WWE Fastlane 2018: Ranking The Matches From Worst To First

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4. Singles Match: Shinsuke Nakamura vs Rusev

You know, for a match that everyone basically knew what the outcome would be already, this still turned out to be one solid tilt. And why would anyone be surprised? Nakamura, a former New Japan Pro Wrestling legend and former NXT champ taking on one of the most underrated workers in the WWE in Rusev, had potential to be good. However, with Nakamura penciled in for a world title opportunity at Wrestlemania 34 due to his 2018 Royal Rumble victory, the result was never really in doubt. Would the company be so bold as to hang a televised loss on “The King of Strong Style” less than a month before the biggest match of his WWE career? Not a chance.

So with an imminent loss written all over things, Rusev could’ve just gone through the motions. But that’s not what happened here. Over the course of almost 15 minutes, “The Bulgarian Brute” took the fight to Nakamura and there were moments that the impossible seemed like it may happen as a couple of falls were extremely close. The duo had tremendous chemistry and put on an expertly paced match that kicked off Fastlane perfectly.

And it was nice to see Nakamura shine. Known as one of the best pro wrestlers on the planet for well over a decade, his main roster run had been somewhat underwhelming to this point. Multiple word title losses to Jinder Mahal can have that effect on a person. But with a Rumble win and now a clear path to Wrestlemania and AJ Styles in sight, the lofty expectations for “The Rockstar” may be finally realized.

This was a productive match for both guys. Not only was it a good match, Nakamura starts building some much needed momentum. And for Rusev it once again proved why he deserves a much higher spot on the card. Maybe this performance will compel the company to push him again. Perhaps a run at Nakamura if he becomes champion could be in the cards. That could be a lot of fun.