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Over the next week as we approach WWE Survivor Series I will profile a series of matches that have taken place at previous Survivor Series.
Survivor Series 2018 - Daniel Bryan vs Brock Lesnar.
WWE Champion Daniel Bryan and WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar clashed in a champion versus champion match in the 2018 iteration of Survivor Series. The intrigue for this match was high as Daniel Bryan had just defeated AJ Styles for the WWE championship on the final Smackdown Live before Survivor Series to win the championship and set up his dream match with Brock Lesnar.
Daniel Bryan had played the role of returning fan favourite after returned from the concussion issue that had kept him out for three years. However, shockingly, kicked AJ low to enable him to win the championship with definite heel mannerisms. No one knew what to expect from Daniel Bryan here.
How the Match Unfolded.
Daniel Bryan's change of persona was on display for all to see immediately. A smug and confident man met the Beast Incarnate in the ring. He mocked and goaded Lesnar before Brock eventually got his hands on him. Thus came the largest amount of punishment dealt out by either man in the match and most of Brock's almost 9 minutes of control over proceedings. This was characterised by a multitude of hard hitting grapples.
However Bryan took advantage of the ref getting too close to an F5 and downed Brock with a series of kicks. This allowed Bryan a period of advantage, seeing flurries of strikes, dives and submission moves.
Lesnar's eventual victory came without momentum and almost as a defiant force of nature after flurry after flurry of offence from Bryan. The F5 proved too much for the valiant challenger.
The Margin's of Victory
Brock Lesnar won abruptly. He hit his finisher after a sustained period of dominance from his opponent. It had been quite some time since he had strung a series of sustained offence together yet a big move won the day.
The biggest difference between Bryan and Lesnar is the type of offence. Bryan relied on hit and move type offence never getting too close to Lesnar, hitting strikes and dives. However Lesnar was able to use his size and power advantage to absolutely decimate Bryan early doors with huge grapples.
Although Bryan fought determinedly, had a sustained period of attack and looked to have Lesnar on the ropes both with the running knee strike and the LeBell Lock, the early devastation of the heavy suplexes left him open to be finished off by a big hit and that is what eventually happened.
Survivor Series 2017 - AJ Styles vs Brock Lesnar
A mere two weeks earlier the Survivor Series 2017 card looked a bit different. Brock Lesnar was expected to face Jinder Mahal in a champion versus champion match. However, Styles beat both of Mahal's underlings, the Singh Brothers, to earn a shot at the WWE Championship. His success in this match was almost universally celebrated and set up a dream match with Lesnar.
This was an especially attractive match as over the months preceding this PPV, Lesnar had been defending the Universal Championship in a series of matches against monsterous opponents. This match would be a breath of fresh air.
How the Match Unfolded.
To nobody's surprise Lesnar took the initiative early on and hit Styles with a series of heavy strikes and suplexes. In fact Lesnar invited Styles to strike him repeatedly at one point just so he could mockingly dodge the blows.
Styles managed to take control with a well-placed Pele Kick and like Bryan would one year later, took to hitting a series of quick impactful moves. Kicks and arial offence were key to keeping Lesnar out of the driver's seat. Styles was able to dish out more offence than Lesnar in this match by squeezing lots of quick attacks into a shorter time frame.
The Margin's of Victory
Lesnar's size and experience as a fighter in brutal environments and matches shone through here as he was able to take Styles' best shots, the Calf Crusher and the Phenomenal Forearm. This meant Styles had to go to the well again and this time Lesnar knew it was coming and the Phenomenal Forearm was caught perfectly for the F5.
Again, Lesnar's early onslaught of heavy, heavy hitting suplexes and, this time, merciless strikes reduced Styles resilience to a level where that devastating F5 could take him out.
Being Added to This Post This WEEK
-Goldberg vs Brock Lesnar. Wednesday.
-Men's Elimination Match 2016. Thursday.
-The Elimination Chamber 2002. Friday.
-Team WWF vs The Alliance. Saturday.