Brock Lesnar vs. Daniel Bryan

[9.0] "A fascinating first-time match between two completely different wrestlers. Bryan is massively undersized but initially refuses to be intimidated, using speed, mind games and technical ability to make you believe he might actually be able to hang with Lesnar. Then Brock gets hold of him and the match becomes deeply uncomfortable. He manhandles Bryan for so long that the crowd seems resigned to watching a squash. That makes Bryan finally landing a kick feel enormous, and the low blow gets a massive reaction. From there they completely change the atmosphere. Lesnar deserves huge credit for selling so convincingly for someone much smaller, while Bryan is the perfect perennial underdog. The F5 reversal into the Yes Lock is fantastic, and for a moment they genuinely make you believe Lesnar might tap. Eventually Brock powers out and finishes Bryan with a single F5 -- no unnecessary kick-out or repeated finishers. Beast versus underdog is hardly a new story, but these two find a fresh and incredibly effective way of telling it."

[8.0] "These two only had this match while Brock wasted everyone's time with Roman in 5, 000 matches is why WWE sucks on ice as a whole. It has always been a bit surprising to me that Brock respected Bryan and AJ as much as he did. I'm glad he recognized their hard work an talent and gave his own maximum effort which is very rare. This is a really good match that could've been great if the beginning wasn't so slow and laborious to sit through."

[9.0] "The beginning is really hard to watch Brock first clotheslining him then just Suplexing him on his head many times making it feel uncomfortable to watch Bryan looking like a corpse. Just when you think Brock done he keeps going and just making it more and more uncomfortable to watch but then very slowly Bryan makes it comeback by first kicking his head before lowblowing him. The crowd goes crazy for it and the crowd forgets Bryan a heel turn him face for this match. Brock looking shocked and confused was great and his selling throughout the match was also great. This is a very great example of David vs Goliath. Brock facial expression after the match had ended was good. Did we knew Brock was winning? Yeah but in that moment when Bryan lowblow it made you actually wonder if Bryan could pull it off."

[10.0] "During the dark times of when nobody wanted to see Brock Lesnar from 2017-2020, This was the best singles match he had during that time. Daniel Bryan would have definitely faced Brock at Wrestlemania 31 if not for injuries & this was probably going to be the match they would have had. We have men who are opposites of each other and they were able to connect everything perfectly."

[10.0] "Just a fantastic David vs Goliath match. One half is Brock destorying Bryan and the next is Byran giving you hope that he'd win but ultimately doesn't. Fantastic selling from Brock here."

[8.0] "So you see, Brock can have great matches when he is paired with great opponents. This was yet another incredible match, two in a row, back to back years. First it was AJ now DB. Funny how this was a heel vs heel match yet no one dares to hate on Bryan, especially when he is against Brock."

[8.0] "There was something beautiful about Brock Lesnar literally throwing around Daniel Bryan like a piece of garbage for the first half of this match and Bryan looking like he's about to die throughout the whole thing, only to comeback out of no where and give us the second half of the match. Brutal, fast paced, and hard hitting. Brock Lesnar was out there SELLING like a professional would, it was seriously admirable how well he was able to sell the pain he was in. It's a shame we've only got this one match from these two because as good as it was, it honestly felt like a teaser, like a glimpse of what these two can do in the ring. 4.5*"

[9.0] "[4.5*] Sensational match, right from the start when Daniel Bryan came in already different from what he had shown in recent weeks, using mind games against Brock Lesnar. Brock accepted the provocation and fired back, **humiliating** the little guy during the early part of the match with several suplexes, making it clear he could keep going like that all night long. The match could have ended much earlier, but because he was provoked, Brock Lesnar didn't just want to win -- he wanted to teach Bryan a real lesson, and that almost cost him the match. After the referee was knocked out, Bryan hit a low blow on Brock and started getting into the match. At that point, another important detail became evident: even though Bryan was a heel and doing immoral things, the crowd was still 100% behind him throughout the match. In the end, logic prevailed and Brock won the match -- but there were many moments when it seemed like SmackDown would score its first win of the night."

