Title Change On WWE SmackDown

Published: Jan 3, 2026 by Connel Rumsey | Last Updated: Jan 3, 2026 by Connel Rumsey

Connel has over five years of wrestling journalism experience writing about some of the biggest stories from across the wrestling world. Being a fan for 20 years, Connel has an expansive knowledge from a wide range of various wrestling promotions, including WWE, AEW, NJPW, TNA and Joshi.

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WWE

A title change took place on tonight’s episode of WWE SmackDown, the first episode of the show in 2026 in Buffalo.

Back in November, Chelsea Green scored a quick victory over Giulia to become a two-time Women’s United States Champion, while also reigning as AAA Mixed Tag Team Champion.

On tonight’s episode of SmackDown, a rematch for the championship took place, with Giulia looking to recapture the title from Chelsea Green.

The match saw a title change take place, with Giulia scoring the victory over Chelsea to win back the United States Championship, becoming the second two-time champion.

Tonight’s show also saw the men’s United States Championship be defended, with champion Carmelo Hayes making the first televised defence of his title against Johnny Gargano.

WWE NXT’s Jordynne Grace appeared on tonight’s show as a free agent, appearing in segments with both Chelsea Green and Jade Cargill backstage, teasing her potential arrival to the SmackDown brand in the coming weeks.

Tonight’s show also saw the official WWE return of Chelsea’s husband Matt Cardona after his previous cameo appearance as Zack Ryder in the Last Time Is Now Tournament.