SPOILERS AHEAD: IF YOU DON'T WANT TO HAVE THE RESULTS RUINED, DON'T READ ON!
If you've never seen The CC Network's video reviews of WWE events before, then my review system will be new to you. Matches are given star ratings in accordance with an average, accumulated score of 5 rating factors: Psychology (in-ring story), Move Variety, Crowd Reaction, Match Length and Pacing, as well as my overall enjoyment as a result of those factors.
A REVIEW VIDEO WILL NOT BE RELEASED DUE TO ONGOING WORK COMMITMENTS.
Now time to get into the show. As I don't review the Pre-Show Match as part of the whole televised package, here's the result of that match:
Kalisto (c) def Alberto Del Rio by two falls to one, in a 2 Out Of Three Falls Match to retain the WWE United States Championship (14:58)
Kalisto (c) def Alberto Del Rio by two falls to one, in a 2 Out Of Three Falls Match to retain the WWE United States Championship (14:58)
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SASHA BANKS & BECKY LYNCH def NAOMI & TAMINA (9:46)
PSYCHOLOGY: 1.5
MOVE VARIETY: 1
CROWD REACTION: 2
MATCH LENGTH AND PACING: 1.5
MY ENJOYMENT: 1.5
CORRECT PREDICTION?: YES
FINAL RATING: *
Well, here's something that you rarely see, a women's match opening a PPV. It shows how much confidence WWE has in its female competitors that it would give them the task of livening up the crowd. While that same crowd were into Banks & Lynch, which drove the match forward, it was all that gave the match life, in a bout that failed to impress.
For a match that opens the card, it has to excite, keep a steady but quick pace and have enough action to substantiate itself. This match despite the performers involved was far from that in its entire near 10 minute run time. While Banks & Lynch didn't show that much cohesion as a team unlike their opponents, squabbling about who will start the match, they still came out looking more powerful despite of their opponents being on the offensive for most of the bout. Taming & Naomi dominating proceedings did allow for Becky to do a beautiful job selling her beating as the face in peril, but it slowed the match down, which neutered the crowd after a very quick start. Very little move variety came through despite difference in styles from all performers being on show, with a Cutter over the top turnbuckle by Naomi being the sole standout.
This match had the performers to be decent, yet for an opener it didn't live up to its expectations. It could have easily gone on the pre-show, and did little to convince me that it deserved to be here. For an opening match, this was a pretty sorry excuse for one. While it did have enough to make me not out and out hate it, it still started this event on quite a bad note indeed.
Well, here's something that you rarely see, a women's match opening a PPV. It shows how much confidence WWE has in its female competitors that it would give them the task of livening up the crowd. While that same crowd were into Banks & Lynch, which drove the match forward, it was all that gave the match life, in a bout that failed to impress.
For a match that opens the card, it has to excite, keep a steady but quick pace and have enough action to substantiate itself. This match despite the performers involved was far from that in its entire near 10 minute run time. While Banks & Lynch didn't show that much cohesion as a team unlike their opponents, squabbling about who will start the match, they still came out looking more powerful despite of their opponents being on the offensive for most of the bout. Taming & Naomi dominating proceedings did allow for Becky to do a beautiful job selling her beating as the face in peril, but it slowed the match down, which neutered the crowd after a very quick start. Very little move variety came through despite difference in styles from all performers being on show, with a Cutter over the top turnbuckle by Naomi being the sole standout.
This match had the performers to be decent, yet for an opener it didn't live up to its expectations. It could have easily gone on the pre-show, and did little to convince me that it deserved to be here. For an opening match, this was a pretty sorry excuse for one. While it did have enough to make me not out and out hate it, it still started this event on quite a bad note indeed.
KEVIN OWENS (c) def DOLPH ZIGGLER TO RETAIN THE WWE INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP (15:14)
PSYCHOLOGY: 2.5
MOVE VARIETY: 1
CROWD REACTION: 2.5
MATCH LENGTH AND PACING: 3
MY ENJOYMENT: 2.5
CORRECT PREDICTION?: YES
FINAL RATING: **1/2
When you've seen a match between two competitors many times, it takes a lot to ensure it doesn't get stale. In the case of Kevin Owens and Dolph Ziggler, their matches have been of decent quality, but they just needed that something extra on PPV to ensure it doesn't get added to a stagnant pile that has been getting bigger since December. This 'rubber match' gave a solid showing for both men, that ultimately lived up to but didn't manage to surpass their previous encounters.