[10.0] "Awesome, awesome, awesome! People had dreamed of this match for years and it felt like it would be impossible when Bryan retired in 2016. However, when he came back in 2018, I don't think anyone expected him to square off with Lesnar just seven months after returning and within the first year of his comeback. No storyline whatsoever for this encounter after Bryan shockingly turned heel and took the WWE Championship from AJ Styles just FIVE DAYS before the event, ending an equally anticipated Lesnar and Styles rematch and giving us a rare heel vs heel matchup. Like Lesnar's match with Styles the year before, both bumped like crazy for each other, however the moves executed were much more stiff and powerful this time around, making this a better match overall. Again, Lesnar works his tail off with the smaller wrestlers and does everything he can to make them look good and Bryan looked like he had a real chance of winning. Of course, Lesnar winning was the likely outcome, but it doesn't hurt this match at all. Entertaining all the way through and it lasted just the right amount of time. May not ever happen again, but we still got it and it's in the history books."

[9.0] "This was a time in the WWE that i had fully stopped watching, so i wasn't expecting much going into this match, and i was proven wrong. This really was a great match, the first half was dull and left a bad impression on me, the second half though.. Bryan slowly beginning to dominate Lesnar and find ways to weaken him, Lesnar hitting those nasty suplexes. This entire match was just crafted well, two guys who are incredible at what they do just duking it out for a bit!"

[9.0] "This match is unbelievably awesome, I love it, this Brock Lesnar structure rarely misses, specially when he gives his opponent so much offense like he did with Bryan here. The match starts and Bryan is super cocky, running away, dancing in front of Lesnar, and of course he receives the punishment that he deserved, a lot of brutal suplexes, an insane beatdown, at some point everyone thought it was going to be a squash, specially after the F5, but Lesnar wanted to beat him more, and interrupted the count. After Lesnar tried another F5, Bryan hit the referee by accident, and give Lesnar a low blow, followed by a running knee, and the crowd exploded, that was probably the best moment of the match, and the nearfall was insane as well. After that, Bryan kept damaging the beast, constantly outsmarting him and reverting a lot of moves, but Lesnar also managed to survive, specially hitting Bryan on the outside too. After they returned to the ring, Bryan hit another running knee, and Lesnar kicked out, but the victory was close, he was getting there, and the yes lock was amazing, the crowd naturally sided with Bryan here, the ultimate underdog, but even with all of the effort, Brock managed to survive the long period of time into the yes lock, and defeated Bryan. Amazing match, the structure was awesome, super involving, both guys played their parts incredibly well - {****1/4}"

[9.0] "[4.5*] A match that I loved more than what my 9.0 rating suggests. This may be on my WWE Top 5 match ever and is for sure a Top 10. All the aspects on this bout were perfect. The beginning with the mind-games by Bryan, just for Brock to absolutely destroy him when he came back to the ring was incredible. The first half was just Brock squashing Bryan in a very satisfying way, with some incredible selling, specially on the German Suplexes. Then on a ref bump Bryan activated his opportunistic side that made him champion on the first place and gave Brock a low blow, hit a Running Knee and we got one of the best nearfalls in WWE. The match heat up a lot and we got a thrilling action, with Bryan being more confident and attacking Brocks legs. There was a dramatic moment on the Yes Lock where he almost won, and another Running Knee nearfall. Lesnar won after the F5 to end a fantastic match, with a hot crowd for Bryan and a perfect dynamic. Brock sold his life for Bryan there lol."

[8.0] "In terms of Survivor Series concept it was a little bit strange that you had monster Brock who had already been a champion for some time, and Daniel Bryan, who had won WWE title unfairly the day before PPV. Brock Lesnar simply had been dominating Daniel Bryan for most of the match, and at some points Bryan managed to seize the initiative, to which the crowd responded vividly. Being a big fan of Bryan, I was rooting for him, and it seemed like it was even obvious how it would end, but, damn, heelish Brock and heelish Daniel made me believe that the outcome could be in favor of the American Dragon. This did not happen, but the result did not spoil the impression of the match at all. I remember this fight as if it were yesterday"

