In what looked like a completely one-sided bout to start the main event at Survivor Series, Daniel Bryan mounted a dramatic comeback only to fall short in his quest to beat Brock Lesnar.

As Survivor Series moved along and Raw took victory after victory on the night, most believed it would wind up being a clean sweep for the red brand on the night. When you consider that Bryan was the clear underdog and recently crowned WWE Champion, things weren't looking up for the leader of the Yes! Movement.

The opening of the match reflected something of a car crash for Bryan. He taunted Lesnar to start the match, only to get caught and subsequently tossed around the ring like a rag doll for minutes. At one point, Lesnar was pulling Bryan up from the pin so he could inflict more punishment.

The crowd sat in stunned silence and the broadcast booth suggesting they were concerned for Bryan's safety, when the unthinkable happened. While Lesnar tried to pick up Bryan to do more damage, Bryan landed a kick. Then another one. Then one more. Eventually, Lesnar gained his footing, tried to pick up Bryan for an F5 and inadvertently F5'ed Bryan into the referee. That was the opening Bryan needed.

With the ref out of it for a second, Bryan landed a low blow and a number of running kicks to swing the match in his favor. On a couple of occasions, Bryan almost pinned Lesnar. Could Bryan actually be victorious? It was starting to look that way.

Eventually, the game-changing power was too great for Bryan, Bryan was caught in another F5 and eventually pinned. Lesnar had won the battle but Bryan almost won the war.

What This Means

When the match started, people must have been wondering, 'why would Bryan agree to this?' What did he possibly have to gain being dismantled by Lesnar? Then, as one of the better match stories in recent WWE memory started to unfold, it became the perfect character transition for Bryan who almost won and knew he nearly had the better of the Beast Incarnate.

Bryan will move on and tout that he almost beat the unbeatable. He took his best shots, came back and almost did the impossible.

Next: Survivor Series 2018: Crowd Showers Boos On Team Raw’s Last Member Nia Jax During Victory