The Best Episodes of WWE SmackDown Season 20

What was a festive Christmas night edition of SmackDown LIVE took a shocking turn when AJ Styles met with WWE Chairman Mr. McMahon, who said he wanted to see the “animal” inside The Phenomenal One. A slap from The Chairman to Styles’ face did the trick, as the former WWE Champion struck Mr. McMahon with a thunderous right hand. Also, a new United States Champion was crowned and “The New” Daniel Bryan continued to run roughshod over anyone in his path.

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In one of the most shocking SmackDown LIVE episodes of all time, Daniel Bryan stunned the WWE Universe in his WWE Championship Match against AJ Styles, and Becky Lynch made a very surprising decision regarding her replacement to face Ronda Rousey this Sunday at Survivor Series.

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In the wake of WrestleMania, Team Blue saw the dawning of a new era, as Shane McMahon made Paige the new General Manager of SmackDown LIVE. Then, in a fantasy match of Paige's creation, WWE Champion AJ Styles battled Daniel Bryan, a showdown that would fall victim to the wrath of The King of Strong Style. Plus, Carmella cashed in her Money in the Bank contract to become the new SmackDown Women’s Champion after the debuting IIconics laid waste to Charlotte Flair.

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WWE Money in the Bank was the focus of every blue brand Superstar, as three competitors qualified for the Money in the Bank Ladder Matches. Elsewhere, the growing beef between The New Day and The Bar continued.

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An absolutely loaded SmackDown 1000 saw Rey Mysterio make an unbelievable return to the blue brand, cameos from Mr. McMahon, Batista, Ric Flair and Edge, as well as The Big Show making a catastrophic impact on the SmackDown Tag Team division.

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On one of the biggest nights of his life, SmackDown LIVE General Manager Daniel Bryan spoke emotionally about once again being cleared to compete in WWE. When he fired Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn later in the night, however, his celebration turned upside down, as he suffered a brutal assault at the hands of The "Yep!" Movement.

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AJ Styles & Daniel Bryan formed a fantasy team as they took on Rusev & Aiden English, but Shinsuke Nakamura and the newest SmackDown LIVE Superstar Big Cass made sure to make their presence felt. Elsewhere, SmackDown Women’s Champion Carmella’s ’Mellabration was unceremoniously interrupted several times, including one interjection from the division’s newest threat.

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Daniel Bryan attempted to crash the party celebrating The Miz & Maryse’s new reality show “Miz & Mrs.,” but The A-Lister would stoop to an all-time new low to get the jump on The “Yes!” Man.

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The Bludgeon Brothers and The New Day squared off in a hard-hitting and explosive No Disqualification rematch from SummerSlam with the SmackDown Tag Team Titles on the line. Elsewhere, tempers boiled over further between Daniel Bryan and The Miz in a way that no one could have possibly seen coming.

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Charlotte Flair might have repelled the challenge of Carmella in a thrilling SmackDown Women’s Championship main event, but she could not escape an Irish Lass Kicking from her former best friend, Becky Lynch, who challenged The Queen to a title clash at the WWE Hell in a Cell pay-per-view event on Sunday, Sept. 16!

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In one of the biggest upsets in SmackDown LIVE history, Mustafa Ali got the best of “The New” Daniel Bryan when the newest SmackDown LIVE Superstar teamed up with AJ Styles to take on the WWE Champion & Andrade “Cien” Almas in a major main event on the blue brand.

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WWE Champion AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura collided in London’s O2 Arena with the winner getting the opportunity to pick the stipulation for their title match at WWE Money in the Bank. Elsewhere, two more Superstars claimed their place in the Money in the Bank Ladder Matches, and Big Cass finally pushed Daniel Bryan past his limit.

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In a shocking turn of events, a Triple Threat Match between Daniel Bryan, Samoa Joe and Big Cass was announced as the final Men’s Money in the Bank Qualifying Match. Elsewhere, The New Day and The Bar squared off in a major Six-Man Tag Team Match.

