For the third year in a row, the last pay-per-view before WWE WrestleMania, Fastlane, was a disappointing affair to get us to the biggest part of the year.
Before we begin, the first thing we need to dispel is the notion that criticism of the event is also a critique on the athleticism of the wrestler’s themselves. It’s not. By and large, almost all of the men and women in the WWE are fantastic athletes because that’s what it takes to reach to this level of competition in professional wrestling. You can disagree with a particular character’s direction or storyline and make a fair argument that small adjustments could help them improve, but almost no one is beyond repair. Except, of course, for Eva Marie. She’s beyond saving.
Fastlane is a relatively new pay-per-view event and has yet to establish itself as one of consequence and meaning. When it isn’t being boring, it’s being predictable. When it’s not being predictable, it’s confusing. Why did Charlotte’s streak end here? After weeks of physical domination, why was Strowman suddenly made to look weak against Roman Reigns? Why did Nia Jax lose to an injury-riddled Sasha Banks via the most delicate of roll ups? Why did Goldberg squash KO instead of having an actual match? These questions may not matter to casual fans, but they are the ones that keep me up at night because they don’t make sense for the last event before WrestleMania. This remains the biggest problem with Fastlane; it doesn’t achieve anything for the overall product. It is simply there.
The worst thing a professional wrestling match can be is predictable. As fans, we know the outcome is predetermined between the two competitors, but we aren’t in on the secret. The fun lies in the journey between bell chimes and sometimes the outcome doesn’t matter because the match is so thoroughly entertaining. Then of course, there’s Fastlane, which has provided approximately zero meaningful main event matches in its three year history. Let’s take a look at the top billing for the Fastlane shows thus far:
- Fastlane 2015: Roman Reigns defeated Daniel Bryan to earn a title shot at WrestleMania 31. Enraged fans began the hashtag #CancelWWENetwork on Twitter which quickly spread worldwide.
- Fastlane 2016: Roman Reigns defeated Dean Ambrose and Brock Lesnar to earn a title shot at WrestleMania 32. This show was received so poorly by fans that the hashtag #CancelWWENetwork once again began trending on social media.
- Fastlane 2017: Goldberg defeated Kevin Owens to win the Universal Championship and will face Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 33. The match ended exactly as we all knew it would, just as we all know Lesnar will win at WrestleMania 33. Count it.
The writing was on the wall in 2015 and 2016 for Roman Reigns to have his title shots at WrestleMania and many fans were (and still are) annoyed with the incessant Reigns push. The most egregious and confusing booking decision in 2017 was the end of the Universal Championship match. Based on the clock, fans knew this was going to be quick. It was after 11 pm EST before Owens started his dance in and out of the ring so we knew the match wasn’t long for this world. Thanks to an appearance by Chris Jericho, it took 22 seconds for Goldberg to defeat Kevin Owens. It took him only slightly longer to defeat Brock Lesnar a few months earlier. Two of the biggest stars in the company got squashed by a returning part-timer. Let that sink in for a moment.
Fastlane seems to treat it’s wrestlers with the utmost disrespect for seemingly no reason at all and the entire show comes off as a glorified episode of RAW. Kevin Owens has been one of the best things about WWE over the last several months and his title reign ends not with a bang but with a whimper. The pushes Braun Strowman and Nia Jax had received over the last few months were ended abruptly just before the biggest show of the year, effectively killing their momentum. Sasha Banks comes down to assist Bayley despite having no reason to do so, thus making Bayley the unintentional heel and Charlotte the sympathetic victim.
Related Story: WWE Fastlane 2017: 4 Missed Opportunities
Hopes are still high for WrestleMania 33 but several questions still remain. If Reigns and Undertaker is still on the card, when will the Dead Man get around the announcing his Royal Rumble revenge plans? The 49 year old Goldberg has been booked as literally unstoppable since his return, so how will WWE make his match against Lesnar compelling? Someone knows the secret and they certainly aren’t telling us.