• SmackDown Star Is In Concussion Protocol
PWInsider has confirmed that SmackDown wrestler B-Fab suffered a concussion during the WWE Holiday Tour stop in Syracuse on January 1st. She has since been placed into WWE’s concussion protocol.
B-Fab was injured while working a match against WWE Women’s Champion Jade Cargill, prompting WWE to adjust the remaining dates. Bayley was brought in to take her place and finish the tour opposite Cargill.
The situation follows another recent injury. Michin was sidelined last week after suffering a shoulder injury during a match against Cargill.
• Real Reason USA Network Wants SmackDown To Be 3 Hours
WWE SmackDown returned to a three-hour format on USA Network this past Friday, but the expanded runtime is not expected to be permanent. Bryan Alvarez reports that the current plan mirrors what WWE and the network did last year. SmackDown ran three hours for the early portion of 2025 before shifting back to its traditional two-hour format, and Alvarez believes the same approach is being applied again in 2026.
Alvarez noted that comments made during the broadcast itself suggested the move was intentional but temporary, describing it as an annual pattern rather than a long-term change. He added that he had been told ahead of time that the three-hour format was only expected to last through the first part of the year.
According to Alvarez, the extended SmackDown is part of a broader programming strategy. USA Network is once again looking to use SmackDown as a strong lead-in while developing another show aimed at wrestling fans for the latter half of the year.
He referenced past attempts to pair SmackDown with adjacent programming, including projects tied to Braun Strowman (called “Everything on the Menu with Braun Strowman”), and said the network appears to be searching for a similar concept to follow SmackDown once it returns to two hours.
By getting fans used to the 3-hour SmackDown format, USA Network intends to make the fans stick around for another hour for another show, as the Braun Strowman show after SmackDown last year was considered a viewership success.
• Matt Cardona’s WWE Return Forced Another Promotion To Change Plans
Matt Cardona has signed with WWE and returned to the company on the January 2nd episode of SmackDown. Before returning to WWE, Cardona had won the JCW World Championship. Juggalo Championship Wrestling in an indy promotion currently run by former WWF/WCW/TNA writer Vince Russo.
Due to Cardona joining WWE, JCW will have to change their plans now. Russo issued the following statement about it:
“I haven’t said anything so I will now. I am 100% THRILLED for Matt Cardona. I know this was Matt’s Goal, and the opportunity to be able to be on the road and travel with the lovely Chelsea Green once again is a BEAUTIFUL THING! I LOVE both these guys—TRULY!!!
I’m also glad that I got to meet Matt even if it was for only ONE NIGHT. Quite Frankly—that was one of MY GOALS!
Now as a writer are there going to have to be rewrites? Of course there are, but there are ALWAYS RE-WRITES, and to a REAL Writer—that’s a Challenge that is ALWAYS Welcomed.
Vince McMahon told me almost 30 years ago, ‘No One Talent is Bigger than the Company’, and he was 100% CORRECT. It takes a WHOLE ROSTER, and at JCW Lunacy I am literally IN LOVE with the Men and Women that I work with. Every one of them play a HUGE PART of the process and the success of JCW Lunacy!!!
So–onward and upward!!! Now the question—WHO WILL STEP UP?!!!”
Russo posted another message later:
“Does anybody really believe that you don’t know the risk involved when you put your belt on a former WWE WRESTLER? That you don’t understand that he/she could return to the company at any time?
Of course you do, but like anything else you weigh the risk vs. the reward. Even if Matt Cardona is JCW Champion for just a day, that’s a huge win for the company based on WHO MATT IS. That’s the REWARD.
The RISK? He goes back to the WWE so you put the belt on somebody else.
PROP—-REMEMBER? NOT REAL. So, I’m supposed to be ‘mad’ about that?
It’s unbelievable that so many that ‘know me’ actually know nothing about me.
Truth is that I’m really excited about who’s going to be the next
JCW Champion because he’s more deserving than anyone else I can think of.
And, I think it’s REALLY COOL that he doesn’t even know yet!
Stay tuned—Thursday nights 7pm est on YouTube!”
