WWE Fastlane 2018: Results, Highlights, Analysis, and Grades

Follow along with our live review of WWE Fastlane 2018.

After what seems like ages, the last major stop on the Road to WrestleMania is finally here. WWE Fastlane 2018 emanates from Columbus, Ohio. The SmackDown brand has six matches scheduled as of press time, with all four of the brand’s championships on the line.

In the main event, the match that wouldn’t stop growing will determine the WWE Champion. Current champ AJ Styles faces not one, not two, not three, not four, but five other superstars in a six pack challenge. Those going after the title? Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Dolph Ziggler, Baron Corbin, and John Cena. With a chance to enter WrestleMania as WWE Champion on the line, this match should prove to be intense.

Charlotte Flair is also set to defend the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Ruby Riott. For weeks – months, really, Riott and the Riott Squad have been a thorn in the side of the entire women’s division on Tuesday nights. But now, it boils down to a one on one match – Riott gets her title shot. Will Flair reign supreme as Queen once again?

Bobby Roode puts the United States Championship on the line against Randy Orton. The Viper has yet to claim the US Title in his illustrious WWE career. Can he top the Glorious Bobby Roode to complete the set of championships?

The Usos and New Day will continue their rivalry at Fastlane. Despite chumming it up for a bit, the two top tag teams on the SmackDown roster will battle it out. The Usos look to retain the SmackDown Tag Team Championships and get on the WrestleMania card for the first time. The New Day want to again establish their dominance in the tag team division. What will happen at Fastlane?

In non-title action, Royal Rumble winner Shinsuke Nakamura faces Rusev, and Becky Lynch and Naomi team up to face Natalya and Carmella.

Related Story: WWE Fastlane 2018: Predictions

Be sure to join us right here for our live WWE Fastlane 2018 review, starting at 8 p.m. ET.

Photo Source: WWE.com

Tyler Breeze, Fandango, & Tye Dillinger vs. Chad Gable, Shelton Benjamin, & Mojo Rawley

Result: Tyler Breeze, Fandango, & Tye Dillinger defeated Chad Gable, Shelton Benjamin, & Mojo Rawley via pinfall

Rating: 1.75 out of 5 stars

Earlier in the day, Mojo Rawley and his buddies (I guess) Chad Gable & Shelton Benjamin had some choice words for Breezango and Tye Dillinger. This, after Dillinger had been named a Junior Deputy Detective. The nerve! Dillinger issued a challenge, and no one wants to turn down a pay day, so here we are.

It could have been worse, I guess. Fandango did his best Dog-Faced Gremlin impression at the beginning of the match. Dango channeled Rick Steiner with the amateur wrestling headgear before Gable and Breeze attempted a collegiate-style lock-up. If you’re going to do a comedy match, you couldn’t pick a better duo in today’s WWE than Fandango and Breeze.

I appreciated the production team flipping the script on the “going to commercial” trope. The Fashion Police and Dillinger sent their opponents all to the outside, prompting Tom Phillips to tell us “the Kickoff Show is rolling on as Breezango and Dillinger are in command!” But, whoops, in came Gable to turn the tide with an awesome monkey flip, sending Phillips scrambling to cover. I don’t know if it was intentional, but regardless, it’s nice to see things change up from a formulaic standpoint.

The match was kind of a mess, but that’s to be expected when these guys hardly ever have televised matches anymore. Ring rust is apparently very real. Unless I missed a tag somewhere, Dillinger pinned Mojo while Benjamin was the legal man.

It was nice to see these guys get some attention for once, but the match was ultimately forgettable. Babyfaces win, and it’s time for the main show so we can forget this even happened (until someone points out Mojo wasn’t the legal man).

Photo Source: WWE.com

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Rusev (w/ Aiden English)

Result: Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Rusev via pinfall

Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars

Because so many of the matches on the Fastlane card are the type that could have been booked by simming Universe Mode in WWE 2K18 for a year, the Royal Rumble winner and WrestleMania main eventer Shinsuke Nakamura opens the show. Okay, then.

