, and he picked up the win during a roll-up reversal, grabbing Fenix’s tights to pin the luchador and secure his first win on the SmackDown brand.
Winner: Trick Williams
Grade: B
Match Insights & Backstage Moments:
- This was Williams’ in-ring debut on the main roster, following his promotion last week.
- Byron Saxton interviewed Priest backstage and asked what was next for him in 2026. Priest recapped the feud, saying he had won the war, and added that what came next was joining everyone else in making his intentions clear for the World Title. Drew McIntyre then walked in as Priest noted that if McIntyre won tonight, the two would have to go at it again, reminding him of what happened the last time they were in the ring together.
- McIntyre then cut a promo of his own, revealing that he had Dusty Rhodes’ watch and sending a message to Cody Rhodes ahead of their Three Stages of Hell match.
- Backstage, Alexa Bliss sent a voice note to Charlotte Flair, explaining that she hadn’t known about the match until earlier that day and insisting she wasn’t trying to go behind her back. Nia Jax and Lash Legend then confronted Bliss. Alexa warned Lash to drop Nia before she ended up being dragged down with her.
Giulia (c) vs Alexa Bliss – Women’s United States Championship
Giulia regained the Women’s United States title last week against Chelsea Green. Following the win, she defended it against Alexa Bliss on this week’s show in Berlin. Giulia retained the title as Lash Legend interfered in the match, pushing off Alexa Bliss from the top rope.
Legend, along with Nia Jax, then went on to beat down Bliss, who was outnumbered as her tag partner, Charlotte Flair, was absent from ringside. Jax capped off the beatdown with an Annihilator.
Winner & Still: Giulia
Grade: C+
Match Insights & Backstage Moments:
- Giulia’s first title defense after regaining the title last week against Chelsea Green.
- Tessitore noted during the walkouts that there has never been any broadcast title changes in Germany.
- Backstage, Nick Aldis signed Jordynne Grace to SmackDown, when Chelsea Green approached to demand a rematch for the U.S title. The segment led to Aldis announcing Grace vs Alba Fyre for later in the show. Kit Wilson then approached, complaining about last week.
- Backstage, in an interview with Byron Saxton, Matt Cardona spoke about what it meant to him to be back in WWE. He then ran into Cody Rhodes, and the two shared a hug. Cardona told Cody that his goal in returning was to win the WWE Championship, and Cody responded that they could discuss it after he finished business with McIntyre.
Wyatt Sicks (Uncle Howdy, Joe Gacy, Dexter Lumis & Erick Rowan) vs The MFTs (Tama Tonga, Talla Tonga, JC Mateo & Solo Sikoa) – Eight-man tag team match
Following a fiery promo, the MFTs (Tama Tonga, Talla Tonga, JC Mateo & Solo Sikoa), accompanied by JC Mateo and the Wyatt Sicks (Uncle Howdy, Joe Gacy, Dexter Lumis & Erick Rowan), accompanied by Nikki Cross battled in an eight-man tag team match.
The MFTs relied on the numbers game early on, but a hot tag to Uncle Howdy turned the momentum as he stormed in and caused chaos. However, he was unable to put the match away after Solo Sikoa grabbed his lantern from ringside, creating a crucial distraction. That opening allowed Talla Tonga and Tama Tonga to capitalize, with Tama pinning Howdy to seal the victory.
Winner: The MFTs
Grade: C
Match Insights & Backstage Moments:
- A very chaotic match, with things happening mostly outside the ring, the feud will likely pick up pace from now on.
- Howdy, taking the pin might seem like a bad call, but coupled with Solo stealing the lantern, the feud is only going to get more interesting.
- Carelo Hayes and The Miz crossed paths backstage, with Miz revealing that he had spoken to Nick Aldis about a potential future shot at the WWE Championship. Melo later ran into Ilja Dragunov, who told him that the two would fight again someday. For now, Dragunov said he was heading to speak with Aldis about something “different.”
