Jack-Hammer
YOU WILL RESPECT MY AUTHORITAH!!!!
Keep all discussion regarding the Fastlane ppv, aside from officially announced matches, in here.
WWE Fastlane General Discussion & Reviews
- Thread starter Jack-Hammer
- Start date
So, Roman Reigns Vs. Braun Strowman is already scheduled for Fastlane along with Kevin Owens Vs. Goldberg for Universal Championship.
Rumored matches are Sami Zayn Vs. Chris Jericho for United States Championship and a Triple Threat match between Gallows/Anderson, Cesaro/Sheamus and Enzo/Cass for the tag titles. Don't know where Samoa Joe goes.
I think that Zayn could win the United States Championship from Jericho at Fastlane. Gallows/Anderson retain the titles leading to split between Cesaro and Sheamus. Or the split is saved for Wrestlemania 33 itself where a tag team titles four way match could happen also involving New Day. I think that Enzo/Cass should get the titles at Wrestlemania 33.
Rumored matches are Sami Zayn Vs. Chris Jericho for United States Championship and a Triple Threat match between Gallows/Anderson, Cesaro/Sheamus and Enzo/Cass for the tag titles. Don't know where Samoa Joe goes.
I think that Zayn could win the United States Championship from Jericho at Fastlane. Gallows/Anderson retain the titles leading to split between Cesaro and Sheamus. Or the split is saved for Wrestlemania 33 itself where a tag team titles four way match could happen also involving New Day. I think that Enzo/Cass should get the titles at Wrestlemania 33.
So the WWE held the third annual edition of its least impressive PPV brand, Fastlane, tonight. Would this be the edition of the show to finally rid that brand of the negative quality and overall pointlessness we have seen from it each year? Let's take a look at the show.
Pre-Show: Noam Dar & Brian Kendrick VS Akira Tozawa & Rich Swann
Nothing to write home about here. No surprise for why it was on the pre-show. Like many pre-show matches for me most of it was spent ordering pizza.
Sami Zayn VS Samoa Joe
A fine choice for an opener and despite the end result being fairly obvious. Both guys did well and I look forward to seeing what is next for them. 3rd best match of the night, however still nothing special.
Anderson & Gallows VS Enzo Amore & Big Cass [Raw Tag Team Championship]
Enzo's promo was hilarious. No surprise there. As for this match it started out pretty good but why did it end the way it did? Seriously!? Anderson and Gallows are boring. I don't care about them whatsoever. Enzo & Cass should be the Raw Tag Team Champions right now. They have got to have the worst luck out of anyone in title matches. So disappointed by that loss. Maybe they can get the titles at Wrestlemania.... It's not like they didn't make other important title changes tonight. Oh wait. They did. More on that later.
Nia Jax VS Sasha Banks
Ugh. This was fine for what it was and it ended up exceeding my expectations. Sasha getting the win was nice. The feud better end here.
Cesaro VS Jinder Mahal
Seriously? Why is this nonsense on a PPV card? Cesaro winning was the right call, but WHY did they even HAVE this match?
Big Show VS Rusev
Worst match of the night. Rusev deserves better and Big Show should have retired ages ago. Boring and stupid match. Cesaro VS Rusev would have been better and that eliminates two bad matches from the card. This was a complete waste of everyone's time.
Jack Gallagher VS Neville [Cruiserweight Championship]
Oh this was fun! What a match! As much as I have given 205 Live a hard time, THIS is what the cruiserweight division needs. Not even once did I think that the best match of the night would be from the cruiserweights, not in this version of the division anyway. Nothing else on the card came close. Very entertaining and I want to see more from Jack and Neville.
Braun Strowman VS Roman Reigns
So there we have it. Braun's boring build up for the past several months has been for.... This? A random loss to Roman Reigns while he wears strange looking shoes on the least important PPV of the year? I may be one of Strowman's biggest detractors around here but even I thought this whole thing came off as a bit pointless. Really though, what was up with those shoes? Everyone at our PPV party kept talking more about Roman's shoes than anything else during the match.
Bayley VS Charlotte [Raw Women's Championship]
Where do I even begin with this. They hype up Charlotte's "big PPV streak" for months on end, only for it to be broken on THIS event? Of all the times in the world to break a big streak, why do it on such an insignificant show like Fastlane when you could do it at, oh I dunno, Wrestlemania!? The Bayley fan in me is glad Bayley retained but the business major in me is lost in confusion because it just makes no sense. Not a single bit. 2nd best match of the night yet the bizarre booking decision ruins the whole thing. Poor Bayley. Her ending Charlotte's streak to win the Raw Women's Championship was a perfect Wrestlemania opportunity that they completely messed up with not once but twice now.
Kevin Owens VS Goldberg [Universal Championship]
They did it. They really went through with it. Why do we have to get another part time champion? I have no desire to see either Goldberg OR Lesnar with the title. Owens should have retained so that we could get him against Jericho for the title, which is what makes sense. Lesnar and Goldberg don't need the title. To think it all started as a way to help sell pre-order content for a video game. It would be an understatement to say they have taken it a bit too far. Extremely disappointed that they have gone this route and I can only hope that Owens asks for a Wrestlemania rematch instead of wasting it on Raw tomorrow.
Other Thoughts
The New Day segment was awesome and very funny. Beyond that New Day segment and Jack VS Neville, this show had nothing going for it at all. Two terrible decisions in the Goldberg win and Charlotte's streak ending at the show BEFORE Wrestlemania (where such a big moment would have made sense) also did the show no favors. The Cruiserweights stole the show. Let that sink in for a moment. The Cruiserweights, in 2017, had the only good match on the entire PPV. I would have had Charlotte win so her streak could end at Wrestlemania instead, I would have had Owens retain through Lesnar or Joe attacking Goldberg, I also would have eliminated Jinder VS Cesaro as well as Rusev VS Show from the card to replace those matches with Rusev VS Cesaro which would have been a little better, finally Enzo & Cass should have won the tag titles. To anyone who has not seen the show yet.... Watch Jack VS Neville if you missed it, skip the rest. This show was a major step down from Elimination Chamber and once again Fastlane emerges as an early candidate for worst show of the year for the third year in a row.
