Spoiler On Title Change During December 26 WWE SmackDown

WWE fans love traditions, but nothing can last forever. That has led to Ilja Dragunov nixing something that he has made popular once again in recent memory. Then he dropped the title anyway.

We have complete spoiler results for the December 26 edition of WWE SmackDown. During those tapings, along the way, we have a title change.

Ilja Dragunov has been a strong United States Champion, and he carried on the Open Challenge idea that John Cena made famous. However, those open challenge matches are going to end. That was followed by him dropping that belt, so ending the open challenges was kind of a moot point.

During the December 26 episode of WWE SmackDown, Ilja Dragunov announced that he is ending the United States Open Challenge. Then he faced Carmelo Hayes for the title, which saw Melo not missing on this title opportunity. The match ended with Hayes walking away as the new WWE United States Champion. After the match, Dragunov put the title belt around Hayes’ waist.

There are a lot of spoilers from next week’s SmackDown already. Joe Hendry made a giant splash as he participated in a Holiday tradition. That isn’t all, because Trick Williams was also there to make a big statement.

WWE has a lot of things going right now as they close out 2025. Obviously, fans will have to strap in and enjoy the ride. That being said, they may not have any open challenges waiting for them in 2026. We will also have a new US Champion.

What’s your take on Ilja Dragunov dropping the United States Title? Do you think this was the right move? Let us know what you think in the comments section!