WWE SmackDown Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Analysis from November 11

History beckoned The Usos on Friday night as part of an episode of SmackDown headlined by their defense of the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship.

A win would see them become the longest-reigning tag team champions ever in WWE. To accomplish that, though, they had to overcome the challenge of the current record-holders, The New Day.

Were they successful, thus continuing their reign atop the division and The Bloodline's dominance over the company as a whole, or did Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods bring their title reign to a crushing conclusion?

Find out now with this recap of the November 11 broadcast.

• Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship match: The New Day vs. The Usos
• No. 1 Contender's Six-Pack Challenge Match: Shotzi vs. Raquel Rodriguez vs. Liv Morgan vs. Sonya Deville vs. Xia Li vs. Lacey Evans
• SmackDown World Cup First-Round Match: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Santos Escobar
  

Two teams with extraordinary in-ring chemistry and a legacy of show-stealing matches, The Usos and The New day wrote the latest chapter in their historic feud in a fantastic opener. A red-hot crowd hung with every high spot, near-fall and false finish, elevating the overall quality and rewarding the combatants for their hard work.

The hot tag from Kingston to Woods, the near-fall off of a double top-rope splash by the champs and the teased title change off the Midnight Hour had fans on the edge of their seats.

Kingston, making one last gasp effort to preserve New Day's legacy, leaped off the top rope and into the waiting arms of his opponents, who drove him into the mat with the 1-D for the win and successful title defense.

This was a fantastic match between two teams that are as responsible as anyone for preserving the art of tag team wrestling in this generation. Others get their due, but it often feels like we take The Usos and New Day for granted, perhaps because of the amount of television time and exposure they have received over the years.

With much hype surrounding the contest and an abundance of historical talk, they rose to the occasion and delivered another classic in a long line of them. This was fantastic, no hyperbole.

Result

The Usos defeated The New Day to retain

Grade

A+

Top Moments

• Roman Reigns, Solo Sikoa and Paul Heyman were shown watching from the backstage area, the pressure on The Usos to retain and make history. 
• Michael Cole gave Big E props for his involvement in New Day's historic run as champions.
• Jey covered his ears as the fans chanted "Sami," refusing to acknowledge The Honorary Uce.
  
• Woods exploded into the ring off a great hot tag from Kingston. 
• Woods kicking out of the double splash from the Usos and Jimmy narrowly kicking out of Midnight Hour were two effective false-finishes that totally got the crowd to bite.

The SmackDown World Cup kicked off in the night's second match as Shinsuke Nakamura battled Legado del Fantasma's Santos Escobar, who was accompanied to the squared circle by Cruz Del Toro, Joaquin Wilde and Zelina Vega.

A competitive, back-and-forth contest gave way to late-match interference from the heels as the competitors and commentary team put over the numbers advantage Escobar and Co. benefit from.

The distraction caused by Nakamura laying out Del Toro and Wilde at ringside allowed Escobar to recover enough and deliver an avalanche Phantom Driver for the pinfall victory.

Escobar looked impressive here and Legado del Fantasma continued to establish itself as a force on SmackDown. Beating Nakamura adds credibility to the faction and sets Escobar up as a potential early favorite in the World Cup tournament.

With a little more time, and without the pesky commercial in the middle of the match, this probably would have been even better. For now, it served its purpose in kicking off the tournament and legitimizing Escobar.

Result

Escobar defeated Nakamura

Grade

C+

Top Moments

• Nakamura wiped out Del Toro and Wilde at ringside.
• Escobar's Phantom Driver was equal parts dangerous and picture-perfect from the top rope.

LA Knight joined Megan Morant for a backstage interview but was interrupted, first by the Bray Wyatt video bumpers, then the man himself. A tense interaction between the two gave way to the former universal champion rocking the egotistical heel with a headbutt.

This might feel like a random first feud for Wyatt, and maybe it is, but this was an intriguing segment that set the stage for The Eater of Worlds' first foray back into the squared circle.

Back in the arena, Shotzi, Raquel Rodriguez, Liv Morgan, Sonya Deville, Xia Li and Lacey Evans clashed in a Six-Pack Challenge Match for an opportunity to challenge Ronda Rousey for the SmackDown Women's Championship.