Dagger's 2017 WWE PPV Rankings
1. Elimination Chamber 2017
2. Royal Rumble 2017
3. Fastlane 2017
Pre-Show: Noam Dar & Brian Kendrick VS Akira Tozawa & Rich Swann
Nothing to write home about here. No surprise for why it was on the pre-show. Like many pre-show matches for me most of it was spent ordering pizza.
Sami Zayn VS Samoa Joe
A fine choice for an opener and despite the end result being fairly obvious. Both guys did well and I look forward to seeing what is next for them. 3rd best match of the night, however still nothing special.
Anderson & Gallows VS Enzo Amore & Big Cass [Raw Tag Team Championship]
Enzo's promo was hilarious. No surprise there. As for this match it started out pretty good but why did it end the way it did? Seriously!? Anderson and Gallows are boring. I don't care about them whatsoever. Enzo & Cass should be the Raw Tag Team Champions right now. They have got to have the worst luck out of anyone in title matches. So disappointed by that loss. Maybe they can get the titles at Wrestlemania.... It's not like they didn't make other important title changes tonight. Oh wait. They did. More on that later.
Nia Jax VS Sasha Banks
Ugh. This was fine for what it was and it ended up exceeding my expectations. Sasha getting the win was nice. The feud better end here.
Cesaro VS Jinder Mahal
Seriously? Why is this nonsense on a PPV card? Cesaro winning was the right call, but WHY did they even HAVE this match?
Big Show VS Rusev
Worst match of the night. Rusev deserves better and Big Show should have retired ages ago. Boring and stupid match. Cesaro VS Rusev would have been better and that eliminates two bad matches from the card. This was a complete waste of everyone's time.
Jack Gallagher VS Neville [Cruiserweight Championship]
Oh this was fun! What a match! As much as I have given 205 Live a hard time, THIS is what the cruiserweight division needs. Not even once did I think that the best match of the night would be from the cruiserweights, not in this version of the division anyway. Nothing else on the card came close. Very entertaining and I want to see more from Jack and Neville.
Braun Strowman VS Roman Reigns
So there we have it. Braun's boring build up for the past several months has been for.... This? A random loss to Roman Reigns while he wears strange looking shoes on the least important PPV of the year? I may be one of Strowman's biggest detractors around here but even I thought this whole thing came off as a bit pointless. Really though, what was up with those shoes? Everyone at our PPV party kept talking more about Roman's shoes than anything else during the match.
Bayley VS Charlotte [Raw Women's Championship]
Where do I even begin with this. They hype up Charlotte's "big PPV streak" for months on end, only for it to be broken on THIS event? Of all the times in the world to break a big streak, why do it on such an insignificant show like Fastlane when you could do it at, oh I dunno, Wrestlemania!? The Bayley fan in me is glad Bayley retained but the business major in me is lost in confusion because it just makes no sense. Not a single bit. 2nd best match of the night yet the bizarre booking decision ruins the whole thing. Poor Bayley. Her ending Charlotte's streak to win the Raw Women's Championship was a perfect Wrestlemania opportunity that they completely messed up with not once but twice now.
Kevin Owens VS Goldberg [Universal Championship]
They did it. They really went through with it. Why do we have to get another part time champion? I have no desire to see either Goldberg OR Lesnar with the title. Owens should have retained so that we could get him against Jericho for the title, which is what makes sense. Lesnar and Goldberg don't need the title. To think it all started as a way to help sell pre-order content for a video game. It would be an understatement to say they have taken it a bit too far. Extremely disappointed that they have gone this route and I can only hope that Owens asks for a Wrestlemania rematch instead of wasting it on Raw tomorrow.
Other Thoughts
The New Day segment was awesome and very funny. Beyond that New Day segment and Jack VS Neville, this show had nothing going for it at all. Two terrible decisions in the Goldberg win and Charlotte's streak ending at the show BEFORE Wrestlemania (where such a big moment would have made sense) also did the show no favors. The Cruiserweights stole the show. Let that sink in for a moment. The Cruiserweights, in 2017, had the only good match on the entire PPV. I would have had Charlotte win so her streak could end at Wrestlemania instead, I would have had Owens retain through Lesnar or Joe attacking Goldberg, I also would have eliminated Jinder VS Cesaro as well as Rusev VS Show from the card to replace those matches with Rusev VS Cesaro which would have been a little better, finally Enzo & Cass should have won the tag titles. To anyone who has not seen the show yet.... Watch Jack VS Neville if you missed it, skip the rest. This show was a major step down from Elimination Chamber and once again Fastlane emerges as an early candidate for worst show of the year for the third year in a row.
Dagger's 2017 WWE PPV Rankings
1. Elimination Chamber 2017
2. Royal Rumble 2017
3. Fastlane 2017
Jack-Hammer
YOU WILL RESPECT MY AUTHORITAH!!!!
Yeah, all in all, this is one of the weakest overall shows WWE has put on in a long time.
Sami Zayn vs. Samoa Joe was a good opener and ultimately did what it needed to in that Zayn is the scrappy, courageous babyface while Joe is this badass that seems almost untouchable.
