The November 14, 2017, episode of SmackDown LIVE will go down in WWE history as one of the most chaotic nights ever. In a stunning turn of events just days before Survivor Series, Raw General Manager Kurt Angle joined forces with The Shield to lead a shocking invasion of SmackDown, escalating the interbrand rivalry to unprecedented heights.
The evening began with SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon addressing the blue brand’s roster in a fiery backstage pep talk. McMahon, still riding high after SmackDown’s earlier raid of Raw, warned the roster to remain vigilant against potential retaliation. However, even Shane couldn’t have anticipated the level of destruction Raw had planned.
The chaos erupted during the night’s main event, which saw AJ Styles defending the WWE Championship against Jinder Mahal. Just as Styles seemed poised to retain his title, the familiar strains of The Shield’s entrance music echoed throughout the arena. Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, and Dean Ambrose stormed through the crowd, drawing the attention of the SmackDown roster and halting the match.
As pandemonium broke loose, Kurt Angle appeared at the top of the ramp, signaling the Raw superstars to invade. What followed was a brutal brawl as members of Raw, led by The Shield, decimated the SmackDown locker room. The Usos, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Baron Corbin tried valiantly to fend off the red brand’s assault but were overwhelmed by the sheer numbers and ferocity of the Raw invaders.
One of the night’s most memorable moments came when Kurt Angle himself stepped into the ring. After years away from active competition, the WWE Hall of Famer reminded everyone why he is one of the all-time greats. Angle hit an Angle Slam on Shane McMahon, leaving the SmackDown Commissioner motionless in the center of the ring as Raw superstars stood tall.
The Raw raid left a clear message: the red brand wasn’t backing down at Survivor Series. With tensions at an all-time high, the WWE Universe was left eagerly anticipating the explosive clash between Raw and SmackDown at the pay-per-view.
