WWE Fastlane 2018

[KawadaSmile]

That main event was awesome to watch.

 

I wonder if having 6 guys doing a fun as fuck spotfest is easier in a 6 pack challenge setting instead of an Elimination Chamber in 2018 or it was just because of booking/timing/talent involved.

Pacing was different. While I liked the EC better (this match has the whole KO/Sami/Shane angle that I really have no time for), it was indeed a slower paced match as it usually is the case for that type of match. However, the talent there was better.

 

 

Can someone help me with the heel-face dynamics between Sami/KO/Shane? If Owens' version of a babyface is similar to Rollins' face run circa '16, I really don't want to see that and I think it would be even worse than his heel run.

[El Dragon]

 

That main event was awesome to watch.

 

I wonder if having 6 guys doing a fun as fuck spotfest is easier in a 6 pack challenge setting instead of an Elimination Chamber in 2018 or it was just because of booking/timing/talent involved.

Pacing was different. While I liked the EC better (this match has the whole KO/Sami/Shane angle that I really have no time for), it was indeed a slower paced match as it usually is the case for that type of match. However, the talent there was better.

 

 

Can someone help me with the heel-face dynamics between Sami/KO/Shane? If Owens' version of a babyface is similar to Rollins' face run circa '16, I really don't want to see that and I think it would be even worse than his heel run.

 

 

Basically, Owens and Zayn are fully heels, with them constantly being given opportunities they don't deserve to get the title matches. Tonight it felt like it changed. Owens nor Zayn pulled any bullshit, and Owens basically won the match on own right. It's.... interesting. Like I don't think this is going to be used to turn Zayn and Owens face, but they are clearly in the right in this angle. Shane screwed them both hard and good.

[SmartMark15]

The main event was well on its way to being a great multiman spot fest car crash but that Kami/Shane drama just dragged it to a halt. Drove my rating down to a 3.75.

[Jmare007]

Man you guys really hate the KO/Sami/Shane angle, I guess not watching SD helps

[KawadaSmile]

Man you guys really hate the KO/Sami/Shane angle, I guess not watching SD helps

It would help if they actually wrote that in a way that didn't hog the entire show....

[hammerva]

 

Man you guys really hate the KO/Sami/Shane angle, I guess not watching SD helps

It would help if they actually wrote that in a way that didn't hog the entire show....

 

For about 6 months.

[iamthedoctor]

I was hoping Cena would take the belt.

[Boss Rock]

Gotta play a bit of catch-up today but really enjoyed Nak-Rusev.

[gordi]

Nakamura vs Rusev, the Women's Title match, and the Main Event were all enjoyable. Not a bad show. Looking forward to Nakamuraya vs Styles and Flair vs Asuka.

[Sean Liska]

I loved that show. Big hot crowd. Not a bad match. A couple surprising angles to set up intriguing Mania matches. Great main event. This is a Mania season where it's all clicking, the opposite of two years ago.

[The Chief]

Show was decent.

 

Nakamura vs. Rusev was worked well but this was the worst possible match you could book.

 

Nakamura's not as over as you need him to be going into a world title match at WrestleMania. He needs to go over people the fans hate, somebody like a Corbin. You should not be booking him against a "heel" who's getting greater babyface reactions! It makes Nakamura appear less over. It "buries" Rusev more to that segment of the audience.

 

Outside of match quality, this was a lose-lose situation. Both guys came out of this worse but I'm not sure how either one of these guys could have overcome the circumstances.

[KawadaSmile]

I don't think they came out of the match looking worse than they did coming in.

 

The match was good, crowd was 100% into it as they love both guys, having duelling chants constantly throughout the match, and they weren't dissatisfied by the finish. It's a good enough reason to believe they aren't looking worse.

 

The problem, to me, is that on a larger scale that match had no reason to be. Nakamura, since winning the Rumble, has done basically nothing. Rusev, one of the most over acts in the world, has been given NOTHING, too. The only reason that match even existed is that they got reminded that those two existed in the last minute.

 

Nevertheless, it was a good match indeed and both are still over, so there's a silver lining.

[FMKK]

I thought it was good showcase for both men and was potentially the most over match of the show, at least until the main.

 

There really is no excuse for Rusev not to have been the top heel on Smackdown for the last year though.

[The Chief]

I thought it was good showcase for both men and was potentially the most over match of the show, at least until the main.

 

There really is no excuse for Rusev not to have been the top heel on Smackdown for the last year though.

 

Mania is tied up right now, but if they don't figure out what to do with him after the draft, then it's safe to say we've seen Rusev's ceiling. Which is crazy because when you think about, everything he touches becomes better.

 

Aiden English was one of a dozen guys who shows up on Smackdown once every six weeks. Now he's on TV every week and his segments are usually the best part of the show.

 

Jinder Mahal went from losing to Curt f'ing Hawkins on Main Event to World Champion. Who was he associated with in between?

 

Summer Rae's best work on the main roster was with Rusev.

 

Look at the difference between Lana with Rusev and Lana without Rusev.

 

And probably others I'm forgetting...

 

He's the Midas of WWE.

[KawadaSmile]

So he's like Roman, then?

 

But truth be told, I'd argue that English also elevated Rusev with this run. He's a very good hypeman, much like Lana was a top tier manager when they first came into the main roster.

[FMKK]

 

I thought it was good showcase for both men and was potentially the most over match of the show, at least until the main.

 

There really is no excuse for Rusev not to have been the top heel on Smackdown for the last year though.

 

Mania is tied up right now, but if they don't figure out what to do with him after the draft, then it's safe to say we've seen Rusev's ceiling. Which is crazy because when you think about, everything he touches becomes better.

