What to Expect From AJ Styles vs. Brock Lesnar At Survivor Series 2017

This coming Sunday, on the 19th November 2017, WWE presents its 31st edition of Survivor Series, from the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Thanks to the brand split, this show, like last year, is being presented as Monday Night Raw versus SmackDown Live in a battle of brand supremacy, and will feature match-ups pitting stars of both brands against one another.

With just under one week until the PPV, let’s take a quick rundown of the card as it stands.

Universal Champion Brock Lesnar vs. WWE Champion AJ Styles

Raw Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss vs. SmackDown Women’s Champion Natalya

Intercontinental Champion The Miz vs. United States Champion Baron Corbin

Raw Tag Team Champions Cesaro & Sheamus vs. SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos

Men’s Survivor Series Elimination Tag Match
Team Raw: Kurt Angle (captain), Samoa Joe, Braun Strowman, Finn Balor & Jason Jordan
Team SmackDown: Shane McMahon (captain), Randy Orton, Bobby Roode, John Cena & Shinsuke Nakamura

Women’s Survivor Series Elimination Tag Match
Team Raw: Alicia Fox (captain), Nia Jax, Sasha Banks, Asuka & TBA
Team SmackDown: Becky Lynch (captain), Charlotte Flair, Naomi, Carmella & Tamina

Cruiserweight Championship: Enzo Amore (c) vs. Kalisto

And an as-yet-unannounced Shield vs. New Day 6-Man Tag Team Match, which is rumoured to be happening.

The card looks set, with the added possibility that Baron Corbin and Natalya could lose their respective championships this Tuesday on SmackDown to Sin Cara and Charlotte Flair respectively. That leads me into the topic of this article, which looks at one of the featured matches on the card, which ironically, came because of an impromptu title change last week.

Up until last Tuesday, Jinder Mahal was still WWE Champion and would be colliding with the Beast Incarnate at Survivor Series. That is, until the Phenomenal One stepped up and mercifully defeated the Modern-Day Maharaja, ending 6 months of what can only be described as an arduous, tedious farce (for now, anyway).

The idea of a Mahal versus Lesnar showdown did little to excite me, and many others, mainly due to the fact that Mahal isn’t that great at being a top heel wrestler. From the moment he was drafted to SmackDown, he has gone from glorified jobber to WWE champion almost by total accident. Notwithstanding the fact that there are plenty of more entertaining characters (who also happen to be better wrestlers) who could take the reins; Mahal just wasn’t clicking with the WWE audience. His boring promos, mediocre wrestling skills and the inconsistent booking behind his character have led him to be viewed as nothing more than a long-drawn out interim champion who cannot be taken seriously due to his prior status. The booking he cannot necessarily be blamed for, as WWE writers have given the impression that because he is different, he should be vilified for being non-American, when actually in some cases there has been some truth to what he has said in his promos. This doesn’t help the fact that the foreign heel gimmick is outdated and would only tend to work 30 years ago. Now we are past that. Plus, as a British fan, watching the anti-American feuds, it is somewhat polarising for me because this doesn’t affect me in the same way.

Continuing, Mahal emerged victorious in underwhelming feuds with Randy Orton and Shinsuke Nakamura. Until one of the most universally-adored babyfaces in all of wrestling (not just WWE) ended the seemingly never-ending Mahal title run in superb fashion. Now, we have something of a dream match in Brock Lesnar vs. AJ Styles to take place in Houston, and certainly one that is more unique and intriguing than if Mahal were in Styles’ position.

What immediately makes this match-up so much more entertaining already is the fact that we know Styles and Lesnar can deliver in big-match situations. Styles is one of the most versatile, capable and entertaining performers who can mesh with just about any opponent regardless of size, stature, ability and work rate. Lesnar is a draw, there is no doubt about it, and as seen in some of his recent title defences, he can put on an entertaining performance. Say what you will about Lesnar’s matches, but for me, they are enjoyable if only for their perceived higher authenticity, and that Lesnar can hit power moves the likes of which are rarely seen and still move as quickly as a Cruiserweight.

Plus, can anyone else see Styles countering a German suplex by landing on his feet? And Lesnar catching Styles mid-Phenomenal Forearm and countering into an F5? The possibilities are endless for this sort-of-David-Goliath battle.

