Curt Hennig – A “GOAT” show, as Perfect as possible
Watch It All – A consistently good show worth watching in its entirety
Watch It…With Remote in Hand – 3 or more above-average ratings
High Risk Maneuver – Mostly filler, inessential, but 1-2 good matches
DUDleyville – Zero redeeming qualities, chore to watch
FastLane – February 2015
Memphis, Tennessee
CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Going into tonight's show, Brock Lesnar holds the WWE Championship, the Intercontinental Championship is held by Bad News Barrett, the United States Champion is Rusev, the Divas Championship is held by Nikki Bella, and the WWE Tag Team Titles are in the possession of the Usos.
COMMENTATORS: Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler, and JBL
In six-man competition, Dolph Ziggler, Erick Rowan, and Ryback took on Seth Rollins, Kane, and Big Show in the opener. Rollins and Ziggler started things off, with the fans firmly behind the faces, chanting "You Sold Out!" to the ex-Shield member. A missed kick to the post on the outside led to Rowan selling a damaged knee, allowing the heels to take advantage for a good stretch, including one sequence where Big Show locked in a nice-looking submission. The hot tag for Ryback brought with it a sizeable "Feed Me More" chant, but the numbers game prevented the match from ending here. Some minutes and a Knockout Punch later and the Authority took home the victory in a solid match. With the babyfaces laid out, there was a noticeable Randy Orton chant from the audience, but that didn't ruin his return for me. In a nice touch, Orton hit RKOs on just about every Authority member except the one that mattered most - Seth Rollins. Good-not-great match that got an extra half-point for the postmatch. (3/5)
The history of the Goldust vs. Stardust feud was replayed before we got Dusty Rhodes in the back with Goldust, the two discussing how this match is about reuniting the family more than it is about wins or losses. From his gait down the aisle, Goldust came into this match with psychology, moving with apprehension, looking not too eager to fight, only taking the offense to seemingly slap some sense into his brother. I like Stardust’s reactions to the crowd chanting "Cody" as it adds an extra element to the match, but while some of the audience seemed bored with the pacing, I found it to be fitting to the story being told. Anyone expecting a vicious, fast-paced brawl was looking in the wrong place as Goldust's hesitation in hurting his brother was the crux of the match and Stardust, weaseling his way to the outside and cheapshotting his opponent at every opportunity, showed arrogance and a willingness to hurt his older brother that came across as personal. Then, you get to the finish - a flash pin that advanced the story and helped define the Stardust/Cody character more than anything he's done in months. Forget the loud, ignorant fan who was chanting "boring" throughout, this match hit the right right notes to me. Throw in Stardust's post-match promo, which I found to be well-delivered, purposeful, and captivating, and I'm totally down with this angle, even if I’m in the minority. (3.5/5)
The Tag Team Championships were on the line next, with the defending champion Uso Brothers taking on the relatively new team of Antonio Cesaro and Tyson Kidd. This match was good, but not great. Cesaro and Kidd have chemistry, but still come across as two singles wrestlers that have banded together based on a booking whim rather than a personal connection. The best spot of the match was a Samoan Drop into the barricade performed by one of the Usos (still can't tell them apart) and I liked the surprisingly clean finish - though, again, it does little to cement Cesaro or Kidd as villains rather than just very good workers. It also doesn't help that their manager is a babyface, the pseudo-matriarch of the Total Divas family. (2.5/5)
Triple H arrived next, dressed up ready for a brawl. He was soon joined by Sting. Triple H did most of the talking, telling Sting that he respects his decision to stay on the "sinking ship" of WCW, but that his legacy will be erased unless the Stinger agrees to walk away from the WWE forever. A brawl ensued, with Triple H getting the upperhand by knocking WCW's Franchise with a microphone. From there, the Cerebral Assassin grabbed his trusty sledgehammer, but was disarmed by Sting and his big, black bat (which he then used to point to the WrestleMania sign). A Scorpion Death Drop later and this segment was over. While I would've preferred some words out of Sting, I understand that his Crow character was always one that spoke with actions rather than words. Still, if this segment was designed to leave me salivating for their WrestleMania match, it was a rather bland amuse bouche, adding no stakes to their rivalry or even explaining why Sting showed up at Survivor Series. (2/5)