[9.0] "This was heel vs heel done to perfection. The first portion of the match was a little dull, but seeing Bryan land on his head from those suplexes was horrifying to watch even today. Bryan perfectly mixed in his babyface fighting spirit with his underhanded heel tactics when making a comeback. I wasn't a fan of Lesnar during his second run, but his selling for Bryan here was tremendous. Showed that Lesnar could always go when he gave a shit. The crowd went from completely disinterested to hanging on every possible chance that Bryan was gonna walk out with the victory. Fantastic match. [****1/4]"

[9.0] "This was genuinely scary to watch, knowing about Bryan's neck. Bryan not moving made the german suplexes more devastating. Bryan's come back afterwards was the most heelish babyface comeback I've ever seen. Brock when he wants to work is amazing to watch. He knows how to sell for somebody and it means so much more when he does since it's so rare"

[9.0] "I think the squash goes on a tad bit long as they start to lose the crowd. But obviously once Bryan gets Brock down and his offense starts coming in is where this match shines. The selling by Brock when DB takes control is wonderful. The suplexes looked absolutely brutal on a guy coming back from retirement because of neck surgery. Very good match. [****1/2]"

[9.0] "These guys were absolutely cooking with this match. One of my absolute favorite Brock matches; he is selling like crazy and makes Bryan look amazing here. The near fall on the first Busaiku Knee is so so good."

[10.0] "Such a phenomenal match and main event just like Lesnar Vs Styles the year before it. Lesnar was an absolute beast here despite being the winner again and Bryan had his first actually phenomenal match since coming out of retirement. Just phenomenal altogether."

[9.0] "When Brock wants to, he really can go. This match, and the AJ match a year prior shows just that. When its a guy he wants to work he can show he can go with the best. Another great example of a David vs Goliath matchup."

[9.0] "This was an amazing match and is pretty underrated, its structuring is simple yet effective. Lesnar dominates the first half, but Bryan is able to hit a low blow and one of the greatest near falls of all time, then Bryan is in control for the second half of the match only for Brock to reverse a labelle lock with an F5."

[10.0] "Brock really shines against the smaller guys. Eddie Guerrero, CM Punk, AJ Styles, Daniel Bryan, he has his best matches against guys like this."

[10.0] "One of my favourite matches ever! Daniel Bryan is a genius in the way that he sells those german suplexes from lesnar. The hope spot where bryan low-blows lesnar and hits the knee for a brilliant 2.99 kick out is brilliant. Brock is top 5 seller of all-time."

[10.0] "A top 10 wwe match of all time and the best match of Brock Lesnar's career. This match had some of the best heel vs heel psychology and selling ever, from the entrances and Paul Heyman's introduction, to the start with bryan provoking lesnar and finally getting pommelled. Bryan's selling is incredible here as he goes limp and plays with the reality of his injuries, causing legit worry. The ref bump is a bit clunky, but honestly I dont care because what comes next is phenomenal as Bryan makes a comeback against lesnar believable and exiting, he strikes and kicks the shit out of him and lesnar bumps for everything perfectly. When Lesnar's in the LaBell lock, that's probably the single best instance of selling in his career, he looks like he's dying there. Then, the match ends and brock finally wins, but he sells the pain, exhaustion and shock of the fight he was in as he walks back. I'm so glad this match happened in hindsight, though I cant help but wonder what this might have looked like if they wrestled in the mid 2000s as they both had very different styles back then."

[6.0] "Essentially a squash match, with a bit of a comeback at the end, most of this is suplexes on Bryan's lifeless body, who sparks his comeback with a low blow which sucks. I guess he was technically heel during this time period. Yawn, Severely overrated. Brock's selliing is great however."

[8.0] "[4.5*] The match had an interesting Storytelling, Bryan ran away from Lesnar because he knew he wouldn't be able to face him in one on one, Lesnar gave Bryan a beating when he managed to reach him, Bryan took advantage of the judge's fall to do a low blow and ALMOST winning the match, this was a turning point in the match, which after this moment had Bryan dominating Lesnar and punishing him in an incredible way. Daniel Bryan was a genius throughout the fight, the way he conducted the actions was impeccable, his selling was spectacular while Lesnar attacked, the way he was smart and managed to balance the match against a monster in creative ways was incredible and his technique to punishing Lesnar was sensational. Lesnar did a great job selling Bryan's attacks and the moment when he falls and can't do an F5 after Bryan's intense Limb work on Lesnar's legs was special. Despite Bryan's brilliant work, I didn't like the decision to book a world champion in such a discrepant way. Bryan leaves this match as an intelligent wrestler when he could have left as a brave and strong champion."