Gallows & Anderson vs. Enzo & Big Cass was okay, nothing all that special to write home about in my opinion. Gallows & Anderson, in my opinion, are an example of the reality not living up to the hype; I heard people proclaiming all this greatness about these two in New Japan but I've yet to see anything special from them. As for Enzo & Big Cass, I find myself more and more preferring to have Enzo as Cass' mouthpiece/manager rather than his partner because Enzo is a lot of fun on the mic and as a character, but the guy's shit in the ring and almost always gets his ass handed to him.
Sasha Banks vs. Nia Jax was just kinda dull. I get the story they're trying to tell and Nia has looked dominant, but the drawback here is that Nia is still pretty green, she needs to work on her timing a bit, she's Kane level slow inside the ring and she's not as impressive of a force as they try to make her out to be. I get what they're going for, but they could accomplish what they want with Jax to the 10th degree with Asuka and Asuka doesn't even have to be 250 lbs.
Cesaro vs. Jinder Mahal and Big Show vs. Rusev just flat out killed whatever energy the show had going for it prior to this. I honestly have no idea what the purpose of these two matches were aside from simply killing time so that it'd mean even less time needed for Goldberg to wrestle. Mahal is just...the guy just sucks all around, it's like watching paint dry and Cesaro taking almost 10 minutes to put this chump away is poor use of someone of Cesaro's ability. As for Show vs. Rusev, I just didn't care at all really to pay attention to what happened.
Neville vs. Jack Gallagher was a fun match and had a more energetic pace with good physicality than we see in most Cruiserweight Division matches. I'm still of the opinion that Vince and Kevin Dunn, who're reportedly in charge of what's going on with the division, don't really have a clue as to how to use the Cruiserweights to their full potential.
Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman went down about exactly how I expected it. Personally, I enjoyed the match as Strowman is easily the best super heavyweight that's come along in a long while. I saw no reason to be upset with Reigns winning because I knew it had to happen if Reigns is facing Taker at WrestleMania. I mean, Reigns can't go into a WrestleMania match against the Undertaker if he doesn't get past a monster like Strowman. Strowman was pretty well protected in that he didn't get a chance to hit his finisher inside the ring and the attempted diving headbutt or splash from the top was an impressive visual.
Bayley vs. Charlotte was something I'm mixed on. I thought the match itself was fun and told a good story, but the end with Sasha Banks coming out to help Bayley is something that just doesn't strike me as fitting with Bayley's character. At the same time, I do admit that I'm glad the whole Queen of PPV thing is finished because I'm tired of seeing them play hot potato with the Women's Championship. Besides, not every major happening has to take place at WrestleMania.
Kevin Owens vs. Goldberg happened in a way that I thought had a great chance of happening. I kept glancing at the clock to see what the time was and I was more convinced than ever that the Cesaro vs. Mahal, Show vs. Rusev and New Day segments were done just to eat up time so Goldberg wouldn't have to break a sweat. The second Jericho's music hit, I knew it was over and, sure enough, about 20 seconds later Goldberg ended Kevin Owens 188 day run as WWE Universal Champion.
Overall, I thought there were some very strange creative choices made on this show tonight. The energy of this card simply wasn't there for me and a good part of that was that there just didn't seem like a lot of interesting things going on. Bayley retaining is fine with me, but what's the deal with Sasha's interference? And, as I predicted, we're going to have another part time World Champion in WWE, probably two for that matter once WrestleMania is over. Ultimately, all the Universal Championship match did was reinforce how badly I want Lesnar and Goldberg gone or for Vince's insane booking of these two men to change. I'm just tired of seeing these two lazy mercenaries who can't lace up the boots of half the wrestlers on the roster ultimately make the roster look like helpless kittens. I get that Vince wants to get as big a names as he can for WrestleMania but the thing is that MAYBE, just MAYBE, Vince could create stars with name brands on the level of someone like Goldberg or Lesnar if he allowed them the chance to rise to such levels. I mean, c'mon, we all know that stars today, the vast majority of them at least, don't have a fraction of the creative freedom or input they had circa 1999.
Overall, I'd have to give this show a C-, maybe even a D+, because it's just not there. Overall, SmackDown Live continues to just be far and away the better brand in just about every respect.
Sami Zayn vs. Samoa Joe was a good opener and ultimately did what it needed to in that Zayn is the scrappy, courageous babyface while Joe is this badass that seems almost untouchable.
Gallows & Anderson vs. Enzo & Big Cass was okay, nothing all that special to write home about in my opinion. Gallows & Anderson, in my opinion, are an example of the reality not living up to the hype; I heard people proclaiming all this greatness about these two in New Japan but I've yet to see anything special from them. As for Enzo & Big Cass, I find myself more and more preferring to have Enzo as Cass' mouthpiece/manager rather than his partner because Enzo is a lot of fun on the mic and as a character, but the guy's shit in the ring and almost always gets his ass handed to him.
Sasha Banks vs. Nia Jax was just kinda dull. I get the story they're trying to tell and Nia has looked dominant, but the drawback here is that Nia is still pretty green, she needs to work on her timing a bit, she's Kane level slow inside the ring and she's not as impressive of a force as they try to make her out to be. I get what they're going for, but they could accomplish what they want with Jax to the 10th degree with Asuka and Asuka doesn't even have to be 250 lbs.
Cesaro vs. Jinder Mahal and Big Show vs. Rusev just flat out killed whatever energy the show had going for it prior to this. I honestly have no idea what the purpose of these two matches were aside from simply killing time so that it'd mean even less time needed for Goldberg to wrestle. Mahal is just...the guy just sucks all around, it's like watching paint dry and Cesaro taking almost 10 minutes to put this chump away is poor use of someone of Cesaro's ability. As for Show vs. Rusev, I just didn't care at all really to pay attention to what happened.