On the flip side, the vocal stylings of Aiden English are enough to get any party started. Especially if it’s a Rusev Day party – now with Happy Rusev Day mic art! Expanding his repertoire into the realm of hip hopera, English gets the crowd hype, which is all you can really ask for when the match itself (on paper) is a giant waste of time.

I really really really hope WWE took notice of the duelling chants for Nakamura/Rusev Day. Everyone and their mother knows Nakamura is insanely popular – he has been since day one, and even after his pretty terrible debut on SmackDown he’s always been a fan favorite. But to hear Rusev getting almost the same reaction as your WrestleMania main event challenger is wonderful for fans of the Bulgarian Brute.

Of course, because Rusev is the bad guy he’s got to try and minimize the reaction – thus the cowardly rolling out of the ring until he could take control his way. It’s the mark of a true professional – his job is to get people to hate him, not cheer him. To a certain extent, you can’t control the reaction from the crowd. But Rusev did his darnedest to stifle the pro-Bulgaria stuff.

Rusev did a great job of selling in this one, too. Nakamura’s heel hook needs to be as powerful as Styles’s Calf Crusher to make their presumed Mania bout seem more even – Rusev selling the damage from even a short time in the hold bolsters its legitimacy.

This one was a slow burn in the beginning, but it kicked it up a notch in the later stages. Rusev’s superkick counter to the Kinshasa was one of the most devastating superkicks I’ve seen in a long time. Yeesh. Of course, Nakamura is headed to the main event of WrestleMania, so there was no way he’d lose this match – a pair of Kinshasas sealed the deal.

Photo Source: WWE.com

United States Championship Match

Bobby Roode (c) vs. Randy Orton

Result: Randy Orton defeated Bobby Roode via pinfall to become the new United States Champion

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

I liked this match more than I thought I would. So there’s that. But you know who I think really liked this match? Vince McMahon. Because this match was the epitome of “WWE sports entertaining” as opposed to actual professional wrestling.

Normally, I’d say that’s a bad thing. I mean, this is still a wrestling show, right? But it works here. In the year 2152, if someone heads to the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum, this match would be the definitive representation of the WWE style. It would be sandwiched between Omega and Okada for NJPW, and Steamboat/Flair for JCP. While the quality of this one doesn’t necessarily touch those, it’s the most representative of what each company is/was known for.

This was two guys with similar styles that are different enough to allow for some variety. With the exception of Roode’s Blockbuster (and ring entrance), there isn’t a whole lot of flash to either guy. They’re dressed mostly the same, they even have mostly the same hairstyle – neither one stands out.

I wasn’t a fan of the narrative of the “veteran” Randy Orton using his “experience advantage” over a guy who’s wrestled for 20 years and is actually three years older. Yeah, Roode’s only been a WWE superstar for a year or so, but it’s a dumb way to call a match. Let’s be honest with ourselves – there are other companies outside of WWE.

And of course, the whole match was built around the finish – we needed 15 minutes to get to a Blockbuster reversed into the RKO from outta nowehre for the win. So Orton gets the victory, and is the latest WWE Grand Slam Champion. Whoopity doo!

After the match, Jinder Mahal comes down to the ring to attack Orton, because that makes sense. Roode recovers enough to fight off Jinder – but then hits Orton with a Glorious DDT because reasons. A triple threat match at WrestleMania seems likely.

Photo Source: WWE.com

Naomi & Becky Lynch vs. Carmella & Natalya

Result: Carmella & Natalya defeated Naomi & Becky Lynch via pinfall

Rating: 2.25 out of 5 stars

Before the SmackDown-exclusive pay per view Fastlane could continue, a five minute video recapping the past few weeks of Raw got the spotlight. We get it, Ronda Rousey is a big get, and she’s eventually going to be a big part of the women’s division. But there’s still a brand split, if I’m not mistaken – shouldn’t we be focusing on the Blue Team tonight? Is there a Brock Lesnar/Paul Heyman/Roman Reigns video package on the set list tonight?