Owen's aggressive psychology and methodical pace is what has defined his style in WWE since he arrived, however it hindered as much as it helped this match. The sheer amount of mat offence by Owens slowed the match down so when Ziggler got VERY quick offence, it looked completely unrealistic. While the crowd were into it, those pacing issues meant the crowd lost interest whenever it was grounded for longer than a minute, meaning a match that should have felt larger, was made to look quite small despite a good rally at the end. The match had a decent amount of momentum shifts, with Owens retaining control allowing suspension of disbelief that Ziggler could fight back to come in briefly and with the match lasting well longer than expected but not feeling like it was overdone. While I will give credit to Ziggler for selling the punishment to a degree, he no sold his chest which had been frequently targeted. Once again Owens' simple heel psychology that you rarely see in WWE, with him berating the referee and shouting out to Cole, as well as targeting Ziggler's neck and head was a nice touch. It may be repetitive from match to match with Owens, but at least its effective in helping a match get some merit.
Despite the two men involved, this felt like a run of the mill match to get Owens back into gear as Intercontinental Champion, while allowing Ziggler another chance to prove his popularity with the crowd. While these were both done, it was at the expense of creativity, with only a body scissors choke hold by Owens coming out of the move pool to really make me sit up. The match did its job and made Owens look strong going into his WrestleMania feud. While I can be happy with that, I just can help but feel this match had potential that was wasted. It could've been a lot better than this, for sure.
When you've seen a match between two competitors many times, it takes a lot to ensure it doesn't get stale. In the case of Kevin Owens and Dolph Ziggler, their matches have been of decent quality, but they just needed that something extra on PPV to ensure it doesn't get added to a stagnant pile that has been getting bigger since December. This 'rubber match' gave a solid showing for both men, that ultimately lived up to but didn't manage to surpass their previous encounters.
Owen's aggressive psychology and methodical pace is what has defined his style in WWE since he arrived, however it hindered as much as it helped this match. The sheer amount of mat offence by Owens slowed the match down so when Ziggler got VERY quick offence, it looked completely unrealistic. While the crowd were into it, those pacing issues meant the crowd lost interest whenever it was grounded for longer than a minute, meaning a match that should have felt larger, was made to look quite small despite a good rally at the end. The match had a decent amount of momentum shifts, with Owens retaining control allowing suspension of disbelief that Ziggler could fight back to come in briefly and with the match lasting well longer than expected but not feeling like it was overdone. While I will give credit to Ziggler for selling the punishment to a degree, he no sold his chest which had been frequently targeted. Once again Owens' simple heel psychology that you rarely see in WWE, with him berating the referee and shouting out to Cole, as well as targeting Ziggler's neck and head was a nice touch. It may be repetitive from match to match with Owens, but at least its effective in helping a match get some merit.
Despite the two men involved, this felt like a run of the mill match to get Owens back into gear as Intercontinental Champion, while allowing Ziggler another chance to prove his popularity with the crowd. While these were both done, it was at the expense of creativity, with only a body scissors choke hold by Owens coming out of the move pool to really make me sit up. The match did its job and made Owens look strong going into his WrestleMania feud. While I can be happy with that, I just can help but feel this match had potential that was wasted. It could've been a lot better than this, for sure.
RYBACK, KANE & BIG SHOW def THE WYATT FAMILY IN A 6-MAN TAG TEAM MATCH (10:36)
PSYCHOLOGY: 1
MOVE VARIETY: 1
CROWD REACTION: 1.5
MATCH LENGTH AND PACING: 3
MY ENJOYMENT: 2
CORRECT PREDICTION?: NO
FINAL RATING: *1/4
I am hoping that 6-Man tag team matches don't become a regular occurrence at this event, because after two of them, with four of the same participants, WWE really needs to find a better way to utilise its talent on these events. If the idea of repetition wasn't apparent enough, Big Show & Kane are once again on the winning team. Looks like that feeling of deja vu I had predicting the match yesterday really has come to some semblance of truth.
