WWE SmackDown Results 1/2 - Women's United States Championship On The Line, Ambulance Match & More

Welcome to Wrestling Inc.'s live coverage for "WWE SmackDown" on January 2, 2026, coming to you live from the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York!

As "SmackDown" reverts back to its three hour format, the first WWE show of 2026 will see Chelsea Green put the Women's United States Championship on the line for the first time since retaining against "WWE NXT" star Sol Ruca on the December 23 episode of "NXT" when she defends against Giulia. Tensions between Green and Giulia have been on the rise over the course of the last several weeks, with Green having dethroned Giulia as Women's United States Champion on the November 7 episode of "SmackDown".

Aleister Black and Damian Priest look to settle their differences once and for all tonight when they collide with one another in an Ambulance Match. Priest holds wins over Black from the August 1 episode of "SmackDown" and a Mixed Tag Team Match that also involved Rhea Ripley and Zelina Vega on the December 12 episode of the show. Meanwhile, Black emerged victorious against Priest in a regular match and a Last Man Standing Match on the September 5 and October 10 episodes of "SmackDown" respectively.

Speaking of Ripley, she will be joining forces with her close ally IYO SKY, her former rival Charlotte Flair, and Flair's tag team partner Alexa Bliss to square off against Lash Legend, Nia Jax, and reigning Women's Tag Team Champions The Kabuki Warriors in an Eight Woman Tag Team Match. As Ripley and SKY have been after Asuka and Kairi Sane over the course of the last several weeks due to mounting personal tensions, all eight women met one another in the 2025 Women's WarGames Match at WWE Survivor Series: WarGames on November 29 with SKY, Ripley, Flair, Bliss, and AJ Lee scoring a win over Legend, Jax, Asuka, Sane, and Becky Lynch.

Additionally, Drew McIntyre will share which stipulations he's chosen for his Three Stages Of Hell Match against Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes next Friday as per his agreement to return as an active member of the "SmackDown" roster now that he's apologized to referee Dan Engler and paid the fine he owes.

We are live! Michael Cole and Corey Graves greet audiences at home before throwing it to a video recapping what happened between Drew McIntyre and Cody Rhodes last Friday.

The Miz crashes the ringside area, and begins airing his grievances with several things including not being John Cena's final opponent (despite losing two tournament matches), none of the up and coming starts taking his advice, being passed over for the movie Marty Supreme, and Joe Hendry. He says there's a new face in WWE who wins championships and continues gloating about all the titles he's won.

Randy Orton's music hits, and he makes his way to the ring. The Miz invites the live crowd to make some noise for Orton, then tells Orton it's good to have him back. He says himself and Orton are the adults in the room, locker room leaders, the faces of WWE, and potential tag team partners as "Miz-KO".

Orton responds to The Miz's proposal by delivering an RKO to him, then wishes The Miz a Happy New Year and lands a second RKO on him.

IYO SKY, Rhea Ripley, Charlotte Flair, and Alexa Bliss then make their way to the ring. Lash Legend, Nia Jax, and The Kabuki Warriors follow. 

Back from the break, we head backstage and see Randy Orton run into Cody Rhodes. After Orton leaves, Nick Aldis approaches Rhodes to remind him that he needs to keep cool around Drew McIntyre later tonight unless he wants to be stripped of his Undisputed WWE Championship.

Legend, Jax, Asuka, and Kairi Sane attack Ripley, SKY, Flair, and Bliss. The bell rings as Asuka fires off kicks on Ripley in the middle of the ring. Ripley catches one of Asuka's boot, but Asuka lands a kick on Ripley's midsection. Ripley sends Asuka crashing out of the ring with a dropkick and sends Sane crashing out to join her.

Being the only one standing on the apron, Bliss tags in and delivers a cannonball to Sane and Asuka off the apron on the outside. She dumps Asuka back in the ring during the break, but Sane sneaks into the ring while the referee has her back turned and clocks Bliss from behind.

Sane then tags in and delivers a kick to Bliss' spine. She follows it up with a dropkick to her before Jax tags in and sends Bliss crashing into the top turnbuckle face first. Legend then tags in and lands a standing splash on Bliss. She goes for a pin, but Bliss kicks out.

Legend wears down Bliss with a pair of submission holds and tags out to Jax. Jax and Legend whip Bliss into the ropes, but Bliss catches them with a pair of boots and lands a Tornado DDT out of the corner on Jax. Flair tags in back from the break and lands a crossbody on Legend and Jax off the top rope. She delivers a cartwheel clothesline to Legend and connects with Natural Selection Jax, then steps over Jax and hits a moonsault on her off the top rope.

Flair pins Jax, but Jax kicks out. Asuka and SKY tag in, and SKY lands a double stomp on Asuka's chest. She sends Sane's arm bouncing off the top rope and ascends to the top rope, then delivers a double dropkick to Sane and Asuka. Ripley then looks to tag back in, but she gets pulled off the apron before she can.

Legend tags in and runs over SKY with a boot as she flies off the ropes. Jax tags in during the break and mocks SKY by doing SKY's signature taunt, then tags in Legend. Legend lands a series of overhand chops on SKY as Jax holds her in place and pins her, but SKY kicks out.

Asuka tags in and fires off kicks on SKY in the corner, then fires off right hands on SKY back from the break. Sane tags in and double teams on SKY with Asuka. They look to land a sliding forearm-knee strike combination, but SKY avoids it. Asuka knocks Bliss off the apron, but SKY manages to tag in Ripley.

Ripley lands a thrust kick on Asuka and runs over Sane with a pair of clotheslines. Sane looks to land a spinning backfist on Ripley, but accidentally hits Asuka. This opens the door for Ripley to land a Shining Wizard on her and set up for Rip Tide, but Asuka comes to Sane's aid. Bliss lands a Sister Abigail on Asuka, and Ripley levels Legend with a dropkick. Sane then looks to fly off the ropes, but Ripley catches her and rocks her with a headbutt. She follows it up with Rip Tide and tags in SKY. SKY then lands the Over The Moonsault off the top rope on Asuka for the win.

Winners: IYO SKY, Rhea Ripley, Charlotte Flair, and Alexa Bliss

We then head backstage and see Jordynne Grace chatting with Nick Aldis before Chelsea Green and Alba Fyre interrupt.

Back at ringside, Kit Wilson makes his way to the ring. 

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