A chaotic match saw the story involving Morgan and Deville continue. Rodriguez also teased some increased intensity before Shotzi delivered Never Sleep Again for the win and pinfall on Evans.

Triple H has done some great things as the head of creative in WWE, including getting as many women on television as possible, but he needs to do a better job of building stars and stories in the SmackDown division.

We have repeatedly seen multi-women matches determine the latest No. 1 contender, and the matches usually feature women who have been underserved by the creative process.

Shotzi winning is a great call and, hopefully, is the start of a sustained run for her. It would have meant more if there was a build to the win or consistent on-screen appearances from half of the women involved.

Yes, there are an ample amount of moving pieces for Triple H to deal with as the overseer of five hours of television a week, but this is one area that could use some attention so that these matches mean more.

Result

Shotzi defeated Deville, Evans, Li, Morgan and Rodriguez

Grade

C

Top Moments

• Morgan and Deville rekindled their rivalry, with the former dominating the latter while continuing to showcase the burgeoning unhinged side of herself.
• "Hi, pretty girl," Morgan taunted Deville.
• Cole did a solid job of reminding the audience of Shotzi and Rodriguez's recent history as tag team partners, explaining why they may be more inclined to help each other.
• Rodriguez produced a table from under the ring. She set Deville up for a powerbomb, but Morgan interrupted with a cross-body block. An awkward landing led to a botched spot that left all three women down.
• Backstage, Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler confronted Shotzi, the latter putting the new No. 1 contender to sleep. 

Braun Strowman followed his victory over Omos at Crown Jewel with another impressive win, this time over former WWE champion Jinder Mahal in a SmackDown World Cup first-round match.

The Monster Among Monsters overcame an early onslaught by the heel to put Mahal away with the Monster Bomb, as called by Wade Barrett.

This was a one-sided beatdown that did more to potentially telegraph Strowman winning the tournament and challenging Gunther for the Intercontinental Championship than anything.

Result

Strowman defeated Mahal

Grade

C

Top Moments

• Mahal claimed that no man could stop him on his quest to win the SmackDown World Cup. Strowman's entrance interrupted, and the look on his face sold The Modern-Day Maharaja's fear.

The advertised match between B-Fab and Zelina Vega as part of the ongoing feud between Hit Row and Legado del Fantasma never got started as The Viking Raiders made their return, flanked by Sarah Logan.

Erik and Ivar obliterated five male Superstars. Vega escaped unscathed; B-Fab, not so much.

Logan rocked her with a pop-up headbutt, leaving B-Fab lying before standing tall with her team to close out the segment.

This was a hell of a reintroduction for The Viking Raiders. Logan looked like a total badass here and completely immersed herself in her haunting new look. This was better than anything we have seen out of this particular team to this point in their WWE run.

With Triple H at the helm and seemingly understanding this act better than anyone before him, the trio should thrive in ways it has not previously been allowed to.

Result

No-contest

Grade

A

Top Moments

• Cole feigning confusion as to who Logan was at first put over the change in appearance and attitude of the former Riott Squad member.

The WWE Universe now has its first taste of what the men's War Games match will look like at Survivor Series, thanks to the closing segment of Friday's show.

Roman Reigns and The Bloodline hit the ring, undoubtedly to bask in their accomplishments of the last week, until The Brawling Brutes' Butch and Ridge Holland interrupted. Sheamus returned, and Drew McIntyre followed suit as the European contingent battled the top heel faction to close out the show.

There will be some who believe the War Games match should feature more stars to justify its place on the Survivor Series card, but the Brutes and McIntyre are uber-over and should guarantee a damn good match against The Bloodline.

It also sets up a scenario where Sheamus can win and earn a shot at Reigns at Royal Rumble, keeping both men busy as WWE enters its most significant period.

Grade

A

Top Moments

• "It's not easy being my cousin," Reigns said before reminding the world how he has always been acknowledged and celebrated.
• Sheamus' mic cut out on him a couple of times, leading Reigns to improvise and mock him for not even being able to get it to work.
• The pop for McIntyre was huge and indicative that his popularity has not waned despite the loss to Reigns back in September.