5 Ups & 5 Downs From WWE SmackDown (2 Jan - Results & Review)

1. Trick Williams Throws His Name In The Hat

Segment of the night goes to a war of words between Sami Zayn and Trick Williams. It was to the point and excellently handled from beginning to end. Sami was in the middle of a story about explaining to his son why he’s never been World Champion when Trick interrupted and dripped star power. Williams said that, unlike Sami, it wouldn’t take him 20 years to get to the top.

He plans to be World Champ sooner rather than later.

Zayn didn't like that and said that Trick needed to be humbled pronto. This is a sweet first step for Williams on the main roster, to be honest. The story of Sami humbling him so he can feed his own title dreams works, and the matches these guys could have should be stunning. First up, Trick has Rey Fenix one on one; Fenix has been lost in the shuffle for a while now, but he can be trusted to put on a show and look competitive against the former 2-time NXT Champion.

Williams must be thrilled with his performance on Friday night. He looked every bit the top star as soon as he walked through the curtain. The fans in Buffalo knew exactly who was coming out (which isn't guaranteed due to the standard of some entrance music these days!), and they were buzzed to see him confront somebody as respected as Sami.

This is only the start for someone who could, all going well, be the breakout main roster of 2026. "Whoop That Trick" indeed.

What did you think of WWE's first SmackDown in 2026? For more wrestling, check out 12 WWE Nightmares That Could Come True In 2026 and 10 Things You Learn Binge Watching Every WWE Raw From 2008!