Neville vs. Jack Gallagher was a fun match and had a more energetic pace with good physicality than we see in most Cruiserweight Division matches. I'm still of the opinion that Vince and Kevin Dunn, who're reportedly in charge of what's going on with the division, don't really have a clue as to how to use the Cruiserweights to their full potential.
Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman went down about exactly how I expected it. Personally, I enjoyed the match as Strowman is easily the best super heavyweight that's come along in a long while. I saw no reason to be upset with Reigns winning because I knew it had to happen if Reigns is facing Taker at WrestleMania. I mean, Reigns can't go into a WrestleMania match against the Undertaker if he doesn't get past a monster like Strowman. Strowman was pretty well protected in that he didn't get a chance to hit his finisher inside the ring and the attempted diving headbutt or splash from the top was an impressive visual.
Bayley vs. Charlotte was something I'm mixed on. I thought the match itself was fun and told a good story, but the end with Sasha Banks coming out to help Bayley is something that just doesn't strike me as fitting with Bayley's character. At the same time, I do admit that I'm glad the whole Queen of PPV thing is finished because I'm tired of seeing them play hot potato with the Women's Championship. Besides, not every major happening has to take place at WrestleMania.
Kevin Owens vs. Goldberg happened in a way that I thought had a great chance of happening. I kept glancing at the clock to see what the time was and I was more convinced than ever that the Cesaro vs. Mahal, Show vs. Rusev and New Day segments were done just to eat up time so Goldberg wouldn't have to break a sweat. The second Jericho's music hit, I knew it was over and, sure enough, about 20 seconds later Goldberg ended Kevin Owens 188 day run as WWE Universal Champion.
Overall, I thought there were some very strange creative choices made on this show tonight. The energy of this card simply wasn't there for me and a good part of that was that there just didn't seem like a lot of interesting things going on. Bayley retaining is fine with me, but what's the deal with Sasha's interference? And, as I predicted, we're going to have another part time World Champion in WWE, probably two for that matter once WrestleMania is over. Ultimately, all the Universal Championship match did was reinforce how badly I want Lesnar and Goldberg gone or for Vince's insane booking of these two men to change. I'm just tired of seeing these two lazy mercenaries who can't lace up the boots of half the wrestlers on the roster ultimately make the roster look like helpless kittens. I get that Vince wants to get as big a names as he can for WrestleMania but the thing is that MAYBE, just MAYBE, Vince could create stars with name brands on the level of someone like Goldberg or Lesnar if he allowed them the chance to rise to such levels. I mean, c'mon, we all know that stars today, the vast majority of them at least, don't have a fraction of the creative freedom or input they had circa 1999.
Overall, I'd have to give this show a C-, maybe even a D+, because it's just not there. Overall, SmackDown Live continues to just be far and away the better brand in just about every respect.
The Life Of Pablo Ren
I know my name/avi/sig don't match.
I don't feel like doing a full review so I'm not gonna. From a wrestling standpoint this show was fine, but due to questionable booking decisions, awkward as all hell endings, way way way too much filler and the fact that aside from the main event, it did little to build up WrestleMania it turned out to be a disastrous show. The only thing keeping me from giving it an F was the fact that we had two good matches, one of them being borderline great and for that reason I'm gonna give it a D.
Now thoughts on the main event:
WWE never knows when to quit when they're ahead. That might be their biggest fault. I've never seen a better example of that than this Brock Lesnar/Goldberg situation. There's a multitude of reasons why it worked at Survivor Series.
1. It was Goldberg's first match in 12 years.
2. Most people were under the assumption this was just a one and done for Goldberg.
3. Their storyline was completely exclusive to the two of them and they weren't intertwining with anything else going on in the main roster.
And now with this WrestleMania match, they're throwing all of what made the Survivor Series match work, away. Now obviously there's nothing they can really do about the first two reasons, Goldberg can only have his return match once but it certainly does diminish the novelty of it. And maybe WWE realizes that, maybe they realize that if they do the same match they did just 5 months prior, there's no possible way it could feel as big or as special... so what's there "solution" for this? "Hey, let's throw the Universal Championship into the feud!!" And that's when they shot themselves in the foot.
Goldberg slowly but surely started getting integrated into more and more main roster stuff. First it was double spearing Braun with Roman. Then he had a run in with Kevin Owens and Jericho. Then we heard rumors that Goldberg was gonna wrestle a main event type match at Fastlane. Then it slowly became a realization that Goldberg was going to end the 6 month Universal Championship reign of Kevin Owens. Now, say what you want about KO's title reign, was it underwhelming? Yes. But he was there every week, on every RAW, at most every house show and believe it or not, the fans do respect that. Regardless of how his title reign may be perceived Kevin Owens is held in high regard by most if not all the fanbase because he has been one of the main anchors of RAW since the brand split. But they don't care... and because of that we now have...
A man who has wrestled all of 108 seconds for your company in the last decade plus as the World Champion of your A show and he's defending it against a man who it's pretty clear stopped caring quite some time ago. That's worse than WrestleMania XX in my opinion. And if the last two weeks of WWE TV is any indication, we may be heading towards something similar to that in Orlando with the crowd.
There's so much more that can be said about this, the story, KO/Jericho, etc. but I'm gonna leave it there because I don't think I really need to explain, what I would be saying isn't secret and is probably a shared sentiment by many here, but yeah Fastlane... uhh yeah.
Now thoughts on the main event:
WWE never knows when to quit when they're ahead. That might be their biggest fault. I've never seen a better example of that than this Brock Lesnar/Goldberg situation. There's a multitude of reasons why it worked at Survivor Series.
1. It was Goldberg's first match in 12 years.
2. Most people were under the assumption this was just a one and done for Goldberg.
3. Their storyline was completely exclusive to the two of them and they weren't intertwining with anything else going on in the main roster.
