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WWE Fastlane was the final stop ahead of WrestleMania 37 with plenty of matches on the card that would directly influence what will happen at the Show of Shows.
The company has crafted a trend of under-hyping its major shows. However, through the sheer effort and ability of the roster, WWE has been hitting it out of the park with their pay-per-views recently.
There have been polarizing views on the creative and booking of the promotion over the past few months. However, the WWE roster of talent has consistently delivered highly entertaining matches that usually leave fans satisfied with these shows.
WWE Fastlane followed the same trend with two great matches really elevating the entire card.
With eight matches on the card, there was plenty of action to enjoy on the night for the WWE Universe.
In this article, let's take a look at the star ratings for every match from WWE Fastlane 2021.
Riddle vs. Mustafa Ali w/Retribution for the WWE United States Championship (WWE Fastlane Kickoff)
The WWE Fastlane Kickoff show featured a rematch from last week's RAW with Riddle defending the WWE United States Championship against Mustafa Ali.
Ali was accompanied to the ring by RETRIBUTION with the leader trying to show the group why he was in charge. Unfortunately, this mission proved to be much easier said than done.
The two men are amongst the best in-ring workers on the red brand and showed a significant amount of chemistry together with very unique counters and reversals. One of the most notable moments of the bout was when Ali went for a running neckbreaker that Riddle reversed into a rear-naked choke in mid-air. The timing was awesome here.
The contest was a back and forth affair until we reached the end when Riddle was caught on the second rope. He was able to gain control and lifted Ali into position for a second-rope avalanche Bro Derek to win and retain his title.
RETRIBUTION'S post-match attack on Ali seemingly put an end to the faction after months of lacklustre booking.
This match was another entertaining encounter between these two men. Despite the shoddy booking of RETRIBUTION, Mustafa Ali has been stellar inside the ring and on the mic. Meanwhile, Riddle has consistently been one of the highlights on RAW, despite his character being goofy.
Star rating: ***1/4
Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler w/Reginald vs. SmackDown Women's Champion Sasha Banks & Bianca Belair for the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships (WWE Fastlane)
Heading into WWE Fastlane, there has been a disconnect in the booking of the Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair WrestleMania feud.
The two ladies have been more focused on winning the WWE Women's Tag Team Titles despite their team being 0-4 heading into this Championship match.
Reginald proved to be a distraction for both women as well. The insertion of Reggie in this storyline has been a point of contention for most of the fanbase.
WWE had a ready-made rivalry between two highly talented and touted Female Superstars. However, they have failed to build on it, with Belair and Banks losing serious momentum. This contest really didn't do much to change the fan perception of this feud.
All four ladies worked hard and put in a valiant effort to craft an entertaining contest. The chemistry between Banks and Belair shined well throughout the match at Fastlane as they produced some unique double-team offense. However, the finish held back any goodwill that the performances of the women would have gained.
Reginald once again got involved in the end, which led to some miscommunication between Banks and Belair leading to their loss.
What happened after the match at Fastlane was more newsworthy than the bout itself. The slap to Belair by the SmackDown Women's Champion has firmly placed her in the role of heel in this feud.
This was a wise decision and should help both women gain some momentum heading into this year's WrestleMania.
Star rating: **1/4
Big E vs. Apollo Crews for the WWE Intercontinental Championship (WWE Fastlane)
One of the better, more focused rivalries coming into WWE Fastlane was Big E vs. Apollo Crews for the WWE Intercontinental Championship. The evolution of Crews under his new character embracing his heritage has allowed him to show off his skills. On the other hand, this feud has awoken a more serious and passionate side in the Champion.
The start of this WWE Fastlane contest was fast. Big E's aggression and constant trash talking added to the feeling of bitterness between the two competitors.
Things slowed down significantly after the fast opening with Big E and Apollo exchanging control with some hard-hitting offense. However, the finish was a bit confusing and seemed like it wasn't properly planned.
Apollo Crews went for a small package, but Big E shifted his weight and bridged to get his challenger down for the three-count.
Immediately following the bell, Crews attacked the Champion and beat him down to stand tall.
The post-match beatdown should lead to a WrestleMania 37 match between the two men. However, the abrupt end to the contest stopped this bout from reaching greater heights.
Star Rating: ***1/2
Braun Strowman vs. Elias w/Jaxson Ryker (WWE Fastlane)
There was also a lot of confusion concerning the Shane McMahon vs. Braun Strowman match scheduled for WWE Fastlane.
After a heavily panned segment on last week's RAW, WWE removed the match from their website, which led to many believing it would be saved for WrestleMania. However, the company promoted the contest for the show over the weekend.
In a Network exclusive, fans witnessed Shane McMahon getting a knee injury while training. This led to a backstage segment where Shane O'Mac got the idea to have Elias replace him at WWE Fastlane.
The divisive response to the Shane/Braun feud was not helped one bit by the inclusion of Elias or the match at Fastlane.
This was pretty much a squash match and something that would be better suited for WWE RAW than a pay-per-view. Braun Strowman dominated the encounter, winning with his Running powerslam. This entire segment really felt out of place and gave WWE Fastlane a filler TV angle than an actual pay-per-view quality match.
