When:
United States: LIVE, Tuesday Night, November 7, at 8/7c on the USA Network
United Kingdom: Wednesday Morning, November 8, at 12AM on Sky Sports 5 HD
Where:
Manchester Arena
Manchester, England
SmackDown LIVE preview, Nov. 7, 2017: Huge WWE Championship Match set for Team Blue’s return to England
After defeating both Singh Brothers in consecutive weeks, AJ Styles was the victim of a heinous attack at the hands of WWE Champion Jinder Mahal. As a result, Commissioner Shane McMahon has declared that The Modern Day Maharaja will defend his title against The Phenomenal One tonight on SmackDown LIVE in Manchester, England. Who will leave the U.K. with Team Blue’s top prize? Find out on SmackDown LIVE, tonight at 8/7 C on USA Network!
AJ Styles to challenge WWE Champion Jinder Mahal tonight on SmackDown LIVE
AJ Styles will challenge Jinder Mahal for the WWE Championship tonight on SmackDown LIVE from Manchester, England, in a bout that has major Survivor Series implications. SmackDown LIVE Commissioner Shane McMahon made the announcement on Twitter Thursday afternoon, as a result of Mahal’s savage attack on Styles this last Tuesday.
The Phenomenal One has made it clear for several weeks that Mahal and the WWE Title are in his sights, but The Modern Day Maharaja retaliated by saying that there is no worthy competition on SmackDown LIVE. Mahal has instead been laser-focused on his upcoming Champion vs. Champion bout with Raw’s Universal Champion, Brock Lesnar. That slight has not sat well with Styles, who has physically gone after the WWE Champion on several occasions.
Instead of stepping into the ring with The Phenomenal One, Mahal sent his charges, The Singh Brothers, into battle with Styles to defend his honor. To send a message to The Modern Day Maharaja, Styles dispatched of both Samir and Sunil Singh in quick, brutal fashion. However, after Styles’ victory over Samir last Tuesday, Mahal blindsided The Phenomenal One, brutalizing him in a vicious attack at ringside before planting him into the canvas with the devastating Khallas.
Mahal has been set on proving that he is the “beastmaster” and the top champion in all of WWE, but his Survivor Series showdown with The Beast could be in jeopardy if Styles dethrones him. In response to the announcement of this match, a confident Styles had the following to say on social media:
Mahal, on the other hand, is not thrilled about the match, but promises he will be leaving England as champion:
What will happen in this monumental WWE Championship Match? Tune in to SmackDown LIVE tonight at 8/7 C on USA Network to find out!
Becky Lynch to face James Ellsworth tonight on SmackDown LIVE
After a heated exchange on Twitter, Becky Lynch will battle James Ellsworth tonight on SmackDown LIVE in Manchester, England.
The tiff began when Ellsworth took to social media to call Lynch’s captaincy of the SmackDown Women’s Survivor Series team into question:
The Irish Lass Kicker, having defeated The Princess of Staten Island and three other SmackDown Superstars to earn the captaincy, took exception and told Carmella to keep her pet in check. Lynch even issued a challenge to Carmella, offering a chance for Ms. Money in the Bank to prove herself.
Carmella, however, declined, offering up an interesting proposition:
Never one to shy away from competition, Becky happily accepted the challenge:
Ellsworth seems to be talking a big game heading into tonight's battle across the pond.
The Superstar who said he’ll do anything for Carmella went on to make an outrageous claim about what should happen if he were to defeat The Irish Lass Kicker:
What will happen in this one-of-a-kind battle? Tune in to SmackDown LIVE tonight at 8/7 C on USA Network to find out!
SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos defend against Shelton Benjamin & Chad Gable
The newest rivalry in SmackDown’s Tag Team division finally hits the ring Tuesday in England, as The Usos defend their SmackDown Tag Team Titles against the tandem of Shelton Benjamin & Chad Gable.
After winning a Fatal 4-Way Match to earn a future title opportunity, the mat wrestling masters almost immediately set out to get under the champions’ skin. Benjamin & Gable initially approached Jimmy & Jey in what appeared to be a handshake offering of sportsmanship ahead of their title match, only to pull their hands away at the last second. The challengers continued antagonizing the champions two weeks later, revealing that their title match would take place this Tuesday in Manchester.
The Usos have had their sights set on Survivor Series and their Champions vs. Champions showdown with the Raw Tag Team Champions. Before they can focus on a battle with new titleholders Cesaro & Sheamus, however, Jimmy & Jey must get through Benjamin & Gable. Who will move on to Houston?
Will Raw retaliate for The New Day’s raid?
The latest salvo in the battle for brand supremacy was launched on Monday night when The New Day raided Raw. Kofi Kingston, Big E and Xavier Woods made their presence felt in Manchester when they interfered in the main event – a Raw Tag Team Title Match between champions Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose and Cesaro & Sheamus.
Just as the bout was reaching a thrilling apex, The New Day entered through crowd to berate The Bar, the Shield brothers and the rest of the Raw roster for their lack of response to [HASHTAG]#UnderSiege[/HASHTAG]. This time, however, Team Red rushed to ringside to chase off the invaders. But the fray proved to be a distraction for Rollins, who turned around into a devastating Brogue Kick from Sheamus that led to The Bar leaving Manchester as the new Raw Tag Team Champions.
With tensions rising between the two brands as Survivor Series approaches, will Raw be out for retribution when SmackDown comes to Manchester?
