Brutal main event ends long-standing SmackDown milestone
Summary
– Damian Priest defeated Aleister Black in SmackDown’s first-ever ambulance match
– The historic bout took place on the January 2 episode in Buffalo, New York
– Priest closed the ambulance doors to secure a decisive victory
WWE SmackDown’s January 2, 2026, episode from the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York, delivered a historic main event that pushed both competitors to their limits.
Damian Priest and Aleister Black closed the show in the first ambulance match ever held on the SmackDown brand. Despite more than 1,300 episodes airing since SmackDown’s debut, the stipulation had never been used on the blue brand until this night.
The match lived up to its violent expectations as both men brawled throughout the arena, using chairs, tables, and anything else within reach. Early attempts to end the match were teased with a stretcher spot, but neither competitor stayed down long enough for the ambulance to decide the outcome.
Aleister Black appeared close to victory after placing Priest on the stretcher and pulling him toward the ambulance. Priest fought back and kept the match alive as the action spilled up the ramp and around the open vehicle.
The match shifted again when Zelina Vega opened the ambulance doors, only for Rhea Ripley to appear and take her out with a Riptide. The moment drew a strong reaction from the crowd and removed Vega from the equation.
Both men continued trading blows in front of the ambulance as the crowd chanted in approval. Priest survived a knee strike and countered with a fire extinguisher blast, followed by a Razor’s Edge that sent Black crashing through the ambulance windshield.
The fight escalated to the top of the ambulance, where Priest delivered a chokeslam through a table. With Black unable to recover, Priest forced him into the ambulance and shut the doors to secure the victory.
The win cemented Damian Priest as the winner of SmackDown’s first-ever ambulance match and brought a definitive end to his rivalry with Aleister Black.
