Goodbye SmackDown on USA: Ranking the Greatest Moments in Show History

WWE SmackDown Live changes forever this week, when the company leaves Tuesday nights and the USA Network behind for a new timeslot on Fox.

The switch back to Friday nights is a return to the blue brand's spiritual home on the schedule, and in the 20 years since the show originally debuted, there have been countless standout moments.

From legendary matches to incredible, real-life emotional segments, the blue brand has delivered on plenty of occasions.

With the show likely to debut on Fox with a bang on Friday, here's a look at the greatest moments SmackDown has delivered.

10. Two Great Rivals Set the Stage (2001)

In-depth backstage interviews can often go wrong.

But when you put three of the best in their craft together on the eve of the biggest show of the year, it always has the potential to be dynamite.

That's exactly what happened when Jim Ross sat down with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and The Rock ahead of their infamous showdown at WrestleMania X-Seven in 2001.

Of course, nobody knew Austin was just days from turning heel to align with Vince McMahon in order to win the title.

But his emotional speech in the face of Rock, declaring he needed to beat his great rival and insinuating he would do anything possible to get it done was a fairly subtle hint at what was to follow.

Rock was also at his explosive best throughout, and in terms of setting the scene for WrestleMania, this was as good as it gets.

9. Daniel Bryan's Emotional Return (2018)

When the boundaries blur between real life and professional wrestling, magical moments can happen.

For two years, WWE fans hoped Daniel Bryan could eventually return from the injuries that had put his wrestling career on hold in February 2016.

Having been a SmackDown presence for years, it was fitting that his emotional in-ring return was finally confirmed on the blue brand.

Of course, it wasn't plain sailing on the night for the then-SmackDown general manager, who found himself on the end of an attack by Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn.

However, it ensured an emotional return was guaranteed at WrestleMania 34, and the way the crowd popped for Bryan when he confirmed the news made for an unforgettable moment.

8. Vince Wins the Big One (1999)

Vince McMahon's reign of terror as the villainous Mr. McMahon character throughout the Attitude Era would have felt incomplete without a title reign.

That came in 1999 on a taping of SmackDown when McMahon battled Triple H with the WWE Championship on the line.

McMahon was beaten and battered throughout the match by The Game, before numerous people interfered, including Steve Austin, to allow him to clamber over a fallen Triple H and claim the belt.

It certainly wasn't as dramatic as many fans would have hoped, especially given how McMahon relinquished the belt just a few days later on Raw.

At the time, though, it felt like a big deal, and such a notable title change in the early days of SmackDown added a sense of must-see TV to the blue brand.

7. 'Stone Cold' Destroys the DX Express (2000)

This was Steve Austin at his brilliant best.

Having returned from injury in time for Backlash 2000, he had D-Generation X and Triple H in his sights when he came hunting for revenge in the run-up to the show.

Fans were desperate to see Stone Cold after a lengthy absence from television, and when The Rock emerged to warn Triple H he was in the building, it caused fans to go wild.

Of course, what happened next was completely unpredictable. When the cameras cut backstage to Austin to explain whose side he would be on for the match between Triple H and The Rock, he made his feelings perfectly clear by destroying DX's tour bus, the DX Express.

The way in which Austin exploded the vehicle was the Attitude Era at its best; it was gimmick-heavy and overdramatic, but like many things the company did at that time, it worked.

6. The WWE Championship Changes Hands Outside North America (2017)

Never before had WWE's most prestigious prize changed hands outside of North America prior to AJ Styles creating history in Manchester, England, in November 2017.

The fact it happened on a regular edition of SmackDown made for a huge surprise and caused the English crowd to go wild when he pinned Jinder Mahal to win the belt for a second time.

Already a hugely popular star all across the world, this victory—plus the slice of history that came with it—solidified Styles as a genuine main event talent in WWE.

The Phenomenal One went on to hold the belt for a year, ensuring his claim that SmackDown Live was the house that AJ Styles built had merit.

SmackDown has never failed to deliver when it comes to historic moments and this was one of the best.

5. Stone Cold and Booker T's Supermarket Brawl (2001)

The majority of Steve Austin's career was spent headlining Raw and feuding with Vince McMahon, but he had his fair share of standout moments on the blue brand, too.

His rivalry with Booker T shortly after The Invasion was part of that, including their legendary supermarket segment in 2001.

After suffering an injury the previous year, Austin returned with the intention of making Booker's life a living hell. He succeeded in that regard, and one example was this incredible fight in a supermarket.

It sounds too ridiculous to work, but it was hugely entertaining and summed up just how versatile Austin was as a performer.

He could be as devastating and intense as anyone, but when there was a call for entertainment, he was up there with the best.

It's difficult to pick out the best moment of the whole angle, but Austin singing at Booker while he was beating him up was one of many laugh-out-loud moments.

It really shouldn't have worked, but it was so crazy that it ended up becoming legendary.

4. Eddie's Night (2004)

WrestleMania XX was the culmination of an incredible journey for Eddie Guerrero, who became one of the biggest stars in WWE when he won the WWE Championship.

That led to an incredible title celebration just a few days later on SmackDown which underlined just how popular he was.

Making his way to the ring amid a huge ovation from the fans, this was a genuine feel-good moment and a true underdog story being played out.

The emotion was visible on Guerrero's face as he came into the squared circle with the title he had worked so hard to win. 

WWE has done other title celebrations since, and Jeff Hardy had an equally emotional one after winning his first world title, but this was the best one SmackDown delivered without doubt.

3. WWE Remembers (2001)

WWE decided to press on with its regular taping of SmackDown in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks which stunned the world on September 11, 2001.

Keen to put on a show for the country, Vince McMahon opened the show in Houston with a rousing speech that will live long in the memory of WWE fans.

SmackDown was, as McMahon said, the first public gathering of real note after 9/11. It was a big deal for the company but also a show of defiance in the face of terrorism.

The show itself was fairly standard, but it was always going to be difficult to top McMahon's emotionally charged speech to start the show.

It is one of SmackDown's most important segments in history.

2. 'Ruthless Aggression' (2002)

Everyone can remember John Cena's infamous in-ring debut against Kurt Angle, and it came on an episode of SmackDown in the summer of 2002.

Angle was riding high at that stage of his career and perhaps the biggest draw in the company at that time. Seemingly without anyone left to beat, he offered an open challenge to any competitor he had never previously faced.

It's safe to say Cena's emergence did little to stir the fans, many of whom had never seen or even heard of him.

But how they would remember him after the final bell rang, by which time Cena—who infamously declared he would bring "ruthless aggression" to his performance—took Angle to his limit before falling just short.

Some WWE debuts are remembered for all the wrong reasons, but Cena's was one of the best in the company's history and one of the best moments on SmackDown.

1. Brock Lesnar and Big Show Destroy the Ring (2003)

Undoubtedly the most memorable moment in SmackDown history involves the guy who is likely to head up the new-look show on Fox moving forward.

Brock Lesnar was a relative rookie in 2003 when he entered a feud with Big Show. He had already encountered Show on a number of occasions during his formative years in WWE, and their rivalry throughout the summer of 2003 for the WWE Championship is perhaps remembered best for this one moment.

The Beast Incarnate hit his rival with a huge superplex from the top rope, underlining his own incredible strength and causing the entire ring to collapse under both men and the match official.

Understandably, the fans went wild. The commentary team were practically lost for words, and even though it was a staged moment, it was unlike anything that had happened in the ring before.

Since then, Show has executed the spot on other occasions, but this first and original time is rightly viewed as one of the standout moments in SmackDown history.