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Post by shittylilboots on Mar 10, 2019 6:27:43 GMT -5
The match gets me already during the entrances. Brock is walking down, Bryan with a cocky look on his face starts taunting him. Absolutely brilliant. Then the bell rings, Bryan charges at Brock's knee the same goddamn second. Then he quickly cements his character in this match as a little shit; he makes Lesnar chase him outside the ring, only for him to go inside & then mock his signature jumping taunt. That's when THE BEATDOWN began, and my goodness, it was the most brutal a Brock Lesnar beatdown has felt like since SummerSlam 2014, I'd say. W/ Bryan's history of neck problems & concussions, those German Suplexes looked even more brutal than they usually do. And Bryan's incredible selling helped there as well. Also you know that Brock is feeling the match when he is constantly talking shit, STARTING CHANTS & busting out BEARHUGS. Then kicks in the 2nd half of the match, and WOOOOO BABY was it a wildride; the low blow + Busaiku Knee SmackDown callback for a nearfall was legitimately one of the best nearfalls EVER. Bryan's kicks look more brutal than usual as well; much of the credit goes to Brock for that, his selling is incredible, and for my money, he is a contender for the best salesman ever. And speaking of that, the sequence where Bryan does his charging corner dropkicks & Brock catches him on the F5 position, only for him to crumble down because of the work Bryan had done on his leg = just YESSS. That followed by the YES Lock where Bryan starts punching Brock in the goddamn face to keep it locked on, my GOODNESS. Best sequence of the year hands down. And even in the finish, Brock f'n Lesnar still SELLS. All of that capped off w/ that beautiful post-match shot of Bryan smiling like a madman. A gritty, violent masterpiece. The Match of the Year 2018.
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Post by Cap on Mar 10, 2019 10:28:45 GMT -5
Yeah. I co-sign on this one. I am not 100% sure it makes my list, but it might. They left a little on the table here, which is fine, but they also put on a really impressive and unique match. Not much to add in terms of the details. This was a dream match that actually lived up to the hype.
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Post by fxnj on Mar 15, 2019 17:20:17 GMT -5
Falls short of making my list, but figured it deserved a thread as it's gotten MOTY hype.
20181118 Lesnar vs Bryan
I saw this live and didn't think it was much more than standard Lesnar formula, but I was also deep in the nosebleed seats and I've seen it get MOTY praise since. So, here we are. The stalling stuff at the beginning definitely comes across much better watching it on tape than it did watching it from the back row. Really fun seeing Bryan taunt Lesnar. The Lesnar beatdown really comes across as brutal with the TV production and the somber commentary. Borderline disturbing head bumps and selling from Bryan as well with the match playing up his history with concussions. Lesnar reminded everyone that he's one of the best offensive wrestlers in the world today between how was throwing Bryan across the ring and working some great jock heel antics. I cracked up at him telling the crowd "goodnight" before hitting the F-5. Fuck this crowd, though. They tried their hardest to undermine the tone of the beatdown with some "boring" and "same old shit chants." They probably should have cut a few minutes from the beatdown as the crowd clearly wasn't on board with it. Match kicks into next gear with Bryan's comeback. I appreciate how all of Bryan's offense came from finding openings or catching Lesnar off-guard rather than overpowering or out-striking him. Kind of a missed opportunity that he didn't try any punch-drunk selling or rubbery legs like Cena did in the JBL match, though. Just doesn't seem right that he's able to run around and do all his moves with no issues after pretty much being knocked out for the first 10 minutes of the match. Lesnar sold great, though, and he ate some really hard shots from Bryan as well. By the end it felt like Lesnar won by the skin of his teeth, which is quite a feat given how half the match was wrestled like a Lesnar squash. ****1/4
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Post by gramsci on Apr 30, 2020 4:38:14 GMT -5
This is my Dream match. In fact it was my 2018 MOTY. Bryan told how they had to do that long sequence of German Suplexes because he was heel and they needed to find a way for the public to support him without having to break the turn he had made days before. They did it very well, Heyman with his facial expressions too, I was really suffering for his health. Then the comeback is totally deserved, giving Lesnar one of the biggest beatings he's ever received in WWE, literally Bryan's boot was marked in Brock's face. Little is said about Brock's selling, I think it's one of the main things that elevates this match. This could have been much better in Seattle, with Bryan as a face, responding to Brock's strikes with his BJJ base and grappling, but it couldn't be. If they never have a fight like the one I imagine in my head (and surely Bryan imagines), this would be # 1.
****1/4
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Post by makaiclub on Jun 19, 2021 8:29:03 GMT -5
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
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Post by elliott on Oct 17, 2023 0:02:39 GMT -5
One person's dream match is another person's nightmare.
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