Star rating: DUD
Seth Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (WWE Fastlane)
A late addition to the WWE Fastlane card was Seth Rollins facing Shinsuke Nakamura. The two men got into a confrontation on last week's SmackDown following Rollins' attack on Cesaro. This was definitely a treat and added another must-see contest to the lineup.
In The Messiah's first singles match in months, Rollins felt refreshed and showed the form that has made him one of the company's top Superstars.
It made for a perfect match here at Fastlane since Shinsuke Nakamura has been a different athlete since turning face.
This WWE Fastlane encounter was well worked and finish capped off an excellent night for both Superstars.
Rollins pulled out a new trick, using a hesitation back kick to Nakamura. He then followed it up with the Stomp for the victory.
These two delivered a rock-solid pay-per-view contest. The match not only made Rollins and Nakamura look good but also set the stage nicely for The Messiah's eventual WrestleMania outing with Cesaro.
Star rating: ****1/2
Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus in a No Holds Barred Match (WWE Fastlane)
One of the most anticipated encounters for WWE Fastlane was Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus. These two men have delivered two incredible matches on WWE RAW over the past month and had a well-built feud heading into the PPV.
McIntyre and Sheamus continued from where they left off in their previous contests. The hard-hitting nature of the match at Fastlane allowed both men to lay in stiff shots to one another.
Things only escalated more when weapons were involved. Steel chairs and kendo sticks were used to leave scars on the bodies of both competitors at WWE Fastlane.
Both men fought all over the ThunderDome with McIntyre even throwing Sheamus into one of the LED screens causing an explosion.
The Celtic Warrior responded by delivering White Noise from the barricade through the announce table. There were more callbacks to their previous matches with Sheamus having the upperhand.
However, Drew McIntyre used a piece of the announcers desk to his advantage and hit the Futureshock DDT and followed it up with the Claymore to get the win.
This was a tremendous match that was unlike anything you typically see in WWE. The level of brutality and stiffness in the action is something that will make remembered long after WWE Fastlane.
Sheamus and McIntyre have put together an exceptional trilogy that has made both men look like two of the toughest competitors in all of WWE.
Star rating: ****1/4
Randy Orton vs. Alexa Bliss (WWE Fastlane)
WWE Fastlane was not a card that inspired a lot of intrigue. However, there was one match that captured the imagination of the fans. It was Alexa Bliss vs. Randy Orton.
The ongoing drama between the two was centered on Orton burning The Fiend alive back at WWE TLC last year. Bliss has haunted Orton ever since then.
This was was more of a long-form game of cat and mouse chase than an actual match.
Alexa Bliss used her "powers" to shoot fireballs and forced a light fixture from the celing to almost land on top of Orton. The former 14-time WWE Champion avoided all this, but Bliss had one more trick to pull from her sleeve.
This WWE Fastlane match saw the return of 'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt. However, he was not the same person and sported a new look.
This new version of The Fiend attacked Orton and laid him out with the Sister Abigail, which led to Bliss getting the three-count for the win.
This match served its purpose and has now setup the final battle between Orton and The Fiend for WrestleMania 37.
Star rating: DUD
Roman Reigns w/Paul Heyman vs. Daniel Bryan for the WWE Universal Championship w/Edge as special guest enforcer (WWE Fastlane)
The main event for WWE Fastlane was Roman Reigns defending the WWE Universal Championship against Daniel Bryan with Edge as the special guest enforcer.
Bryan earned his way into this match thanks to a win over Jey Uso in a steel cage. During the buildup to Fastlane, Edge made it clear that he was not happy with the Leader Of The Yes Movement inserting himself into the title picture.
All these components made for a big match feel right from the start of this main event.
Bryan set the stage for the story of this contest on last week's SmackDown when he said he would make Roman Reigns tap out. The former World Champion utilized his superior technical wrestling and submission prowess to grapple the Universal Champion down to the ground.
Roman Reigns turned things around by using his power, size, and strength advantage to gain control and wear down his opponent. The Tribal Chief's ability to dictate the pace of his matches is always compelling.
Bryan's comeback really shifted things into another gear with both men's timing on point. The referee being laid out led to Edge being inserted in the main event. Jey Uso came down to assist his cousin but ended up on the receiving end of steel chair shots from Bryan.
The former World Champion then went to use the chair on Reigns but hit Edge instead.
The reversals and submission teases were intense and deeply enthralling down the stretch of this WWE Fastlane main event.
Bryan reversed the spear and locked in the Yes Lock with Reigns' look of desperation really making this an incredible moment.
The Tribal Chief began to pass out from the pain and even softly tapped out. However, Edge used the chair on Bryan and Reigns breaking that up in a moment of frustration.
This then led to Reigns pinning Bryan for the win here at WWE Fastlane. This was a 30-minute classic and one of the best matches in the PPV's history.
Daniel Bryan proved once again at Fastlane why he is one of the best of all time. His ability to grip the fans into his matches is unlike any babyface in WWE today.
With his pure wrestling skills and impeccable selling, there have been few competitors quite as special as the Leader Of The Yes Movement.
On the other hand, Roman Reigns once again steals the show. This is something that has become a theme with the ThunderDome era of WWE pay-per-views.
The Tribal Chief has crafted a multi-layered character that has been the driving force of creativity in the company and has incredible efforts in his main events. He once again did this here and stole the show at WWE Fastlane.
Star rating: ****1/2