[6.0] "A smartly executed match that nonetheless doesn't live up to my expectations. There's a neat of psychology in here. Bryan knows he's no match at all for Lesnar in a direct confrontation, so he keenly runs away, disengages or baits him whenever he doesn't have the upper hand and waits for an opening on which he can strike on Lesnar without much retaliation. Lesnar is a hot head and falls for these tricks continously. There's even a ref bump which Bryan utilizes to low-blow Lesnar! Unfortunately, this bout is more interesting on concept than on execution. It would've been interesting to have Bryan keep the upper hand on the match, and play up that if he screwed up even once he would fall down to the beastly Lesnar, and toying with audience expectations. Instead, after a few minutes of falling for Bryan's tricks, Lesnar manages to put his offence in, and quickly pins him- but breaks his own pin, preferring to further torture Bryan. For the rest of the match, Lesnar perform almost nothing but german suplexes which greatly diminish on their capacity to impress. At one point Bryan manages to get some momentum, but fails to capitalize, leading to the obvious conclusion: Brock retaining."

[10.0] "The story they were trying to tell was simple and effective: A classic David vs Goliath with Goliath seemingly looking unstoppable and David totally out of his depth. But it doesn't invalidate how almost uncompelling the first part of the match was. An extended one sided beat-down just isn't conducive to producing a good match. Fortunately, the second part of the match with Bryan's comeback was phenomenal and turned this from an overlong bore into possibly the best match Lesnar has had in his second run. In the end I would say that the positives more than outweigh the negatives, mostly because the cathartic comeback spot wouldn't have nearly been as satisfying if not for the nature of the early stage of the match"

[10.0] "This is one of the greatest WWE matches to ever happen. Brock dominated Bryan, who would turn it around due to a red bump and a low blow and was in control of the rest of the match. Lesnar eventually found an opening and hit an F5 for the win. Although he lost clean, Bryan looked like a beast."

[9.0] "In this particular match, Brock Lesnar showcased one of his stellar performances, skillfully portraying a knee injury to add depth to the narrative. Meanwhile, Bryan's in-ring prowess shone brightly, demonstrating his consistent excellence. It's regrettable, however, that the match concluded with the predictable outcome that had become customary during that period."

[7.0] "I don't rate this match as high as most wrestling fans, simply because as soon as it was booked, just like Styles the previous year, I had no hope that Bryan would win and none of the nearfalls made me believe that too. Now if Byran had actually won with an ending that actually shocked me, I would have gone higher, but throughout Bryan's flurry, I was just waiting for the inevitable suplex city and F5. It's still a good match though, Brock sold great."

[10.0] "An amazing match, and probably one of the best rendition of the David vs Goliath story. Brock is impressive with his series of supplexes but even more with his selling and the story of a Bryan decimated coming back with a low blow and a series of running knee until almost submitting Brock is really well sold. 10/10."

[9.0] "While I definitely expected a good match, I didn't expect such a great match. Throughout the first part they played on the crowd's concern for Daniel Bryan's physical health, and Lesnar's suplexes appear even more devastating than usual. Perhaps the part of the face in danger wasn't the most suitable for the Daniel Bryan of this match, i.e. the Bryan who runs away and doesn't follow the rules, but his comeback is still damn intense and engaging, and the final parts are full of pathos. This match is one of the many proofs that Lesnar brings out his best when he has to fight against his smaller opponents (like AJ Styles or CM Punk)"

[10.0] "This was a brilliant match. The dynamic between Bryan and Brock here was great. I loved Bryan messing with Brock in the beginning. The beating Brock gave Daniel was brutal and his comeback was perfect. *****"

