WWE adds brutal stipulation to end long-running rivalry
Summary
– Damian Priest and Aleister Black will collide in an Ambulance Match on January 2
– The stipulation was announced ahead of SmackDown’s New Year episode in Buffalo
– The match is expected to serve as the final chapter of their months-long feud
WWE has officially raised the stakes for the ongoing rivalry between Damian Priest and Aleister Black by adding a dangerous stipulation to their upcoming SmackDown showdown. The two will meet in an Ambulance Match on the January 2 episode of SmackDown.
The New Year’s edition of SmackDown will take place at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York, marking the brand’s return to a three-hour format. Priest versus Black was already positioned as a featured match, but the added stipulation significantly escalates the intensity.
An Ambulance Match removes traditional win conditions, as there are no pinfalls, submissions, count-outs, or disqualifications. Victory can only be achieved by incapacitating an opponent and locking them inside the back of an ambulance.
This will be the first Ambulance Match in WWE since NXT Halloween Havoc 2024. The stipulation fits seamlessly into the violent history between Priest and Black, who have traded wins and brutal encounters since August.
The January 2 contest will be their fifth televised singles match during this rivalry. Previous clashes included a punishing Last Man Standing Match that Black won with assistance from Zelina Vega, further intensifying the personal nature of the feud.
Black has consistently framed the rivalry as psychological warfare, stating his goal was never to defeat Priest but to strip away his moral code and expose a darker version of himself. The Ambulance Match now provides the perfect setting for that philosophy to reach its conclusion.
The episode will also feature additional marquee matches, including WWE Women’s Champion Jade Cargill defending against Michin and a stacked eight-woman tag team bout featuring Alexa Bliss, Charlotte Flair, Rhea Ripley, and IYO SKY.
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