 

Aiden English was one of a dozen guys who shows up on Smackdown once every six weeks. Now he's on TV every week and his segments are usually the best part of the show.

 

Jinder Mahal went from losing to Curt f'ing Hawkins on Main Event to World Champion. Who was he associated with in between?

 

Summer Rae's best work on the main roster was with Rusev.

 

Look at the difference between Lana with Rusev and Lana without Rusev.

 

And probably others I'm forgetting...

 

He's the Midas of WWE.

 

 

It's criminal that we haven't had a 15-20 minute Rusev vs AJ Style match, especially when both were saddled with lots of shit in 2017

[gordi]

Show was decent.

 

Nakamura vs. Rusev was worked well but this was the worst possible match you could book.

 

Nakamura's not as over as you need him to be going into a world title match at WrestleMania. He needs to go over people the fans hate, somebody like a Corbin. You should not be booking him against a "heel" who's getting greater babyface reactions! It makes Nakamura appear less over. It "buries" Rusev more to that segment of the audience.

 

Outside of match quality, this was a lose-lose situation. Both guys came out of this worse but I'm not sure how either one of these guys could have overcome the circumstances.

Worst thing is: They made him do a clean job ON RUSEV DAY. That's just cruel.

[El-P]

"WWE women's matches are overrated now because people overrate WWE women's matches because it's the new hip thing" of the night : Charlotte vs Ruby Riot.

 

Except it was the best match in the show, and the most compelling. Charlotte was also the best all-around performer of the night I thought. It's not like Ruby wasn't very good herself. A few sloppy spots here and there, but it was the case in every match too, so it's neither here nor there. The shenanigans with the women outside was well done and got more heat. The post-match was cool as hell, as Asuka slapping the shit out of Charlotte was way better than her pointing at the Mania sign, which would have been lame as fuck. Charlotte vs Asuka is gonna be the best match at Mania and haters gonna be haters yet again.

 

Hot opener match of the night : Shinsuke Nakamura vs Rusev

 

Seriously, why the fuck are Baron Corbin & Dolf Ziggler in the main event ? Where the fuck is Lana ? I gotta say Shinsuke still is coasting like a mofo, but considering the abuse he took after years of big matches in NJ, I won't blame him. Rusev was excellent here and actually the better worker of the two, but overall it was a very good, well worked opener. Deaf tone booking to put Nak, who's not over at the Mania Main Event level against a heel that is getting over big time as a babyface. You know, if 97 Steve Austin would work in the WWE today, he would probably be treated the same way Rusev is. Ponder this for a second or two.

 

Set-up tag team match of the night : New Day vs Usos

 

Underwhelming but understandably so considering it was all about the Bludgeon beatdown. Still a nice spotty sprint. You just can't get a bad match out of these guys, although I don't like Big E staying on the outside. The Bludgeon gimmick with the giant hammers is goofy as fuck. I want a Berzerker comeback so we can have giant hammer vs sword fights.

 

Surprisingly cool tag team match of the night : Carmella & Natalya vs Becky Lynch & Naomi

 

I enjoyed Carmella's heel work here. Sue me. She's so vulgar too. The whole bit in the corner grabbing Naomi's hair was quite fun. Can you believe out of the godforsaken no-talent team of Enzo & Big Cass, she's the only one left on PPV at this point ? I didn't pay attention to the rest. Becky was sporting a Bam Bam Bigelow outfit (as referenced by French announcer Christophe Agius, he's just the best) and her work was solid as hell. She was holding things together here.

 

Overproduced clusterfuck of the night : Cena vs AJ vs Owens vs Zayn vs Ziggler vs Kane.

 

I can understand people liking this match because there is a lot of spots and kick outs and save and what the fuck, but I don't care one bit. Especially when the result is obvious. Way too many overproduced bullshit with people selling forever outside a spot they would sell 20 seconds in a normal match too. AJ still rules. Cena still looks like the biggest star in the company. Where the fuck is Rusev ? Wonderful, more Shane-o-Mac at Mania. Whatever.

 

"Supernova dying" match of the night : Bobby Roode vs Randy Orton

 

Roode's entrance is such a case of way overproducing things. I'm watching this guy in TNA right now. He was always super solid in-ring, without much charisma and not much promo ability. Never found a real character either (he was an awkward mix of Rick Rude & Ted DiBiase). Now he's "Glorious", which I guess makes him a Paul Orndorff circa 1995 rip-off. Orton is 37 ? I hate to say this, but when they do close-up on his face, the guy looks OLD. I'm five years older and I look younger than him. I'm also way more fucking entertaining IRL. Hey, they are throwing Jinder into this mix ? Wow. Three way BLACK HOLE OF DOOM match at Mania.

 

Opener and women's title match were very good. The tag matches were fun enough. The rest can go fuck itself.

 

Mania in a month. It's gonna be a long, looooooong night.

[ZThomas]

I went back and watched the full show and thought every match was at least decent. Rusev is ridiculously over and even though he is a heel they don't fight his overness like they did when he was on Raw. I don't know the build to the Nakamura match but the match itself was great but I thing Nak should've faced a more definitive heel.

Orton vs Roode was Roodes best main roster match,he's better as a heel but it seems they are doing a 3 day.

 

That 6 pack was good too, I wasn't really bothered by Shane interference mainly because there was no way he wasn't expected to get involved, Zayn and Owen still did a good job working around his interference and really didn't look any less strong after, it's just the fact that they a regulated to working with Shane at WM but at least they won't be on a throw away Ladder match or Battle Royal.