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WWE SmackDown Preview (01/03/25): Nia Jax Defends WWE Women's Championship Against Naomi

Will Naomi get a fair opportunity to dethrone Nia Jax or will Tiffany Stratton & Candice LeRae once again cost her the WWE Women's Championship on SmackDown?
Rick Ucchino|
Naomi gets one more shot at Nia Jax
Naomi gets one more shot at Nia Jax | WWE.com

WWE invades the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona tonight to kick-off a brand new era for Friday Night SmackDown.

The Blue Brand is moving to three hours starting with this evening's show and WWE is promising to bring more passion, energy and action with the addition of that third hour.

Speaking of passions, they are at an all-time high between WWE Champion Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens. Will they be able to steer clear of one another ahead of their ladder match at the Royal Rumble in Indianapolis or will GM Nick Aldis have another melee on his hands?

What action will the Street Profits take now that Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins know it wasn't Los Garza that attacked them backstage a few weeks back? The Profits will no doubt be looking to get even against #DIY, but Pretty Deadly could soon have to face the consequences for covering up the actions of Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano.

There's a big fight on the docket tonight as Nia Jax defends her WWE Women's Championship and United States Champion Shinsuke Nakamura is also in action. Here's everything that's been announced for tonight's episode:

Match Card (Announced)

Nia Jax vs. Naomi for the WWE Women's Championship

United States Champion Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Andrade

Nia Jax puts her WWE Women's Championship on the line against Naomi

After picking up the win for her team in last week's six-woman tag team match, Naomi has earned herself one more shot at Nia Jax and her WWE Women's Championship. It was nearly two months ago when outside distractions by Tiffany Stratton and Candice LeRae cost Naomi the title, will Nia's cohorts try to interfere again tonight? Could Tiffany go a step further and cash-in her Money in the Bank contract?

Shinsuke Nakamura takes on Andrade in a non-title match-up

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Andrade
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Andrade | WWE.com

Shinsuke Nakamura is riding high after his victory this week over Ulka Sasaki at NOAH The New Year 2025 in Tokyo, but the United States Champion is returning to WWE to confront an extremely upset and motivated Andrade. El Idolo claims that Nakamura's mind games will have no effect on him and he's promising to expose him tonight on SmackDown.

How To Watch WWE SmackDown Tonight

Time: 8 p.m. EST (7p.m. CST)

TV Channel: USA Network

Streaming: Fubo TV, Peacock, YouTube TV, DirecTV, Hulu+ Live TV

Published
Rick Ucchino
RICK UCCHINO

Rick Ucchino is the Assistant Editor & Content Coordinator for The Takedown on SI. He also works full-time for 700WLW Radio in Cincinnati, Ohio as a local news and sports anchor, in addition to his time covering the Cincinnati Bengals for Sirius XM. Rick has been on the professional wrestling beat since 2019, having provided coverage for a number of outlets, including Fightful, SB Nation’s Cageside Seats and the Bleav Podcast Network. With an educational background in theater, creative writing and journalism, Rick focuses primarily on the storytelling aspect of pro wrestling, but he’s no stranger to the squared circle himself. He had the privilege of training with former WWE & WCW cruiserweight Jimmy Wang Yang for nearly two years and retired early due to back issues with a perfect 1-0 record in singles competition. Rick is a married father of two incredibly adorable children, who are budding pro wrestling fans themselves. Much to the chagrin of their mother. You can reach Rick at rwucchino@gmail.com

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