The most recent episode of Friday Night SmackDown left fans in complete shock after what happened in the headliner.
Drew McIntyre became the new Undisputed WWE Champion after winning the Three Stages of Hell Match against Cody Rhodes.
A returning Jacob Fatu did cause problems in the final moments of the match after attacking McIntyre before turning his attention to Rhodes, leaving ‘The Scottish Psychopath’ to escape the cage and become a four-time world champion.
After finally dethroning ‘The American Nightmare’, McIntyre will be facing one of eight challengers in a tournament to become the #1 contender.
The Plan for the eight-man tournament
On the next episode of SmackDown, to be hosted in London, four singles matches will take place, as announced by General Manager Nick Aldi.
The winners of those singles matches will then feature in a Fatal Four-Way at Saturday Night’s Main Event (SNME) the week after, taking place in Montreal, Canada.
The superstar who wins that match at SNME will then face Drew McIntyre for the Undisputed WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble, which is being held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
With all the potential number one contenders confirmed, Rhodes and Fatu are not included in the eight-man tournament, as it’s likely they’re going to begin a feud after the events of the last SmackDown episode.
The matchups
Damian Priest vs Solo Sikoa
The former World Heavyweight Champion has earned a spot in the tournament after beating Aleister Black in an Ambulance Match in the first SmackDown episode of 2026.
Priest does have some heated history with McIntyre, as he cashed in his Money In The Bank contract on the Scotsman at WrestleMania 40 to win the world title.
Not forgetting, ‘The Archer of Infamy’ faced the current Undisputed WWE Champion in last year’s WrestleMania in a Sin City Street Fight, where he lost by pinfall.
The leader of the MFT stable recently won with his alliance in an eight-man tag team match to defeat The Wyatt Sicks in what has been a long-lasting feud.
Sikoa does not have much history with McIntyre, but he was the one responsible for costing The Scottish Psychopath his match against Roman Reigns at Clash at the Castle in 2022.
The 32-year-old wrestler has previously challenged for the Undisputed WWE title before, but lost to Rhodes at SummerSlam in a Bloodline Rules match and a Steel Cage match on SmackDown.
Matt Cardona vs Trick Williams
Formerly known as Zack Ryder, the New York-born wrestler confirmed his return to WWE after defeating Kit Wilson at the beginning of January on SmackDown.
Cardona caught up with Rhodes before his Three Stages of Hell Match, stating that he is focused on capturing the Undisputed WWE Championship.
While the 40-year-old hasn’t been in the ring with McIntyre in just over six years, he did once beat the Scotsman on an episode of SmackDown, two days before they both went head-to-head in a 12-man tag team match at WrestleMania 28.
Williams made his debut on SmackDown on January 2nd, confronting fan-favourite Sami Zayn, which clearly didn’t make the Canadian very happy.
A week later, the South Carolinian interrupted Randy Orton‘s promo, almost paying the price as he nearly was on the receiving end of an RKO. He went on to beat Rey Fenix in a singles match, winning by pinfall.
The former college footballer has become a two-time NXT Champion and an NXT North American Champion, but he has his eye on WWE gold and looks to cause problems for the newly crowned champion.
Sami Zayn vs Ilja Dragunov
Before his promo 10 days ago, the last appearance ‘The Underdog from the Underground’ made was SmackDown in a Survivor Series Elimination tag match, where his team had lost to the MFTs.
Prior to that, Zayn was on a United States Championship run, defending his title every week on SmackDown after he dethroned Sikoa in August.
The four-time Intercontinental Champion lost the US title to his upcoming opponent, and the 41-year-old plans revenge while keeping his quest to become a world champion in WWE alive.
Dragunov returned to WWE and won the US title, then went on a lengthy run, just like his tournament opponent.
‘The Mad Dragon’ hasn’t been seen since he lost the championship to Carmelo Hayes during the Christmas period of SmackDown, as he’s hoping to come back with redemption.
The Russian hasn’t been involved in a world title picture in his WWE career, but has surprised many when defeating the champion, especially when he beat Gunther for the NXT UK title at NXT Takeover 36.
Randy orton vs the miz
‘The Viper’ made his long-awaited return on the new year of SmackDown, producing two RKOs to The Miz before warning Rhodes on his championship status.
The 14-time world champion won his last big championship against McIntyre at Hell in a Cell in 2020, but did not hold the title for long as the Scotsman soon regained the throne in an episode of Monday Night Raw.
Orton is the most experienced in situations like this, and he hopes to take full advantage of the opportunity to face a former rival at the Royal Rumble.
Before the return of The Apex Predator, The Miz was ranting on how he missed out on being John Cena’s final WWE opponent after miraculously getting two opportunities in The Last Time Is Now tournament.
The 45-year-old is a two-time WWE Champion, with both monumental moments happening with a Money In The Bank contract, especially his most recent one, where he cashed in on McIntyre at Elimination Chamber in 2021.
Just like his opponent, The Miz is a veteran in the WWE and hopes that his experience and ring tricks pay off and help him become the #1 contender for the WWE Undisputed Championship.