Jordynne Grace vs Alba Fyre
As announced by Nick Aldis, Jordynne Grace made her in-ring debut against Alba Fyre, who was accompanied by one-half of the AAA mixed tag team Champion Chelsea Green. Grace showcased her strength, manhandling Fyre as Green tried to interfere. Grace slammed Fyre into Chelsea, who went crashing down, as Grace followed it up witha torture rack bomb to pin Fyre and win her debut match.
After the match, Grace exited the ring as Jade Cargill’s music hit, and the WWE Women’s Champion made her appearance. Cargill questioned whether Grace thought she had accomplished something or believed she was special, then made it clear that Grace was now on her show and reminded her that she is “that b*tch.”
Winner: Jordynne Grace
Grade: C
Match Insights & Backstage Moments:
- As noted, this was Grace’s SmackDown debut match and her second appearance (first being at Royal Rumble 2025) since signing with WWE.
- Backstage, Sami Zayn was asked by Byron Saxton about who he wanted to win between Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre. Zayn admitted that part of him was pulling for Drew, while another part was rooting for Cody, but said his gut told him that Cody would ultimately come out on top and that he’d see him on the other side.
Carmelo Hayes (c) vs Shinsuke Nakamura – U.S. title match
Shinsuke Nakamura answered the United States title open challenge to battle Carmelo Hayes in his first in-ring appearance since November 2025. Nakamura put up a great offensive showdown against Hayes, but the Champion prevailed despite suffering an avalancheKinshasha to hit the First 48, followed by Nothing But Net to pin Nakamura and retain the title.
Winner & Still: Carmelo Hayes
Grade: B+
Match Insights & Backstage Moments:
- This was Nakamura’s first appearance since the go-home show of Survivor Series 2025 in November.
- Before the match, Johnny Gargano tricked Nathan Frazer, wearing Axiom’s mask and a similar outfit, before attacking Frazer, until the real Axiom arrived.
Cody Rhodes (c) vs Drew McIntyre – Three Stages of Hell match for the Undisputed WWE title
Cody Rhodes defended the Undisputed title in a rematch against Drew McIntyre, who continued his mind games, wearing Dusty Rhodes’ Rolex watch during his walkout. McIntyre also won the first pin as he removed the turnbuckle padding during a sequence, and when the referee went to put it back, Drew hit a low blow on Cody, followed by the Claymore.
Rhodes secured the second pinfall, which was a falls-count-anywhere. Cody and Drew brawled through the crowd and back to ringside, where Rhodes hit a Cross Rhodes and pinned McIntyre to win the second stage, evening the score at 1-1.
In the third and final stage, the Steel Cage came down as both men looked for the win, trying to pin or escape the cage. However, things turned into chaos when Drew tried to escape the cage via the door, but a masked man appeared, revealing himself to be Jacob Fatu.
The Samoan Werewolf then attacked Drew as Cody tried to separate the two. Fatu struck Rhodes, leaving Drew on his own, and he took advantage by escaping the cage to win the third stage, officially capturing the Undisputed WWE Title in the main event. Cody threw Fatu into the cage and watched in disbelief, taking in what had just happened as the show came to an end.
Winner & New: Drew McIntyre
Grade: A+
Match Insights & Backstage Moments:
- WWE finally decided to put the World title on Drew, but what it means for the face of the Company without the title remains to be seen.
- The show followed through from last week, delivering another great show for fans.
- GM Nick Aldis announced four qualifying matches for next week to choose the opponents for a Fatal-4-Way at the upcoming SNME, with the winner earning a shot at the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble.
WWE SmackDown 1/9 Results
- Trick Williams pinned Rey Fenix
- Giulia (c) defeated Alexa Bliss – Women’s United States Championship
- The MFTs defeated Wyatt Sicks – Eight-man tag team match
- Jordynne Grace pinned Alba Fyre
- Carmelo Hayes (c) pinned Shinsuke Nakamura – U.S. title match
- Jacob Fatu returned
- Drew McIntyre defeated Cody Rhodes (c) – Three Stages of Hell match for the Undisputed WWE title
Who won in the main event of WWE SmackDown tonight?
Drew McIntyre defeated Cody Rhodes in a Three Stages of Hell match for the Undisputed WWE title to win in the main event tonight.
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.