WWE Fastlane 2019: Final Grades for Every Match
WWE Fastlane 2019 has come and gone, and it proved to be a night with some really spectacular matches and some equally confusing moments. Now that we know what’s happened, let’s take a look and see how each match and segment should be graded.
WWE Fastlane 2019 turned out to be a really great event. Some of the matches were off the charts with chaotic fast-paced action, and things all lead to a perfect ending with The Shield standing tall. That being said, WWE’s path to the end of WWE Fastlane was not one without struggles. Not everything delivered as intended, and some things just didn’t live up to their potential.
Kickoff Match: The New Day (Big E & Xavier Woods) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura & Rusev
The night got started with a single match on the Kickoff Show that pitted two-thirds of The New Day against Shinsuke Nakamura and Rusev. It was a relatively thrown together contest, but turned out to be a pretty solid match that served the purpose of getting the crowd excited for WWE Fastlane.
Before the match, Kofi Kingston’s presence was requested at the office of The McMahon Family regarding the WWE Championship match, leaving Big E and Xavier Woods to represent the group by themselves. Of course, that wasn’t an issue for the two veterans as they put up a great fight and finished off Nakamura and Rusev with Up Up, Down Down to pick up a victory.
Grade: B+, This match wasn’t exceptional, but it did it’s job exactly as intended and was still fun to watch.
SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match: The Usos (c) vs. The Miz & Shane McMahon
This continuance of the odd couple that was The Miz and Shane McMahon seemed destined for implosion, but that didn’t keep them from having a really special match at WWE Fastlane. The Usos were as on point in the ring as they always are, but The Miz was in rare form as a full-fledged babyface in front of his hometown Cleveland crowd in the Quicken Loans Arena.
Mr. Miz, The Miz’s father, was at ringside cheering him on and added an extra little ingredient to a really fun match. Shane McMahon played his role as needed, while The Miz found himself more and more energized by the crowd. We even got an unforgettable moment as Shane McMahon dropkicked Jey Uso out of mid-air with a Coast to Coast.
The Miz fought his way back to his feet and went off the top rope at the urging of Mr. Miz, only to land on the knees of Jey Uso and be rolled up to lose the match. The Usos retreated with the title and The Miz went to mourn the loss at ringside with his father, only for Shane McMahon to suddenly turn and viciously attack The Miz. Shane even went so far as to threaten Mr. Miz at ringside, laying the foundation for what will likely be a WrestleMania 35 clash between Shane McMahon and The Miz.
Grade: A, There really wasn’t anything wrong with this. The Usos put on a great match against Shane McMahon and The Miz. It told a great story, and the turn for Shane McMahon afterwards was executed exactly as it needed to be. Well done all around.