Daniel Bryan defeating Brock Lesnar and 5 smart reserve decisions

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The WWE Survivor Series 2018 has gone through a series of major creative changes this week and will now be headlined by Brock Lesnar vs. Daniel Bryan and Ronda Rousey vs. Charlotte Flair in a pair of first-ever games a traditional 5-on-5 star-studded Survivor Series involving a number of stars including Rey Mysterio, Braun Strowman and Shane McMahon.

The pay-per-view will be the company's third WWE Network event in just three weeks, whose goal is to review their recent fights to keep fans enrolled on the Network. After reaching a record 1.8 million subscribers in the second quarter of 2018, this number fell back to reality in the third quarter of 2018, dropping to 1.66 million and continuing the WWE trend of consistently losing subscribers after WrestleMania is in the books every year. As a result, WWE is now carrying the card with a Rousey / Flair game that was once set for the main event WrestleMania 35and a leap between Bryan and Lesnar that many fans thought would never happen.

With both Raw, which is not too far from generating multiple record viewsand SmackDown, which has almost fell below two million viewers, also fighting in the ranking department, WWE is making all stops with a card-loaded Survivor Series that will also feature big names like Finn Balor, Samoa Joe and The Miz. In the past two years, when Survivor Series, which has focused on a "battle of brands," ultimately meaning little or nothing in the long run, WWE will be looking to give fans a quality show that sets the stage for the successful TLC and Royal Rumble pay-per-views.

This, of course, goes all the way to the reserve, which has already been thrown for a quick ride with a series of big changes this week. Here are five smart reserve decisions that WWE must take in the Survivor Series 2018.

Daniel Bryan & nbsp; Upsets Brock Lesnar & nbsp;

Brock Lesnar's seemingly endless struggling effort was remarkably tiring, and this was never better exemplified than at the Crown Jewel when, for some reason or another, "The Beast" crushed Braun Strowman.

Now, WWE is in another situation where Lesnar will one on one with one of the most popular and respected WWE stars, this time his new WWE heel champion in Daniel Bryan. Since Lesnar began dominating the image of the Universal title on Raw for more than a year and a half, the WWE Championship has been in the background. In fact, since the return of the brand split in July 2016, a WWE Championship game has never been the main event of a co-branded pay-per-view. Yes, ever.

That may not change in the Survivor Series, but WWE can play fans a bit, giving Lesnar a rare loss, no matter how unlikely it may seem. New contract from Lesnar& nbsp; only ensures that it will work at least one more match after the Survivor Series (and stay here through WrestleMania 35) then there will be no damage, no foul will be made if he loses to Bryan, presumably on his way out of the company and maybe back to the UFC in the near future. This is especially true if Bryan can get a chance win over Lesnar through some sort of Strowman's assistance, which would fulfill the goal of continuing the dispute between Strowman and Lesnar (they certainly have unfinished business because written for a fight at the Royal Rumble) while also protecting Bryan and the WWE Championship.

The last thing stubborn fans want to see is Lesnar dominating, or just beating, Bryan, especially after the way Lesnar's unbalanced win over Strowman in the Crown Jewel left a bad taste in the mouth of the fans who thought it was time to crown Strowman . Universal Champion. In addition, it would create an interesting dynamic to see how Lesnar, the typically dominant champion, responds to a rare loss.

Strowman and Drew McIntyre Emerge as Survivors of the Soul

There are two stars that would benefit more than any other by emerging from the 5-on-5 men's match as soul survivors of their respective brands: Strowman and Drew McIntyre.

In the absence of Roman Reigns and with Seth Rollins tied with Dean Ambrose for now, Strowman is clearly No. 1 on the Babyface on Raw, and as a big draw& nbsp; and tremendous merchandise mover, WWE should continue to push him strongly at a time when fans clearly want him to be "the guy" in WWE's main show, despite these behind-the-scenes heat reports. The same is true for McIntyre, who WWE supposed to have big plans for& nbsp; as "The Scottish Terminator" allegedly has the support of both Vince McMahon and Triple H& nbsp; and could be involved in the Universal title image& nbsp; en route to WrestleMania 35.

As evidenced by McIntyre's recent clean victory over the Hall of Famer Kurt Angle, he is clearly on the verge of super stardom and with the recent spins of Elias and Strowman (as well as Triple H's injury and the halftime status of Lesnar McIntyre has gone from calling the NXT to the top heel in less than seven months. McIntyre's impressive rise, which has all the tools to be the best star on Raw, should continue, and there is virtually no better way to ensure that happen than to make him emerge as one of, or perhaps the, survivor of the soul.