Paige was up next for her match against the Divas Champion, Nikki Bella. I was fairly critical of Paige's character work when she debuted a little under a year ago, but always respected her in-ring skills. Like Roman Reigns, I see a ton of potential but not yet mastery of her craft. Meanwhile, I’ve praised Nikki for her considerable improvements as an in-ring performer, so I was pretty excited for this match. From the get-go, Paige played the victim, taking some hard bumps on the outside as well as a devastating Alabama Slam. I've read some reviews that noted that Paige seemed to have been knocked loopy from the move, but I didn't catch it - to me, she was her typical, inconsistent-but-spirited self, her moveset well-delivered, but almost too varied to the point that I'm not sure I see her personality in any of it. Nikki seemed to be working with less confidence than she showed in her previous few PPV matches, moving a bit slow at times and finding herself out of position in at least one noticeable spot in the corner. I'm not sure if we were supposed to believe Nikki cheated en route to her victory (as the commentators noted), but it didn't look like it from where I was sitting, even on the replay. A more blatant pull of Paige's trunks would've made a world of difference. I would've preferred some interference out of Brie and Nikki winning with her Torture Rack finisher because the ending was too similar to the flash pin in the Goldust/Stardust match. This mostly-awkward showing needed something different to wrap it up. (1/5)
From here we heard the sound of revving engines, announcing the arrival of Dean Ambrose for his match with Intercontinental Champion, Wade Barrett. Better commentary would've helped their cause as it seemed like JBL and Jerry Lawler took this match off entirely, jawing about Twitter and current events a good deal more than the action in the ring. What I liked about this match was how both guys seemed to have eachother’s best combos scouted, which led to a few nice twists. One of Ambrose’s strengths is his intensity and mannerisms and how they help his moves come across as extensions of his personality, which was on full display here. Unforutnately the finish was a total non-decision without precedent. A champion can willfully walk out of a match, take a count-out loss, and retain their title. A challenger, being aware of this rule, would ostensibly do whatever it takes to keep their opponent in the ring. What makes no sense, in this match or in any I’ve ever seen, would be for a referee to declare the challenger disqualified for preventing the champion from walking. What exactly did Dean Ambrose do that was worthy of a DQ? Not listen to the ref’s warnings to refrain from using a completely legal stomp on his opponent? Had he used a weapon, I could see the ref's call making sense, but the way this finish was executed was absolutely terrible. (2/5)
Before our next match-up, fans were treated to the arrival of a number of torch-bearing druids, typically the signal of the presence of the Undertaker. Then, it was darkness and a gong and a casket. And while I (and most others probably) didn't expect to see the actual Deadman, I wasn’t disappointed with Bray Wyatt’s appearance or subsequent promo. Cool segment, but not an all-time great one. The first actual face-to-face between the New Face of Fear and the Old Face of Fear (and I’m not talking Meng) could be. (3/5)
John Cena vs. Rusev for Rusev's United States Championship was next, with both Cena and Rusev getting their fair share of boos during the pre-match introductions. Though the Memphis crowd seemed to be firmly behind the babyfaces for most of the evening, this match proved just how much Cena remains a lightning rod, even when put up against an American-bashing Ruskie (okay, Bulgarian). The first few minutes saw both men connecting with nice strikes, followed by Rusev taking control and Cena playing salesman. In a very small moment towards the beginning of the match, some "Jerry" chants broke out (hey, they were in Memphis) but I loved Rusev's improvised reaction, another one of those "little things" that Rusev gets right as a rookie that others don't in their whole careers. As the match progressed, things became considerably more even, building to a series of well-executed nearfalls and near-submissions. In their first major match against eachother, this one was imperfect (several spots seemed “anticipated” by one or both guys, a sign of the two workers who don’t have great timing with eachother yet), but was nonetheless effective in getting Rusev over as someone that is Cena's equal in strength and determination. Thankfully, it also showed us how Rusev is different than Cena - that while Rusev is a "super athlete," he's also a cheater willing to take the easy way out to hold onto his title. I'm not excited about the possibility of Cena getting his win back at WrestleMania, but I'll gripe about that when it happens. This match delivered. (3.5/5)
