As for the match itself, Three Stages of Hell promises brutality—not gratuitous violence, but the kind of physical, psychological warfare that will benefit from SmackDown’s new three-hour format. This won’t be blood and guts. It doesn’t need to be. It’ll be a grown man’s fight.

After the less-than-stellar state SmackDown found itself in for the better part of 2025, moving the show back to three hours at the onset of 2026 was hardly the correct course of action.

SmackDown was WWE's worst weekly show last year... but Triple H may have just turned things around for the blue brand.

The rumors are buzzing, and for once, they aren't just about who's winning; they’re about where Oba Femi will land.

Also on SmackDown, McIntyre revealed the stipulations for next week's Three Stages of Hell match with Cody Rhodes