When the match got going, Naomi learned the hard way that big French braids may look adorable and cute, but they probably aren’t the best idea for a wrestling match. It looked like she smacked her head into the braid on Natalya’s powerbomb. You ever fall onto a piece of thick rope – like if you fell doing a tug of war? It’s not very comfortable.

The teamwork between both teams was a bit surprising, since there hasn’t been a whole lot of chances for them to team together before tonight. But Carmella and Nattie worked exceptionally well together. And the mid-move tag from Naomi to Becky was also something I wouldn’t expect to say.

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/973004843408244738

Sadly, that was the highlight of the match. Things were very sloppy at times, Becky – perhaps the best of the participants – spent the majority of the match on the apron. Timing seemed off, especially in the finishing sequence with Natalya attempting to bring the briefcase into the match. Becky’s sell of Carmella’s match-winning superkick was so good, though.

Photo Source: WWE.com

SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match

The Usos (c) vs. The New Day (Xavier Woods & Kofi Kingston, w/ Big E)

Result: No contest due to interference by the Bludgeon Brothers

Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars

When two superstars or two tag teams have faced each other over and over, the challenge is to find a way to keep things fresh. Sometimes it’s a new stipulation in a match. Sometimes a swap of who’s the heel and who’s the face. And if you’ve done all of that before, apparently it’s time to just do all of your opponent’s moves. Literally, all of them.

With The Usos and New Day, they’ve already competed in the stipulation match – Hell in a Cell. Both teams have been babyface, both teams have been heel. So after a nasty superkick to Woods that could have ended the match, the Usos just imitated all of New Day’s schtick.

First it was unicorn stomps in the corner – even to the tune of “New… Day Rocks!” Then there was a Boom Drop, an attempted Trouble in Paradise, and even the Midnight Hour.

But New Day got in on the fun, too. Kofi mocked the “Us… oooooo” chant before doing the running butt attack a la Rikishi. Woods went on a superkick rampage. And Kofi even hit the Uso Splash.

But nothing ended up mattering, because this wasn’t actually a pay per view. Turns out, this was just a regular episode of SmackDown being aired on a special night. After the Usos hit stereo dives to the outside, the Bludgeon Brothers came out and destroyed everyone.

And I’m not exaggerating anything. Harper and Rowan laid waste to both Usos and all three members of New Day. As impressive as the carnage was, this was a fantastic match that ultimately was pointless. That’s the most frustrating thing about watching WWE – too many matches end up being a waste of time. How many matches are twenty minutes of fire, but end in a double countout? Or a phenomenal singles match ends with interference.

Why couldn’t Harper and Rowan do their thing after the match. No one would think less of New Day if they lost to one of the best teams in all of WWE. Even a title change wouldn’t have been the worst thing – you could still get The Usos on WrestleMania by invoking their rematch clause.

But the “Road to WrestleMania” in this day and age is code for “we have too many superstars on the roster, so we need to find convoluted ways to get everyone on the card somehow.” Earlier tonight, a triple threat match for the US Title was all but made official. Now, we need a way to get both The Usos and New Day on the show – a no contest in their “rivalry renewed” match seems to accomplish that. Triple threat tag match at Mania? Perhaps.

Don’t get me wrong, it would be a great match. But the way we’re getting there is ridiculous. A great match was sacrificed for a “bigger” one at a later date. And if the booking was better, that would be unnecessary.

Photo Source: WWE.com

SmackDown Women’s Championship Match

Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Ruby Riott

Result: Charlotte Flair defeated Ruby Riott via submission

Rating: 3.25 out of 5 stars

Guys, I swear I was just kidding before when I said that a Roman Reigns video was on the agenda for tonight. But there it was, anyway – glad to see the brand war is alive and well.

