10 Unbelievable WWE Smackdown Endings We Completely Forgot About
James Austin Being on the air for more than 20 years, SmackDown! has been a great secondary show in WWE's television programming. Though at times SmackDown! was weak in terms of its roster, writing and fan attendance, there have been phases where WWE's "B show" was arguably better than Raw.
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SmackDown! has had very memorable moments and matches in the opening and middle segments of the show, but the closing segment is where the major events happen. One memorable SmackDown! closer was the finisher fest before Survivor Series 2001 but there are many more.
10 "Stone Cold" Steve Austin Destroys The DX Express
In what he himself said was the worst storyline he had ever been in, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin was ran over by a car at Survivor Series 1999 in order to be written of television to undergo neck surgery. In his absence, Triple H rose to prominence by winning the WWE Championship for a third time in January 2000 and would hold the title for several months. Triple H would controversially retain the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 2000 after a betrayal by Mr. McMahon on The Rock.
Austin took notice of that and days before Backlash on the April 27, 2000, SmackDown! he appeared backstage with a crane and would deconstruct the DX Express tour bus Triple H had been using for months by dropping a steel beam on it to make it explode. Years later on his podcast Austin revealed that he was not fully educated on how to use the crane and during filming accidentally swung the beam backwards and almost into the cab he was in, comparing his anticipation of disaster to Clark Griswold swinging into the Hoover Dam in Vegas Vacation.
9 Brock Lesnar And Big Show Break The Ring
WWE has done spots on several occasions of the ring of being broken or destroyed, beginning regularly in the late 1990s that just started with a portion. The ring itself has imploded several times but as WWE began to repeat the sight, fans spoke out that the destruction of the ring spot with heavyweights was better left untouched.
One of the most infamous ring destruction moments came on the June 12, 2003, SmackDown! in the main event WWE Championship match between Brock Lesnar and The Big Show. During the fight, Show surprisingly decided to climb the turnbuckles while holding Lesnar by the neck but Brock would counter. With Show perched on the top rope, Lesnar climbed up and shockingly suplexed Show off the top rope with the crash of both men, one being 500 pounds, making the ring frame, posts, and ropes collapse.
8 Big Show Throws Kurt Angle Off A Balcony
SmackDown! General Manager Kurt Angle granted Big Show a match against the WWE Champion Eddie Guerrero on April 15, 2004, but the match being non-title infuriated Show, so much so that he wagered his career if he lost. Show wound up losing to Eddie and while on his way out of the building, he overheard laughing from Torrie Wilson in a non-related conversation with someone else. Thinking she was laughing at him, Show became furious and began to terrorize and harass Torrie including smashing her car windows.
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With SmackDown! seemingly going off the air with the copyright information graphic being shown on the screen indicating the end of the program, Kurt Angle was alerted by a staffer Torrie was in trouble. The camera cut to show Big Show backstage holding Wilson hostage atop a very high balcony. Angle went up the balcony to confront Show and got him to release Wilson but would be grabbed instead and thrown off the balcony. The camera then showed Kurt laying motionless on the concrete floor with "blood" beneath his head and his leg in a twisted position.
7 Big Show's Surprise Return
Months after Big Show left SmackDown! after wagering his career on the line in a match against Eddie Guerrero, Show was brought back to the blue brand in the summer and was part of a creative swerve. On the September 9, 2004, SmackDown! a promo ran during the program promoting Big Show's return in two weeks' time.
In the main event, Kurt Angle faced off against Eddie Guerrero in a Lumberjack match. As the match erupted into a brawl involving the participants and lumberjacks, Big Show's music and pyro hit, and out came the giant two weeks earlier than advertised. Show then proceeded to take out most of the SmackDown! roster single-handedly, attacking anyone who was standing, good or bad.
6 Team Raw Invades SmackDown!
The 2005 Survivor Series match between the Raw and SmackDown! teams received great reviews at the time and still stands as one of the best Survivor Series matches of all time. The match's praise was earned but the build to the match is greatly overlooked, featuring several brand invasions and brawls on both shows. On the November 11, 2005, SmackDown! an inter-promotional match was booked between Raw's Edge and Team SmackDown! captain and the World Heavyweight Champion Batista.
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Before the match took place, SmackDown! General Manager Theodore Long was attacked backstage by Team Raw and promoted the remaining Team SmackDown! members to go on a chase. With Batista in the ring ready to fight, Team Raw member Kane emerged from the stage, and fellow Team Raw member The Big Show emerged from the crowd and went on to attack Batista. Several SmackDown! wrestlers attempted to run in to save their champion but were fought off. Show and Kane would then deliver a double Chokeslam on Batista.
