WWE SmackDown undergoes a major format shift tonight, officially returning to a three-hour runtime beginning with this evening’s broadcast from Buffalo.
The expanded runtime allows WWE to stack the card, and the company didn’t waste any time doing so—adding a championship match just hours before bell time.
Women’s United States Championship Added
Chelsea Green will defend the Women’s United States Championship against Giulia in a high-stakes rematch.
Giulia is looking to reclaim the title after Green defeated her in November. That victory came under controversial circumstances, as Green capitalized on a distraction and used the ropes for leverage to score the pinfall. Now a two-time champion, Green and Giulia stand as two of only three women to have held the title since its introduction at the end of 2024, making this rivalry central to the championship’s early legacy.
Cody Rhodes & Drew McIntyre Loom Large
Top stars Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre are both advertised to appear.
McIntyre is scheduled to reveal the stipulations for his upcoming “Three Stages of Hell” match against Rhodes—a brutal encounter where Rhodes will put the WWE Championship on the line. That match is set for the January 9 edition of SmackDown, but tonight’s segment is expected to set the tone for the rivalry’s next phase.
Updated WWE SmackDown Lineup (Buffalo, NY):
Segment: Drew McIntyre reveals stipulations for his Three Stages of Hell match against Cody Rhodes
Women’s United States Championship: Chelsea Green (c) vs. Giulia
Ambulance Match: Damian Priest vs. Aleister Black
8-Woman Tag Team Match:
IYO SKY, Rhea Ripley, Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss
vs.
Asuka, Kairi Sane, Nia Jax & Lash Legend
With three hours to work with and multiple top-level storylines converging, tonight’s SmackDown marks a significant reset for the blue brand—and potentially a preview of WWE’s creative direction heading into the new year.