And now with this WrestleMania match, they're throwing all of what made the Survivor Series match work, away. Now obviously there's nothing they can really do about the first two reasons, Goldberg can only have his return match once but it certainly does diminish the novelty of it. And maybe WWE realizes that, maybe they realize that if they do the same match they did just 5 months prior, there's no possible way it could feel as big or as special... so what's there "solution" for this? "Hey, let's throw the Universal Championship into the feud!!" And that's when they shot themselves in the foot.
Goldberg slowly but surely started getting integrated into more and more main roster stuff. First it was double spearing Braun with Roman. Then he had a run in with Kevin Owens and Jericho. Then we heard rumors that Goldberg was gonna wrestle a main event type match at Fastlane. Then it slowly became a realization that Goldberg was going to end the 6 month Universal Championship reign of Kevin Owens. Now, say what you want about KO's title reign, was it underwhelming? Yes. But he was there every week, on every RAW, at most every house show and believe it or not, the fans do respect that. Regardless of how his title reign may be perceived Kevin Owens is held in high regard by most if not all the fanbase because he has been one of the main anchors of RAW since the brand split. But they don't care... and because of that we now have...
A man who has wrestled all of 108 seconds for your company in the last decade plus as the World Champion of your A show and he's defending it against a man who it's pretty clear stopped caring quite some time ago. That's worse than WrestleMania XX in my opinion. And if the last two weeks of WWE TV is any indication, we may be heading towards something similar to that in Orlando with the crowd.
There's so much more that can be said about this, the story, KO/Jericho, etc. but I'm gonna leave it there because I don't think I really need to explain, what I would be saying isn't secret and is probably a shared sentiment by many here, but yeah Fastlane... uhh yeah.
This PPV proved why Smackdown Live is the superior brand right now.
Samoa Joe vs Sami Zayn was a good match. Not the best both guys can do but it served its purpose to build Joe as a monster. Who does he go on to face at Wrestlemania though?
Gallow/Anderson vs Enzo/Cass was blah to me. I'm waiting for Cass to turn on Enzo since it seems like every time they lose, it's Enzo getting pinned. The foot on the ropes thing was a bad finish too. Makes me think it wasn't part of the actual finish.
Sasha Banks vs Nia Jax went about how I thought it would. Sasha needed a win if they want to do a four way at Wrestlemania. Having her get squashed again would make that seem impossible. Jax still looked strong in defeat and I can see her taking out all the women tonight.
The whole Jinder Mahal/Rusev thing was terrible. I'd have rather seen Rusev vs Cesaro and then a quick Big Show squash of Jinder Mahal after Rusev leaves him lying. They needed Show looking strong going into Wrestlemania for whatever match they have planned for him.
Neville vs Jack Gallagher was great. I like Gallagher because he has the charisma that most of this division lacks. Once Austin Aries is back him and Neville will dominate this division.
Reigns vs Strowman was better than expected. Reigns needed the win if he's really going on to face Taker at Wrestlemania. Only way a loss doesn't hurt would be if Taker showed up and cost him the match, but that would make Strowman look weak.
Bayley vs Charlotte was a good match with a bad ending. They have made Bayley look like a weak champion. Both wins against Charlotte were because of Sasha Banks. Unless they play off it tonight on Raw and have Sasha turn on Bayley, then what's the point?
Goldberg vs Owens. Terrible. Part Timer vs Part Timer at Wrestlemania for the Universal Championship? Really? Really? Why not have Lesnar come out while Owens was stalling to take out Goldberg. Have the match not really happen. It would have been a nice play 13 years in the making when Goldberg cost Lesnar the WWE Championship at No Way Out in 2004. Let it go the other way, except with Lesnar decimating Goldberg for a few minutes and the ref not allowing the match to start. Then you can have Jericho come out and attack Owens. This all just made Goldberg honestly look weak, like he needed Jericho to beat Owens. What happens after Wrestlemania now? We don't have Raws major championship on TV for months at a time? It was one thing when it was one championship for all the shows. Made the WWE World Heavyweight Championship that much more important. Besides, who on the Raw roster can honestly be seen as someone who can beat Lesnar? Roman Reigns?
I give the show a D. Would have been higher with a different finish for the main event which left a bad taste in my mouth. Again, this PPV showed why Smackdown is that much better of a brand.
Samoa Joe vs Sami Zayn was a good match. Not the best both guys can do but it served its purpose to build Joe as a monster. Who does he go on to face at Wrestlemania though?
Gallow/Anderson vs Enzo/Cass was blah to me. I'm waiting for Cass to turn on Enzo since it seems like every time they lose, it's Enzo getting pinned. The foot on the ropes thing was a bad finish too. Makes me think it wasn't part of the actual finish.
Sasha Banks vs Nia Jax went about how I thought it would. Sasha needed a win if they want to do a four way at Wrestlemania. Having her get squashed again would make that seem impossible. Jax still looked strong in defeat and I can see her taking out all the women tonight.
The whole Jinder Mahal/Rusev thing was terrible. I'd have rather seen Rusev vs Cesaro and then a quick Big Show squash of Jinder Mahal after Rusev leaves him lying. They needed Show looking strong going into Wrestlemania for whatever match they have planned for him.
Neville vs Jack Gallagher was great. I like Gallagher because he has the charisma that most of this division lacks. Once Austin Aries is back him and Neville will dominate this division.
Reigns vs Strowman was better than expected. Reigns needed the win if he's really going on to face Taker at Wrestlemania. Only way a loss doesn't hurt would be if Taker showed up and cost him the match, but that would make Strowman look weak.
