WWE Survivor Series 2018 Retro Review: Lesnar vs. Bryan, Rousey vs. Flair and Every Match Rated
WWE Survivor Series 2018 took place on Sunday, November 18, 2018, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. It was the third Survivor Series built around Raw against SmackDown for brand supremacy, and the only one to include 205 Live, which got the one title match on the card.
It is a show of two halves. The champion vs. champion matches are some of the best of the whole brand supremacy era, and the main event is a genuinely great piece of storytelling. The elimination matches, and one tag team match in particular, drag it down. Here is how it looks today.
The build
- Brock Lesnar vs. Daniel Bryan: Lesnar had won the vacant Universal Championship from Braun Strowman at Crown Jewel. AJ Styles was meant to face him again, a rematch of their 2017 Survivor Series match, but on the final SmackDown before the show Bryan beat Styles for the WWE Championship with a low blow behind the referee's back and attacked him afterward. In five days, Bryan had turned heel and taken Styles' place.
- Ronda Rousey vs. Charlotte Flair: this was supposed to be Rousey vs. Becky Lynch, the hottest match WWE had. On the Raw before the show, Lynch led the SmackDown women in an invasion and put Rousey in the Dis-arm-her, but a punch from Nia Jax left her with a real broken nose and a concussion. Lynch was pulled and picked Flair as her replacement.
- Seth Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura: the Intercontinental Champion against the United States Champion.
- AOP vs. The Bar: the Raw Tag Team Champions, who had just won the titles from Rollins in a handicap match, against the SmackDown Tag Team Champions.
- The elimination matches: acting Raw General Manager Baron Corbin built the men's team and named himself non-competing captain, while Braun Strowman was promised a Universal title match and a match with Corbin if Raw won. SmackDown's team was led by The Miz and Shane McMahon after Bryan was removed.
Match by match
Kickoff: 10-on-10 tag team elimination match
Five Raw tag teams against five from SmackDown, with each team eliminated as a unit. It moved quickly, with teams falling every couple of minutes. Kalisto hurt his knee and Gran Metalik took his place, The Revival looked like the best team on the Raw side for most of the match, and the end came down to The Revival against The Usos.
The Usos won it for SmackDown when Jimmy hit the Uso Splash on Dash Wilder at 22:20, which turned out to be the brand's only win of the night.
What worked: The Revival and The Usos were two of the best teams in the company, and the final few minutes between them were very good. The pace never let it drag.
What didn't: with ten teams, most of them were only there to be eliminated, and teams like The Ascension, The B-Team and The Colóns were gone before they did much.
Our rating: ★★½
Team Raw vs. Team SmackDown (women)
Before the bell, Alexa Bliss, Raw's injured captain, threw Natalya and Ruby Riott off her team after they brawled, and added Sasha Banks and Bayley. SmackDown captain Naomi revealed Mandy Rose as her final member.
Then Naomi was gone in 80 seconds, superkicked by Tamina, and Tamina was rolled up by Carmella ten seconds later. The match never really recovered from that start. Rose eliminated Mickie James, Bayley got rid of Carmella, Banks made Rose tap to the Bank Statement, and Bayley and Sonya Deville were both counted out after brawling on the floor.
That left Banks against Asuka, and those two had the best few minutes of the match. Then Nia Jax, who had barely been involved, shoved Banks off the top rope into the Asuka Lock, eliminating her own teammate. Jax then dropped Asuka with leg drops and a Samoan drop to win as the sole survivor at 18:50.
What worked: Banks vs. Asuka at the end, and the Jax turn on her own partner was a decent twist.
What didn't: two eliminations in the first 90 seconds, a double count-out, and a sole survivor who had done very little. The ending told us more about Jax's next feud than about the match.
Our rating: ★★
Seth Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
This was the best match of the first half by a long way, and one of Rollins' better matches that year. He came out fast, with three straight suicide dives and a springboard clothesline, and Nakamura answered with the strikes and strange, snake-like movement that made him so watchable in Japan.
They built to big near falls: Rollins' ripcord knee, then a Kinshasa from Nakamura that looked like the finish. Rollins survived and ended it with The Stomp at 21:50.
What worked: almost all of it. It felt like a big match, both men got their best offence in, and the crowd was with them the whole way. This was the Nakamura many fans had wanted to see on the main roster and rarely got.
What didn't: at almost 22 minutes it was slightly long for a non-title match with no story behind it, and the result never felt in doubt.
Our rating: ★★★★
AOP vs. The Bar
The Raw Tag Team Champions against the SmackDown Tag Team Champions, with Drake Maverick in AOP's corner and Big Show in The Bar's. It was nine minutes of mostly power moves before the finish everyone remembers: Sheamus hit the Brogue Kick, Maverick put Rezar's foot on the rope, and when Cesaro chased him, he ran into Big Show, who grabbed him by the throat. Maverick wet himself in fear, and AOP won with their powerbomb neckbreaker combination while everyone stared at him.
