WWE SmackDown Results 1/23 - Triple Threat #1 Contenders Match, WWE Tag Team Championship On The Line

Welcome to Wrestling Inc.'s live coverage for "WWE SmackDown" on January 23, 2026, coming to you live from the Centre Bell in Montreal, Quebec, Canada!

Although IYO SKY and Rhea Ripley will be defending the Women's Tag Team Championship against Judgment Day's Liv Morgan and Roxanne Perez tomorrow night at Saturday Night's Main Event, their next challengers will still be decided tonight as Lash Legend & Nia Jax take on Giulia & Kiana James, and Alexa Bliss & Charlotte Flair in a Triple Threat Number One Contenders Match. As all three teams have had their eye on the Women's Tag Team Championship over the course of the past several weeks, Legend and Jax have blindsided Flair and Bliss with a handful of attacks, including last Friday's edition when they took out the duo following a victory against Giulia and James.

Tonga Loa and JC Mateo had the chance to dethrone The Wyatt Sicks' Dexter Lumis and Joe Gacy as WWE Tag Team Champions on the December 19 episode of "SmackDown", but were unsuccessful in doing so after a massive brawl broke out between the members of both stables who were both involved in the match itself or present at ringside. Despite their previous unsuccessful attempt at capturing tag team gold, MFT will have the chance to dethrone Lumis and Gacy when they challenge them for the WWE Tag Team Championship tonight.

Carmelo Hayes has retained his United States Championship against Johnny Gargano, Shinsuke Nakamura, and most recently reigning TNA X-Division Champion Leon Slater last Friday as he continues to be prove to be a fighting champion. Tonight, he will be issuing another US Open Challenge as he defends his title against anyone who wishes to answer the call.

Trick Williams and Damian Priest will be meeting one another in the ring at WWE Saturday Night's Main Event tomorrow night in a Fatal Four-Way Undisputed WWE Championship Number One Contenders Match that will also involve Randy Orton and Sami Zayn. Before Williams and Priest do so, they will be going one-on-one tonight in singles competition.

Jade Cargill may have had a couple of brief encounters with Jordynne Grace over the course of the past couple of weeks as Grace looks to earn a shot at her WWE Women's Championship, but she will have to temporarily refocus her sights as she goes head-to-head with Chelsea Green in a non-title match. After Grace scored a quick win against Green last Friday, Green looked to take out Grace with a post match attack until Grace moved out of the way and Green accidentally hit Cargill.

Additionally, before he faces GUNTHER at WWE Royal Rumble next Saturday in a match where he will be forced to retire if he loses, "WWE Raw" star AJ Styles will be having a chat with "SmackDown" General Manager Nick Aldis after Aldis extended the invite to Styles via his X account.

We are live! Michael Cole and Wade Barrett greet audiences at home as Sami Zayn makes his way to the ring.

Zayn welcomes his hometown crowd to "SmackDown", then says it feels good to be home and shares that he feels as though he has all of the momentum in the world going into his Fatal Four-Way Undisputed WWE Championship Number One Contenders Match tomorrow night.

Before Zayn can continue, Trick Williams' music hits and he makes his way out. He says himself and Zayn are not on the same level, then says Zayn is Mr. Too Many Chances while he knows how to get the job done. He reminds Zayn he didn't get the job done when he's challenged for the Undisputed WWE Championship in the past, but he gets the job done and is here to be Undisputed WWE Champion.

Zayn says Williams looks like a million bucks and might be a future champion, then says himself and Williams are not on the same level because when someone steps in the ring with him, they're dealing with the best of the best. He says when Williams reaches his potential, he'll be lucky to be half as good as Zayn. He tells Williams he can do something about it if Williams thinks that he's wrong.

Williams declines to do anything about Zayn, then says he's got his match against Damian Priest and they can take care of business tomorrow.

Priest's music hits and he makes his way out. He says he thinks Williams is afraid of him, then says Williams knows that he'll take him out if he says the wrong thing to him. Priest eggs on Williams and asks him repeatedly if he's afraid, then says Williams can always do something if he doesn't want to say something.

Williams tells Priest and Zayn to mind their business while he's talking, but Williams clocks Zayn. Priest beats down Williams in the corner and Zayn joins in. When Zayn and Priest begin to bicker about who gets to take out Williams, Williams sends them crashing into one another and quickly slips out of the ring before anything else can happen. 

Carmelo Hayes then makes his way to the ring. Ilja Dragunov follows, answering the call for his US Open Challenge after Hayes has extended a direct invitation to him. 

The bell rings and Dragunov delivers a German suplex to Hayes. Dragunov wears down Hayes with a waist lock, but Hayes fires off back elbows on Dragunov. Dragunov then sets up for a Constantine Special on Hayes, but Hayes avoids it and looks to deliver a springboard clothesline to Dragunov before both men level one another with clotheslines.

Dragunov levels Hayes with a chop during the commercial break, but Hayes responds with one of his own. Hayes then delivers a back suplex to Dragunov, but Dragunov hits a bodyslam and a back suplex to Hayes. Hayes responds with a back body drop to Dragunov and delivers a springboard clothesline to him, then goes for a pin but Dragunov kicks out.

Hayes levels Dragunov with a back elbow, but Dragunov lands a couple of boots on the side of Hayes' head and catches him with a step-up enzuigiri. Hayes then sends Dragunov crashing into the mat face first and pins him, but Dragunov kicks out and rains down Hammer and Anvil elbows on Hayes following the end of the commercial break.