With a number of big Raw stars from Kevin Owens to Reigns and Triple H, all currently marginalized, WWE must follow full steam with huge jerks to Strowman and McIntyre. A victory in the Survivor series for both stars could achieve that goal.

At least one or two successful heels

The Survivor Series will stage three separate 5-for-5 matches for the men's, women's and doubles divisions respectively, and these bouts, while rarely meaning too much in the long run, are the perfect stage for spins.

In recent months, we have seen important stars such as Daniel Bryan, Bobby Lashley, Bella Twins and Becky Lynch being reinvigorated by jump shifts, while stars like Strowman and Elias stood out after turning baby face. With so many different factors involved in the traditional elimination matches of the Survivor Series, as experienced rivals (such as Strowman and McIntyre) working together or Shane McMahon fighting again after winning the World Cup, there will be many opportunities for the WWE The trigger on multiple heels or faces spins during matches that are tailor-made for stars to betray their squadrons.

Some names involved in the 5-on-5 elimination combinations that have been linked to possible goals in recent times include Asuka& nbsp;The Miz and Shane McMahon, just to name a few. With Lesnar likely missing out on long periods as an absent Universal Champion and famous stars like John Cena, Roman Reigns, Triple H and Kevin Owens all on the sidelines, WWE has a great opportunity to create new stars in their absence. and as we've seen with stars like Lynch and Elias, a character change can work wonders for a star's career, especially if it happens on a WWE pay-per-view during a big game.

Ideally, WWE will remember this and use the Survivor Series to come up with at least a couple of face-ups or heels that end up leading to the rise of rising stars that can carry the company while Cena, Reigns, Lesnar and others are not for close.

Becky Lynch helps Charlotte Flair defeat Ronda Rousey

WWE built Brock Lesnar as a dominant universal champion, who held the title for more than 500 days, so it could mean more when Roman Reigns eventually defeated him for the belt.

The idea was that WWE wanted Reigns to be "the guy" and would use his victory over Lesnar to help him get him there. Now, WWE is in a similar situation with Charlotte Flair, who will replace the injured Becky Lynch and will face Ronda Rousey in a true dream match that was once written as the main event of WrestleMania 35. Obviously, Lynch's big win over Rousey would have helped to cement the Irish star as one of the top stars of the branch, something that seems inevitable considering how popular it is. But with that possibility out of the window, WWE must now decide whether Rousey should lose to Flair as a "torch pass" of the type.

It's incredibly rare for a superstar to reach the level where Lynch is, where the vast majority of the WWE fanbase wants her to succeed, which means that despite her absence on the card she should feel her presence in Series Survivor. With Rousey Vs. Lynch now likely to occur at WrestleMania 35& nbsp; and with speculations being that the WWE is building a battle between Rousey's Four Horsewomen and WWE, the finish that makes more sense in the Survivor Series is Lynch helping Flair defeat Rousey.

It's a logical decision, especially given how Flair and Lynch put aside their differences in SmackDown, the fact that they could add more fuel to the Lynch / Rousey fire and protect Rousey while preparing the Four Horsewomen fight. Sounds like a win for all involved, does not it?

Dean Ambrose Costs Seth Rollins His Match Against Shinsuke Nakamura

The hot dispute between Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins has been a big hit on YouTube (see: On here and On here), suggesting that "The Whimsical Fringe" is well on its way to becoming perhaps the most hated WWE heel, while Rollins will somehow become even more popular.

The WWE clearly has long-term plans for this plot as Rollins Vs. Ambrose is announced as one of the main events in the TLC in December& nbsp; and is also announced for a series of other live events& nbsp; all the way through WrestleMania 35 in April. Ambrose, in a blink of an eye, went from his beloved face to his disliked heel and, despite not having a fight announced in the Survivor Series, he could and should make his presence even bigger, costing Rollins his dream. game against the SmackDown United States Champion, Shinsuke Nakamura.

Nakamura Vs. Rollins is a long-awaited fight that we may never have a chance to see again, and if Ambrose ruin this while continuing to push his former best friend, that's an infallible way Ambrose continues to be a magnet of heat he becomes the villain most despised of WWE.

Controversial non-finishes usually do not match the WWE audience, but in this case (as with other great games in the Survivor Series), it's the right choice, given Ambrose's need to be a despicable villain and his continued attacks on Rollins would help Rollins rise to the most affected spot of the red mark.

