WWE makes major announcements for first SmackDown of 2025

WWE wants to start 2025 with a bang, and has already made two major announcements for the next episode of SmackDown, which will be held in Phoenix, Arizona, on January 3rd.

Two matches have been announced. Starting with the most important one, the WWE Women’s Championship will be on the line as Nia Jax defends her title against Naomi. The second match, in the men’s division, will see WWE United States Champion Shinsuke Nakamura facing Andrade.

The women’s match ties directly into what happened on this week’s show, where Naomi, along with Bianca Belair and Bayley, defeated Jax, Tiffany Stratton, and Candice LeRae.

.@AndradeElIdolo is looking for payback against @ShinsukeN #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/R1u77kGAS8— WWE (@WWE) December 28, 2024

Next week’s show will debut new format

Next Friday’s show will expand to a three-hour duration, kicking off WWE’s 2025 season.

There are strong rumors about WWE RAW potentially following the same format on Netflix, however at this point everything remains speculation.

SmackDown will continue to be broadcast on USA Network in North America, while around the world it will also become part of the streaming service.