WWE Hall of Famer reveals why AJ Styles vs. Brock Lesnar didn't main event Survivor Series 2017
WWE veteran Road Dogg has explained why Brock Lesnar vs. AJ Styles wasn't the main event of Survivor Series 2017.
The two stars collided at the event in a Champion vs. Champion match for brand warfare. The Phenomenal One was part of SmackDown and was the reigning WWE Champion while The Beast Incarnate was representing RAW as the Universal Champion. The duo put on a good match at the event, which was won by The Mayor of Suplex City.
Speaking on his Oh…You Didn’t Know podcast, Road Dogg stated that the match didn't headline Survivor Series 2017 because the higher-ups weren't sure what AJ Styles and Brock Lesnar were going to do in the match. The show was main-evented by the men's Team RAW vs. Team SmackDown match, which the red brand won.
"We didn’t know what to close with [at Survivor Series 2017]. AJ [Styles] and Brock [Lesnar] or this [men’s traditional five-on-five match] and so we chose AJ and Brock to not close. We’re gonna close with the other one because we didn’t know what AJ and Brock was gonna do… I didn’t know it was gonna be good, and this has happened more than once. In retrospect, you go, man, I sure wish we had closed with that one, you know what I mean? Everybody would have gone home happy and so, again, they still went home happy I think anyway," said Road Dogg. (H/T POST Wrestling)
Brock Lesnar allegedly refused to work with Jinder Mahal at Survivor Series 2017
Jinder Mahal captured his first WWE Championship in 2017 by dethroning Randy Orton. As such, he was supposed to collide with Brock Lesnar at that year's Survivor Series, but things were changed after AJ Styles captured the WWE title on the blue brand before the event.
According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, the plans were altered because Lesnar didn't want to wrestle The Modern Day Maharaja.
"You know why they did that? Because Brock did not want to work with him [Jinder Mahal]," said Meltzer.
AJ Styles and Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series 2017 was great
And for weeks before that, they had promoted Jinder Mahal Vs Brock Lesnar.
Like, a big part of me wants to know how WWE would have done that match at a time where they were booking Jinder strong! https://t.co/g9hTZINJSo
Jinder Mahal never held the coveted WWE title again after dropping it to AJ Styles in the United Kingdom. It would have been interesting to see what a match between him and Brock Lesnar would have looked like.
Did you enjoy Jinder's WWE title run? Sound off in the comments below!