11 Ups & 4 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Nov 13)
Ups...
11. 11th Hour Booking
Your mileage may vary on the lengthy string of Survivor Series switch-ups born on last night's SmackDown, particularly as we saw something very similar last year, but given the middling job this promotion often does with maintaining heat and interest levels throughout medium and long-term storylines, it feels fresh and exciting in equal measure.
AJ Styles vs. Brock Lesnar II is off following 'The Phenomenal One's' WWE Championship loss. Brock's new opponent, Daniel Bryan, has been pulled from the 5-on-5 men's elimination match, replaced by Jeff Hardy. Becky Lynch's substitution for Charlotte Flair means there's still a hole to fill in the women's bout, which isn't ideal this close to the pay-per-view itself, but opens the door for someone else to rise up and captain the side - hopefully Asuka.
Sudden, last-minute changes, whether planned or otherwise, are now one of the most exciting aspects of the modern WWE product. This is where we're at. Yes, losing Becky vs. Ronda is a major downer, and yes, AJ vs. Brock would've ruled, but this company often do a poor job of keeping their viewers on their toes. We can't not point it out when they successfully accomplish this.