When looking in comparison to last years encounter, I come bearing good news, this one was better. While it had less psychology, it at least showed more cohesion with The Wyatt Family systematically tagging frequently in order to regain control. The crowd were more into this than their 2015 predecessor, in shock of Strowman's decimation of Kane as well as Big Show and Ryback's late rally to victory, which got a muted response once the three count hit. Most importantly, the match was fast. Which is surprising when you consider the participants involved. Ryback was mostly responsible for this, moving at a much quicker pace than I've ever seen from him. This added a lot of life to the match as a whole, which Rowan and Harper also helped with. The match didn't outstay its welcome, with a lot of momentum shifts and frequent tags keeping it interesting, and lasting just enough time to where it didn't become laboured and tiresome. Overall, the competitors did all they could to make this match of behemoths seem like an even contest, which it didn't look like in the build-up.
However even with that unexpected level of pace making this match quite fun to watch, getting the crowd into it slightly, it still showed that the match was lacking on all other fronts. While the athleticism of the performers was re-enforced, it's all the match seemed to do, as in my humble opinion the wrong team won, therefore making all the good the match had seem worthless in the broader scheme of things. I understand WWE want their old warhorses and their valiant young steed in Ryback to look strong going towards WrestleMania, but why do it at the expense of a team that needed to establish their dominance going forward? While I'm sure The Wyatt Family will get their revenge on RAW, it is crazy to think they couldn't put these three away. Not being able to suspend my disbelief cost this match, but all in all, it did enough to keep me satisfied, unlike one year ago.
I am hoping that 6-Man tag team matches don't become a regular occurrence at this event, because after two of them, with four of the same participants, WWE really needs to find a better way to utilise its talent on these events. If the idea of repetition wasn't apparent enough, Big Show & Kane are once again on the winning team. Looks like that feeling of deja vu I had predicting the match yesterday really has come to some semblance of truth.
When looking in comparison to last years encounter, I come bearing good news, this one was better. While it had less psychology, it at least showed more cohesion with The Wyatt Family systematically tagging frequently in order to regain control. The crowd were more into this than their 2015 predecessor, in shock of Strowman's decimation of Kane as well as Big Show and Ryback's late rally to victory, which got a muted response once the three count hit. Most importantly, the match was fast. Which is surprising when you consider the participants involved. Ryback was mostly responsible for this, moving at a much quicker pace than I've ever seen from him. This added a lot of life to the match as a whole, which Rowan and Harper also helped with. The match didn't outstay its welcome, with a lot of momentum shifts and frequent tags keeping it interesting, and lasting just enough time to where it didn't become laboured and tiresome. Overall, the competitors did all they could to make this match of behemoths seem like an even contest, which it didn't look like in the build-up.
However even with that unexpected level of pace making this match quite fun to watch, getting the crowd into it slightly, it still showed that the match was lacking on all other fronts. While the athleticism of the performers was re-enforced, it's all the match seemed to do, as in my humble opinion the wrong team won, therefore making all the good the match had seem worthless in the broader scheme of things. I understand WWE want their old warhorses and their valiant young steed in Ryback to look strong going towards WrestleMania, but why do it at the expense of a team that needed to establish their dominance going forward? While I'm sure The Wyatt Family will get their revenge on RAW, it is crazy to think they couldn't put these three away. Not being able to suspend my disbelief cost this match, but all in all, it did enough to keep me satisfied, unlike one year ago.
