Drew McIntyre Burns Photo Of Dusty Rhodes After Revealing 3 Stages Of Hell Match Stipulation

WWE SmackDown’s January 2, 2026 episode went down at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. This was the start of a new year, and a new three-hour format for the blue brand. They also packed a lot of action into one show.

Drew McIntyre was on SmackDown this week to reveal his version of three stages of Hell. He will face Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Champion in this dangerous gimmick match during the January 9 episode of SmackDown.

During SmackDown, Drew McIntyre announced the stages for this match. The first will be a straight-up pro wrestling match. The second stage will be a falls count anywhere match. The third stage is going to be a cage match. Drew McIntyre promised to break Cody Rhodes physically. Of course, if Cody touches Drew before then, that would mean a title change.

Drew McIntyre really put that to the test when he got Cody Rhodes to chase him out to his bus, but by the time Cody was out, Drew jumped in the ring with a trashcan and a photograph of the American Nightmare and Dusty Rhodes. Drew then set the picture on fire, and WWE officials had to hold Cody back from rushing the ring as McIntyre laughed on.

The WWE SmackDown on January 9, 2026, will take place at the Uber Arena in Berlin, Germany. That will be quite a show for fans in Germany, and we will have full coverage of the whole event here at Ringside News.

What’s your take on WWE SmackDown’s return to a three-hour format? Do you think that this will help the blue brand’s quality? Let us know what you think in the comments section!