WWE Friday Night SmackDown Results and Recap: Drew McIntyre Lights It Up, Literally (January 2, 2026)

This text comprises spoilers and recap from WWE Friday Evening SmackDown for January 2, 2026. You’ve got been warned!It is the primary Friday Evening SmackDown of 2026, and WWE brings again the three-hour runtime on the present. The yr is beginning large with two main returns, Randy Orton and Matt Cardona, and a phase with Cody Rhodes within the run-up to his match subsequent week in opposition to Drew McIntyre.

An eight-women tag crew match that includes Charlotte Aptitude, Alexa Bliss, Rhea Ripley, and IYO SKY in opposition to Nia Jax, Lash Legend, and the Kabuki Warriors. Chelsea Inexperienced squares off in opposition to Giulia for the Ladies’s United States Championship, and in your fundamental occasion, Damian Priest squares off in opposition to Aleister Black in an Ambulance Match.

Right here Are Your Outcomes For Friday Evening SmackDown For January 2, 2026

Charlotte Aptitude, Alexa Bliss, Rhea Ripley, and IYO SKY def. Nia Jax, Lash Legend, and the Kabuki Warriors through pinfall

Matt Cardona def. Package Wilson through pinfall

Giulia def. Chelsea Inexperienced through pinfall to turn out to be the brand new Ladies’s United States Champion

Carmelo Hayes def. Johnny Gargano through pinfall to retain the USA Championship

Damian Priest def. Aleister Black of their Ambulance Match

Right here Are Your Key Moments For Friday Evening SmackDown For January 2, 2026

The Miz hijacks the start of the present by airing grievances with the WWE Universe. After complaining about not getting a match in opposition to John Cena in his ultimate run and allegedly getting handed over for the function in Marty Supreme, he mentions Joe Hendry and a nickname that he introduced again. After mentioning his accolades and his double Grand Slam wins, he seems into the digicam and proclaims himself to be the locker room chief and the grownup in a “room filled with brats.” Randy Orton then seems from the again, and involves the ring. Miz says he and Orton are actually the locker room leaders and that they are often “MizKO”, and Orton ranges him with a RKO. Orton picks him again up, tells him Completely satisfied New Yr, and hits him with one other RKO.

Nick Aldis is backstage with Jordynne Grace discussing her potential becoming a member of the SmackDown roster. Chelsea Inexperienced then seems and tells her to depart and tries to inform Aldis that she will’t compete as a result of Stranger Issues sequence finale. Aldis says that she would not compete tonight, he’ll strip her of the championship.

Package Wilson involves the ring with new gear and new music, signaling a rebranding from his Fairly Lethal crew. Wilson says he hates how poisonous the Buffalo followers are, and Matt Cardona seems as his shock challenger.

Sami Zayn involves the ring and says the final time he was seen, he received to expertise the match together with his son within the entrance row. He says after they launched Cena, his son requested him why they referred to as him “By no means Seen 17”, then requested him what number of occasions he received it. He says his son has seen him with all the opposite championships he is received, and he would not perceive why he hasn’t received earlier than. Zayn then proclaims that he’s coming for the WWE Championship this yr. Trick Williams then seems from the again. He introduces himself and tells Zayn that he is on SmackDown for one purpose, and that he is right here to be WWE Champion. Williams tells him they are not the identical, that he will not take 20 years to virtually get it performed. Zayn tells Williams that he is perhaps proper, however he is but to be humbled, and he has no drawback educating him a lesson.

Tama Tonga is backstage watching Hayes and Gargano, and Shinsuke Nakamura approaches him, and the 2 share phrases in Japanese. Nakamura leaves earlier than Solo Sikoa seems, and when he asks if all the things is okay, he tells him it is an previous chapter. Sikoa informs him they will face the Wyatt Sicks subsequent week in a 4 on 4 match. As they go away, Tonga turns to look in Nakamura’s route.

Jade Cargill is seen backstage discussing the harm Michin sustained to her shoulder, stating it was intentional and that nobody else ought to get in her method. She turns her consideration to Jordynne Grace, who tells Cargill she needs a very good take a look at all of her choices earlier than deciding. Cargill says she ought to choose elsewhere to signal as a result of that is her present, and she or he’s that b****. Grace introduces herself, and tells Cargill she is unquestionably what she calls herself.

Cody Rhodes involves the ring. He says what separates him from the remainder of the individuals seeking to be the WWE Champion is his mentality. He says he arrives early and with the championship each place he goes, and that he all the time thanks the followers, and that he is aware of when persons are envious of him. He says Drew McIntyre reeks of envy and that he cannot wait for his or her battle. He says individuals can name themselves no matter they need, however on this period, he is the Champion. McIntyre tells him that he is so predictable and vanilla, and he figures out the best way to harm him essentially the most and explains the Three Phases of Hell: A straight wrestling match, falls rely anyplace, and inside an old style metal cage. McIntyre says he took an image of him and Dusty Rhodes from his bus, and says that he needs Dusty was nonetheless right here at present to see the person he grew to become. He then tells he hopes Dusty has a coat in Hell as a result of it may be a chilly one earlier than he leaves Berlin the champion. Rhodes storms out of the ring and tries to seek out him and is stopped by a number of officers. McIntyre is then seen within the ring with the photograph and a trash can, and Rhodes runs again to the ring. As officers cease him from coming into the ring, McIntyre lights the photograph of Cody and Dusty on hearth and disposes it within the trash can.

Matt Cardona Formally Returns To WWE

In an evening of surprises on SmackDown, the largest one was the return of Matt Cardona, each to the present and to WWE. Cardona, who was final seen as Zack Ryder throughout The Final Time Is Now Event, returned because the shock opponent in opposition to Package Wilson.

Cardona has spent the previous 5 years making a serious identify for himself on the impartial scene, and now again as a part of the WWE roster, he has the chance to outline the rest of his legacy with WWE as himself. Matt Cardona comes again to be part of what looks like an thrilling new injection of recent faces in WWE.

Giulia Wins The Ladies’s United States Championship

Giulia has regained her Ladies’s United States Championship, handily defeating Chelsea Inexperienced in her rematch. Giulia is now a two-time holder of the championship, and is positioned once more because the working lady’s championship.

Inexperienced was all the time the correct option to be the inaugural champion, and her loss to her a number of weeks again now gives an even bigger redemption arc for Giulia, who by no means felt as if she settled in correctly throughout her first run. With a revived alternative, and new NXT challengers on the way in which, Giulia has one other shot to get it proper, and we hope WWE sticks the touchdown together with her, ultimately getting an overdue and effectively deserved shot at Jade Cargill’s Ladies’s Championship.

NXT Continues To Populate The Major Roster

Exterior the shock returns of each Matt Cardona and Randy Orton, extra of the preferred NXT skills proceed to look on the primary roster program. Whereas it is nonetheless unclear whether or not Je’Von Evans and Jordynne Grace will land on Uncooked or SmackDown, we all know the house of 1 NXT free agent: Trick Williams introduced he is formally on SmackDown.

Williams, a serious participant in NXT, stakes his declare to be part of SmackDown and to problem for the WWE Championship. The SmackDown roster wants some recent faces within the title image, particularly if Drew McIntyre takes the title from Cody Rhodes subsequent week. Pairing him with Sami Zayn out of the gate is a brilliant transfer for the youthful Williams, as Zayn represents the very best of the brand new Legends in WWE.