WWE Fastlane 2018: Full Review and Reactions PART 2
Much needed Momentum
I'll be honest, the women's tag team match was the moment I kinda zoned out. I had very little interest in the contest and struggled to see the importance and relevance. At such an important time on the road to Mania, I just felt as though four women arguing over who had the most friends made for weak viewing. I wasn't expecting anything big here or special and so I wasn't surprised with the weak crowd reaction and the standard of the match. I liked how aggressive Carmella was in this match and seeing how over Becky Lynch was, however, the story was beyond weak and the match didn't stand out in the slightest. Carmell and Natalya did take home the victory after a messy ending but I did feel as though the right booking decision was made. Carmella needed that victory more than anyone in this match and the momentum she picked up was very important.Things just got Interesting
Women 's division next and this was interesting too. Ruby Riott is a very talented WWE Superstar. She traveled the world and has a good few years of experience. A different image and a different style in the ring she stands out and is sure to do well in the future. Facing Charlotte on pay per view for the Smackdown LIVE Women's championship was a big deal and while she wasn't destined to walk out as champion it was important she at least made an impact and proved herself once and for all in the ring. She hasn't made the biggest impact as of yet and this was her chance. Now, Charlotte was walking into this looking to make it three out of three defeating Riott but what we needed more than anything last night was an insight as to what the Queen will be facing at Mania.
The match itself was a lot slower paced than I was expecting it to be and Charlotte did take control more than I expected at the start of the match also. Ruby looked to waste no time and end things quickly but the Champion was on her A game and dominated. The crowd was pretty silent throughout the match which was a shame but I also felt as though it was a difficult match to gain an interest in. The Riott Squad soon made an appearance putting the numbers against the Queen for a brief moment until Becky and Naomi came down to the ring to even things out. I was expecting to see more high flying spots and athletic spots than we got simply because of the styles of both these women and how well they can complement each other in the ring. The match was a decent length and by far Ruby's best performance to date, however, after all women from ringside were sent to the back Riott soon fell to the Queen and Charlotte picked up the victory. The match did get stronger the longer it went on and I found that once the paced increased I was far more interested and entertained. Of course, the moment we were all talking about came after the match where Asuka made her Smackdown LIVE debut making the huge announcement that she will be facing the Queen for her title at Wrestlemania in April and damn did I mark out. The perfect decision, perfect booking, perfect timing and the crowd reaction said it all!
The Main Event
And then, of course, we have the main event. With the numbers stacked against AJ Styles, this was sure to be one to watch as the phenomenal one put his WWE championship on the line against John Cena, Baron Corbin, Dolph Ziggler, Kevin Owens, and Sami Zayn in a six pack challenge. Now, I felt very passionate about this match. There is not a single contest I want to see more at Wrestlemania than AJ Styles vs Shinsuke Nakamura and regardless of who was in this six-pack challenge match that was not changing. Now, there was a lot going on in this match and it made it difficult to be as emotionally invested as I would have liked to have been. What I did like was how alert Styles had to be. He was the man we all had our eyes on and wanted to see handled like glass. I do believe that every single superstar had their standout moments from Cena taking everyone out in the opening minute to Corbin dominating, to the story between Zayn and Owens and Shane McMahon. There was a lot going on and a lot to be entertained by. A part of me did feel as though an elimination style may have worked better at times for this match and to add more intensity but having to be so alert was a brilliant part of this match and I was left fully entertained from start to finish. I was left on the edge of my seat throughout and by the end, we were left with plenty to talk about heading into the final build to Wrestlemania.The match thank god ended in AJ Styles picking up the win and retaining his WWE Championship. The match itself was fantastic. Like I said, I was very entertained from start to finish, we had plenty of storylines and everyone stood out. There were no weak links here and in the end the right booking decision was made. Heading into this weeks episode of Smackdown LIVE we have a lot to be excited about. From working on building Asuka vs Charlotte as well the Shane McMahon, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn,m and every other mini-feud and storyline we touched on in part one.
And that is part two of my two thousand and eighteen Fastlane Review! On Friday I will be taking a look at the five standout stars of the event 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.
Recent Blog posts:
WWE Fastlane 2018 Predictions
Last Month in NXT (February)
5 Steps in Saving the Cruiserweight Division
WWE Fastlane 2018: Full Review and Reactions PART 1
This weeks RAW and Smackdown LIVE Highlights
Last Week in Wrestling
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