Brock Lesnar and AJ Styles exceeded all expectations in a bruising encounter at Survivor Series.
The stark differences in size, style and approach between the storied wrestlers, clashing for the first time, neither impeded nor obstructed a bout in front of a sizzling Houston crowd.
Make no mistake, this was the definition of a marquee match. Two world champions going at it to exhaustion and bringing out the best and biggest weapons in their arsenal to boot.
Even the decidedly zero stakes atmosphere and rushed build up sloughed off as soon as those watching realised we were in for something a little special.
Lesnar, who enjoyed his best fight since winning the Universal Championship from Goldberg at Wreslemania 33, reminded us all just why we keep lining up to see him fight, why people like us keep writing about him, why people like you keep talking about him.
The first half of the match belonged to the Beast, and it seemed to be a case of business as usual, making light work of a beleaguered Styles. A frighteningly high overhead toss from the corner saw Styles land hard on his back. Not long thereafter he bounced from the ropes like ragdoll to the outside courtesy of a pugnacious Lesnar throw. To cap it off, Styles was quickly launched face first into the five-man announce table.
“This is why I LOVE to call Lesnar matches!” enthused Michael Cole, broadcasting his delight at witnessing a potential murder live on the WWE Network. Only $9.99 a month.
But AJ rallied, and how; demonstrating the abilities that lead many to deem him the best in the world.
Size difference be damned, Styles went at Lesnar hard and threw more at him than a Greek restaurant with overly-exuberant waiters and a spiked punch bowl.
A thwopping great forearm smash to Lesnar’s jaw to set up the Phenomenal Forearm and secure the closest fall he could muster all match. The perfectly executed 450 Springboard Splash. A thudding DDT near the corner. The usual bag of tricks, twists and flips that made you think he could be on the cusp of pulling it off.
His selling of Lesnar’s offence was also a key component of the match’s structure. A backflip from a German Suplex threatened to send him into the venue roof before he crashed face first into the mat. It made Lesnar look even stronger, like a malevolent God flinging buildings around.
It was the contrast between the two competitors that really brought the match alive. The story on offer revolved around Lesnar’s brute force meeting Styles’ whipcrack acrobatics, and it was this fundamental difference that sold two of the match’s highlights.
First, we witnessed AJ’s agility in locking Lesnar into the Calf Crusher. Brock screamed in agony, the crowd strained to see what could be the first submission of his WWE career, only for the seemingly trapped Lesnar to beat Styles’ head into the mat thoroughly, repeatedly and hard.
The crowd screamed their outrage at the brutality, unexpected even in what had up to that point been a good ol’ fashioned slobberknocker.
It was this power versus pace dynamic that set up the finish. A second tilt at a flying forearm from Styles saw him caught in mid-air, F5ed in a satisfying manner and left looking at the lights for a three count.
It was a finish most likely called by many, but in this instance it was well-executed and a logical conclusion to a match that saved itself from predictability early on.
With Lesnar never being likely to lose the focus should have been on making AJ Styles look both a worthy competitor and WWE Champion; two goals that were both accomplished with aplomb.
The non-title, non-risk factors of this bout favoured Lesnar, who is heading to an inevitable meeting with Roman Reigns at Wrestlemania 34.
Many have complained about the latest marketing of the F5 as the Hammer of Thor. One shot, and you are out like a light. It has taken just one application of Lesnar’s signature move to end fights with Samoa Joe, Braun Strowman and the four-way tangle at SummerSlam.
It is not enough, fans complain, that one move sees off opponents who are sold as the real deal only to fall at the final hurdle.
A fair issue to raise, but WWE has fed its audience a steady stream of kickouts that contrived to delegitimise the power of finishing moves over the last few years. It’s a lot more difficult to suspend disbelief that Lesnar is the invincible machine of 2014/15 anymore, but it’s easier to sell the idea that a powerful veteran can put you down with his trump card.
When Reigns kicks out of the F5 at some point on April 8th and the New Orleans crowd are on their feet in disbelief, this slow build will have achieved its aim.
Some of the coverage you find on Cultured Vultures contains affiliate links, which provide us with small commissions based on purchases made from visiting our site.
