Twitter Reacts to Triple H's Victory and More WWE Survivor Series Highlights

Toyota Center in Houston served as host for Sunday's WWE Survivor Series 2017, a night of brand warfare. Monday Night Raw and SmackDown Live fought for supremacy, with champions facing champions and the best talent remaining teaming up in elimination matches.

Buzz coming into the night was focused on the main event between WWE universal champion Brock Lesnar and WWE champion AJ Styles and the five-on-five men's elimination match that included Kurt Angle and Triple H on Team Raw as well as Shane McMahon and John Cena on Team SmackDown.

Both those matches ended up causing major buzz and some noticeable controversy, but the women's and tag team divisions may have made just as much of an impact by putting on some of the best matches of the year.

Triple H's Controversial Victory

The excitement going into the Survivor Series men's elimination match was palpable with stars left and right. The potential matchups in this contest were always going to be enticing. As the WWE Universe account put it:

Right away the action got many excited, particularly the interesting encounter between Triple H and a man who has carried himself with a similar air throughout his career, Bobby Roode. Jeff J may have put it best:

Fans were also excited for another less known blast from the past, as Cena and Samoa Joe finally fought in the same ring after years apart. Old Wrestling Pics showed off a photo of the two back in 2000, when they were training together to become stars:

As the match turned, though, the tone of the contest shifted with that focus on older stars becoming glaring. While The Game, Angle, Cena and Shane remained the focus, the contemporary talent of both shows were wiped out one by one.

First, SmackDown lost Shinsuke Nakamura and Roode in quick succession. It wasn't long before Joe and Finn Balor fell for Team Raw. Some were frustrated and turned their ire toward remaining SmackDown stars Cena and Orton, including Kyle Lewis, while others talked about how this showed WWE's short-sighted booking:

One man clearly at the center of the conversation was Triple H whose NXT stars were supposed to be the highlights of this contest. This caused a divide, with some calling out the Cerebral Assassin and others reminding fans of how those guys got into that same ring with legends:

In the end, the match was all about HHH and Shane, as the King of Kings surprisingly turned on Angle and eliminated him with a Pedigree only to then Pedigree Shane to take the win. The result proved we are once more in an era of McMahon family drama.

The match was the most criticized of the night, with the result frustrating fans. Many were left questioning what the point of it all was:

The main event may have left a sour taste in the mouths of fans, especially those expecting a show from so many great wrestlers in the ring together. However, there were other contests to remember more fondly.

Brock Lesnar Emerges Victorious But Not Without Battle Scars

Dream match is a dangerously overused phrase these days, but Brock Lesnar vs. AJ Styles qualifies for the title. Perhaps the best wrestler in the world facing the best-built monster in the business, it was a contest sure to spark excitement.

Early on, though, the contest looked largely one-sided, seeming to mirror the squash match Lesnar had with Cena not too long ago. As the suplexes rained down, Noelle Foley was just one of many in awe of the brutality:

Moreover, fans were impressed by how Styles sold the carnage. He made every move look deadly and had fans convinced this could well be over quickly. Cultaholic's Adam Pacitti may have put it best in describing how Styles sold the assault:

The dominance did not last, though, as Styles made a fierce comeback. He took out Lesnar's knee and sent him hard to the mat repeatedly. The discussion of selling shifted to Lesnar, with many shocked by how much the universal champion was willing to give to Styles:

This contest was fought with full brutality in mind, and one spot in particular best sold this. Styles managed to reverse the F5 into the Calf Crusher, and it looked as if he could make The Beast tap. Then Lesnar struck back with a brutal counter:

Lesnar emerged victorious, but both men came out worse for wear with respect for each other. That respect was shared by the fans. Writer David Bixenspan made it short and sweet in giving Styles the highest praise for his performance:

The match was universally lauded by fans. Most were even willing to call it Lesnar's best match in a long time. Pro Wrestling Sheet's Ryan Satin went as far as to call it his best of 2017, while writer Kazeem Famuyide went even further:

"

This is the best Brock match in like 3 years. #SurvivorSeries

— Kazeem Famuyide (@RealLifeKaz) November 20, 2017"

The only wrestler left out of the excitement was the man who was originally supposed to perform against Lesnar. While Jinder Mahal got a few interview appearances to declare his looming presence, Bleacher Report's Ryan Dilbert was sure to remind everyone what we could have had instead:

This match lived up to all expectations, a showcase of two of the biggest stars in the business. However, there were other wrestlers looking to deliver Sunday, including the women.

