WWE SmackDown Results: Biggest Winners, Losers and Moments from October 11

James Ellsworth was the biggest winner of the Oct. 11 episode of SmackDown Live.

Yes, the James Ellsworth.

The perennial jobber, known for his demolition at the hands of Braun Strowman and the thorough ass-kicking he endured from The Miz, was mocked by WWE world champion AJ Styles as his own handpicked opponent on Tuesday night.

Thanks to a little help from special referee Dean Ambrose, Ellsworth scored the biggest victory of his career.

From there, he appeared on Talking Smack, where he learned from SmackDown general manager Daniel Bryan that he would challenge Styles for the WWE World Championship next week.

It has been a long time since WWE has presented a lovable loser like Ellsworth. Not since the 1-2-3 Kid has a Superstar synonymous with losing been presented in such a way that fans came to love him. Ellsworth has made several appearances on television, and his ability to take a beating and keep coming back—no matter how flawed his thinking is—is admirable.

Now, the unlikeliest wrestler in the industry gets a shot at its top prize. Even if he gets pummeled (he will), the few appearances he has made on WWE programming are the stuff of dreams for many an aspiring Superstar.

Winner: Dolph Ziggler

The new intercontinental champion was treated like a star right out of the gate on Tuesday night, kicking off the show and bringing an energy to his promo that signified the importance of the moment.

More importantly, he spoke with genuine emotion, then took to mocking his own employers for releasing a channel guide preview suggesting Tuesday's show would feature his departure. It was engaging, funny and passionate—all things associated with The Showoff.

Now the question becomes whether or not his championship reign is destined to last.

The Miz is demanding a rematch, determined to get back the title he elevated in importance and held for most of the year. With Baron Corbin, Apollo Crews, Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper and Jack Swagger making up the rest of the midcard, the competition is hot.

In the midst of a career renaissance as one of the pillars of the SmackDown brand, though, the stage has been set for one of The Showoff's finest title runs to date.

Losers: American Alpha

Something feels "off" about Chad Gable and Jason Jordan right now.

Arriving to the SmackDown brand with a ton of hype behind them, they have lost considerable momentum despite what should be a molten-hot feud with The Usos. On Tuesday night, Gable lost a singles bout to Jimmy Uso, but all of the intensity and hate between the teams appear lost.

The fact that the twin heels have lost two straight championship matches to Heath Slater and Rhyno does not help, but SmackDown Creative has not gone out of its way to keep the former NXT tag champions interesting, hot or even that relevant.

That must change.

The duo of Jordan and Gable is entirely too talented to allow them to fall into the black hole of mediocrity because the writing staff could not be bothered to keep them in position to build momentum.

Winner: Alexa Bliss

There is something about Alexa Bliss that screams "star." Perhaps it is her knack for facial expressions and body language or how seamlessly she has translated to the main roster. Maybe it has to do with her mic skills, which have been on display more and more of late.

On Tuesday night, all of the above were on display while she watched intently backstage as Naomi scored an upset win over Carmella.

Still dismayed after her defeat at the hands of the Glow Queen at No Mercy, she spewed venom and ensured the interviewer that she could beat Naomi any time, any place.

The look she shot Daniel Bryan after the official announcement of the rematch was something she does so incredibly well. There are veterans of the industry who have not realized the importance of facial expressions and perfected them the way Bliss has so early in her run.

That her in-ring game has improved by leaps and bounds over the last year only solidifies her as one of the potential breakout stars of the brand extension.