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Survivor Series has experienced a major shakeup and that's all thanks to AJ Styles. On this pre-taped episode of SmackDown Live, The Phenomenal One defeated The Maharaja in an unexpected title switch.
Paul Heyman had already dedicated promo time to talk about Jinder Mahal, so it's odd to see the plans for the huge Champion vs. Champion singles match change. Mahal may find championship gold again one day, but as things stand, he will not face Brock Lesnar in Houston.
That shocking title switch was one of the most outrageous moments of the year, so of course, it made it onto this SmackDown-returning edition of this article series.
Joining that was a rare intergender contest, a unique dive outside of the ring by Kofi Kingston, and a chop block that made many fans question if it was a work or real. Five of the botchiest as well as the most outrageous moments from the show follow, so let's dive right in.
#5 Manchester booed Daniel Bryan
Manchester was overall a great crowd — the Brits generally are. However, they experienced a brief bit of collective confusion during Shane McMahon's show opening promo.
At first, they responded uproariously for the absent Daniel Bryan as the Smackdown Commissioner talked about how he was going to get his payback for what happened in that dark room on Raw. There were lively "Yes!" chants at this point.
Immediately after that, Shane told the crowd that their illustrious General Manager would be back in one week. It was to this that Manchester booed viciously. This stunned McMahon, who responded by saying, "That's a great thing! Daniel Bryan... yeah!" It was as if he had to remind them of how much they adored the man a mere twenty seconds prior.
#4 Kofi Kingston's strange top rope attack
Few wrestlers think up and execute creative manuevers such as this, but few wrestlers are on whatever level Kofi Kingston is on. Battling Sami Zayn, Kingston flopped on the top rope a few times before thumping his opponent on the outside. It was simple, yet highly effective.
The former Intercontinental Champion went on to defeat Zayn, which gave he and his team a solid win in the closing weeks to Survivor Series. Nothing's official yet but considering their involvement on Raw the night before, it looks like all three members of New Day are on a collision course with The Shield.
Given a stipulation that allows all six men to go fully unhindered, perhaps in a Tornado Tag environment, these teams could do something really special.
#3 Intergender violence
WWE has been so beholden to their PG family-friendly programming for so long that any chance of man vs. woman action seems too taboo to even consider. A woman might occasionally see a rare moment to attack a man, but almost never vice versa.
Those days of Stone Cold hitting a Stunner on Chyna and Bubba Ray Dudley putting Mae Young through a table are distant days of the past... or are they?
It was a shocker that James Ellsworth not only competed in a match against Becky Lynch but also was on the offence. It wasn't just wrestling holds either. As seen in the above highlight, James shoved Becky so hard on one occasion that she went flying out of the ring.
This may be the beginnings of a slightly edgier WWE than what we've been given over the past few years. Or, it more likely might be a sign of how much of a sideshow Ellsworth is in the eyes of creative.
#2 Deep chop block
Live reports from this taped edition of SmackDown warned of a serious injury to Jey Uso. Perhaps those weren't the most reliable sources because when the show finally aired, this came off as a fairly obvious planned spot.
Chad Gable used nefarious tactics (considering he's supposed to be the babyface) when he chop blocked brother Jey. Kudos to him for really getting in there with this move. Jey didn't have to try hard to pull off some contortionist-level selling. Gable then slid under the ring as if nobody would notice before emerging out another side. Gable then came back into the ring to celebrate the countout win with his partner, Shelton Benjamin.
This looks like the early seeds for a heel turn for Gable. Perhaps he and Shelton will end up feuding with each other? Considering their athletic abilities, that should be a fantastic pairing.
#1 New WWE Champion
Wow, what a shocker!
Something seemed strange when WWE abruptly switched AJ Styles' announced match against Rusev for a spot on the Survivor Series team to a WWE Championship match against Jinder Mahal mid-week.
Even though there was hope that The Phenomenal One could regain SmackDown's top prize then go on to face Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series, there were more than enough video packages on Raw that showcased the potential Brock vs. Jinder matchup to cast doubt. The sudden title match seemed simply like an attempt to pop a rating and nothing more.
After an incredible match in the main event, AJ Styles did what Randy Orton and Shinsuke Nakamura couldn't do when he took The Maharaja's title away from him. This was the first overseas title change for that belt ever as well as the first time it's changed hands on SmackDown in 14 years. The last guy to win the title on the blue show? Brock Lesnar.
It's outrageous that the belt changed hands so soon before Survivor Series after some effort was already put into a Mahal/Lesnar build. Was confidence lost in Jinder? Or did a sudden injury prompt this match outcome? Those answers should come soon enough. For now, it's time to look forward to AJ Styles' next contest against The Beast Incarnate.
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