Huge return to SmackDown as Giulia loses major match two weeks after winning US title

Giulia is two weeks into her second reign as United States Women’s Champion, but on the January 16 episode, she would lose a major match involving a returning superstar.

This week on SmackDown, Charlotte Flair finally returned after her absence during the January 9 episode in Berlin. In case you missed it, Alexa Bliss took on United States Women’s Champion Giulia. Thanks to interference from Nia Jax and Lash Legend, it didn’t work out for her and she would lose this match. This week, Charlotte and Alexa Bliss reunited, with the Queen telling her partner that she shouldn’t have faced the Champion alone, knowing the numbers game would be against her. Regardless, they seemed to be on a united front.

Charlotte made her return to the ring and her first match in 2026 saw her team up with Alexa Bliss to defeat Giulia and Kiana James. It was a successful comeback, until Nia Jax and Lash Legend turned things around after the match.

This happened following a backstage segment in which Charlotte Flair told Nia Jax and Lash Legend to leave, and after the match, the US champion would get into a heated confrontation with the duo, who had initially eliminated her moments earlier. Lots of tension in the division, and it’s going to be interesting to see if this all leads to a potential US women’s title match.

As of now, Alexa Bliss looks set to earn another shot at the US title, and the second time around, she will most likely have Charlotte by her side. So far, only Chelsea Green, The Beautiful Madness and Zelina Vega have held the title, with Vega serving as something of a transitional champion in the first half of 2025. Things could heat up in 2026.