Preview:

As the calendar flips to 2026, WWE looks to kick off the new year with momentum, mystery, and massive implications ahead of WrestleMania 42. The promotion will start the year with the January 2 edition of Friday Night SmackDown, which is set to emanate live from the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York.

The show will return to a three-hour format from this Friday, and multiple big names are being advertised for the show, including Cody Rhodes, Tiffany Stratton, Randy Orton, and Jade Cargill. In a backstage segment during last week’s show, Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky were having some fun banter with Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair, when Nia Jax and Lash Legend approached, and the three teams started bickering, which only intensified with the arrival of the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions, The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka & Kairi Sane). This led General Manager Nick Aldis to announce an eight-woman tag team match for the first show of 2026. The team of Flair, Bliss, Ripley, and Sky will battle the team of Jax, Legend, and the Kabuki Warriors.

Jade Cargill and Michin have been booked to settle the score inside the ring in a non-title match, and winning over the WWE Women’s Champion will likely get Michin an instant shot at the title. However, Michin has notably been removed from WWE’s Holiday Live Tour schedule. Fightful Select has confirmed that Michin has suffered a shoulder injury. WWE has not disclosed the severity of the injury, but the company will likely either cancel the match altogether or replace Michin with B-Fab, emerging as the most probable substitute. Aleister Black and Damian Priest have endured a brutal rivalry, pushing each other to the brink in their quest to destroy one another. The feud has been marked by back-and-forth victories, culminating in what was billed as their final encounter: a Last Man Standing Match. That clash ultimately ended with Aleister Black standing tall, aided by timely interference from his wife, Zelina Vega.

However, the two are set to go at it once again this Friday in an Ambulance Match. The rules are straightforward but ruthless: incapacitate your opponent to the point they can’t continue, then load them into the ambulance to secure the victory. Both men look to get a decisive win, to conclude the feud on top. WWE Universe, it’s not done, as these two will go at it again, and hopefully for the final time to end this brutal and barbaric war once and for all in an Ambulance Match. The stipulation is simple: beat down your opponent to their limit so they can no longer answer the call and stuff them in the back of the Ambulance to win the match. Let’s Take look on complete match card and Show detail for edition of  WWE Smackdown Friday Night January 2nd, 2026 episode.

Match Card:

• 3hr Edition of Smackdown begins from today.
• Ambulance Match – Damian Priest vs Aleister Black
• Eight Woman Tag Team Match – Alexa Bliss, Charlotte Flair, Rhea Ripley & Iyo SKY vs Asuka,
• Kairi Sane (The Kabuki Warriors), Nia Jax & Lash Legend
• Singles Match – Jade Cargill vs Michin
• Story build For Drew vs Cody – Three Stages of Hell Match Continues.
• Chealsea Green vs Biulia Build Continues.
• Whats next for Carmelo Hayes The new united stats champion.
• Whats next for Trick Williams.
• Whats next for Joe Hendry.
• Possible Returns / Debues to cover the 3hr Edition of Smackdown.
• More Cards.

• Show: WWE SmackDown 1/2/26
• Location: KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York.
• Date & Time: Friday, January 2,2026 | 8PM ET – 6AM PT