[9.0] "Bryan immediately goes for the leg of Lesnar, Lesnar avoids it and so Bryan changes tactic with stalling and a little bit of mockery thrown in. BIG MISTAKE. When Lesnar gets ahold of Bryan, he just MAULS him. This is followed by a SICK head bump off a german suplex. Bryan's selling is fantastic here. But Lesnar might have outdone him here as Lesnar has so much fun working on top, starting his own "suplex city" chants, posing with his title between moves and laying some quality trash talk. But Lesnar gets cocky denying a pin after the 1st F5 because when the ref is bumped during a 2nd attempt, Bryan lowblows Lesnar and hits the running knee! The move which won Bryan the WWE title a few days ago only gets a 2 count though. Bryan carries on with VICIOUS kicks and Lesnar's selling is amazing. When a 2nd running knee can't get the job done, Bryan goes back to the leg. The work pays off when Lesnar collapses trying a desperation F5 and Bryan hooks the Labell Lock. The drama for this sequence is off the charts and honestly shouldn't have worked as well but they had the crowd biting on a potential submission from Lesnar. Ultimately Lesnar powers out for a final F5 for a rather anticlimactic win. Still, a FANTASTIC character based fight. I don't think I have seen a better heel vs. heel match from WWE and this is EASILY the best main roster match from WWE in 2018. ****1/2"

[10.0] "5.00 Stars. This is wrestling at its best, Daniel Bryan once again plays the perfect underdog, while Lesnar plays a savage beast who tears apart Bryan in the early stages of the match."

[10.0] "I can only describe this match in one word: a masterpiece. I remember watching it live and seeing Brock completely annihilate Bryan in the first minutes was truly scary, especially if you knew that now-Danielson once had to retire due to neck injuries. The moment Bryan connected with a low blow, it instantly turned this match from a "standard squash" to "intense rollercoaster" and also it gave us one of the best nearfalls of 2018, when Lesnar barely survived the same knee that helped Daniel in capturing the WWE title from AJ. The closing sequence with a Yes Lock was also beautifully executed (Brock is one of the GOATs when it comes to selling his rival's offense). I think Lesnar getting a win was the right call - Bryan didn't lose momentum, while Brock was able to survive all the stiffness Daniel delivered to him."

[9.0] "One of the best David vs Goliath matches in years, and it felt like Bryan could finally defeat the Beast and expose his weaknesses, but no, Lesnar squandered that comeback."

[7.0] "This match was not for me. I get it, I get what they were going for, and it does work but not well enough in my opinion. ***1/2"

[10.0] "This match had the polar opposite dynamic of Lesnar vs Styles from the previous year - steady pacing but stellar storytelling. Bryan letting Lesnar do what he does for the first half but finding a chance of capitalizing the situation was a masterstroke narration and once he found, he blasted The Beast with whatever he's got - underhand tactics, desperate strikes and even limb work with such a huge effect in short time. The final stretch was one of the best stretches I've ever seen in a match where Lesnar was THIS CLOSE to summon himself to the mastermind but he retaliated and roared loud like a lion that won a war. Bryan was the hunted hyena here but the way he stalked his prey & executed his moves was a glorious thing to watch. The only gripe here is had this been a proper feud/received a proper build with promos & stuff, this could've easily won more hearts of wrestling fans. 4.75 out of 5 stars!"

[9.0] "Phenomenal match between Lesnar and Bryan here which was exactly what it was supposed to be and anyone who says it was just a glorified squash for Lesnar and wasn't interesting so didn't understand anything about wrestling in my opinion, because yes there are people who hate this match and I still wonder how that's possible but I'm getting away from the main topic so I'm going to stop talking about that. Simply because this bout deserves nothing but praise for being as complete as it was, both were at the top of their game here and I've said before that there's nothing better for this business than a motivated Brock Lesnar to work. When he's determined to be, he's literally the best on the planet in terms of selling and that sequence where he tries to counter the Running Knee with a F5 only to fall over as a result of Bryan's weight due to the latter's work on his leg was actually fantastic. Bryan with his sneaky provocations at the start of the match was a phenomenon too, his big comeback with the low-blow reminding us of how he dethroned AJ Styles a few days earlier resulted in one of the best nearfalls I've ever seen. A match full of brilliant elements that can be consumed without moderation, a dream match that delivered to the hype."

