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Brock Lesnar Beats Daniel Bryan via Pinfall at WWE Survivor Series 2018
November 19, 2018
Universal champion Brock Lesnar defeated WWE champion Daniel Bryan in a long-awaited dream match at Survivor Series on Sunday night in Los Angeles.
Bryan gave Lesnar everything he had, forcing The Beast Incarnate to kick out of multiple running knees and escape the "Yes!" Lock.
Ultimately, Lesnar's strength was too much for Bryan to overcome. The Raw Superstar hit his F-5 of the match to put his opponent down for a three-count.
Lesnar spent the first half of the match dominating Bryan, but The Beard did more than enough to come out looking strong in a losing effort.
Lesnar was originally set to face AJ Styles at Survivor Series for the second year in a row, but Bryan shockingly beat The Phenomenal One for the WWE title on Tuesday's episode of SmackDown Live.
To make matters even more surprising, Bryan turned heel on Styles by hitting him with a low blow and then assaulting him after the match.
Styles pushed Lesnar to the limit last year, but The Beast outlasted him in what was arguably one of the top matches of the year in WWE.
Styles had been WWE champion for over a year, and he retained over Bryan on an episode of SmackDown and against Samoa Joe at Crown Jewel before dropping to The Yes Man in a rematch Tuesday.
Lesnar dropped the universal title to Roman Reigns at SummerSlam, ending a 504-day reign.
The Beast was supposed to face The Big Dog and Braun Strowman in a Triple Threat match for the Universal Championship at Crown Jewel, but Reigns relinquished the title after announcing he has leukemia.
That resulted in the bout being changed to a singles match between Lesnar and Strowman.
After acting Raw general manager Baron Corbin hit Strowman from behind with the universal belt, Lesnar dominated the match and hit The Monster Among Men with multiple F-5s to become the first two-time universal champion.
Another match between Lesnar and Styles would have been great, but there was a unique dynamic Sunday that arguably made for an even better card.
It was always assumed a Bryan vs. Lesnar match would have a David vs. Goliath feel, and while it did to some degree, the fact that the SmackDown Superstar turned heel just days earlier made things feel a little more evenly matched than they otherwise would have.
Also, Bryan finally getting the match he was vocal about wanting for so long was a sign that WWE chairman Vince McMahon once again views him as one of his top stars after three years away from the ring because of head injuries.
Lesnar didn't necessarily gain much from beating Bryan, but he added another accolade to what is already one of the most remarkable resumes in WWE history.
A win over Lesnar could have been huge for Bryan and his credibility as WWE champion, but with a long-term feud against Styles possibly on the horizon, he should be able to bounce back quickly.
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