For better or worse, tonight's episode of SmackDown will move to a three-hour format. That's set to be the norm for the show moving forward, and while it did little to benefit the blue brand last time, the USA Network is eager for SmackDown to be the same length as RAW.
Still, WWE reportedly has big plans for the show moving forward, and tonight's SmackDown—which emanates live from the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York—definitely boasts a stacked card.
The expected main event is going to be an Ambulance Match, which should finally bring an end to the long-running feud between Damian Priest and Aleister Black. As we're sure you'll already know, the only way to win is to put your opponent in the back of an ambulance and close the doors.
We're also getting an 8-Woman Tag Team Match, with RHIYO (Rhea Ripley and IYO SKY), Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss taking on Nia Jax, Lash Legend, and The Kabuki Warriors.
WWE Women's Champion Jade Cargill was supposed to have her first title defence against Michin. However, the latter has been pulled from the road due to an injury, meaning it's unclear whether we'll still see "The Storm" in action.
Finally, Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre are set to reveal the stipulations of their "Three Stages of Hell" match at the January 9 episode of SmackDown in Berlin, Germany.
Black's second stint with WWE has been far more successful than the first, and that's largely because Vince McMahon is no longer in charge of the company's creative.
Earlier this year, he reflected on the billionaire perceiving his character as a vampire. "That was definitely a Vince thing. I think Vince thought that the character was a vampire and felt like old school Nosferatu, you know, rising up," the former NXT Champion shared. "1920s Count Orlok type. So he felt that he heard a creak, and that’s why he wanted to have the creak there."
Black went on to explain that, while he didn't mind the change too much, he did struggle with the discontinuity between his NXT and main roster presentation. "I don’t personally think that it added a lot. It also kind of negated what I thought of what the character was; it’s a different translation, but at the same time, like I could translate it and it was fine. It didn’t make me a very different character just because it was a creek."
Be sure to check back here later this evening for a full breakdown of all the biggest moments and results from SmackDown.