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Sunday, March 11th has come and gone, and the dust has settled upon a number of different fronts. Who is the WWE champion, the United States Champion, and the Smackdown Live Women's and tag team champions going into Wrestlemania has been determined? However, where do we go from here, and what took place in these matches that made them so memorable? Some fans were of the feeling that Fastlane was a very lacklustre event, and the result of the booking was that not all that much changed moving into Wrestlemania.
Did Bobby Roode assert himself as the United States Champion or did Randy Orton capture the one championship that has eluded him in his career? Did AJ Styles overcome the odds and defeat the other six challengers, and were there more questions left after the match? With Wrestlemania only a few short weeks away, the murky waters are have become much clearer. What happened? Who was affected and where do we go from here? Here are five talking points about WWE's Fastlane 2018.
#5 Nakamura Day!
Nakamura put in a convincing effort against Rusev.
A last-minute matchup, the Shinsuke Nakamura, and Rusev match started slowly but ended tremendously well. Fans were divided in cheering for either 'Nakamura' or 'Rusev Day'. It was great to see that the audience was an active part of this match from beginning to end. What was surprising to see was that Rusev was unable to secure the Accolade on Nakamura on multiple occasions.
We did see some incredible bumps taken by Nakamura, especially after one machka kick where the king of strong style appeared to do a 180 in mid-air before landing on his face. The near twenty minutes that these two put in featured a number of near falls throughout the contest. As time passed, fans became more and more invested in the emotion and effort given in the contest. Rusev deserves complete credit, after receiving a Kinshasa to the back of the head followed by a more standard one that took him out completely. It appears Nakamura is primed to face the WWE champion at Wrestlemania.
#4 The United States Viper Champion
In a nearly twenty-minute match, Randy Orton and Bobby Roode battled in a contest that went back and forth as they tried to prove just who was the better man. Early predictions were all of the map as to what might take place between the two. The match was pretty much a stalemate early on, as neither man got the better of the other. It was a fairly engaging contest that showcased just how evenly matched these men are. If there are two men with the ability to counter each man's best shots, it is Roode and Orton.
The story being told was one of point and counterpoint, and neither had a sound advantage over the other. And just when Roode appeared to have Orton set up for another blockbuster, the Viper caught the glorious one with an RKO in mid-air, pinned him and captured the United States championship. After the match, Jinder Mahal came out and attempted to attack the new champion, only to have the attack thwarted by the former champion.
Roode then hit Orton with a glorious DDT as well. An early prediction is a triple threat match between these men at Wrestlemania for the United States championship.
With this win, Randy Orton secured the United States title for the first time and became a Grand Slam Champion, the 10th in WWE history. A WWE Legend!
#3 When an incredible tag team title match has a bludgeon ending...
The Usos and New Day have had a storied rivalry that was all the rage in 2017. The teams alternated getting the better of the other week in and week out, and ultimately came to the conclusion that they respected each other. In the early stages of the match, the teams played a game of 'Anything you can do I can do better.' It was great to see them counter the other team's moves, only to hit their opponent with one their own signature moves throughout the matchup.
To see Kofi Kingston hit an Uso splash or the Usos hit the 'Midnight Hour' on the New Day was great. It was a case of not just trying to beat the other team, but doing it in such a way that they would humiliate them. Then, at a point in the match when both teams appeared completely spent, Rowan and Harper came out and completely wiped out both teams, laying them to waste. This also appears to be another case where a triple threat match is being set up for Wrestlemania, with the Smackdown Live tag team championship being defended in a match featuring New Day, The Usos and The Bludgeon Brothers.
#2 The Queen retains...but an Empress emerges!
Charlotte Flair and Ruby Riott had a match that showcased not just how talented the multiple time women's champion, but how incredibly good the leader of the Riott squad was as well. The battle didn't just involve Riott Squad members Sarah Logan and Liv Morgan, but also Naomi and Becky Lynch, who were at ringside, to even the odds. The result was both women had their allies dismissed from the ringside area. Once it was just Charlotte and Ruby, the two women went counter for counter, showing just how good of a match they can put on together.
Finally, Ruby appeared to telegraph a move, knocking herself out in the process, and Charlotte put the figure eight forcing her opponent to tap out, thus retaining the Smackdown Live women's championship. However, the most interesting moment was once the match ended, when Raw women's superstar Asuka came out and challenged Charlotte for the Smackdown Live women's championship at Wrestlemania. It will unquestionably be a phenomenal match-up at Wrestlemania.
#1 Styles retains but a number of other questions remain
The WWE championship match was an incredible six-pack challenge that had a number of hits and misses take place. We had Baron Corbin and Dolph Ziggler going through the Plexiglas above the boards since the event was held where the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets play, AJ Styles going through a table, Shane McMahon being superkicked out of nowhere, and a number of near misses along with the big hits. Once the dust settled, Styles hit Owens with a phenomenal forearm and got a three-count win.
Though the odds were stacked against him, the Phenomenal One prevailed in the end. The events of the match also left a number of questions to be answered. Yes, we now know that Styles will face Nakamura at Wrestlemania. However, after Shane McMahon was superkicked by Kevin Owens, he broke up what could have been victorious pinfalls for both Owens and Zayn, preventing them from winning the title. What is next for Dolph Ziggler and Baron Corbin?
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