Blake Oestriecher is a daytime elementary school teacher and evening sports writer. He is a contributor to& nbsp;@ForbesSports, where he mostly covers WWE. You can follow it on Twitter& nbsp;@BOestriecher.

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The WWE Survivor Series 2018 has undergone a series of major creative changes this week and will now be headed by Brock Lesnar vs. Daniel Bryan and Ronda Rousey vs. Charlotte Flair in a couple of games for the first time in a star-studded competition. 5-on-5 Traditional Survivor Series game involving a number of top stars including Rey Mysterio, Braun Strowman and Shane McMahon.

The pay-per-view will be the company's third WWE Network event in just three weeks, whose goal is to review their recent fights to keep fans enrolled on the Network. After reaching a record 1.8 million subscribers in the second quarter of 2018, that number dropped to the third quarter of 2018, dropping to 1.66 million and continuing the WWE trend of losing subscribers constantly after WrestleMania enters the books every year. As a result, WWE is now carrying the card with a Rousey / Flair match that was already scheduled for the WrestleMania 35 main event and a heel heel fight between Bryan and Lesnar that many fans thought would never happen.

With Raw, which is not far from grossing record highs, and SmackDown, which has nearly dropped below two million viewers, also struggling in the rating department, WWE is pulling all stops with a Survivor Series loaded will also feature big names like Finn Balor, Samoa Joe and The Miz. Over the past two years, when the Survivor Series, which has focused on a "battle of the brands", ends up meaning little or nothing in the long run, WWE wants to give fans a quality show that sets the stage for TLC's success and Royal Rumble pay-per-views.

This, of course, goes all the way to the reserve, which has already been thrown for a quick ride with a series of big changes this week. Here are five smart reserve decisions that WWE must take in the Survivor Series 2018.

Daniel Bryan upset Brock Lesnar

The seemingly endless thrust of Brock Lesnar was noticeably tiring, and this was never better exemplified than at the Crown Jewel when, for some reason or other, "The Beast" crushed Braun Strowman.

Now, WWE is in another situation where Lesnar will one on one with one of the most popular and respected WWE stars, this time his new WWE heel champion in Daniel Bryan. Since Lesnar began dominating the image of the Universal title on Raw for more than a year and a half, the WWE Championship has been in the background. In fact, since the return of the brand split in July 2016, a WWE Championship game has never been the main event of a co-branded pay-per-view. Yes, ever.

That may not change in the Survivor Series, but WWE can play fans a bit, giving Lesnar a rare loss, no matter how unlikely it may seem. The new contract from Lesnar only guarantees that he will work at least one more match after the Survivor Series (and will stay around with WrestleMania 35), so there will be no damage if he loses to Bryan, presumably on his exit company and maybe back to the UFC in the near future. This is especially true if Bryan can get a chance win over Lesnar through some kind of help from Strowman, who would fulfill the goal of continuing the dispute between Strowman and Lesnar (they certainly have unfinished business as they are planned for a fight Royal Rumble), while protecting Bryan and the WWE Championship.

The last thing stubborn fans want to see is Lesnar dominating, or just beating, Bryan, especially after the way Lesnar's unbalanced win over Strowman in the Crown Jewel left a bad taste in the mouth of the fans who thought it was time to crown Strowman . Universal Champion. In addition, it would create an interesting dynamic to see how Lesnar, the typically dominant champion, responds to a rare loss.

Strowman and Drew McIntyre Emerge as Survivors of the Soul

There are two stars that would benefit more than any other by emerging from the 5-on-5 men's match as soul survivors of their respective brands: Strowman and Drew McIntyre.

In the absence of Roman Reigns and with Seth Rollins tied with Dean Ambrose for now, Strowman is clearly No. 1 on Raw, and as a big draw and tremendous merchandise move, WWE should continue to pressure him strongly at the moment fans clearly want him to be "the guy" in the main show of WWE, even despite reports of heat behind the scenes. The same goes for McIntyre, who according to WWE has big plans, as "The Scottish Terminator" has the support of Vince McMahon and Triple H and may be involved in the Universal title image en route to WrestleMania 35.

As evidenced by McIntyre's recent clean victory over the Hall of Famer Kurt Angle, he is clearly on the verge of super stardom and with the recent spins of Elias and Strowman (as well as Triple H's injury and the halftime status of Lesnar McIntyre has gone from calling the NXT to the top heel in less than seven months. McIntyre's impressive rise, which has all the tools to be the best star on Raw, should continue, and there is virtually no better way to ensure that happen than to make him emerge as one of, or perhaps the, survivor of the soul.

