WWE SmackDown: Burning Questions to Address After October 11 Show

After a bizarre WWE SmackDown on Oct. 11, one can't blame the audience for being confused.

James Ellsworth, a scrawny underdog best known for being Braun Strowman's chew toy, pinned the WWE world champion. Curt Hawkins' promised debut never happened. And Bray Wyatt pulled another magic trick in his ongoing battle with Randy Orton.

Little about the nutty night made sense.

We know that Survivor Series will get back to its roots after Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon issued a challenge to Raw for a trio of brand-on-brand elimination matches. We know that the odd-couple team of Heath Slater and Rhyno has taken to looking out for fellow babyfaces.

The uncertainties that Tuesday's SmackDown left fans with, though, were plentiful. 

Ellsworth's place in the SmackDown landscape is unclear. Is he going to draw enough support to be a part of the brand on a long-term basis? Or is the clock going to run out on his Cinderella story next week?

What is WWE doing with the supposedly returning Hawkins? Is Orton vs. Wyatt going to evolve into a series of vanishing acts? And what will a John Cena-less SmackDown look like in the coming weeks?

These are the questions left swirling around after Tuesday's SmackDown? Let's dig in and see if we can't unearth some answers.

Is Ellsworth Sticking Around?

The WWE audience first met Ellsworth when Strowman devoured him in July. He then nearly had a chance to team with AJ Styles but fell victim to a beatdown from The Miz instead.

On Tuesday night, Styles took on Ellsworth, seemingly trying to avoid a real challenge. With the help of a supremely biased referee in Dean Ambrose, the enhancement talent pulled off the upset.

Bryan later announced on Talking Smack that Ellsworth's non-title victory netted him a championship opportunity next week:

This was all part of a trip down ridiculous lane, but Ellsworth is catching on in a major way. Twitter was frenzied with celebrations of the jobber. He generated more of a reaction from the live audience than some full-time roster members.

He tweeted how appreciative he was of all the support:

Will WWE see all this buzz as motivation to continue this underdog tale? It was just weeks ago that the fanbase went wild for a desperate Slater making a shocking run to the tag team titles.

If there is still the kind of hype surrounding Ellsworth after he collides with The Phenomenal One next week, perhaps WWE brings him aboard for a while longer. 

The company has showcased El Torito and Gillberg in the past, so it's not impossible that Ellsworth makes his way to the blue brand more often.

Why the Delay with Hawkins?

After a series of vignettes that promised Hawkins was "coming soon," he promised to step into the ring at No Mercy on Sunday. This was only a tease, though. Hawkins emerged, put his boot on the mat and laughed that he had "stepped into the ring."

He announced he would wrestle his first match on Tuesday's SmackDown. He didn't.

Hawkins only appeared in a post-show interview that did nothing to explain his absence.

Why string us along like this? Any interest fans had in seeing Hawkins will fade the more WWE pulls the rug from underneath them.

Former WWE tag team champ Lance Storm said this whole thing has felt like a joke:

It's hard to imagine a payoff big enough to justify this strategy. WWE may be thinking it is creating anticipation, but in reality, it's being annoying.

Where Is Orton vs. Wyatt Headed?

Orton and Kane vs. Wyatt and Luke Harper on Tuesday's SmackDown ended a lot like The Viper's battle with Wyatt at No Mercy. 

On Sunday's PPV, Harper made a surprise return, leaping out of the dark to distract Orton. Wyatt took advantage and pinned his foe.

Two nights later, the lights went out during the tag match. When they came back on, Kane was gone from his corner. Harper stood in his place. 

That led to Wyatt pinning Orton again.

These moments have shown off The Wyatt Family's powers, but they haven't exactly progressed the story. WWE is going in circles with this narrative at the moment, going for shock value rather than substance. 

Jake Barnett of ProWrestling.net wrote, "What is the purpose of this story? I don't understand anyone's motivation."

Will WWE be able to find a clearer focus ahead? Will Kane's disappearance add up to anything? Will we remember Orton vs. Wyatt as a creative success or a misguided attempt at the bizarre?

For Wyatt's sake, let's hope the former ends up being true. WWE has been hit-or-miss with the monster since his arrival, unsure of how to construct a proper narrative for him. 

How Will SmackDown Handle Cena's Absence?

Cena did not wrestle on Tuesday's SmackDown. He didn't appear on the show at all.

Anyone who bet on Ellsworth getting more screen time on SmackDown than The Face That Runs the Place made out big.

Being without Cena is something the blue brand will likely have to deal with for much of the year.

As Nick Paglino of Wrestle Zone pointed out, "Cena is not being advertised for any WWE events until Survivor Series on November 20. After Survivor Series, Cena is not being advertised until what will likely be his full-time WWE return at the live event at Madison Square Garden on December 26."

Last year around this time, Cena left to film American Grit, a reality series that is now poised to enter its second season. That presumably means WWE will have no Cena for a stretch again, leaving SmackDown to compensate.

But how?

Will the show focus more on the challengers climbing into contention for Styles' title? Will SmackDown divvy up time more evenly between its tag teams, women and midcarders?

The show isn't flush with megastars, even with Cena, so it will take some creative usage of the roster to make up for Cena not being around. Being forced to do so, as was the case in August, will make SmackDown feel even more like it's embracing WWE's New Era.