Dragunov catches Hayes with the Constantine Special and goes for a pin, but Hayes kicks out and Dragunov sets up for a Coast To Coast on Hayes. Hayes then looks to catch Dragunov with The First 48, but Dragunov manages to level him before Dragunov lands a right hand on Hayes' chest during another commercial break. Dragunov delivers a German suplex to Hayes and gets him up on his shoulders, but Hayes escapes and delivers a springboard DDT to Dragunov. He goes for a pin, but Dragunov kicks out.

Dragunov delivers a superplex to Hayes off the middle rope back from the break, and the pair exchange chops on the ring apron. Hayes catches Dragunov with a twisting neckbreaker on the ring apron, and Hayes then dumps Dragunov back in the ring. Dragunov rocks Hayes with a headbutt, and the two men teeter on the ropes before Dragunov gets Hayes up on his shoulders and connects with a Death Valley Driver to him on the floor.

Dragunov ascends up the ropes, but The Miz appears out of nowhere and pushes him off. Hayes takes advantage and delivers The First 48 to Dragunov for the win.

Winner (and still): Carmelo Hayes

We then head over to a sit-down interview between Cody Rhodes and Michael Cole. Jacob Fatu crashes it as security and Nick Aldis follow him to make sure things don't get out of control, and a tense verbal confrontation ensues with Rhodes referencing Fatu's time in prison during his younger days. 

Chelsea Green and Alba Fyre then make their way to the ring. Jade Cargill follows, and Jordynne Grace makes her way out to ringside to watch the upcoming contest. 

Green blindsides Cargill with a dive and dumps her back in the ring. The bell sounds as Green fires off forearms and back elbows on Cargill in the corner. Cargill whips Green into the corner spine first and shows off by doing some push-ups, then delivers a Fallaway Slam to Green and gets in Grace's face on the outside.

Green blindsides Cargill with a missile dropkick off the top rope when Cargill gets back in the ring, then delivers a meteora to the back of Cargill's neck and follows it up with an open palm strike. Cargill then looks to land a boot on Green, but Green moves out of the way and rolls up Cargill with her feet on the ropes. Cargill kicks out and delivers a Jaded to Green, then sends Fyre crashing off the apron with a big book and connects with a second Jaded on Green for the win.

Winner: Jade Cargill

After the match, Grace grabs a microphone and declares herself as a participant in the 2026 Women's Royal Rumble. She warns Cargill she's coming for her and the WWE Women's Championship after she wins, or says they could square off for the title right now. Cargill gets out of the ring, declining to accept Grace's offer.

The Wyatt Sicks then make their way to the ring. MFT follows, with Solo Sikoa sending Talla Tonga to the back to protect Uncle Howdy's lantern.

Tama and Gacy begin the action. The bell rings and Tama levels Gacy. Sikoa tags in and levels Gacy with a right hand before Tama tags in and Gacy fires off right hands on Tama. Lumis tags in and double teams on Tama with Gacy, then takes him out with a Monkey Flip and sends both Sikoa and Tama crashing out of the ring. Gacy and Lumis then fly off the ring apron to level Sikoa and Tama.

During the commercial break, Lumis dumps Tama in the ring and Tonga Loa takes a cheap slap at him from the outside. Sikoa levels Lumis, but Tama tags in and lands a splash on Lumis in the corner. Sikoa then sets up for a Hip Attack on Lumis, but Lumis avoids it and delivers a back suplex to Sikoa back from the break.

Tama and Gacy tag in, and Gacy levels Sikoa with a back suplex. He delivers a springboard clothesline to Tama, then tags in Lumis. Lumis tosses Tama over to Gacy for Gacy to land a powerbomb on Tama, then ascends to the top rope and lands a splash on Tama. He goes for a pin, but Tama kicks out.

Rowan takes out Tonga Loa and JC Mateo on the outside as Talla Tonga reemerges with the lantern in hand. He takes out Mateo and Loa, but Talla runs over Rowan with a boot and clotheslines him into the barricade area. Uncle Howdy sneaks up behind Talla and cinches in the Mandible Claw on him. Sikoa then levels Howdy with the Samoan Spike and takes possession of the lantern.

Tama distracts the referee as Sikoa hits Lumis with the lantern. Tama then catches Lumis with Cutthorat for the win.

Winners (and new): MFT

Nathan Frazer and Axiom then make their way to the ring. Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae follow. 

The bell rings and the two lock up. Frazer runs the ropes and delivers a single leg dropkick to Gargano, but Gargano dumps Frazer out of the ring.

During the commercial break, Gargano sends Frazer crashing into the top turnbuckle face first. LeRae taunts Frazer with Axiom's mask as Gargano continues beating down Frazer, but Frazer delivers a reverse DDT to Gargano and follows it up with a Frog Splash to Gargano off the top rope. Frazer then flies over the top rope to level Gargan on the outside before he dumps him back in the ring and sets up for a Phoenix Splash.

Gargano avoids it and delivers a Michinoku Driver to Frazer.

Axiom takes back his mash on the outside and uses it to blind her. LeRae accidentally hits Gargano, opening the door for Frazer to pin him for the win.

Winner: Nathan Frazer

After the match, LeRae steals Axiom's mask back and escapes through the crowd as Gargano retreats up the entrance ramp.

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