WWE Smackdown Highlights: Randy Orton made a surprise return on the first episode of SmackDown in 2026. He returned after several months away from WWE and immediately became a central focus of the show.
The episode opened with The Miz complaining about how he had been treated by WWE. Randy Orton interrupted him, rejected The Miz’s offer to team up, and delivered an RKO to a loud crowd reaction.
After the segment, Orton spoke with Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. Orton said that after finishing his issues with Drew McIntyre, he intends to challenge Rhodes for the World title.
Randy Orton had limited appearances in 2025. He was originally set to face Kevin Owens at WrestleMania 41, but the match was cancelled due to Owens’ neck injury. Orton instead defeated Joe Hendry in a short match.
Following WrestleMania 41, Orton renewed his rivalry with John Cena and challenged him for the Undisputed WWE Championship at Backlash, where he lost. He later reached the finals of the King of the Ring tournament but was defeated by Cody Rhodes at Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia.
Orton’s last appearance before his return was at SummerSlam Day 1, where he teamed with Jelly Roll and lost to Drew McIntyre and Logan Paul. His return signals a renewed push toward the World title in 2026.
WWE Smackdown Highlights: Giulia Regains Women’s United States Championship on SmackDown
Giulia won back the women’s United States championship on the January 2, 2026 episode of SmackDown. The title change happened as WWE kicked off the new year with a three-hour show.
Giulia had previously lost the championship to Chelsea Green in November in a very short match. Chelsea Green’s title reign saw little activity, which led to the rematch on SmackDown.
Earlier in the night, Chelsea Green asked SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis to cancel the match. Aldis refused and warned her that the title would be stripped if she did not compete.
During the match, Green nearly won after hitting Giulia with the Rough Ryder. Kiana James then distracted the referee, allowing Giulia time to recover.
Giulia capitalized soon after and defeated Chelsea Green with the Northern Lights Bomb to regain the women’s United States championship.
The win comes as SmackDown returns to a three-hour format, with expectations that Giulia will now receive more focus on the show.
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