CHARLOTTE (c) def BRIE BELLA TO RETAIN THE WWE DIVAS CHAMPIONSHIP (12:27)
PSYCHOLOGY: 2.5
MOVE VARIETY: 1
CROWD REACTION: 2
MATCH LENGTH AND PACING: 2
MY ENJOYMENT: 2
CORRECT PREDICTION?: NO
FINAL RATING: **
Going into this match, there was a sense that Charlotte's reign would end, and a brief wave of crowd optimism would go across this event, with the sight of Brie Bella fulfilling the build-up's main target, by winning the Divas Championship for her husband and sister. Fast forward 12 minutes, and a solid match ends in the most anticlimactic fashion, making you wonder why WWE didn't pull the trigger. Almost a full # hours later, I understand why, but that doesn't mean I'm necessarily pleased with it.
While this match was all surrounded by Daniel Bryan, Brie had this match to show herself of, which she did by controlling the early going and giving Charlotte a bit of a beating, with the crowd in full support with her, however once Charlotte gained control, it looked increasingly unlikely that Brie would be able to do it. She showed that she could handle Charlotte's taunting by mocking her Dad and beating Charlotte hard enough where she bled from the nose and arm, while showing she could take the hard hitting punishment that the champion was dishing out. She showed some great aerial offence and proved to be a worthy challenger on the night, especially when she transitioned a Figure 8 into a Single Leg Boston following Charlotte's own counter out of a YES Lock.
All came through for Brie, but in her defeat, WWE wanted to show that she could hang with the best and prove that the companies' time investing in the twin tandem wasn't the waste that many proclaimed. She was strong, but not strong enough to beat the champion that beat her sister twice, makes sense, but given the background, Brie getting the win would've been better than her tapping out. While the story came through well, the rest of the match struggled, with sloppy pin attempts and a very slow pace that once again coupled with Charlotte's submission based offence to simultaneously kill the crowd too, who had really gotten into it. Brie selling the leg and Charlotte working it to end the match was nice, but it should have been an element that was there from the start to really add to the drama of a match that had more substance BEFORE the match... which says something.
While I'm happy that both Bella's had good matches with Charlotte, this match did show that you need much more than a simply executed story and a decent crowd to make it work. Charlotte's matches with Nikki late last year are prime examples of that. Why this match couldn't have lived up to them may be an example of the different but genetically identical competitor, but we won't know. This match did enough, but could have been better. I feel with Charlotte's PPV matches, we're getting very similar results and each time. Hopefully for WrestleMania, this can change, because they're starting to become tiresome.
Going into this match, there was a sense that Charlotte's reign would end, and a brief wave of crowd optimism would go across this event, with the sight of Brie Bella fulfilling the build-up's main target, by winning the Divas Championship for her husband and sister. Fast forward 12 minutes, and a solid match ends in the most anticlimactic fashion, making you wonder why WWE didn't pull the trigger. Almost a full # hours later, I understand why, but that doesn't mean I'm necessarily pleased with it.
While this match was all surrounded by Daniel Bryan, Brie had this match to show herself of, which she did by controlling the early going and giving Charlotte a bit of a beating, with the crowd in full support with her, however once Charlotte gained control, it looked increasingly unlikely that Brie would be able to do it. She showed that she could handle Charlotte's taunting by mocking her Dad and beating Charlotte hard enough where she bled from the nose and arm, while showing she could take the hard hitting punishment that the champion was dishing out. She showed some great aerial offence and proved to be a worthy challenger on the night, especially when she transitioned a Figure 8 into a Single Leg Boston following Charlotte's own counter out of a YES Lock.
All came through for Brie, but in her defeat, WWE wanted to show that she could hang with the best and prove that the companies' time investing in the twin tandem wasn't the waste that many proclaimed. She was strong, but not strong enough to beat the champion that beat her sister twice, makes sense, but given the background, Brie getting the win would've been better than her tapping out. While the story came through well, the rest of the match struggled, with sloppy pin attempts and a very slow pace that once again coupled with Charlotte's submission based offence to simultaneously kill the crowd too, who had really gotten into it. Brie selling the leg and Charlotte working it to end the match was nice, but it should have been an element that was there from the start to really add to the drama of a match that had more substance BEFORE the match... which says something.
While I'm happy that both Bella's had good matches with Charlotte, this match did show that you need much more than a simply executed story and a decent crowd to make it work. Charlotte's matches with Nikki late last year are prime examples of that. Why this match couldn't have lived up to them may be an example of the different but genetically identical competitor, but we won't know. This match did enough, but could have been better. I feel with Charlotte's PPV matches, we're getting very similar results and each time. Hopefully for WrestleMania, this can change, because they're starting to become tiresome.