The live crowd was also distracted by something else entirely. Former WWE wrestler Enzo Amore had got into the arena in disguise and started shouting from the crowd during this match before security walked him out.
What worked: The Bar were a good team who could have had a much better match with anyone.
What didn't: the finish was a toilet joke on WWE's second-biggest show of the season, AOP never got a clean, convincing win, and the crowd was watching Enzo, not the ring.
Our rating: ★
Buddy Murphy vs. Mustafa Ali (WWE Cruiserweight Championship)
The only title match on the card, and the only match from 205 Live. It was also a reminder of how good that brand was at the time. Ali flew all over the ring, Murphy hit hard and fast, and they had the crowd on their feet for a series of near falls.
Murphy kept his title with Murphy's Law at 12:20.
What worked: the action. Ali's high-risk offence and Murphy's power were a great match-up, For many people watching, it was the surprise of the show.
What didn't: it was buried in the middle of a long card, and a lot of the crowd took a while to care about two wrestlers they rarely saw on Raw or SmackDown.
Our rating: ★★★★
Team Raw vs. Team SmackDown (men)
Raw: Drew McIntyre, Dolph Ziggler, Braun Strowman, Bobby Lashley and Finn Bálor, with Corbin in their corner. SmackDown: The Miz, Shane McMahon, Rey Mysterio, Samoa Joe and Jeff Hardy.
The story was Strowman against everyone, including his own team. McIntyre tagged himself in instead of Strowman, Joe locked him in the Coquina Clutch, and McIntyre escaped and eliminated Joe with a Claymore inside the first minute. Shane put Strowman through an announce table with an elbow drop, Mysterio pinned Bálor with a 619 and a frog splash, and Shane eliminated Ziggler with the Coast to Coast.
Then Strowman came back to life. He caught Shane in mid-air during a second Coast to Coast attempt and ran through SmackDown on his own, powerslamming Hardy, Mysterio and The Miz in a little over a minute, and finally Shane, who dared him to "bring it" and paid for it. Raw won with Strowman, McIntyre and Lashley still standing at 24:00. Corbin then attacked Strowman after the bell.
What worked: Strowman's run at the end was the kind of monster moment he was built for, and the opening Claymore on Joe was a nice surprise.
What didn't: SmackDown's whole team looked like it was there to make Strowman look good, and Shane McMahon being the last man standing for SmackDown, ahead of Mysterio, Joe and Hardy, said a lot about how WWE saw its own part-timers.
Our rating: ★★★
Ronda Rousey vs. Charlotte Flair
A replacement match that ended up being one of the biggest moments of the night. For most of its 14 minutes, it was a strong, even fight. Rousey went for her armbar again and again, Flair answered with a spear and the figure-four, Rousey reversed the pressure on it, and Flair's big boot nearly won it.
Then Flair decided she was done. With Rousey charging at her on the floor, Flair grabbed a kendo stick and started swinging, and the referee threw it out at 14:40, giving Rousey the win by disqualification. Flair kept going, beating Rousey with the kendo stick and a chair, hitting Natural Selection onto the chair and stomping on it with Rousey's neck inside.
What worked: the match itself was one of Rousey's better ones, and the attack was vicious and memorable. It also made perfect sense: Flair was getting revenge for SmackDown, and for her friend Lynch.
What didn't: the disqualification finish after a match that good felt like a cheat. Fans paid for a winner and got a beatdown.
Our rating: ★★★½
Brock Lesnar vs. Daniel Bryan
The main event is the best match on the show and one of the strongest Champion vs. Champion matches of the brand supremacy years. For the first few minutes, Lesnar threw Bryan around with suplexes and hit an F-5, but picked him up at two because he wanted to hurt him more.
That arrogance cost him. A second F-5 attempt took out the referee, Bryan hit a low blow while no one was watching, and the new heel champion was suddenly in control. He hit the running knee for a near fall, then went after Lesnar's leg, smashing it into the ring post. Lesnar's knee gave way when he tried another F-5, and Bryan locked in the Yes! Lock.
Lesnar escaped, and when Bryan tried a triangle hold, Lesnar powered out, lifted him and hit the F-5 for the win at 18:50, completing Raw's clean sweep of the main card.
What worked: everything about the story. Lesnar looked like an unstoppable champion, and Bryan, five days into his heel turn, wrestled like a desperate man who would do anything to win. The crowd believed he could do it.
What didn't: the result. Raw winning everything left SmackDown looking second-rate, and Bryan losing so soon after becoming champion took a little shine off his new character.
Our rating: ★★★★
Beyond the matches
- Becky Lynch's absence: her broken nose changed the whole women's card, and the injury became part of her story heading into 2019.
- Enzo Amore's stunt: he was removed from the building and banned from future events at the Staples Center.
- Corbin's promise: Stephanie McMahon told Corbin before the main card that a Raw clean sweep could make him the permanent General Manager. Raw then won every match on the main card.