[10.0] "I liked this match when I first watched it but on a rewatch this match fucking rules. Bryan at the start of the match is trying to get into Brocks head already by taunting him during his entrance. Once the match starts we get Brock absolutely just manhandling Bryan and Bryan sells it as if he can't fight back and the referee continues to ask Bryan if he wants to continue the match. Brock hits the F5 on Bryan but he decides that he doesn't want to finish the match and stops the count.Brock tries to get Bryan up for one more F5 but this time the ref gets knocked out and it allows Bryan to hit Brock with a low blow allowing him to hit his running knee. Brock at one point gets so desperate to put him away that he tries to hit him with the steps but it fails badly. When Brock tries to apply the F5 later on he can't apply due to his knee being messed up so this allows Bryan to apply the yes lock and Brock made me believe he was going to tap out due to how good his selling is. Bryan would then try to get the triangle choke locked in but Brock would counter it and was finally able to Put him away.*****"

[9.0] "This was so much different from the match you see now and then. The whole chickenshit/monster dynamic worked so well here. Brock's domination from the start was a brilliant strategy to build sympathy for Bryan. And when Bryan made that comeback, the place legit went nuts! This is pro wrestling done in a completely unique way and I love it. Awesome stuff. [****1/2]"

[10.0] "This is, honestly, probably the best Heel vs Heel singles match ever. Definitely up there. After Bryan's exceptional cocky taunting of Brock and sprinting at his legs from the bell, the next 40% of the match is Brock doing to Bryan what he was supposed to do at Summerslam 2014 and suplex that poor bastard on his neck over and over. Bryan bumps for these in a way that's less spectacular than AJ did the year prior but in a way that makes the viewer concerned for a moment; he milks his past injuries in a great way. Before the match ends in the way the SS'14 match was supposed to however, Brock pulls Bryan up from a cover just to be a dick. The comeback that starts with one of Bryan's most underrated signatures (playing possum before kicking somebody in the head when they bend over the taunt him) is astounding, and the low blow/Busaiku Knee nearfall is INSANE. From here you get amazing moment-to-moment sequences that nobody would've guessed Bryan would get against Lesnar, controlling the pace with a ton of urgency and going after the knees. The running dropkick caught into an F5 setup before Brock's knees buckle and somehow Bryan perfectly transitions into the Labell Lock is an all-time great sequence, especially in how Brock teases the tap. Ultimately Lesnar powers Bryan up and hits the F5 for a 3, which is what the match should've been several minutes prior if he didn't give Bryan the opportunity to come at him, and that's what makes the story brilliant. These two are both heel champions but very different varieties, and the way their styles interacted was perfect while protecting both and allowing both to continue their championship reigns on their own brands looking better than before. Bryan in the post-match just solidifies that. This is beyond what people wanted out of Bryan vs Brock in 2014/2015, and probably better than what that would've been. ****3/4 to *****"

[10.0] "Predictable booking, no doubt, but the execution is incredible. Bryan gets pummeled early with a shocking amount of force, bumping HARD on the back of his neck which makes me squirm considering his injury history. Lesnar plays his part to perfection, cocksure and dominating; ridiculing the crowd and preening for the cameras. The comeback is thrilling, the finish logical. Terrific work."

[10.0] "Every time I watch this match, I have to convince myself it isn't a five-star classic. I'm done giving in to the frustration I have with recent Brock Lesnar matches and am ready to remove my bias. Daniel Bryan delivered a career-defining performance against a wrestler who had a size and athleticism advantage that should've made this a domination. Brock Lesnar proved that, when he's in the ring with someone he respects, he delivers classics. An absolute masterclass in storytelling in one of the best David vs. Goliath matches in wrestling history. 5 stars, 10 out of 10."

[9.0] "Obviously not the classic that it was in my 2018 eyes but it was still a great match. Bryan starting off all cockily, baiting Brock, teasing him before Brock clobbered him and unleashed a mauling. Bryan sold everything really well . The way he went all deadweight, his bumping, his facial expressions. Brock was great too, hitting those nasty german suplexes, playing upto the crowd, who weren't at their hottest unfortunately. And when it looked to be a squash, Bryan made a great comeback, zeroing on the leg of Lesnar after hitting a low blow - a career weakness for Brock (or any man). And Brock's bumping and selling were fantastic, he made Bryan look like a credible threat when he could've easily sandbagged him like he did with Braun Strowman. Dream match delivered. ****1/4"

