page_title: James Ellsworth (wrestler)
section_title: Storyline with AJ Styles and Dean Ambrose (2016–2017)
hierarchical_section_title: James Ellsworth (wrestler) / Professional wrestling career / WWE / Storyline with AJ Styles and Dean Ambrose (2016–2017)
caption_attribution_description: AJ Styles styling
context_page_description: James Ellsworth Morris, is an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name James Ellsworth. He is best known for his tenure with WWE. He also competed on the independent circuit under the ring name Jimmy Dream.
context_section_description: Ellsworth resurfaced in the main event of the September 13 episode of SmackDown Live as the mystery tag team partner for WWE World Champion AJ Styles against Dean Ambrose and John Cena, only to be attacked by Intercontinental Champion The Miz (his replacement in the actual match) as he walked down to the ring. On the October 11 episode of SmackDown Live, Ellsworth was chosen by Styles as his opponent in a non-title match, but SmackDown General Manager Daniel Bryan made Ambrose the special guest referee for the match. Ambrose favored Ellsworth during the match due to his rivalry with Styles, culminating in Ambrose attacking Styles and allowing Ellsworth to win. Ellsworth was granted a WWE World Championship match the following week on the October 18 episode of SmackDown Live, with Ambrose serving as the timekeeper and ring announcer (Ellsworth won the match by disqualification, but not the title). Ellsworth continued to offer assistance to Ambrose in his rivalry with Styles, but this backfired on the October 25 episode of SmackDown Live, when Ellsworth accidentally cost Ambrose the match after executing No Chin Music on Styles, disqualifying Ambrose. On the November 1 episode of SmackDown Live, Ellsworth interfered in the rematch, distracting Styles and allowing Ambrose to win an opportunity for the title. SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon also named Ellsworth the SmackDown mascot for the 2016 Survivor Series match on the November 8 episode of SmackDown Live.
  During Survivor Series on November 20, Ellsworth helped eliminate Braun Strowman by countout by holding onto his leg, only for Strowman to chase Ellsworth up the ramp and put him through a table, injuring his neck. After legitimately signing a WWE contract, this was worked into a storyline on the 22 November episode of SmackDown Live, when Styles goaded the injured Ellsworth to face him in a ladder match for the right to be a SmackDown superstar with his contract suspended above the ring; Ellsworth agreed, but wanted another shot at the WWE World Championship should he win the match. That night, Ellsworth defeated Styles to win a SmackDown contract, due to Ambrose helping Ellsworth yet again. On the 29 November episode of SmackDown Live, Ellsworth suffered a storyline injury after Styles interrupted his Ambrose Asylum's segment with Ambrose, attacking both and delivering a Styles Clash to Ellsworth off the steel steps, which caused Ellsworth to be taken on a stretcher by medical personnel.
  This led Ellsworth interfering on December 4 at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs during the Tables, Ladders and Chairs between Styles and Ambrose to help the latter, but he ended up turning heel by helping Styles instead by pushing Ambrose off the ladder and sent him through two tables. Ellsworth explained that since he had already beaten Styles three times, he helped Styles because he wanted to defeat him again, this time for the WWE World Championship, a match SmackDown's commissioner Shane McMahon granted him for the following episode of SmackDown Live. Ellsworth tried to make it up with Ambrose by helping him defeat The Miz for the Intercontinental Championship on the December 6 episode of SmackDown Live, but his effort backfired and eventually cost Ambrose the match. Ellsworth's title opportunity was twice postponed, first due to Styles being legitimately injured; and the second time due to Ellsworth suffering from a kayfabe cold. The match eventually happened on the December 20 episode of SmackDown, during which Styles easily defeated Ellsworth in under a minute to end their storyline.
caption: Ellsworth (lying down) after being defeated by AJ Styles for the WWE Championship on an episode of SmackDown Live in December 2016
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