- Strowman's reward: a TLC match against Corbin, with a Universal title shot at the Royal Rumble on the line.
The verdict: does it hold up today?
Yes, mostly. Lesnar vs. Bryan, Rollins vs. Nakamura and Murphy vs. Ali are all worth going back to, and Rousey vs. Flair has one of the most memorable post-match attacks of its era. The women's elimination match and the tag team champions match are easy to skip, and the clean sweep made the night feel one-sided.
- Best match: Brock Lesnar vs. Daniel Bryan
- Worst match: AOP vs. The Bar
- Overall: 3.5 out of 5
Full results and our ratings
| Match | Result | Time | Our rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kickoff: 10-on-10 tag team elimination match | Team SmackDown won; The Usos survived | 22:20 | ★★½ |
| Women's 5-on-5 elimination match | Team Raw won; Nia Jax sole survivor | 18:50 | ★★ |
| Seth Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura | Rollins won | 21:50 | ★★★★ |
| AOP vs. The Bar | AOP won | 9:00 | ★ |
| Cruiserweight Championship: Buddy Murphy (c) vs. Mustafa Ali | Murphy retained | 12:20 | ★★★★ |
| Men's 5-on-5 elimination match | Team Raw won; Strowman, McIntyre and Lashley survived | 24:00 | ★★★ |
| Ronda Rousey vs. Charlotte Flair | Rousey won by disqualification | 14:40 | ★★★½ |
| Brock Lesnar vs. Daniel Bryan | Lesnar won | 18:50 | ★★★★ |
What happened next
- Bryan explained his heel turn on SmackDown, declaring the "Yes! Movement" dead, and defended the WWE Championship against AJ Styles at TLC.
- Flair was fined for her attack, and her rivalry with Lynch became a three-way TLC match for the SmackDown Women's Championship with Asuka.
- Rousey defended the Raw Women's Championship against Nia Jax at TLC.
- A year later, Survivor Series added NXT. Read our Survivor Series 2019 retro review.
More retro reviews
Other classic shows we have revisited, rated out of 5:
- Survivor Series 2019: ★★★★ (4 out of 5), Raw vs. SmackDown vs. NXT and a star-making night for Keith Lee
- Survivor Series 2020: ★★★ (3 out of 5), Reigns vs. McIntyre and The Undertaker's Final Farewell
- WrestleMania 30: ★★★★½ (4.5 out of 5), Daniel Bryan's night in New Orleans
- WrestleMania 31: ★★★★ (4 out of 5), Seth Rollins' heist and Sting vs. Triple H
- Survivor Series 2021: ★★★ (3 out of 5), the last Raw vs. SmackDown Survivor Series, with Lynch vs. Flair and Reigns vs. Big E
- Survivor Series: WarGames 2022: ★★★★ (4 out of 5), the first WarGames Survivor Series and Sami Zayn's big night
- Survivor Series: WarGames 2023: ★★★★ (4 out of 5), Randy Orton's return and CM Punk's comeback in Chicago
- Survivor Series: WarGames 2024: ★★★½ (3.5 out of 5), Reigns and CM Punk on the same side in Vancouver
- Survivor Series: WarGames 2025: ★★★ (3 out of 5), the first stadium Survivor Series and John Cena's last PLE match
- WrestleMania XL: ★★★★½ (4.5 out of 5), two nights in Philadelphia, The Rock and the end of the Bloodline story
- WrestleMania 39: ★★★★½ (4.5 out of 5), two nights in Hollywood and Reigns vs. Rhodes, part one
- Crown Jewel 2025: ★★★★ (4 out of 5), Cena vs. AJ Styles in Perth
- SummerSlam 2025: ★★★★ (4 out of 5), the first two-night SummerSlam and John Cena's last one
- Money in the Bank 2016: ★★★★ (4 out of 5), Cena vs. AJ, a great ladder match and Reigns vs. Rollins
- Crown Jewel 2021: ★★★★ (4 out of 5), Hell in a Cell and a loaded card
- WrestleMania 41: ★★★½ (3.5 out of 5), Cena's farewell year and a Heyman story in Las Vegas
- WrestlePalooza 2025: ★★★½ (3.5 out of 5), the first WWE show on ESPN, with Lesnar vs. Cena
- Crown Jewel 2022: ★★★½ (3.5 out of 5), Reigns vs. Logan Paul and a Last Woman Standing match
- Crown Jewel 2024: ★★½ (2.5 out of 5), the first Crown Jewel Championships
- Crown Jewel 2023: ★★½ (2.5 out of 5), Rollins vs. McIntyre and Reigns vs. LA Knight
- Crown Jewel 2019: ★★ (2 out of 5), celebrities and the first women's match in Saudi Arabia
- Crown Jewel 2018: ★½ (1.5 out of 5), the first one, and the World Cup
See them all on our Retro Reviews page, and read our Survivor Series: WarGames 2026 guide.