The Women Hit Highs and Lows

The women's division had two chances to showcase its stars at Survivor Series and had mixed results. The women's elimination match was the first contest to put the women front and center, and the bout that got moving fast.

The first elimination may have been the moment that caused the most ire among fans of any result the entire night. SmackDown's team captain and arguably best performer, Becky Lynch, took a sudden roll-up, and fans were fuming:

Lynch made a statement afterward to ease the tension and apologize for letting fans down:

However, the excitement turned up when WWE focused on the powerhouses of the division, with Tamina and Nia Jax finally facing off in a battle of Samoans. This first-time clash of the most powerful women had many people on the edges of their seats:

In the end, the contest was all about Asuka, who came back from a two-to-one disadvantage to reign supreme. Many were hoping this would be her night from the start, but it was always going to be cool to see the Empress of Tomorrow run through women on the main roster.

The match caused some mixed reactions among fans. The quick eliminations and somewhat irreverent use of talent could have set some viewers off, with F4WOnline's Bryan Alvarez putting it best:

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross and NXT star Peyton Royce, though, were quick to give praise to the women for putting on a long and varied match that helped solidify Asuka's place on the main roster:

Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss faced off later, with Charlotte hoping to regain ground for Team SmackDown. This match was quick to gain praise, which is far from surprising with the talent involved. In their first contest on the main roster, these two never slowed down.

The SmackDown women's champion was praised throughout the bout, particularly for her effortless moonsault. However, Bliss was equally lauded, especially for her character work throughout the bout:

This battle between the two most decorated women of this era in WWE ended up being one of the best women's matches of the year. Fans were clamoring for more once it was over:

The women put their best feet forward throughout the night, but it was the tag teams in WWE that put on the matches of the night—if not the matches of the year.

The Tag Teams Steal the Show

When Survivor Series opened with The Shield vs. The New Day, many were wondering whether the contest could steal the show right off the bat. The two most dominant trios of the modern era were ready to go to war, and they did not disappoint.

However, before the match could even get going, fans were distracted by WWE's odd wardrobe decisions. The unmatching T-shirts of The Shield, with Reigns simply wearing his typical ring gear, brought up more than a few jokes:

This creative war saw countless wild moves, as the six men went to their limits to claim victory. One word that dominated the conversation about the match was "fun." Pro Wrestling Mag and Bleacher Report's Chris Mueller both agreed on that front:

WWE Creative Humor used the time to make a joke that no one would likely be too upset about being true given the six could probably steal the show every night:

Even ESPN's WWE account got in on the praise, talking up just how much the night had changed with The Shield and New Day opening the event off hot:

"

Well that was one way to kick off #SurvivorSeries. Shield def. New Day in an incredible opener.

— WWE on ESPN (@WWEonESPN) November 20, 2017"

Not to be outdone, The Usos battled Cesaro and Sheamus in a tag team match. It was clear from the start just how much chemistry the teams had in a bout that rivaled the best of 2017, a year wherein these tag teams have stolen the show at almost every pay-per-view:

The one overwhelming takeaway from this match is that The Usos have solidified their place as the premier tag team in WWE. From their heel turn in September 2016 to now, the team has gone through a remarkable evolution to gain universal acceptance from fans, including analyst Justin LaBar:

The Usos wanted to have the last say after their incredible show-stealer, reminding everyone they have not just become great but have always been great:

It was a night of controversy, but moreover it was a night of fantastic wrestling, as everyone came with chips on their shoulders and ready to prove just how good they are at a Survivor Series that more than earned the title of Big Four PPV.

Even if you ended up frustrated after Triple H's victory, though, here is one last moment captured on Twitter to cheer you up:

Even The King of Kings isn't always graceful.