WWE SmackDown results, recap, grades: Damian Priest throws Aleister Black off an ambulance

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

Damian Priest did Aleister Black the courtesy of putting him in an ambulance. Black needed it after their grueling ambulance match that headlined WWE SmackDown.

Priest and Black battled in the sixth ambulance match in WWE history. They took their rivalry to brutal new heights. Multiple tables snapped, a windshield was dented and Black took a serious fall. Ultimately, Priest emerged victorious, getting revenge on Black after the latter won their Last Man Standing match in October.

Speaking of rare matches, next week's Three Stages of Hell match is also the sixth in history. Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre will compete under the rare ruleset with the undisputed WWE championship at stake. McIntyre stacked the deck in his favor, not only through his chosen stipulations but by preying on Rhodes' temper. McIntyre evoked the name of Rhodes' late father and weaponized a no-contact clause against the champion. 

CBS Sports was with you all night with recaps and highlights of all the action from KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York.

Priest sends Black packing in an ambulance, Three Stages of Hell set

Heading into SmackDown, the big mystery was which stipulations McIntyre would choose for his Three Stages of Hell match with Rhodes. McIntyre pondered long and hard about what match types would hurt the champ most. First, McIntye wanted to prove himself the better wrestler by beating Rhodes in a traditional one-on-one match. Next, a Falls Count Anywhere, so he can really hurt his opponent. Finally, if by some miracle Rhodes won either match, McIntyre wants to break him physically inside a steel cage.

Rhodes will be stripped of the undisputed WWE title if he lays a hand on McIntyre before their match. Next week's challenger used this condition to get under Rhodes' skin. McIntyre pulled out a framed photo of the two superstars from 2008. McIntyre said the late Dusty Rhodes, Cody's father, would be ashamed to see the man he's become. McIntyre tossed the framed photo on the floor, shattering it under his feet. Rhodes went ballistic, giving chase to McIntyre. The only thing that stopped Rhodes from attacking McIntyre and having his title stripped was a security fleet. McIntyre lit the photo on fire before tossing it into a trash can.

Damian Priest def. Aleister Black in an ambulance match. Black ushered in a chaotic start to the match by attacking Priest prematurely. The ambulance match only escalated from there. Priest ripped the stretcher out of the vehicle and rolled it into Black's midsection. Later, Black drove Priest through a table with a meteora. Zelina Vega was a difference maker ringside, tipping the scales in favor of her husband, Black. Towards the end of the match, Black rolled Priest up the ramp. Vega opened the door only to be greeted by Rhea Ripley, Priest's ally, lying in wait. Ripley chased Vega into the ring and delivered Riptide before waving to Black with a cheeky grin. 

Black nearly shut the ambulance doors on Priest, forcing increasingly desperate responses from his opponent. First, Priest blocked the door with his foot. Then, he sprayed a fire extinguisher in Black's face. Lastly, Priest blinded Black with a fireball. A Razor's Edge into the ambulance windshield permanently turned the tide in Priest's favor, but his bloodlust had no limits. Priest dragged Black to the top of the ambulance, throwing him off the roof through a table. Priest dragged Black's carcass into the ambulance and sealed the doors for the victory.

McIntyre and Rhodes are playing a familiar game. McIntyre plays psychological games, and Rhodes' temper gets the better of him. Historically, the next step in this routine involves McIntyre losing the big match. We'll see next week if WWE sticks to the script or makes a surprise pivot. Far more exciting was Friday's main event. Priest and Black delivered a ripping match with big spots galore. It was a great, lengthy main event for SmackDown's return to three-hour programming. Grade: B+

What else happened on WWE SmackDown?

• Randy Orton RKOed The Miz in his return, The Miz was airing various grievances with the company when Orton interrupted. 
• Alexa Bliss, Charlotte Flair, Iyo Sky, and Rhea Ripley def. The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka & Kairi Sane), Lash Legend, and Nia Jax via pinfall after Sky landed a moonsault on Sane.
• Matt Cardona def. Kit Wilson via pinfall with a Rough Ryder. Cardona returned under his Zack Ryder pseudonym before being introduced as Cardona for the first time on the main roster.
• Sami Zayn promised to become a world champion in 2026. Trick Williams interrupted him, claiming that, unlike Zayn, it wouldn't take him 20 years to become a world champ.
• United States Championship -- Carmelo Hayes (c) def. Johnny Gargano via pinfall with Nothing But Net to retain the U.S. title.
• Jade Cargill and Jordynne Grace have a verbal confrontation backstage.
• Women's United States Championship -- Giliua def. Chelsea Green (c) via pinfall with a Northern Lights bomb to win the women's U.S. title for the second time.