5 Biggest Winners & Losers From WWE SmackDown Live (Oct 18)

4. Winner: James Ellsworth

James Ellsworth is living out his dream on live television. Last night wasn’t just the biggest moment of his wrestling career, but one of the biggest of his life. He cut a nervous interview with Renee Young prior to the match, and rightly so: AJ Styles is widely considered the best wrestler in the world, and Ellsworth is a guy most WWE fans hadn’t even heard of until a couple of months ago.

Ellsworth recognised that he was a huge underdog, but he was going to make the most of this opportunity, and that he did. He took a heavy beating in the match, but his superkick hope spot got a huge reaction, and James certainly had his moments. The disqualification finish means that Ellsworth can now say he has a victory over AJ Styles to his name, and him and Dean Ambrose were the ones celebrating as SmackDown finished.

Somehow, James Ellsworth has become a functioning part of the WWE ecosystem. He now has his own entrance music, shirt, and Tron video, and he’s amassed a considerable cult following. The fans were chanting his name throughout the match, and the superkick spot got a massive reaction. Who knows how long the Cinderella story will last, but for now, the crowd are having as much fun with James Ellsworth as he is with them.