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On a whirlwind SmackDown LIVE, Daniel Bryan & Brie Bella thwarted an attack from Andrade “Cien” Almas & Zelina Vega in order to send a strong message to their WWE Hell in a Cell opponents The Miz & Maryse. Plus, Rusev Day earned the right to face The Bar next week to establish The New Day's SmackDown Tag Team Championship opponents at the Sept. 16 pay-per-view, WWE Champion AJ Styles attacked Samoa Joe, and SmackDown Women's Champion Charlotte Flair engaged in a war of wars with Becky Lynch.

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In the wake of WWE Hell in a Cell, newly-crowned SmackDown Women's Champion Becky Lynch unleashed a vicious attack on Charlotte Flair during her SmackDown Women’s Championship Coronation. Plus, Shinsuke Nakamura battled The Bulgarian Brute for the U.S. Title on Rusev Day, and Samoa Joe and AJ Styles continued throw fists in a post-match collision.

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Randy Orton and Jeff Hardy rekindled their rivalry with another barbaric encounter on the blue brand. Elsewhere, the footage from the wild brawl between SmackDown Women’s Champion Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair at the WWE Performance Center was finally revealed.

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John Cena arrived on SmackDown LIVE with a clear plan to move forward to WrestleMania, setting his sights on the WWE Title Match at WWE Fastlane. Elsewhere, Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan continued to clash over Bryan’s handling of Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn.

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With WWE Money in the Bank momentum being the theme of the night, all of SmackDown’s participants in the Men’s Ladder Match did battle, as The New Day squared off against The Miz, Rusev and Samoa Joe in Six-Man Tag Team action. Elsewhere, Charlotte Flair took on Becky Lynch, and Jimmy Uso & Naomi faced Lana & Aiden English.

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Brie Bella and Maryse’s one-on-one showdown quickly turned into a chaotic brawl when Daniel Bryan and The Miz got involved. Elsewhere, WWE Champion AJ Styles and Samoa Joe delivered personal messages to each other ahead of their title clash this Sunday at the WWE Hell in a Cell pay-per-view event.

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Feeling backed into a corner, WWE Champion AJ Styles found himself in another jam when he agreed to take on both Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn in back-to-back singles matches on SmackDown LIVE. Elsewhere, the Team Blue women threw down in a wild melee just five days before the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble Match.

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Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn tried to take control of their own destiny by ambushing Dolph Ziggler and Baron Corbin before their match to see who would advance to the WWE Title Match alongside them and WWE Champion AJ Styles at WWE Fastlane. However, their plan would ultimately backfire when SmackDown LIVE Commissioner Shane McMahon flipped the script and gave both Ziggler and Corbin a chance to advance, potentially making it a Fatal-5 Way Match for the title at WWE Fastlane.

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With the WWE Championship Fatal 5-Way Match at WWE Fastlane coming into focus, WWE Champion AJ Styles took on Baron Corbin in non-title competition, and Kevin Owens squared off against Dolph Ziggler, with Sami Zayn playing a pivotal role in both bouts.

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Daniel Bryan took on U.S. Champion Jeff Hardy for the first time, with a Men's Money in the Bank Qualifying Match against Samoa Joe hanging in the balance. Plus, Lana and Naomi both qualified for the Women's Money in the Bank Ladder Match, and Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson earned an opportunity to battle SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Bludgeon Brothers on June 17.

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Rusev won a star-studded Gauntlet Match to earn the right to challenge WWE Champion AJ Styles at WWE Extreme Rules. Elsewhere, SAnitY made an unforgettable debut and left an immediate impression.

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Asuka won a Battle Royal to secure her place in the SmackDown Women’s Championship TLC Match against Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair at WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs. Elsewhere, Rey Mysterio and Randy Orton engaged in a wild brawl one week after The Viper stole Mysterio’s mask.

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