Bayley vs Charlotte was a good match with a bad ending. They have made Bayley look like a weak champion. Both wins against Charlotte were because of Sasha Banks. Unless they play off it tonight on Raw and have Sasha turn on Bayley, then what's the point?
Goldberg vs Owens. Terrible. Part Timer vs Part Timer at Wrestlemania for the Universal Championship? Really? Really? Why not have Lesnar come out while Owens was stalling to take out Goldberg. Have the match not really happen. It would have been a nice play 13 years in the making when Goldberg cost Lesnar the WWE Championship at No Way Out in 2004. Let it go the other way, except with Lesnar decimating Goldberg for a few minutes and the ref not allowing the match to start. Then you can have Jericho come out and attack Owens. This all just made Goldberg honestly look weak, like he needed Jericho to beat Owens. What happens after Wrestlemania now? We don't have Raws major championship on TV for months at a time? It was one thing when it was one championship for all the shows. Made the WWE World Heavyweight Championship that much more important. Besides, who on the Raw roster can honestly be seen as someone who can beat Lesnar? Roman Reigns?
I give the show a D. Would have been higher with a different finish for the main event which left a bad taste in my mouth. Again, this PPV showed why Smackdown is that much better of a brand.
The Gribbler
Gribble me this, Gribble me that...
Okay... that was odd.
1. Why did Braun lose? Have the Undertaker appear, cost Roman the match, you have your build for Mania, Roman doesn't look weak, Braun maintains momentum and gets some heel heat. Seriously, I thought that was obvious.
2. Enzo and Cass not winning is cool, some heelish doings. They continue the feud and win at Mania.
3. Charlottes PPV streak is over, for some reason they thought Fastlane was the place to do it.
4. I actually understand the Owens decision, but this is when Brock Lesnar never appearing starts to impact on his feuds. he could have added something here and kept the strap on Owens, cause the DQ or something... Their feud doesn't need the Universal Title, I understand that two huge names fighting for the belt adds prestige, but Owens has looked as good this past month as he has ever looked. Shame really.
The booking for the past few months has been... baffling to me. Like they have had some really great build pre-Royal Rumble and put themselves in a position to put together a fantastic card. But for some reason they have made some odd decisions. Here are a few of them:
1. Bayley winning the Womans Title on RAW. You build up Charlotte as this big Heel champion, and Bayley as the ultimate underdog. Only to have Bayley win the title on RAW, and not Wrestlemania. You then proceed to hype Charlottes PPV streak, and have her lose it at Fastlane, and not Wrestlemania. You push both of those things and Bayley goes over at WM winning the big emotional title match, AND breaking Charlottes streak at the same time. Huge moment, Bayley is immediately legitimized.
2. Cena and Bella vs The Miz and Maryse. I like where they are starting to go with the build but come on, if the Undertaker was going to wrestle, give him Cena, that is a Marquee match. No one will convince me that this wasn't the best option for the top of the card.
3. Why Shane O'Mac is facing AJ, I have no idea. Literally makes zero sense, and is a waste of AJ. When will the McMahons realize we don't care that much about them.
4. It seems like Braun will have nothing to do. Build a heel for a whole year, do nothing with him on your biggest show. He had better crush the shit out of someone... Seriously.
On the plus sides.
1. Festival of Friendship was inspired.
2. The Goldberg Lesnar build has at least been intriguing.
3. Wyatt being front and center on Smackdown is awesome, even if I don't care all that much for Randy.
1. Why did Braun lose? Have the Undertaker appear, cost Roman the match, you have your build for Mania, Roman doesn't look weak, Braun maintains momentum and gets some heel heat. Seriously, I thought that was obvious.
2. Enzo and Cass not winning is cool, some heelish doings. They continue the feud and win at Mania.
3. Charlottes PPV streak is over, for some reason they thought Fastlane was the place to do it.
4. I actually understand the Owens decision, but this is when Brock Lesnar never appearing starts to impact on his feuds. he could have added something here and kept the strap on Owens, cause the DQ or something... Their feud doesn't need the Universal Title, I understand that two huge names fighting for the belt adds prestige, but Owens has looked as good this past month as he has ever looked. Shame really.
The booking for the past few months has been... baffling to me. Like they have had some really great build pre-Royal Rumble and put themselves in a position to put together a fantastic card. But for some reason they have made some odd decisions. Here are a few of them:
1. Bayley winning the Womans Title on RAW. You build up Charlotte as this big Heel champion, and Bayley as the ultimate underdog. Only to have Bayley win the title on RAW, and not Wrestlemania. You then proceed to hype Charlottes PPV streak, and have her lose it at Fastlane, and not Wrestlemania. You push both of those things and Bayley goes over at WM winning the big emotional title match, AND breaking Charlottes streak at the same time. Huge moment, Bayley is immediately legitimized.
2. Cena and Bella vs The Miz and Maryse. I like where they are starting to go with the build but come on, if the Undertaker was going to wrestle, give him Cena, that is a Marquee match. No one will convince me that this wasn't the best option for the top of the card.
3. Why Shane O'Mac is facing AJ, I have no idea. Literally makes zero sense, and is a waste of AJ. When will the McMahons realize we don't care that much about them.
4. It seems like Braun will have nothing to do. Build a heel for a whole year, do nothing with him on your biggest show. He had better crush the shit out of someone... Seriously.
On the plus sides.
1. Festival of Friendship was inspired.
2. The Goldberg Lesnar build has at least been intriguing.
3. Wyatt being front and center on Smackdown is awesome, even if I don't care all that much for Randy.
As soon as each of the 4 controversial matches happened my thought process was much like everyone else's. I was shocked and left wondering. After more thought though, I actually love what happened last night at fatsoane. I'll explain why in each of the matches.
