WWE Fastlane 2018: Full Review and Reactions PART 1
Who does this Benefit?
The two thousand and eighteen Fastlane pay per view kick-started with a very interesting yet borderline pointless contest between the one man with his ticker to Wrestlemania secured and one of the most over superstars in all of the WWE right now. Both Shinsuke Nakamura and Rusev bring something fantastically strong and entertaining to the table and a collision between the two has always promised great potential. As I tweeted out last night, I'm delighted to see Rusev given the opportunity to showcase exactly what he can do in the ring and given the spotlight, he truly deserves, however, was a singles match on the last pay per view before Wrestlemania against the Royal Rumble winner the best booking decision? I don't believe so. He was far better off being added to the main event where he was far more likely to shine and the opportunity to kick start something new was there. During the match last night a good story was told. Rusev was the man with nothing to lose. If he could injure Nakamura or even get the victory over him it may have made huge changes to the WWE championship match at Mania however, it was evident Rusev was not going to take home the victory. Sure he did come across very dominant at times throughout this match and the bout was a solid start to the night but I don't believe this was the right booking decision for either talent.Nakamura did score the victory adding to his momentum on the road to Wrestlemania but in the weeks to come it is vital the WWE focus more on Shinsuke and building him and his story before we reach the biggest and most important match of the former NXT champions career at the grandest stage of them all. The opening match was a solid contest where both men looked extremely good not to mention the crowd really showed just how over both men are. Rusev was the powerhouse who took control but it was the skill, will, and sheer in-ring excellence that Shinsuke Posses that allowed him to walk out the victory.
Save it for Mania
The story surrounding the United States Championship match was one I was able to really invest in. Randy Orton, regardless of personal opinion, is hands down one of the best of this generation and a for sure future WWE Hall of Famer. Chasing after the US Title on the road to Wrestlemania focusing on creating history, cementing his legacy and taking home the one title he is yet to do so is a very basic storyline that I could really get behind. Sometimes, these far more basic storyline's are much more effective and entertaining and this is most certainly the case here. There's potential for the story to grow on the road to Mania in the coming weeks and on that front I have no complaints. Now, the match itself was decent. This was the first time Roode and Orton had gone one on one and as someone who grew up watching both men, it was a special little match.Very similar in both size and in-ring style this wasn't a match where you were expecting flippy shit and high-risk maneuvers left, right and center. This was a slightly lower paced, storytelling match between two very experienced and skilled performers. Very early on we saw that experience come into play for both men with veteran tricks allowing them both to avoid an early end. Because this was the first time these two had gone one on one a great deal of those early stages were spent seeing both men get a feel of one another, one-upping and being very careful, working on a game plan. Now, the crowd did fall flat. They were nowhere near as invested or entertained as they were during the opening and I did find myself losing interest and falling to that low energy but that match decent. I did feel like the type of match we would have seen ten years ago and is very different to the extremely athletic modern style we have gotten used but I enjoyed it greatly. The closing moments, however, I didn't like. The RKO was beautiful! Yes! However, Orton getting the win? That's what bad booking looks like. This was the title that eluded him but winning at Fastlane didn't have the effect it should have. It's a moment that should have been saved for Mania and personally, I didn't like the decision at all.
Smackdown LIVE Tag Team Divison is the place to be
The match I was honestly most looking forward to was, of course, the tag team championship match. As I mentioned in my prediction post this was the one that the best story, the most potential, and was the likely match of the night. The story focused on both teams looking to secure their position on the grandest stage of them all. Its the spotlight both teams want and deserve but I like the idea of the spot being only big enough for one of these teams. The match was extremely important for the Usos and but as a New Day fan, I found it extremely difficult to pick a side. These are two of the best tag teams in the WWE right now and it's been like that for a couple of years now. This was just another match set to prove that point.
The match had fans divided. Half were teams Usos while the other team New Day but what no one could deny was the simple fact that these are two of the best tag teams on the scene today and they were going to prove it yet it again. Very similar to their previous encounters we saw a lot of back and forth action and close calls however the match was kept very short when Harper and Rowan made a surprise appearance attacking everyone in sight. I honestly had mixed opinions on this. I did originally like the idea of only either the Usos or the New Day going on to compete for the titles at Mania, however, the attack last night was done so well and I do feel as though long term, this is the best booking decision. A triple threat match between these teams at Mania is a potential show stealer but it's important Harper and Rowan are booked extremely well on the grandest stage of them all. The story to be told here is excellent and this could so easily go down as the best tag teamwork we have from the WWE this year but like I said, it's important they are given the time and attention.
I honestly felt as though the Fastlane pay per view was ten times better than I expected. Not the best show in the world but I was very entertained and as I touched on earlier, we were left with plenty to be excited about heading into the final stages of the build to Mania. Now, later in the week, I will have my part two and possibly part three of my review of Fastlane so keep an eye out for that! For now, any recent blog posts will be linked below and you can tell me what you thought of the PPV by leaving a comment below or by tweeting me over at @TezangiVictoria.
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