WWE SmackDown is scheduled to take place on January 9, 2026, live on the USA Network, at the Uber Arena in Berlin, Germany, and Oba Femi will screw Drew McIntyre in the main event. WWE is on the road to Royal Rumble 2026, where Rumble matches will take place for both the men’s and women’s division to determine who will main event WrestleMania 42 for the respective world title matches.
This week on SmackDown, three matches have been officially scheduled: Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Drew McIntyre for the WWE Title in 3 Stages of Hell Match, Trick Williams vs. Rey Fenix in an Exhibition Match, and Wyatt Sicks vs. MFTs in an 8-Man Tag Match. This show is the first SmackDown of 2026. Without further ado, here are the official SmackDown Predictions for Jan 9, 2026.
Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Drew McIntyre [WWE Title: 3 Stages of Hell Match]
This is a tricky situation in which the mind says Cody Rhodes but the heart says Drew McIntyre. Jacob Fatu will screw McIntyre to get revenge for that backstage attack that took him out of commission in October. Oba Femi will screw McIntyre to get revenge for ruining his main roster debut against Rhodes at SNME in December.
Even the referee will screw him. McIntyre has more targets on his back than Rhodes, and he is not even the champ. All of these screw-jobs can happen in stage one and stage two, but they will not happen where it matters most in Stage 3. McIntyre will defy those odds and defend the title against Orton and Rhodes at Royal Rumble.
Prediction: Drew McInCrier
Trick Williams vs. Rey Fenix [Exhibition Match]
Trick Williams just got called up from NXT to SmackDown, and this is his debut match on the blue brand. After an impressive promo battle with Sami Zayn last week, he must follow that up with some momentum in the ring. A victory over Rey Fenix is necessary to make a statement to Zayn, who will be on commentary for this match.
It was questionable as to why Fenix is Williams’ opponent here, as there have been no notable interactions between Fenix and Williams. However, in retrospect, Fenix was Zayn’s sidekick in the feud against Bloodline, so that adds up. Zayn is on a mission to “humble” Williams, but Williams will get under his skin before that occurs.
Prediction: Trick Williams
Wyatt Sicks vs. MFTs [8-Man Tag Match]
Wyatt Sicks and MFTs have been feuding for weeks. Solo Sikoa even said that he is going to take everything that Bray Wyatt bestowed onto Uncle Howdy. This feud could not get any darker, as wrestling tends to have more than one royal family. These families feel that the pro wrestling business is not big enough for both of them.
Wyatt Sicks have been pretty boring as champs, it’s time for a change. The Bloodline is not necessarily the ideal choice to dethrone them, but WWE is definitely building up a compelling story for them to be the ones to do it. Since this is a non-title match, MFTs will win to get one step closer to winning tag gold.
Prediction: Bloodline
Confirmed Match Card & Segments for 01/05 WWE Raw Episode:
- Jacob Fatu Return
- Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Drew McIntyre for the WWE Championship in.3 Stages of Hell Match
- Trick Williams vs. Rey Fenix in an Exhibition Match
- Wyatt Sicks vs. MFts in an 8-Man Tag Match
- Oba Femi Call Up
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Mark Justice is a Cornell University Graduate with a bachelor’s degree (B.S), double majoring in biological and environmental sciences, and a law degree (J.D.), specializing in environmental law and international law. His passion for pro wrestling stems from his very first time watching the WWE in 2009. As a decade-old pro wrestling fan, he continues to fulfill this passion by writing for Let Them Wrestle, where he will cover both WWE and AEW content. You can email Mark Justice at markjustice728@gmail.com, especially if you are a pro wrestling ‘mark’ like him. You can also subscribe to his brand new Youtube Channel at the link below: https://www.youtube.com/@markjustice1327