From going back to being a three hour program, to crowning a new Undisputed WWE Champion – WWE SmackDown has underwent several changes already in 2026.
On the road to WrestleMania 42, there should be even more adjustments that will help completely change the picture of Friday nights moving forward.
Here are six potential changes to WWE SmackDown.
6. Royce Keys Debuts
At WWE Royal Rumble 2026, former AEW star Powerhouse Hobbs made his debut as Royce Keys in the Men’s Royal Rumble Match.
After his strong showing during the match, many fans believed Keys was in store for some big things in his future in the company.
However, rather than building on his momentum, WWE has not featured Keys again on WWE television since the last premium live event.
Keys debuting on Friday Night SmackDown will introduce a brand new star who could dominate the competition and start to make his presence felt in a meaningful way.
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5. Street Profits Return
Recently, fans have seen The Street Profits make their return to WWE live events after several months on the sidelines.
After losing the WWE Tag Team Championships in the summer of 2025, Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins found themselves off of the company’s programming following their loss to The Wyatt Sicks at Clash In Paris 2025.
With the SmackDown tag team division being mostly focused on The Wyatt Sicks and The MFTs, there hasn’t been a ton of opportunities for one of the most decorated duos in WWE today.
The Street Profits making their return could see them get back in the mix and potentially add another reign as WWE Tag Team Champions under their belt again.
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4. Aleister Black Begins To Stalk Randy Orton
On the February 6 episode of Friday Night SmackDown, Randy Orton defeated Solo Sikoa and Aleister Black to qualify for the Men’s Elimination Chamber.
Following this loss, Black sent a message to Orton, stating that he seems to be finding his old self in his bid to once again become a world champion.
This message could signal Black going after “The Legend Killer” in a new focus for the former NXT Champion.
Black stalking Orton could be a new direction for him to go after concluding his rivalry with Damian Priest at the start of 2026.
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3. No More United States Championship Open Challenges
On the December 26 edition of Friday Night SmackDown, Carmelo Hayes defeated Ilja Dragunov to become the new United States Champion.
Since then, Hayes has adopted the United States Championship Open Challenge, scoring victories over a litany of challengers, such as Shinsuke Nakamura, Rey Fenix and TNA X-Division Champion Leon Slater.
During a recent interview with Good Karma Wrestling, Hayes admitted that he did not want to overrely on the U.S. Open Challenge.
Wanting more storylines over the title, Melo could set the stage for the open challenge to slowly go away and put his attention towards crafting memorable rivalries over the gold.
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2. Jacob Fatu Challenges Drew McIntyre To An Undisputed WWE Championship Match
On the February 13 episode of SmackDown, Cody Rhodes defeated Sami Zayn and Jacob Fatu to qualify for the Men’s Elimination Chamber.
The win for Rhodes came as a result of outside interference from Drew McIntyre who tried to screw over “The American Nightmare” and took out Fatu with a powerbomb through the announce table.
After costing him the opportunity to move on to WrestleMania 42, “The Samoan Werewolf” could redirect his focus on McIntyre and challenge him for the Undisputed WWE Championship.
With WWE Elimination Chamber 2026 just over a week away, Fatu could find another way to WrestleMania 42 by challenging and beating McIntyre to become the new Undisputed WWE Champion at the event.
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1. Bianca Belair Returns To Announce An Appearance At WrestleMania 42
Fans have been wondering about the whereabouts of Bianca Belair after being sidelined for nearly a year.
Recently, Belair took to social media to reveal that she was undergoing another surgery to recover from a serious broken knuckles injury.
While she might not step back in the ring to compete just yet, “The E.S.T. of WWE” has been rumored to take part in the WrestleMania 42 two-night event in some form or fashion.
Belair returning to SmackDown could set the stage for an announcement where she is revealed to be the special guest referee for the WWE Women’s Championship match on the show or even become the official host of the biggest show of the year.
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