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Twitter Reacts to Brock Lesnar's Big Win, More WWE Survivor Series 2018 Results
November 19, 2018
WWE Survivor Series 2018 had everything going against it. The card was in constant flux. Arguably the biggest match on the card, Becky Lynch vs. Ronda Rousey, was taken off just a few days before the event thanks to an injury to The Irish Lass Kicker at the hands of Nia Jax.
Throughout the night, fans in attendance were cheering for Lynch. Everyone noticed her absence, and it felt like a weight that the show could not recover from:
However, something came out of this pay-per-view that no one expected: After a one-sided domination in favor of Team Raw, the two main events were freed up to tell spectacular stories of their own.
Rousey pushed Charlotte Flair to her limit until something just snapped, while Brock Lesnar faced one of the toughest challenges of his career when Daniel Bryan brought an incredible game plan in a near-impossible situation.
It was a weird night but also one filled with strong wrestling, making it an event everyone was talking about.
Charlotte Flair Snaps and Sets Up an Incredible Sequel
Major expectations were attached to Rousey vs. Charlotte. It was the biggest women's match possible for The Baddest Woman on the Planet after Lynch's withdrawal. Survivor Series lived up to that hype with a brutall bout in which the Raw champion was busted open early.
The contest was not the cleanest of fights with the two looking a little inconsistent from the start, but they settled in and ramped up the tension to a fever pitch, never letting up.
Once more, Rousey managed to top her best, and fans didn't ignore this:
However, the big talking point was the ending when The Queen threw out the match to vent her frustrations on the UFC Hall of Famer. Charlotte lost her cool in a way that was reminiscent of her best friend, Lynch, and clearly turned heel for the first time in years.
Despite being a villainous turn, the fans embraced the attack as a heroic act by Charlotte. It was the first time in months The Queen had been cheered, and it seemed everyone was enjoying the carnage:
This moment defined Survivor Series and made it far more than just a PPV in which Raw dominated SmackDown.
It was a night the women stood out even without the true star of the division.
Brock Lesnar Barely Survives Impressive Daniel Bryan Performance
A good big man always beats a good little man: It's the mantra fans often point to whenever others talked up the potential of Lesnar fighting Bryan. It was never realistic that The Beard could challenge the former UFC champion.
WWE played this up to the max in the main event as the WWE champion came in confident only to be quickly squashed by the power and strength of The Beast Incarnate. However, that wasn't the simple end to this story.
After a referee bump, The "Yes" Man found his opening with a low blow and began to rally, creating a brilliant story that took fans through a roller coaster of emotions:
Ultimately, the WWE universal champion's athletic gifts were too much to handle, but it did not take away from an incredible fight. Bryan brought a story to fruition he has likely been considering for years and proved he's still one of the best in the business:
It was arguably the match of the night and certainly worthy of its main event spot. In a rare moment, The Beast let loose and worked, and it made for one of the best matches of his career.
Braun Strowman Runs Over Team SmackDown to Get Everything He Wanted
Few wrestlers were given a reason to fight at Survivor Series beyond brand loyalty, but Braun Strowman was offered everything by Stephanie McMahon. Apparently, that incentive mattered because The Monster Among Men almost single-handedly defeated Team SmackDown.
The performance by the new No. 1 contender was as dominant as he has looked including last year when Strowman eliminated three men.
It was obvious by the ending that Raw's dominance was being established clearly:
The match overall was good, particularly once the action broke down, but one man got left out after a disappointingly quick elimination—Samoa Joe went down right off the bat following a Claymore.
Fans who have watched The Samoan Submission Specialist throughout the years know how good he can be, so the reaction to his quick elimination was not just directed at the immediate booking but also the big man's treatment in recent months:
Jax Seemingly Rewarded After Injuring Lynch
Multiple stories dominated the opening match of Survivor Series, with the women fighting for an early advantage in the battle for brand supremacy.
After some awkward reshuffling on the Kickoff show, this women's five-on-five match showed some impressive potential.
However, the early parts of the bout were more frustrating than exciting. Following the unfortunate trend of past five-on-five women's elimination matches, Naomi went down within minutes, leaving many annoyed especially after she was named team captain:
One wrestler who didn't have to do anything to be hated was Jax. Fans loathed her from the moment she walked out from behind the curtain:
In the end, that heat was a key factor in the whole match as The Irresistible Force even turned on her own teammate to take the win on her own. Given most wanted to see Jax punished for what she did to Lynch, fan were livid at the result:
For better or worse, Jax is more over than she has ever been, and the company is using that heat. It will be interesting to see if she continues to build momentum in the coming months or is thoroughly taken down by Rousey and Lynch.
Drake Maverick Used for Embarrassing Comic Relief
The clash between The Authors of Pain and The Bar was not all that exciting for fans, and it showed in the reaction early on. During the contest, fans were more excited about Enzo Amore making a surprise appearance in the crowd and getting escorted out:
In order to make this heel tag team champions showdown memorable, WWE resorted to some terrible storytelling. As the match ramped to a finish, Big Show lifted up AOP's manager Drake Maverick and made him piss his pants.
While it did not take away from a match that was already the weakest at Survivor Series, this moment was embarrassing for a star who has done brilliant work for WWE. Fans were quick to point how absurd this moment was:
The worst part was that the follow-up to the segment was Buddy Murphy vs. Mustafa Ali stealing the show. The 205 Live general manager even got a serious cameo in the promo video for the match.
This company may be getting better lately, but there's still so much room for growth. Right now, WWE booking continues to get in the way of the genuinely loaded roster.