Despite a rocky start by WWE Fastlane, which hampered the show more than a sprint, the back of the show delivered two high-quality matches with several men set to anchor the WrestleMania 37 event in April. The most important event between the universal champion Roman Reigns and the challenger Daniel Bryan with Edge as the special enforcer at the ring.
Edge has already secured a challenge for the universal title at WrestleMania after winning the Royal Rumble. While his problems with Reigns were already established, Edge increased tensions with Bryan during recent issues of SmackDown. This resulted in a shocking finish to the main event that is likely to change the entire complexion of one of the pre-fights on the biggest weekend of the year for professional wrestling.
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2021 WWE Fastlane results, grades
US Championship Riddle (c) to Mustafa Ali: The retaliation was obviously an important role in supporting Ali for the match. After a quick start for Riddle, Ali tipped a keeper with a kick around the neck and placed the champion in defense. Ali continued to work over the neck and shoulder area of Riddle, but Ali adjusted his own knee in a flurry of offense. Riddle explodes with a huge chain of moves, including a powerbomb and a Final Flash knee attack, but Ali again resisted Riddle’s attempt to fly, raising his knees to stop a Floating Bro . After a series of counters by both men, a Koji Clutch almost won the match for Ali. Riddle managed to escape before finally hitting Bro Derek off the second rope to retain his title.
One of the better Kickoff games in recent memory with a well thought out game that displayed the best of both men. After the game, Ali rushed to Retribution again, but Reckoning ran away, followed by Slapjack. T-Bar and Mace then laid out Ali with a double-span choke bomb. Riddle def. Mustafa Ali via the fall to retain the title. Grade: B
Women’s Tag Team Championship – Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler (c) vs. Bianca Belair and Sasha Banks: The champions struggled to get on the same page and argued with Jax early on, even if Baszler had an early advantage. Jax and Baszler started turning as soon as it became clear that Banks and Belair were willing to work together as a team. Belair beat Baszler 450, but Reginald jumped on the apron to give distraction. Banks locked Baszler moments later in the Bank statement and Belair jumped into the ring to prevent Jax from breaking the hold, but Jax threw Belair backwards on Banks. Banks and Belair argued and allowed Baszler to draft Banks for the pen to retain the titles. Banks and Belair continued to quarrel after the game over who was to blame for the loss before Banks delivered a slap and stormed off. There’s just nothing good about the build up WWE is doing to a money game between Belair and Banks at WrestleMania. None of the women have had the slightest shine for weeks, and so far they do not look particularly smart or strong. Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler defeat Bianca Belair and Sasha Banks via pinfall to retain the titles. Grade: C
Intercontinental Championship – Big E (c) against Apollo Crews: The match began with an immediate fight before Big E slammed his spear through the ropes to the floor. E continued to dominate Crews, hitting several splashes on the ring short before throwing the challenger with supplex around the ring until Crews was finally low with a fall to the champion’s knee. E’s aggression led to more openings for Crews before ending confusingly with a few twists in the finger before E lowered Crews’ shoulders to reach the pin and retain the title. The team cracked after the game and defeated Big E with several deliveries of its variation of the Olympic Slam before standing above the champion. This game needed more time and a better finish – or at least a better camera angle – to realize its potential. Large E def. Apollo Crews via pinfall to retain the title. Grade: C
Braun Strowman vs. Elias: It was supposed to be Strowman versus Shane McMahon, but McMahon injured a knee before the show, leading to Elias as a replacement. Strowman was able to repel the involvement of Jaxson Ryker repeatedly outside the ring. Eventually, Ryker was able to give enough distraction to enable Elias to hit a chopping block and drop an elbow from the top rope. Moments later, Strowman was able to kick out and hit the running power slam for the win. It was a throwaway match that could only drag out the problems between Strowman and McMahon, and there is nothing good about it. Defeat Braun Strowman. Elias via val. Grade: C-
Seth Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura: Rollins was across Nakamura from the jump and takes the fight inside and outside the ring to him. Rollins started teasing Nakamura and focusing his attention on the 22 times Cesaro swung him at SmackDown weeks ago. Rollins tried to make a swing of his own, but Nakamura tilted against an armbar. That moment, Nakamura got into the game again, and he and Rollins began trading offensive flurry. Nakamura was ready to end things with a Kinshasa, but Rollins tilted with an elbow in the back of the neck, followed by a kick to the same spot. This left Nakamura inclined, and he ate the stairs for the end. This match was not as good as it could have been, but was quite good, especially given the poor series of matches that had come before. Seth Rollins defeats Shinsuke Nakamura via pen fall. Grade: B-
Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus (No Holds Barred match): It took little time after the fighting started before the action spilled outside the ring and a variety of weapons to get out from under the ring. A stack of kendo sticks was under the looting and Sheamus quickly used it to indicate the front and back of McIntyre’s torso. McIntyre returned the favor and took things a step further to the extreme by driving the tip of the stick into Sheamus’ eye. As the cruelty continued, the battle began to move through the ThunderDome, leaving the ring area and going with the LED screens in the stands before McIntyre threw Sheamus through a set of screens. McIntyre tried to give Sheamus back to the ring where he could score the pin, but Sheamus hit him with a Brogue Kick across the bar and hit White Noise through the announcement table. McIntyre was able to come back with a Future Shock DDT and a Claymore to claim the victory. It was the first really good match of the main program. McIntyre and Sheamus rely on each other to put on cruel matches that never really feel dangerous, except for the story they tell, and it has really made everything they have done in recent months really click. Defeat Drew McIntyre. Sheamus via penval. Grade: A-
Randy Orton vs. Alexa Bliss: Before the game, Orton threw up the black throw again. Orton tried to attack as soon as the game started, but Bliss moved out of the way and dropped him shoulder-first in the ring post. Lights fell off the rig and almost hit Orton while Bliss laughed. Bliss teased Orton to get back in the ring and fired a fireball at him after he did so. A burnt hand comes out of a hole in the ring and grabs Orton’s ankle before The Fiend comes through the canvas. Bliss pushed Orton forward in The Fiend so he could beat Sister Abigail for Bliss to cover for the three counts. The game, like the whole corner of Orton vs. Fiend, will largely amount to personal taste. But The Fiend’s return was solid enough to overcome a bit of a blow in that Bliss and Orton did not make actual contact and violated WWE’s position on intergenerational wrestling. Defeat Alexa Bliss. Randy Orton via election. Grade: B
Universal Championship – Roman Reigns (c) teen Daniel Bryan: Bryan was almost playful early on and tried to show Reigns that he could not keep up with the challenger on a hold-for-hold basis. He proved the point right in the early stages and got into Reigns’ head with the removal and holding on before throwing jabs at the body and boneheads while hitting out of the way. Reigns tried to take the head off, but was caught in a submission and eventually had to decide to throw a headbutt to take over the offense. Reigns’ power eventually enabled him to take over the game while Edge was around the ring. After a long pack of punches, Bryan was finally able to fire his offense again after a series of kicks, but Reigns tipped an attempt at a rana from the top rope into a Boston crab.
Bryan was able to fire back, with a foul outside the ring and then a knee to Reigns’ arm, trying to soften him for a Yes Lock. Reigns lost control and started attacking Bryan in the corner while ignoring the referee, but Bryan continued to shoot back, hitting a rana and then a few kicks to the head for an almost fall. Bryan then landed a series of bumps in the face before rolling into a Yes Lock and re-attaching the hold after Reigns almost escaped. Reigns manages to break Bryan’s grip and land a spate of blows, leading to Bryan accidentally pulling out the referee with a running knee. Reigns hits a spear and Edge slips into the ring to make the score, but Bryan kicks out at two. While Reigns was arguing with Edge and trying to attack Bryan, Bryan locked a triangle barrier before switching to a Yes Lock and landing the cross-surface attack. Jey Uso ran in and delivered a super kick to Edge and another to Bryan before grabbing a steel chair from the ring, only to be hit with a Bryan running knee. Bryan went to hit Reigns with the chair, but Reigns moved, causing Bryan to hit Edge before being hit with a Superman pack hit. Bryan chopped a spear back into the Yes Lock. Reigns started typing, but Edge hit Bryan with a chair and then did the same with Reigns before rushing off. A new referee came to the ring when Reigns crawled to cover Bryan for the win.
It was outstanding stuff from both men. Daniel Bryan has a legitimate claim that he is the greatest professional wrestler in history, precisely because of such matches – making small and big changes that change a match completely, while remaining true to his established character. It’s clear he’ll be taking part in the WrestleMania game with Edge and Reigns, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Defeat Roman Reigns. Daniel Bryan via pinfall to retain the title. Grade: A