SmackDown Results for 11-22-2016: Becky in Action, Tag Team Turmoil, Ellsworth in Ladder Match
SmackDown opened up with Commissioner Shane McMahon in the ring. Dean Ambrose soon appeared, and Shane was very annoyed with him. Most notably, he mentioned the fact that he could have cost SmackDown the men’s interbrand Survivor Series match. After admonishing Ambrose, Shane called out James Ellsworth. The “chinless one” got to the ring, and Shane tried to save some news for a later time, but Ambrose spilled the beans. The news was that Ellsworth was being given a SmackDown contract. Almost immediately, A.J. Styles hit the ring and began to say that Ellsworth was unworthy of a contract. Shane turned to Ellsworth and told him to ignore Styles, because he had earned the contract. Ellsworth appreciated that, but wanted to prove it in the ring. Shane then set up a ladder match, with the contract suspended over the ring, between Styles and Ellsworth for later in the night. As an added bonus, Shane said that if Ellsworth beat Styles, he would get a shot at the WWE World Championship.
Match 1 - Intercontinental Championship, Kalisto vs. (c) The Miz w/ Maryse: Kalisto was doing pretty well in the match, when Baron Corbin showed up to ringside. The masked wrestler lost his focus at that point, and that is when Miz gave him the Skull-Crushing Finale. The cover followed and Miz kept his belt.
Before heading to commercial, we were told that a tag team gauntlet match, dubbed Tag Team Turmoil, was coming up next. The winner of that match would face Heath Slater and Rhyno for the SmackDown Tag Team Championships.
Match 2 - Tag Team Turmoil: The Hype Bros. opened the match against The Ascension. The Hype Ryder was given to Viktor, and that is how The Ascension was eliminated. Breezango followed, and they took out the Hype Bros. after Fandango delivered an elbow to Zack Ryder. American Alpha came out next, and they rid themselves of Breezango by taking out Fandango. The Vaudevillains made their way out after that fall, and Jason Jordan gave a bridging German suplex to Simon Gotch, and held on for the three-count. The Usos followed the Vaudevillains, and they gave Alpha a real test. The youngsters persevered, however, and pinned Jimmy with the Grand Amplitude. As Alpha celebrated, the arena went black, and soon the titantron had Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton on the screen. Wyatt then told Alpha that they hadn't faced all of the tag teams tonight, and would be seeing them next week.
After the second match, General Manager Daniel Bryan confronted Corbin for what he did to Kalisto. He punished the "Lone Wolf" by putting him in a match against Kane.
Match 3 - Natalya vs. Becky Lynch, Alexa Bliss on commentary: Lynch submitted Natalya with the Disarm Her, and immediately began to celebrate. As she did, Alexa Bliss entered the ring and attacked her from behind. The Women's Champ was then left laying in the ring.
Match 4 - Kane vs. Baron Corbin: During the course of the match, Kalisto came out and attacked Corbin. The referee rang the bell for the disqualification, and Kalisto got out of the ring. Corbin looked for the masked wrestler, and got a chokeslam for his trouble.
Main Event - Ladder Match for Ellsworth's Contract, James Ellsworth vs. A.J. Styles: This match's finish was a bit funny. Styles had trapped Ellsworth under a ladder. At that point, a man dressed as an Ottawa Senators goaltender entered the ring. The "Phenomenal One" was perplexed as he saw the goaltender unmask. He turned out to be Dean Ambrose. Styles went after him, and ended up being clotheslined to the outside. Ambrose helped Ellsworth out from under the ladder, but that left the "Lunatic Fringe" vulnerable, and he took a Phenomenal Forearm. Ellsworth and Styles fought for a bit, and Styles laid the independent wrestler out. The "Phenomenal One" then set up a ladder, and began to climb it. Ellsworth recovered, though, and he pushed the ladder with Styles on it. The world champ spilled out of the ring. He quickly began to crawl back in to the ring, but Ellsworth saw him. He was then blasted with No Chin Music, and during his fall, got his leg caught between the ropes. Ellsworth then climbed the ladder unimpeded. At the top, he grabbed the contract-holding-clipboard to officially become a part of the SmackDown roster, and get a future title shot.