Interestingly, Riott came out for the match alone – no Riott Squad. Both champion and challenger went for their home runs early. But neither the Riott Kick nor the Figure Four connected in the opening moments, and the match rolled on.

The Riott Squad didn’t stay absent for long – Charlotte ended up outside the ring, and Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan appeared from the crowd. That opened the door for Riott to take charge, and she went to work on the champ. A Riott Kick connected, but Flair kicked out at two.

Riott caught referee Mike Chioda’s attention with an eye issue – as he checked on it Morgan and Logan seemed poised to attack Flair. But out came Naomi and Becky Lynch to even the odds and keep the Squad at bay. But Riott still had the advantage from the first distraction, hitting a stage dive senton for a two count.

The match was never bad, but it really picked up right before everyone was ejected from ringside – and continued to be amazing after that fact. The constant attention paid to the happenings outside the ring took away from the great stuff happening inside it, though. Riott looked like a million bucks in this one – loved the top rope “Heidi-can-rana” that almost led to a victory.

But Charlotte retaining is absolutely the right call. Especially because after her victory, Asuka (finally) made her way out to the ring to officially challenge Charlotte to a match at WrestleMania. I am all in for that – put that in the main event, forget the rest of the matches on the card.

Photo Source: WWE.com

WWE Championship Six Pack Challenge

AJ Styles (c) vs. John Cena vs. Baron Corbin vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn

Result: AJ Styles pinned Kevin Owens to retain the WWE Championship

Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars

Lots of big stories heading into this one. First, John Cena’s quest for history. There’s the possible tension between Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. And AJ Styles has the odds stacked against him – but a well-wisher in Shinsuke Nakamura.

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To top it all off, Shane McMahon was at ringside for the match. Gee, I wonder what he’s out there for.

Somewhat surprisingly, Cena went bonkers at the opening bell. He delivered an AA to all of his opponents – except the champ, who evaded. Once everyone came to their senses, it didn’t take long for them to gangpile on Cena.

But Styles was definitely the star of the early going. No one looked better in the first five minutes or so than the champion. He was smooth as silk, and demonstrated exactly why he’s one of the best in the world.

You know what, though? Everyone eventually got their chance to shine in this one. It was like a jam session at an open mic night – everyone knew the basic outline, but when it was time for their moment it was completely self-indulgent and over the top.

Reverse an AA into a Famouser? Sure, Dolph, go ahead! Frog splash from out of nowhere? Do it, Kevin!

Baron Corbin showed more in this match than he has in the past two years combined. His thirty seconds of destroying everything in his path inside the ring was amazing. But what he and Ziggler did in the crowd was even crazier.

In fact, the only issue I had with this match was that it was just a series of singles matches peppered with guys laying down outside the ring. It’s the same with everything in WWE that’s a triple threat or larger – more guys in the ring should mean more chaos, but it never really turns out that way.

In the midst of all the not-chaos chaos, it came down to Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. It always does, because they’re destined to do this forever. Somehow, Shane McMahon ended up in the middle of them, and the commissioner ate a totally inadvertent superkick from Owens.

Then, because the SmackDown Commissioner is a giant baby, he broke up a legit KO pin attempt by pulling the referee out of the ring. He did the same after Zayn hit a Helluva Kick, because Shane is the dirt worst.

Despite the Shane antics, this was the best match of the night. Cena lifting the ring steps like they weigh a billion pounds will never not be funny. Styles took a rough AA through a table, but recovered enough to hit the Phenomenal Forearm on Owens for the victory in a great closing sequence. And we’re finally officially headed for WrestleMania!

Next: 25 Greatest WrestleMania Moments

Overall, no real surprises on the card. Asuka’s appearance was a welcome addition, but everything else was what was expected. The match quality was all over the place – some sloppiness in a few, but the main event was tremendous. What are your thoughts on WWE Fastlane 2018?