Samoa Joe vs Sami Zayn: I must be the only one disappointed in this match. I thought the match could've been a classic but I was actually wondering when they were gonna step up during the match. It just felt like a Raw match. Crowd didn't seem too involved either, maybe that's why I am not a fan of this match.
The Club vs Enzo and Cass: I loved this match. One of my more favourite tag matches of the year. I thought it did a great job on making The Club look strong while also making Cass look good. Really like the match.
Nia Jax vs Sasha Banks: Boring match but I like the booking decision behind it. It's just a shame Banks botched the finis because I think everyone would understand a bit more of what is happening with Banks and Jax losing.
Fillers: Yeah it was trash. Keep it on Raw. No reason to not have New Day have a match here instead and then promote. I know they have no one to vs but they are the best team in the company and after Mania it will be 2 PPVs in a row they haven't wrestled on.
Braun Strowman van Roman Reigns: I actually loved the match and I thought I was going to hate it. As far as the booking decision, I love it. Roman Reigns is probably one of the top 5 wrestlers kayfabe in the WWE. Who could possibly stop Brain if Roman can't beat him. If it's some other dude you build up then who is gonna beat that guy etc etc. it's just a never ending cycle and eventually make someone look bad. This way it still shows Strowman isn't quite there (how scary will it be when he is) and doesn't create some unstoppable beast. Whoever beats Reigns clean now will be looked at as better because they not only get the rub of beating someone that beat Strowman but they also beat a top 5 guy.
Taker had no reason interfering. Obviously Reigns eliminated him but Taker interfering wouldn't have benefitted himself. Why not just do it on Raw or something. It would be lazy booking if they went down that root (how predictable). Now heading into Mania if you ask me Reigns is the favourite out of Taker vs Reigns. When has been the last time Taker wasn't favourite against someone. How intriguing. And what Roman did to Taker today was great and better than anything else that could've happened.
Charlotte vs Baykey: WWE backed themselves into a corner. Would I prefer Charlottes streak to still be intact? Of course but again, how predictable and lazy to go Charlotte winning. We can't have everything line up the way we want it to. How boring and predictable if we just knew what was happening at every PPV. I loved that it didn't go how I thought it would, it means I just gotta keep on my toes a bit more. It set up Sasha vs Bayley which were matches of the year last year so nothing bad was done. I don't wanna look at the calender and see that so n so's home town is coming up so they are gonna win or do something there.
Goldberg vs Kevin Owens: This is the only thing I don't agree with. The best feud going into Mania is Owens bs Jericho. Why not put that up there as the mai event. Goldberg and Lesnar going at it for the title is better than them to just going at it but kayfabe wise it doesn't make sense for Goldberg to go at Lesnar after killing him twice. Make it for the title so It's just as important for both guys. Makes the match a tiny bit more enjoyable ( at the expense of another match).
All in all I liked fastlane. It reassured me that I can't just guess what is going to happen at each PPV. Everything made sense in a way so I'm not complaining.
Samoa Joe vs Sami Zayn: I must be the only one disappointed in this match. I thought the match could've been a classic but I was actually wondering when they were gonna step up during the match. It just felt like a Raw match. Crowd didn't seem too involved either, maybe that's why I am not a fan of this match.
The Club vs Enzo and Cass: I loved this match. One of my more favourite tag matches of the year. I thought it did a great job on making The Club look strong while also making Cass look good. Really like the match.
Nia Jax vs Sasha Banks: Boring match but I like the booking decision behind it. It's just a shame Banks botched the finis because I think everyone would understand a bit more of what is happening with Banks and Jax losing.
Fillers: Yeah it was trash. Keep it on Raw. No reason to not have New Day have a match here instead and then promote. I know they have no one to vs but they are the best team in the company and after Mania it will be 2 PPVs in a row they haven't wrestled on.
Braun Strowman van Roman Reigns: I actually loved the match and I thought I was going to hate it. As far as the booking decision, I love it. Roman Reigns is probably one of the top 5 wrestlers kayfabe in the WWE. Who could possibly stop Brain if Roman can't beat him. If it's some other dude you build up then who is gonna beat that guy etc etc. it's just a never ending cycle and eventually make someone look bad. This way it still shows Strowman isn't quite there (how scary will it be when he is) and doesn't create some unstoppable beast. Whoever beats Reigns clean now will be looked at as better because they not only get the rub of beating someone that beat Strowman but they also beat a top 5 guy.
Taker had no reason interfering. Obviously Reigns eliminated him but Taker interfering wouldn't have benefitted himself. Why not just do it on Raw or something. It would be lazy booking if they went down that root (how predictable). Now heading into Mania if you ask me Reigns is the favourite out of Taker vs Reigns. When has been the last time Taker wasn't favourite against someone. How intriguing. And what Roman did to Taker today was great and better than anything else that could've happened.
Charlotte vs Baykey: WWE backed themselves into a corner. Would I prefer Charlottes streak to still be intact? Of course but again, how predictable and lazy to go Charlotte winning. We can't have everything line up the way we want it to. How boring and predictable if we just knew what was happening at every PPV. I loved that it didn't go how I thought it would, it means I just gotta keep on my toes a bit more. It set up Sasha vs Bayley which were matches of the year last year so nothing bad was done. I don't wanna look at the calender and see that so n so's home town is coming up so they are gonna win or do something there.
Goldberg vs Kevin Owens: This is the only thing I don't agree with. The best feud going into Mania is Owens bs Jericho. Why not put that up there as the mai event. Goldberg and Lesnar going at it for the title is better than them to just going at it but kayfabe wise it doesn't make sense for Goldberg to go at Lesnar after killing him twice. Make it for the title so It's just as important for both guys. Makes the match a tiny bit more enjoyable ( at the expense of another match).
