WWE SmackDown Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from November 8

While the United States was busy electing a president, the Superstars of SmackDown Live were jockeying for position as Survivor Series approaches.

An injury forced one member of the brand's main event team to the sidelines and necessitated a replacement.

From there, dissension reigned supreme across the board as enemies set aside unity to get back at each other.

With an advertised championship bout pitting SmackDown women's champion Becky Lynch against Alexa Bliss, fans turned to the blue brand to give them a reason to care about Survivor Series. Did they get what they wanted? Who was able to keep it together long enough to score important wins on the road to the November 20 event?

Take a look with this exclusive recap.

Team SmackDown Promo

WWE world champion AJ Styles kicked off this week's show and immediately discussed keeping his teammates on the same page ahead of Survivor Series. One by one, his partners interrupted, beginning with Baron Corbin and ending with Dean Ambrose, who also introduced James Ellsworth.

Shane McMahon interrupted and announced Ellsworth would be the mascot for the Survivor Series match and that Corbin, Ambrose and Ellsworth would battle Orton, Wyatt and Luke Harper in the main event.

Grade

C

Analysis

This was a fairly generic opening, but it did set up the main event and introduce Ellsworth as the SmackDown mascot—a decision that could have dire consequences if he continues to make asinine decisions as he has done countless times to date.

Breezango vs. The Vaudevillains

Breezango and The Vaudevillains battled for the right to represent SmackDown Live at Survivor Series.

Neither has done anything in recent months so the heat for the bout was anything but substantial.

Fandango put Simon Gotch away with a Falcon Arrow to secure the victory.

Result

Breezango defeated The Vaudevillains.

Grade

D

Analysis

Breezango, the winners of this match, secured the opportunity to be the first team eliminated from Team SmackDown Live at Survivor Series, so they have that in their favor.

Or not.

There was no real winner here, just one team luckier than the other in that they will now receive a pay-per-view payday.

Naomi vs. Natalya

Natalya, peeved over the announcement that she would serve as Team SmackDown Live's coach at Survivor Series rather than one of the women fighting for the brand's honor, battled Naomi in singles competition.

Midway through the bout, a brawl broke out between Nikki Bella and Carmella. Eager to keep the team together, Natalya hopped to ringside in an attempt to split them up. When she returned to the ring, she was rolled up and beaten by the woman she felt took her spot on the team.

She looked on dismayed as Bella and Naomi celebrated.

Result

Naomi defeated Natalya.

Grade

D

Analysis

Did you know there is dissension among blue-brand competitors?

If not, what show have you been watching?

The theme of the night bled over here, making for an uneventful and predictable segment that did nothing for any of those involved.

Kalisto vs. Baron Corbin

Before Kalisto and Baron Corbin could do battle, The Lone Wolf attacked his masked rival. Rather than enduring the same brutal beating he had previously, Kalisto fought back. Corbin, at one point, slipped and appeared to injure his knee, leaving an opening for the luchador to leave him lying in the ring.

As officials checked on Corbin, Kalisto climbed the ropes and delivered a frog splash, putting an exclamation point on what was an effective comeback for him.

Result

No-contest

Grade

C+

Analysis

As an angle, this was superb.

Kalisto was rightfully frustrated, enraged after being taken out by Corbin earlier this fall. It made sense that he would be back to avenge his injury. It is not necessarily believable that he do so against a guy physically superior in The Lone Wolf, so the slip was a nice touch.

This leaves Corbin out of the main event and furthers the feud between the competitors, which will likely culminate at Survivor Series.

SmackDown Women's Championship Match: Becky Lynch vs. Alexa Bliss

Credit: WWE.com

Alexa Bliss looked to follow up weeks of sneak attacks and bravado by defeating Becky Lynch and capturing the SmackDown Women's Championship.

She dominated the competition, wearing down a still-recovering Lass Kicker. The DDT she had previously left Lynch lying with, though, was ineffective.

The champion fought back and trapped her in the Disarmer, forcing a tapout despite Bliss' foot being under the ropes.

Result

Becky Lynch defeated Alexa Bliss.

Grade

B+

Analysis

The controversy spurns another chapter in this feud. Given the quality of it to this point, that is a wise move on the part of a SmackDown Creative team more enamored with Bliss than Nikki Bella, whom most figured would replace her after this match.

A quality match that can be built upon at a later date, presumably at December's TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs.

Apollo Crews vs. Curt Hawkins

Credit: WWE.com

Apollo Crews and Curt Hawkins squared off Tuesday night.

That should probably mean more but given the way they have been used to this point, it does not.

Crews climbed the ropes late and tried for a high cross body block, but he missed, allowing Hawkins to score a crucifix rollup for the win.

Result

Curt Hawkins defeated Apollo Crews.

Grade

D-

Analysis

Neither guy means anything, and the match did nothing to help either, rendering the entire thing a useless bit of time filler.

Dean Ambrose, Kane and James Ellsworth vs. The Wyatt Family

Credit: WWE.com

Luke Harper, Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton isolated Kane, keeping him from partners Dean Ambrose and the useless James Ellsworth for the majority of the bout.

A late hot tag to Ambrose fired the babyface side up and had them looking for a victory. As the fight between Ambrose, Kane, Harper and Orton moved to the outside, though, Ellsworth found himself in position to make another boneheaded move.

He geared up for No Chin Music, only to walk into Sister Abigail by Wyatt for the win.

After the match, SmackDown commissioner Shane McMahon announced that he, himself, would replace Baron Corbin in the main event of Survivor Series, a decision that set very well with the Scottish fans.

Results

The Wyatt Family defeated James Ellsworth, Dean Ambrose and Kane.

Grade

C+

Analysis

Not quite up to par with recent SmackDown main events, this at least continued the story of Ellsworth, who looks poised to factor heavily into the Survivor Series main event.

He has consistently screwed up, leading to Ambrose losing enough that at some point, The Lunatic Fringe has to get fed up with it and give him the boot.

For now, the match did nothing to make fans any more or less interested in the Survivor Series main event—an indictment on a company that failed miserably Monday night.