AJ STYLES def CHRIS JERICHO (16:25)
PSYCHOLOGY: 3
MOVE VARIETY: 2.5
CROWD REACTION: 4
MATCH LENGTH AND PACING: 4
MY ENJOYMENT: 4
CORRECT PREDICTION?: YES
FINAL RATING: ***3/4
After the two matches that Styles and Jericho had, I was enjoying them but not fully convinced of their quality. The RAW match was slow, a little sloppy and didn't show Styles off in the best light on his first weekly show. The Smackdown effort was faster but focused more on Jericho's desire to win, which overshadowed it, making it look like they were holding back move wise for the inevitable third. So, along comes the third, and low and behold both men almost knocked a home run while perfecting what the other two bouts failed on.
The crowd were hot for it, having become convinced of Styles ability and placement since arriving, duelling chants throughout the match, into almost everything. Why was this the case? The match was kept relatively simple, but kept a high intensity, fluid and fast pace for almost the entire match. Momentum shifted cleanly as both men countered multiple moves and pin falls, showing they'd learnt from their previous encounters. As the match went on, through its 16 and a half minute run time, Jericho got mor frustrated and disrespected Styles, making him look smaller and Styles bigger in retrospect, which was a small yet smart move. Speaking of smart moves, this match finally broke the monotony of move variety by throwing in a few unique counters, especially the Tiger Bomb into a Frankensteiner into a Styles Clash, along with Styles springboard reverse DDT to really add to a match that seemingly couldn't do no wrong. Even with that, it wasn't all it cracked up to be though.
While both men had a begrudging but needed handshake after a thrilling back and forth match, it sums up my opinion of the match as a whole. It was one that was very good, but it almost looked like both knew they could have done a little better. Alas, they could have by adding some body psychology and an outside spot to really bring it up to four star territory. That doesn't mean I'm not impressed with everything else because of what little wasn't executed though, as it got the pace balanced, had just enough simple psychology to tell a good story, had the crowd invested, had me on the edge of my seat despite how predictable the outcome was, and felt perfect for its run time despite one or two slow moments. It was a match that delivered on all we knew these two could do and was a great launchpad for Styles going into WrestleMania. Where either man ends up is still a mystery, but I would love to see who they face knowing that both men are near and over forty respectively and can still pull of good matches like that.
After the two matches that Styles and Jericho had, I was enjoying them but not fully convinced of their quality. The RAW match was slow, a little sloppy and didn't show Styles off in the best light on his first weekly show. The Smackdown effort was faster but focused more on Jericho's desire to win, which overshadowed it, making it look like they were holding back move wise for the inevitable third. So, along comes the third, and low and behold both men almost knocked a home run while perfecting what the other two bouts failed on.
The crowd were hot for it, having become convinced of Styles ability and placement since arriving, duelling chants throughout the match, into almost everything. Why was this the case? The match was kept relatively simple, but kept a high intensity, fluid and fast pace for almost the entire match. Momentum shifted cleanly as both men countered multiple moves and pin falls, showing they'd learnt from their previous encounters. As the match went on, through its 16 and a half minute run time, Jericho got mor frustrated and disrespected Styles, making him look smaller and Styles bigger in retrospect, which was a small yet smart move. Speaking of smart moves, this match finally broke the monotony of move variety by throwing in a few unique counters, especially the Tiger Bomb into a Frankensteiner into a Styles Clash, along with Styles springboard reverse DDT to really add to a match that seemingly couldn't do no wrong. Even with that, it wasn't all it cracked up to be though.