5 Raw Invades SmackDown! Again
SmackDown! did not take too kindly to Team Raw's invasion and ambush on the November 11, 2005, show and would visit Raw just over a week later in response. A parking lot brawl ensued that would once again end with a Kane and Big Show double Chokeslam on Batista, though this time was on and through the hood and windshield of a car. Days later on November 25th was the go-home SmackDown! for Survivor Series 2005. The show closed with a World Heavyweight Championship match between Team SmackDown! members Batista and Randy Orton.
With the SmackDown! roster at ringside expecting another Raw ambush, moments after the bell rang Raw wrestlers began to storm the arena prompting the match to end and all SmackDown! wrestlers to go on the attack against Raw. A bandaged Batista was once against ambushed with a surprise attack by Kane and The Big Show. Kane and Show would then clear the announcer's table which alerted Team SmackDown! member JBL to run for the save. A herd of Raw wrestlers stopped JBL who could only watch as Kane and Big Show delivered another double Chokeslam on Batista only this time being through a table to the floor.
4 Undertaker Drags Kane To Hell
The Brothers of Destruction made for a frightening tag team but also made tremendous rivals for each other. Kane and The Undertaker revisited their "sibling" rivalry in 2010 with the prize being the World Heavyweight Championship instead of revenge and salvation as it was more than a decade prior. Kane was set to defend his title against 'Taker in a Buried Alive match at Bragging Rights 2010 but days before on October 22nd go-home SmackDown!, Kane faced Randy Orton in a non-title match and lost due in part to a psych-out by Undertaker.
Following the match with Kane in the ring, the lights turned purple before 'Taker emerged through the ring. Undertaker then grabbed Kane's legs and began to pull him down through the opening in the ring. A screaming and terrified Kane did his best to fight off his brother but after one last attempt at escaping, 'Taker's arm appeared from behind Kane and would pull the World Champion down into "hell" as the lights went out with Kane's echoing shouts screaming "NO!"
3 Kevin Owens Attacks And Bloodies Mr. McMahon
The heated multi-year rivalry between Kevin Owens and Shane McMahon began in summer of 2017. While still holding an on-screen corporate role, Shane attacked Owens leading to an appearance by Mr. McMahon on the September 12th SmackDown!. With KO and Mr. McMahon in the ring, McMahon would berate and insult Owens, saying that Shane's suspension was a result of "not finishing the job" with his attack on Kevin. Mr. McMahon then announced that Kevin would meet Shane inside Hell In A Cell at the upcoming PPV.
Kevin would then ask for Vince's permission to beat a McMahon senseless and was given that permission. This promoted KO to shockingly headbutt the elderly WWE Chairman who then bled instantly. An enraged Vince then attempted to take a swing at Kevin but was countered and knocked down. Owens would deliver a superkick followed by a frog splash on the helpless Mr. McMahon. Several officials came down to help the boss including McMahon's daughter Stephanie who got in the face of Owens before going to check on her father.
2 AJ Styles Wins The WWE Championship And Changes Survivor Series
The 2017 Survivor Series event had a firm theme of Raw against SmackDown! with inter-promotional matches and champion clashes amongst the tiers. The top tier championship showdown was set to be Raw's Universal Champion Brock Lesnar versus SmackDown!'s WWE Champion Jinder Mahal. Before Mahal met Lesnar, he was tasked with defending his title against AJ Styles on the November 7th SmackDown! days before Survivor Series.
The title match closed the show with fans expecting another Mahal title defense with his match against Lesnar already being advertised. To the shock of all who was watching, AJ connected with the Phenomenal Forearm to win the match and title; this was also the first time the WWE Championship changed hands overseas. Fans worldwide instantly became ecstatic realizing that the Survivor Series match would be changed to Brock Lesnar and AJ Styles.
1 Daniel Bryan Wins The WWE Championship And Changes Survivor Series
Deja vu occurred for fans before Survivor Series 2018 watching SmackDown!. Just as the year prior, the WWE Championship was on the line on the go-home show for the PPV with AJ Styles being in the match again, though this time he was the champion and challenging him was Daniel Bryan. Just like the year prior for Survivor Series, Raw's Universal Champion (Brock Lesnar) was set to face SmackDown!'s WWE Champion (AJ Styles). Bryan vs Styles in itself was a dream match but to also be for the WWE Championship made it better.
The two put on a great back-and-forth match that Styles tried to end with the Phenomenal Forearm but Bryan pulled the ref in the way. AJ then turned around into a low blow by Bryan that stunned the crowd. A Running Knee followed to give Daniel the win and his first world title following his return from retirement earlier in the year. Bryan's heel turn and WWE Championship win was not enough of a shock to end the show but just like the year prior, the Survivor Series match was once again instantly changed days before the event with Lesnar now set to face Daniel Bryan instead of Styles.