With a number of big Raw stars from Kevin Owens to Reigns and Triple H, all currently marginalized, WWE must follow full steam with huge jerks to Strowman and McIntyre. A victory in the Survivor series for both stars could achieve that goal.

At least one or two successful heels

The Survivor Series will stage three separate 5-for-5 matches for the men's, women's and doubles divisions respectively, and these bouts, while rarely meaning too much in the long run, are the perfect stage for spins.

In recent months, we have seen important stars such as Daniel Bryan, Bobby Lashley, Bella Twins and Becky Lynch being reinvigorated by jump shifts, while stars like Strowman and Elias stood out after turning baby face. With so many different factors involved in the traditional elimination matches of the Survivor Series, as experienced rivals (such as Strowman and McIntyre) working together or Shane McMahon fighting again after winning the World Cup, there will be many opportunities for the WWE The trigger on multiple heels or faces spins during matches that are tailor-made for stars to betray their squadrons.

Some names involved in the 5-on-5 qualifiers, which have been linked to possible goals in recent times, include Asuka, The Miz and Shane McMahon, just to name a few. With Lesnar likely missing out on long periods as an absent Universal Champion and famous stars like John Cena, Roman Reigns, Triple H and Kevin Owens all on the sidelines, WWE has a great opportunity to create new stars in their absence. and as we've seen with stars like Lynch and Elias, a character change can work wonders for a star's career, especially if it happens on a WWE pay-per-view during a big game.

Ideally, WWE will remember this and use the Survivor Series to come up with at least a couple of face-ups or heels that end up leading to the rise of rising stars that can carry the company while Cena, Reigns, Lesnar and others are not for close.

Becky Lynch helps Charlotte Flair defeat Ronda Rousey

WWE built Brock Lesnar as a dominant universal champion, who held the title for more than 500 days, so it could mean more when Roman Reigns eventually defeated him for the belt.

The idea was that WWE wanted Reigns to be "the guy" and would use his victory over Lesnar to help him get there. Now, WWE is in a similar situation with Charlotte Flair, who will replace the injured Becky Lynch and face Ronda Rousey in a true dream game that was already marked as the WrestleMania 35 Main Event. Obviously, a great victory for Lynch over Rousey would have helped to cement the Irish star as one of the main stars of the branch, something that seems inevitable, considering how popular it is. But with that possibility out of the window, WWE must now decide whether Rousey should lose to Flair, instead of "passing the torch."

It's incredibly rare for a superstar to reach the level where Lynch is, where the vast majority of the WWE fanbase wants her to succeed, which means that despite her absence on the card she should feel her presence in Series Survivor. With Rousey Vs. Lynch now probably at WrestleMania 35 and with speculation that WWE is building a battle between Rousey's Four Horsewomen and WWE, the finish that makes more sense in the Survivor Series is Lynch helping Flair defeat Rousey.

It's a logical decision, especially given how Flair and Lynch put aside their differences in SmackDown, the fact that they could add more fuel to the Lynch / Rousey fire and protect Rousey while preparing the Four Horsewomen fight. Sounds like a win for all involved, does not it?

Dean Ambrose Costs Seth Rollins His Match Against Shinsuke Nakamura

The dispute between Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins has been a huge success on YouTube (see here and here), suggesting that "The Lunatic Fringe" is on its way to becoming perhaps the most hated WWE heel while Rollins manages to become even more popular.

WWE clearly has long-term plans in place for this story as Rollins vs. Ambrose is announced as one of the top events at TLC in December and is also announced for a series of other live events all the way through WrestleMania 35 next April. Ambrose, in a blink of an eye, went from his beloved face to his disliked heel and, despite not having a fight announced in the Survivor Series, he could and should make his presence even bigger, costing Rollins his dream. game against the SmackDown United States Champion, Shinsuke Nakamura.

Nakamura Vs. Rollins is a highly anticipated fight that we may never get a chance to see again, and if Ambrose ruin this while continuing to push his former best friend, this is an infallible way Ambrose remains a magnet of heat as he becomes the WWE's most despised villain.

Controversial non-finishes usually do not match the WWE audience, but in this case (as with other great games in the Survivor Series), it's the right choice, given Ambrose's need to be a despicable villain and his continued attacks on Rollins would help Rollins rise to the most affected spot of the red mark.

Blake Oestriecher is a daytime elementary school teacher and evening sports writer. He is a contributor to @ForbesSports, where he mostly covers WWE. You can follow it on Twitter @BOestriecher.