While both men had a begrudging but needed handshake after a thrilling back and forth match, it sums up my opinion of the match as a whole. It was one that was very good, but it almost looked like both knew they could have done a little better. Alas, they could have by adding some body psychology and an outside spot to really bring it up to four star territory. That doesn't mean I'm not impressed with everything else because of what little wasn't executed though, as it got the pace balanced, had just enough simple psychology to tell a good story, had the crowd invested, had me on the edge of my seat despite how predictable the outcome was, and felt perfect for its run time despite one or two slow moments. It was a match that delivered on all we knew these two could do and was a great launchpad for Styles going into WrestleMania. Where either man ends up is still a mystery, but I would love to see who they face knowing that both men are near and over forty respectively and can still pull of good matches like that.
CURTIS AXEL def R-TRUTH (2:09)
PSYCHOLOGY: 1.5
MOVE VARIETY: 1
CROWD REACTION: 1
MATCH LENGTH AND PACING: 1
MY ENJOYMENT: 1
CORRECT PREDICTION?: NO
FINAL RATING: ZERO
Really? We don't have a mid-card title match on the main show, yet a throwaway match between the WWE's Worst Team and a man going through an identity crisis with Goldust makes the card? Wow... I can't believe WWE sometimes.
This match didn't last very long, thankfully, but what happened was of little substance, not really worth talking about. Sure, I will give credit to the smallest bit of psychology in Goldust accidentally costing R-Truth the victory making this match have SOMETHING good to talk about, but it could have all panned out on RAW tonight rather than on a show that needed the bigger title match to give the card some weight. Sometimes the lesser feuds don't need to be showcased on PPV, this match is a poster child for that.
Really? We don't have a mid-card title match on the main show, yet a throwaway match between the WWE's Worst Team and a man going through an identity crisis with Goldust makes the card? Wow... I can't believe WWE sometimes.
This match didn't last very long, thankfully, but what happened was of little substance, not really worth talking about. Sure, I will give credit to the smallest bit of psychology in Goldust accidentally costing R-Truth the victory making this match have SOMETHING good to talk about, but it could have all panned out on RAW tonight rather than on a show that needed the bigger title match to give the card some weight. Sometimes the lesser feuds don't need to be showcased on PPV, this match is a poster child for that.
ROMAN REIGNS def BROCK LESNAR & DEAN AMBROSE IN A TRIPLE THREAT MATCH TO BECOME #1 CONTENDER FOR THE WWE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (16:49)
PSYCHOLOGY: 3.5
MOVE VARIETY: 2
CROWD REACTION: 4
MATCH LENGTH AND PACING: 3.5
MY ENJOYMENT: 4
CORRECT PREDICTION?: YES
FINAL RATING: ***1/2
WWE did it. They actually did it. Once again, they went ahead with their plans, doing it without a smidgen of intrigue or excitement to finish the match off, making the whole wrestling world riot again. Am I in the same group? No. However, I do realise the problem the company has in trying to prevent the main event of WrestleMania now falling to similar problems this match had, especially in the lacklustre finish that killed the whole vibe the match built up. That being said, the match up until that point was pretty good, to say the least.
The reason for this matches quality stack up firstly from the psychology, with both Reigns and Ambrose saving each other from Lesnar's destructive onslaughts, but remembering that they promised to not hold anything back once The Beast Incarnate was out of the picture, via double power bombs through TWO announce tables, big spots indeed. As a result he friends hit each with all they had, including their finishers, weapons and the like. Even Lesnar managed to get in on the 'family feud', by not only suplexing Ambrose and Reigns to kingdom come (including two beautiful overhead belly to bellys) but also hitting a German on Reigns as he hits a Samoan Drop on Ambrose. It all comes together combined with a quick and balanced pace with fluid momentum shifts as an aggressive, intense and chaotic bout that never died down, especially with the many near falls, which mean the crowd had reason to stay invested. They were cheering Lesnar as well as their fellow Ohioan in Ambrose, especially when he had the gaul to slap The Beast in the face to incur his anger. Reigns on the other hand was booed, heavily, which did impact on the feel of the match but not enough to become distracting.
While all sounds good, it's not all there. I've already acknowledged he ending was anticlimactic against the run of play, and after the Cutting Edge Peep Show took twenty minutes, to see this big match do under that and finish with 15 minutes left on the event was criminal. If given more time for the weapons and body psychology to evolve into the match, it could have really finished by hitting the ground running, instead of whimpering out at a moment where it should have delivered on more drama. Some blood and interference from The Wyatt Family were things that many believed would come out of this match to really give this some extra meat, looking at the time left and the matches' ending, those elements were sorely missed in taking this bout to the next level.
