• Reason Behind Aleister Black’s Recent WWE TV Absence
Aleister Black has been absent from Friday Night SmackDown for nearly three weeks, but the reason is a mix of creative storytelling and a real-life minor injury. His last appearance was an Ambulance Match against Damian Priest on the January 2, 2026, episode, which marked SmackDown’s return to a three-hour format.
According to PWInsider, WWE made the creative decision to keep Black off television to “sell” the brutal nature of his loss to Priest. While the Dutch Destroyer has been sidelined, Damian Priest has leveraged that momentum to enter the Undisputed WWE Championship hunt, defeating Solo Sikoa to secure a spot in the #1 Contender’s match at Saturday Night’s Main Event.
The hiatus was reportedly pre-planned, but there is a physical component as well. Black reportedly suffered a small fracture to his tailbone during one of the high-impact spots in the Ambulance Match.
While this is a real injury, sources note that it is not severe enough to keep him out if the company desperately needed him; however, the timing allows him to heal while enhancing the storyline impact of Priest’s victory.
• WWE Planning Long Awaited Match For WrestleMania 42
After years of anticipation and two previously canceled attempts, The Ring General and The Beast Incarnate may finally collide on the Grandest Stage of Them All. According to the Wrestling Observer, WWE is currently planning to book Gunther vs. Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas.
The road to this clash has been long. WWE first considered the match after the pair’s face-off in the 2023 Men’s Royal Rumble match, but officials reportedly felt Gunther had not yet reached his “peak”. A second attempt at the match for WrestleMania 40 was scrapped due to Lesnar’s involvement in the Janel Grant legal proceedings. Now, with those hurdles seemingly cleared, Lesnar is expected to make his return at Royal Rumble 2026 later this month.
Gunther enters this potential feud at the absolute height of his career. He is coming off a massive victory at Saturday Night’s Main Event, where he made John Cena tap out in the legend’s final match.
The former two-time World Heavyweight Champion has been vocal about his desire to face Lesnar for years, viewing it as the ultimate test of his “sacred” in-ring philosophy.
With both heavyweights likely entering the Royal Rumble match, fans are bracing for a confrontation that could officially set the stage for a historic battle at WrestleMania 42.
• Spoiler On Who Will Face Drew McIntyre For The WWE Title At Royal Rumble 2026
At Saturday Night’s Main Event on January 24, Randy Orton vs. Trick Williams vs. Damian Priest vs. Sami Zayn will take place.
The winner of this match will go on to face Drew McIntyre for the Undisputed WWE Championship at Royal Rumble 2026.
According to the Wrestling Observer, Zayn will win this match and earn an Undisputed Title match in Saudi Arabia on January 31.
On the January 9 episode, Sami said there’s a small part of him that hopes McIntyre defeats Cody Rhodes to become the WWE Champion, because he wants to beat Drew to win the title.
This past Friday on SmackDown, McIntyre confronted Zayn backstage. Drew reminded Sami that he has beaten him 11 times, but while Sami has beaten him 0 times.
