SmackDown Results and Recap: Card Subject To Change

Nov 13 2018 Kimberly Schueler

The last episodes of WWE TV before a pay-per-view sometimes feel like mostly build with few true matches of consequence, but the November 13, 2018 episode of SmackDown LIVE was one of the craziest and most eventful we’ve seen in a while. We saw a big development in an old rivalry and, just days before Survivor Series, a new WWE Champion be crowned. All in a shocking way.

The episode started with a recap and announcement from the previous night’s RAW. We saw Becky Lynch attack Ronda Rousey backstage, then lead an assault of the women of the blue brand on the RAW women’s division. As the video focused in on Nia Jax punching Lynch in the face, announcer Tom Phillips said that Lynch will not be able to compete at Survivor Series due to “a broken face and a severe concussion.”

The question of who would face Ronda Rousey at Survivor Series was answered later in the show. After Paige called the show’s women’s roster to the ring Becky Lynch handpicked her sometimes friend, recent rival Charlotte Flair as her replacement. The women shook hands and hugged, differences put aside, at least for a moment, in pursuit of a common cause.

SmackDown’s second segment saw WWE Champion AJ Styles enter to cut a promo on his Survivor Series opponent, Universal Champion Brock Lesnar. Styles was interrupted when Paul Heyman surprisingly showed up in the crowd to promote his client. Styles responded that that loss to Lesnar at last year’s Survivor Series was his only meaningful loss since becoming WWE Champion, and it taught him how to weaken “The Beast Incarnate” to beat him this time around.

However, both Styles and Heyman mentioned Daniel Bryan at the end of their speeches, and this drew out the former SmackDown General Manager. Bryan objected to being used as an example of someone who tapped out, and said he was still looking for a reason to punch Styles in the face. Both proud men soon started brawling and had to be pulled apart by officials and referees.

After a commercial break, the fans chanting “Let them fight!” were appeased when a WWE Championship match between Styles and Bryan was announced for the show’s main event.

Backstage, The Miz was delighted to learn that Paige had ejected Bryan as Survivor Series team captain and added Jeff Hardy to fill his spot on the team. He wanted to replace Rey Mysterio (Bryan’s pick) too, but Paige said “The A-Lister” would have to beat him in to remove him. As in their previous match, the two men looked pretty even, but Mysterio won by pinning The Miz after a 619.

Randy Orton tried to RKO Mysterio after the match, but he dodged the cutter. Orton RKO’ed the Miz instead for good measure, but still stared down Mysterio, teasing a fight to come.

United States Champion Shinsuke Nakamura also cut a promo on his Champion vs. Champion Survivor Series match opponent, Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins. The two haven’t interacted much, and Rollins even said that he hasn’t thought about Nakamura with his Dean Ambrose-related issues going on. Nakamura, revealed to have been watching Rollins’ promo over and over on his phone, said that Rollins “broke his heart, so at Survivor Series, I will break his face.” With this extra unhinged motivation, that’s definitely going to be a match to watch.

Then we had a match between Andrade “Cien” Almas—the lucha libre legend and former NXT Champion still struggling to find his feet on the blue brand—and Jeff Hardy. Almas looked dominant for much of the match, evading the Twist of Fate and delivering a painful-looking Tree of Woe double stomp. However, Hardy pulled out a win in the end and pinned Almas after a Swanton Bomb.

The Bar and The Big Show defeated The New Day, looking strong heading into their Champion vs. Champion match against the AOP. In other tag team news, The Usos picked the three other teams for the 5-on-5 tag team Survivor Series elimination match: The Colóns, the Good Brothers, and Sanity.

We have a NEWWWWWWW #WWEChampion, and his name is @WWEDanielBryan! #SDLive pic.twitter.com/EeVjI748Y8
— WWE (@WWE) November 14, 2018

The episode’s main event was one of the blue brand’s best and craziest in a long time. Styles and Bryan are two of the best wrestlers on the roster, and their match started aggressively. The match ascended to the next level when Bryan escaped the setup for a Styles Clash and Styles got a two-count from a Victory Roll.

Bryan transitioned a 450 Splash by Styles into a Yes Lock, but it was too close to the ropes to be effective. Styles was able to lock a Calf Crusher on Bryan’s weakened knee, but Bryan was able to transition it to an armbar. After another, tenser Yes Lock, Styles created distance between himself and his opponent by slingshotting him into a turnbuckle.

After Bryan dodged a Phenomenal Forearm, he shoved Styles into the referee. It looked unintentional at first, but then with no official, Bryan hit the champ with a low blow. The deranged-looking Bryan then hit Styles with a running knee and pinned him to become the new WWE Champion. He attacked Styles after the match too, and it’s clear these two aren’t finished with each other.

But before the next episode of SmackDown, we have Daniel Bryan vs. Brock Lesnar coming up at Survivor Series.