[10.0] "A rare heel vs heel pairing that actually worked. This is as dominant that Lesnar had looked since he squashed Cena at Summerslam 2014. Bryan teasing Lesnar was brilliant and Brock had me creasing when he planted Bryan after the first German. The prolonged beating of Bryan added fuel to the fire and seeing him finally get his comeback after knocking the referee down made for a cool moment. This is a rare match that made me feel like a kid, with every interaction feeling like it could result in the match ending. Lesnar's selling of the leg was sublime, him crumbling to the ground after attempting an F5 was a nice bit of wrestling psychology. This was something special. Even with no build, this blew everything on this show out of the water."

[7.0] "How do you make something good out of something so worn-out yet sparsely worked as Lesnar's formula? It'd be easy to answer with "Daniel Bryan", but it also wouldn't be wrong. After a shocking heel turn two nights prior, Bryan by just being the opponent is enough to shift core dynamics of Lesnar's style in a way that hasn't been seen before. He's not bringing the fight to Lesnar, but toying with him, poking at the bear and seeing what would ensue. What happens is entirely expected; Suplex City with extra emphasis on the suplexes. Bryan sells them wonderfully, rolling onto his head and neck that bring his past injuries to attention. He's hardly moving, barely seen breathing, and now it's Lesnar toying with his food. It's drawn out longer than necessary, as is the case with the majority of his matches, but who knows if Bryan would have come across so convincing while in peril without it. Then the twist comes into play. Lesnar's opponents are always going to have their hope spots and get to play out their comeback towards the end. But the biggest thing separating this from the rest is how he gets there. Surprisingly, it's the same method that forced his heel turn on that last episode of Smackdown: an accidental ref bump followed by a low blow. An undeniable heel move that instantly shifts the odds in his favor. A Running Knee results in the most tense near-fall I can recall from any Brock Lesnar match. At this point, it's a brilliant display of what these two wrestlers and characters are capable of when playing off each other. There's just one problem: this roughly covers only the first 10 minutes. The match peaked in the middle and it's in that second half where the match falters. The work itself isn't anything close to what I'd consider "bad wrestling", however at no later point does Bryan believably have a chance at beating Lesnar. Not in the back and forth battle at ringside, not after another Running Knee, not after slamming the leg against the ring post, not even when he has the LeBell Lock applied and Brock's face progressively turns beetroot red. A logical weakness to Lesnar's body doesn't always correlate to narrative stakes, especially when working under the rigid rules of Lesnar's style. Speaking in terms of dramatic structure, I can't picture Bryan's comeback not being the climax, yet they keep wrestling in ways that detract from all the rising action up to that point. The early damage on Bryan is left on the table in favor of Brock's leg. The initial subversion of expectations reverted to complete reaffirmation. ***1/2"

[9.0] "The David vs. Goliath story has been told many times in wrestling, never quite to the point of being done to death, but certainly to the point where it's getting harder and harder to find original takes on it. They're usually at least a bit of fun, but it takes something really special to make one stand out, and while this isn't quite the best example to happen in WWE around this timeframe with Bate vs. WALTER happening less than a year later, it's definitely a shining example of the genre. Turns out, sometimes the only special things that needs to be done are "be Daniel Bryan" and "be Brock Lesnar" to make a match shine. The opening stretches drag on just a touch too long for my tastes, even for the story being told, and it's admittedly more than a little logistically awkward having a very-much-still-heel Bryan play heel for maybe a minute or two at the start and then almost immediately 180 into a masterful babyface-in-peril performance, but small gripes aside, this match rules, and somehow managed to do wonders for two men who were very much already made for life. A masterclass in match structure and psychology from two of the greatest ever, just slightly weighed down by a slight oversell of its own story."

[10.0] "This match is a testament to how good both performers are, and a great example of how good Bryan can be as a heel. I've always liked more Lesnar's first run in WWE, but he was great in this contest, absolutely playing to his counterpart's strengths. When Bryan hit him with the low blow, I almost jumped out of my seat. Perfect timing, as usual. Rewatching it again today, I also loved how the crowd got pumped with the finish and how they appreciated how good this match was."