This Friday’s (Jan. 16) episode of WWE SmackDown takes place at OVO Arena Wembley in London, England.
WWE is running a tournament to determine who will challenge for the WWE championship at Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia on January 31. All four opening round matches are scheduled for SmackDown in London. That includes the following bouts:
WWE already advertised these tournament matches for London by the end of last week’s episode. But just a short while ago, WWE announced that London is also getting a title match on SmackDown; it will be Carmelo Hayes defending the United States championship in an open challenge. It sounds like someone from the UK will answer the call.
Since winning the belt at the end of 2025, Hayes has already successfully defended the gold in separate matches against Johnny Gargano and Shinsuke Nakamura.
New WWE Champion Drew McIntyre will also be on the show. I’m sure the live fans in London will loudly cheer McIntyre on as he rubs his title win in Cody Rhodes’ loser face.
Do you think Carmelo Hayes will lose the United States championship to a UK wrestler on SmackDown in London? What will Drew McIntyre say during his first TV appearance as the new champion? Let me know in the comments below, Cagesiders.