What more can I say? These three did their best to deliver an intense match, but in the end, complacency and a desire for a certain result neutered this match from achieving what it rightfully should have.
FINAL THOUGHTS
ROYAL RUMBLE: 6/10
FASTLANE: 4.25/10
WWE did it. They actually did it. Once again, they went ahead with their plans, doing it without a smidgen of intrigue or excitement to finish the match off, making the whole wrestling world riot again. Am I in the same group? No. However, I do realise the problem the company has in trying to prevent the main event of WrestleMania now falling to similar problems this match had, especially in the lacklustre finish that killed the whole vibe the match built up. That being said, the match up until that point was pretty good, to say the least.
The reason for this matches quality stack up firstly from the psychology, with both Reigns and Ambrose saving each other from Lesnar's destructive onslaughts, but remembering that they promised to not hold anything back once The Beast Incarnate was out of the picture, via double power bombs through TWO announce tables, big spots indeed. As a result he friends hit each with all they had, including their finishers, weapons and the like. Even Lesnar managed to get in on the 'family feud', by not only suplexing Ambrose and Reigns to kingdom come (including two beautiful overhead belly to bellys) but also hitting a German on Reigns as he hits a Samoan Drop on Ambrose. It all comes together combined with a quick and balanced pace with fluid momentum shifts as an aggressive, intense and chaotic bout that never died down, especially with the many near falls, which mean the crowd had reason to stay invested. They were cheering Lesnar as well as their fellow Ohioan in Ambrose, especially when he had the gaul to slap The Beast in the face to incur his anger. Reigns on the other hand was booed, heavily, which did impact on the feel of the match but not enough to become distracting.
While all sounds good, it's not all there. I've already acknowledged he ending was anticlimactic against the run of play, and after the Cutting Edge Peep Show took twenty minutes, to see this big match do under that and finish with 15 minutes left on the event was criminal. If given more time for the weapons and body psychology to evolve into the match, it could have really finished by hitting the ground running, instead of whimpering out at a moment where it should have delivered on more drama. Some blood and interference from The Wyatt Family were things that many believed would come out of this match to really give this some extra meat, looking at the time left and the matches' ending, those elements were sorely missed in taking this bout to the next level.
What more can I say? These three did their best to deliver an intense match, but in the end, complacency and a desire for a certain result neutered this match from achieving what it rightfully should have.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Firstly, lets address the elephant in the room: Fastlane 2016 did better than its 2015 counterpart. That's a great thing in my opinion. With that being said though, this event could have done a lot more to ensure it didn't fall flat on some of its results, timing and card structure.
While the matches in most cases were solid or mediocre, with two living up to expectations, many had winners that didn't make sense for the story, or if they did came across at a detriment to the crowd and the build-up. The idea of sticking the US title match on the pre-show while two less meaningful matches went on the card was appalling, having the Cutting Edge Peep Show segment come to NOTHING of merit was a colossal waste of time, and with the bigger matches not breaking the 20 minute mark was disappointing considering what was at stake. As this event improved in quality of matches in comparison to last year, it still has get more out of the matches storylines and order them so they're not causing problems.
While I'm not entirely disappointed with this event, it could have been a lot better if these irksome problems were ironed out. We could have seen another average or above show if they weren't present, which is irritating and disappointing for sure.
FASTLANE 2016 GETS A 4.25 OUT OF 10!
In relation to other 2016 events, it lines up as follows:
ROYAL RUMBLE: 6/10
FASTLANE: 4.25/10
(WWE Network Specials and the NXT Takeover Events aren't taken into consideration).
I've been Freddy Thomas, you've been people reading, this has been the Fastlane 2016 Review for The CC Network Blog, and I'll see you next time.
I've been Freddy Thomas, you've been people reading, this has been the Fastlane 2016 Review for The CC Network Blog, and I'll see you next time.
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