WWE Survivor Series 2018: Ranking Matches By Expected Quality

Photo Source: WWE.com

2. Charlotte Flair vs. Ronda Rousey

Not going to lie, but if Monday night had gone a little differently then I’d have Ronda in the number on match of Survivor Series. Alas, to view Charlotte as anything other than a step down (a tiny one, but a step down nonetheless) from Becky Lynch would be insanely silly.

However, Monday night went the way it did, and then Tuesday confirmed our worst fears as Becky was pulled from the card due to injury. The SmackDown Women’s Champion handpicked her replacement, opting for Charlotte Flair to step up and fight for SmackDown’s women.

On the one hand, I know it’ll still be a great match. At one point, Charlotte vs. Ronda Rousey was being bandied about as a possible WrestleMania main event. Yes, you read that correctly… not a WrestleMania match, but a main event. Now it’s happening on Sunday, with little to no build, as part of a war for brand supremacy!

On the other hand, Rousey’s best work in WWE has come with much advance notice and obvious advance planning. This match became official on Tuesday, not a whole lot of time to work out kinks. Plus, it’s not like Charlotte and Becky are a one size fits all-type of duo; there’s so much stylistic difference that you can’t just easily swap one in for the other and make it seem like nothing happened.

Still, given the rest of the card, it should be one of the top matches of the night. In fact, only one other match should be better…

Photo Source: WWE.com

1. Brock Lesnar vs. Daniel Bryan

If you can get past the obvious fear for Daniel Bryan’s life and well-being, this match is a clear favorite for Match of the Night honors. There’s just so much working in the favor of this one that to look at it as anything other than “The Best” is flat out wrong.

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For starters, let’s talk about the sheer fact that it’s happening at all. Bryan only returned from a career-threatening injury/retirement at WrestleMania, a mere six months or so ago. In that time, he’s reminded us all how good he is, and worked his way right back to the top of the mountain to regain the WWE Championship.

And a match against Brock Lesnar? The WWE Universe has been begging for this for years. The technical, mat-based submission style of Bryan is a perfect counter for the power-driven MMA-based Brock. If we ignore the trip to Suplex City being a terrible idea for a dude with head/neck issues, even if he’s cleared and supposedly healthy, it’s a winning scenario for WWE and the fans.

It’s also curious to see how a heel vs. heel match will play out, with Bryan going bad to beat AJ Styles on SmackDown Live this week and Brock being, well, Brock. Maybe Bryan backs off a bit, but all indications from the aftermath of his victory are that he’s turned to the dark side. It’s going to prove difficult for the WWE Universe to boo Bryan, but it’s what should happen.

What do you anticipate to be the best match of the night at WWE Survivor Series 2018? Sound off in the comments or on social media!