All in all I liked fastlane. It reassured me that I can't just guess what is going to happen at each PPV. Everything made sense in a way so I'm not complaining.
Wrestlingaholic
Championship Contender
First off, from a technical standpoint, I have no complaints about Fastlane; indeed, I thought that the quality of the wrestling was better than Elimination Chamber, which I thought was a very weak PPV other than the Chamber match.
I also agree, for the most part, with the results of Fastlane (not the Universal Title match, obvs, but I'll get back to that shortly)
What I thought detracted from Fastlane more than anything though is several poor booking decisions, not in terms of match results but HOW matches were structured.
This was apparent in 3 matches in particular: Samoa Joe v Sami Zayn; Charlotte v Bayley; and Goldberg v Owens.
Samoa Joe v Sami Zayn was the opener that you would expect from these two, though it's relatively short length held it back from being a classic. Plenty of water in that well tbh, it's Joe's ppv debut in WWE. My main gripe is the booking portrayal of Zayn. Remember, this guy was NXT champion; he was awarded the honour of being Shinsuke Nakamura's opponent in Nakamura's NXT debut in what was probably 2016's match of the year; he 'won' his feud with Kevin Owens, officially, after a series of genuine classic ppv matches last year (not withstanding the fact he seems to get pinned by Owens every other week on Rawand always takes the fall at house shows since their feud supposedly ended). So WHY since the brand split has the on-screen portrayal of Zayn been that of a massive underdog? And why does he take 80% of the offence in a match? If they allowed him to look more competitive, he would genuinely be considered one of the best wrestlers in the world, even in defeat. Make him a tenacious fighter, not a super-glorified jobber. It just makes no sense. The only thing I can think of is that WWE are going for the ultra-slow burn (I've no doubt Zayn will be world champion one day) but this will ultimately stop fans from believing in him (though it may take a while)
Secondly, why the hell did they have Sasha Banks come out to involve herself in the women's championship match? Made no sense at all, Charlotte had done nothing particularly illegal during the match. The whole angle has been poorly booked tbh, from Stephanie inexplicably calling for Bayley to 'do the right thing' and drop the belt (never said that to Charlotte, hmm...) and that Sasha can't beat Charlotte (erm, she won the title from her on THREE occasions....). If this is the road they were going to go down, it would have made more sense for Stephanie to say those things AFTER Fastlane as it would be more logical given how events transpired. Again, WWE forgetting that staged wrestling events still need LOGIC for fans to fully embrace them.
And then we have the preposterous Universal Title match. Other than the huge disappointment of Heyman teasing Lesnar's appearance earlier to Charlie Caruso but Lesnar's not appearing, you have one of the most illogical examples of officiating EVER. Why would any referee call for the start of the match when not only one of the competitors is clearly distracted, but also Chris Jericho's music was still playing! What SHOULD have happened is that the referee calls for the bell when Owens tells him to, and THEN JERICHO's music hits.
Honestly, I think WWE in-ring is at its best in a long time, but little gaps in logic really do harm the product more than WWE seem to realise
I also agree, for the most part, with the results of Fastlane (not the Universal Title match, obvs, but I'll get back to that shortly)
What I thought detracted from Fastlane more than anything though is several poor booking decisions, not in terms of match results but HOW matches were structured.
This was apparent in 3 matches in particular: Samoa Joe v Sami Zayn; Charlotte v Bayley; and Goldberg v Owens.
Samoa Joe v Sami Zayn was the opener that you would expect from these two, though it's relatively short length held it back from being a classic. Plenty of water in that well tbh, it's Joe's ppv debut in WWE. My main gripe is the booking portrayal of Zayn. Remember, this guy was NXT champion; he was awarded the honour of being Shinsuke Nakamura's opponent in Nakamura's NXT debut in what was probably 2016's match of the year; he 'won' his feud with Kevin Owens, officially, after a series of genuine classic ppv matches last year (not withstanding the fact he seems to get pinned by Owens every other week on Rawand always takes the fall at house shows since their feud supposedly ended). So WHY since the brand split has the on-screen portrayal of Zayn been that of a massive underdog? And why does he take 80% of the offence in a match? If they allowed him to look more competitive, he would genuinely be considered one of the best wrestlers in the world, even in defeat. Make him a tenacious fighter, not a super-glorified jobber. It just makes no sense. The only thing I can think of is that WWE are going for the ultra-slow burn (I've no doubt Zayn will be world champion one day) but this will ultimately stop fans from believing in him (though it may take a while)
Secondly, why the hell did they have Sasha Banks come out to involve herself in the women's championship match? Made no sense at all, Charlotte had done nothing particularly illegal during the match. The whole angle has been poorly booked tbh, from Stephanie inexplicably calling for Bayley to 'do the right thing' and drop the belt (never said that to Charlotte, hmm...) and that Sasha can't beat Charlotte (erm, she won the title from her on THREE occasions....). If this is the road they were going to go down, it would have made more sense for Stephanie to say those things AFTER Fastlane as it would be more logical given how events transpired. Again, WWE forgetting that staged wrestling events still need LOGIC for fans to fully embrace them.
And then we have the preposterous Universal Title match. Other than the huge disappointment of Heyman teasing Lesnar's appearance earlier to Charlie Caruso but Lesnar's not appearing, you have one of the most illogical examples of officiating EVER. Why would any referee call for the start of the match when not only one of the competitors is clearly distracted, but also Chris Jericho's music was still playing! What SHOULD have happened is that the referee calls for the bell when Owens tells him to, and THEN JERICHO's music hits.
Honestly, I think WWE in-ring is at its best in a long time, but little gaps in logic really do harm the product more than WWE seem to realise
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