If we take all the rumours behind the title change with a pinch of salt, whether Mahal is dealing with injury, whether WWE are not feeling him as champion, or whether Lesnar had no interest to work with him, let’s take solace in the fact that Styles is WWE Champion again. Having said this, Styles does face potentially flawed booking. Whether Mahal will get the title back before the India tour remains to be seen, but right now, I don’t see WWE changing the course before Survivor Series. However, should Mahal regain after potentially costing Styles his match against Lesnar, does that make Styles look weak as champion? On paper though, Lesnar and Styles will deliver the goods regardless of the outcome.

I like the premise of Raw versus SmackDown feuds in general as it goes. From when I grew up watching WWE television, little after the Attitude Era excited me as much as watching two different WWE-promoted shows featuring two different rosters, with their own titles, feuds and storylines. I was predominantly a SmackDown fan due to the brand’s more in-ring focused style (and they had Angle, Edge, Mysterio & Guerrero, come on!), but that wasn’t to say that Raw wasn’t enjoyable at the time, which definitely had more drama and big star power. Nevertheless, the idea of Raw versus SmackDown in 2003/2004 was a real thrill, and so I will always have a soft spot for these types of matches, build-ups and PPVs when it’s billed as a battle for brand superiority.

AJ Styles has been the single most definitive SmackDown stalwart since the 2016 brand split. He carried the show from being borderline unwatchable to must-see television last year, and even when shows got so dismal, Styles could be counted on to bring life back into the programme, and the audience. As such a beloved and charismatic figure and the greatest in-ring performer wrestling today (sorry, Dolph Ziggler), Styles defines exactly what SmackDown stands for: opportunity, heart, courage and never settling for second best. SmackDown itself has been regarded as the B Show, but Styles is the A Brand wrestler to have on their side.

Lesnar, you could argue, is the exact opposite. An outspoken accomplished amateur wrestler and fighter with a big contract, and an appetite for being feared. Lesnar is a big money draw, who has deserved every bit of success he has had in the WWE, UFC and all his prior amateur accomplishments, and has cemented himself as a box office mainstay. Over time, he has shown a disengagement from the WWE audience, not being a locker room leader like many of the full-time wrestlers before him. Instead, focusing wholly on what is best for Brock Lesnar. He is not as accepting to being someone who signs autographs for his fans or his supporters, and instead prefers to isolate himself from the other competitors whose responsibility is lessened due to the fact that he is Brock Lesnar.

This is what works so well. The idea of one champion, who embodies everything that the other champion doesn’t makes for an engaging story right off the bat. Lesnar, with his big salary and limited work schedule, doesn’t care for AJ Styles who busts his backside every night, putting on a tremendous show for fans who pay to see him. At the same time, the idea that a champion like Lesnar could ever measure up to AJ Styles’ work ethic is laughable, because Styles has earned his reputation of being the best wrestler alive. You could then argue that Lesnar doesn’t care about that either.

Both men have held the WWE Championship, IWGP Heavyweight Championship and shared the ring with the likes of Kurt Angle, Samoa Joe, Roman Reigns, Randy Orton and many others. It’s astounding that both these champions have similar accolades yet such dissimilar attitudes both on-screen and behind the scenes. In the 6 days that lead up to Survivor Series, the foundations of the feud should touch on both men’s accomplishments with one common theme; respect for the business, something which Lesnar does not have.

Paul Heyman will once again remind the WWE Universe that Brock Lesnar is not just a champion but a beast who cannot be tamed. AJ Styles is a hero who never backs down from a challenge, and looks to massacre the conqueror. Both men will be in opposite corners from each other at Survivor Series, and will have to out-WRESTLE the other to claim victory. AJ Styles is THE wrestler of 2017, but Lesnar is as real as they come and will not be so forgiving on Styles, because he is just another victim to add to his already growing and impressive list of people who have attempted to slay the Beast Incarnate.

From two different perspectives, you can envision why both men want to win by examining their characters alone. It begs the question of whether we will get to see the best match that both men can bring out. AJ Styles, with as little as a few days’ notice, brought out an impressive match with Finn Balor and let their wrestling speak for themselves. Lesnar had an excellent showdown with Samoa Joe, but a disappointing one with Braun Strowman, so it entirely depends if both men are willing to co-operate to the same extent come Survivor Series. And of course, will we see Jinder Mahal looking for revenge on Styles for embarrassing him on SmackDown this past Tuesday?

Many questions are left unanswered even going into this week’s Raw and SmackDown episodes, but one thing is for sure, this match is definitely one you don’t want to miss.