Main event time - Roman Reigns arrived first, through a crowd that gave him a somewhat mixed reaction, or at least not a very loud one. Similarly, Daniel Bryan’s ovation was noticeably smaller than any he received in 2014 (though, with the crowd raising their arms in a united "Yes!" chant, it came off significantly better than Reigns' lukewarm response). As soon as the match began in earnest, the dueling Bryan/Reigns chanted began and it legitimately sounded 50/50, with Bryan's supporters deep-voiced and Reigns' fans younger and more feminine. Fan responses aside, both men brought considerable energy to the bout, trading control and busting out some of their best moves and reversals early on. After a vicious kick to the midsection, the tone of the match changed, with the ref trying to buy time for Reigns and Bryan showing little remorse in his efforts to beat down the ex-Sheild member. Whether by design or not, though, the audience seemed to get behind Bryan more at this point, booing Reigns' powerbomb comeback. Minutes later, with the action spilled outside the ring, the match entered its next phase - one where it seemed the crowd's favoritism had shifted even more to Bryan's side, but where the Reigns hatred subsided a bit as the audience begrudgingly respected the beating Reigns was taking. When Reigns finally connected with a spear to end the match, it did not come off as a magical move pulled out by a better competitor, but a last ditch effort by the number one contender to hold onto his WrestleMania title shot. With a post-match moment that some fans booed, the show ended the way it needed to, even if it wasn't the way many of us wanted it to. Easily Reigns strongest match as a singles performer and probably the best Bryan match since his return. (4/5)
With an average match/segment rating of 2.72-out-of-5, FastLane delivered on its promise, but didn't exceed it. The main event and Rusev/Cena were as good as expected, but not so much better that I'd call either a Match of the Year contender (especially not compared to the incredible Lesnar/Rollins/Cena match from last month's Royal Rumble). While I enjoyed the 6-man tag, Stardust/Goldust, and Tag Titles matches, Ambrose/Barrett was underwhelming and the Divas Championship match was probably the worst Divas Title match on a major show in the Network Era. The Sting/HHH segment was also lackluster, leaving me with no more understanding of Sting's motivations than I had upon his debut in November. With nothing at stake in their WrestleMania match, not even Sting's pride, I'm just not sure what the issue is between the two sides and why I should care. I won't call this show a disaster of epic proportions, though. The bulk of the in-ring action was decent, at times good, and at other times very good. Minute-for-minute, it may have actually been a better top-to-bottom show than any they've had since last summer.
FINAL RATING – Watch It…With Remote in Hand
In six-man competition, Dolph Ziggler, Erick Rowan, and Ryback took on Seth Rollins, Kane, and Big Show in the opener. Rollins and Ziggler started things off, with the fans firmly behind the faces, chanting "You Sold Out!" to the ex-Shield member. A missed kick to the post on the outside led to Rowan selling a damaged knee, allowing the heels to take advantage for a good stretch, including one sequence where Big Show locked in a nice-looking submission. The hot tag for Ryback brought with it a sizeable "Feed Me More" chant, but the numbers game prevented the match from ending here. Some minutes and a Knockout Punch later and the Authority took home the victory in a solid match. With the babyfaces laid out, there was a noticeable Randy Orton chant from the audience, but that didn't ruin his return for me. In a nice touch, Orton hit RKOs on just about every Authority member except the one that mattered most - Seth Rollins. Good-not-great match that got an extra half-point for the postmatch. (3/5)
The history of the Goldust vs. Stardust feud was replayed before we got Dusty Rhodes in the back with Goldust, the two discussing how this match is about reuniting the family more than it is about wins or losses. From his gait down the aisle, Goldust came into this match with psychology, moving with apprehension, looking not too eager to fight, only taking the offense to seemingly slap some sense into his brother. I like Stardust’s reactions to the crowd chanting "Cody" as it adds an extra element to the match, but while some of the audience seemed bored with the pacing, I found it to be fitting to the story being told. Anyone expecting a vicious, fast-paced brawl was looking in the wrong place as Goldust's hesitation in hurting his brother was the crux of the match and Stardust, weaseling his way to the outside and cheapshotting his opponent at every opportunity, showed arrogance and a willingness to hurt his older brother that came across as personal. Then, you get to the finish - a flash pin that advanced the story and helped define the Stardust/Cody character more than anything he's done in months. Forget the loud, ignorant fan who was chanting "boring" throughout, this match hit the right right notes to me. Throw in Stardust's post-match promo, which I found to be well-delivered, purposeful, and captivating, and I'm totally down with this angle, even if I’m in the minority. (3.5/5)
The Tag Team Championships were on the line next, with the defending champion Uso Brothers taking on the relatively new team of Antonio Cesaro and Tyson Kidd. This match was good, but not great. Cesaro and Kidd have chemistry, but still come across as two singles wrestlers that have banded together based on a booking whim rather than a personal connection. The best spot of the match was a Samoan Drop into the barricade performed by one of the Usos (still can't tell them apart) and I liked the surprisingly clean finish - though, again, it does little to cement Cesaro or Kidd as villains rather than just very good workers. It also doesn't help that their manager is a babyface, the pseudo-matriarch of the Total Divas family. (2.5/5)
Triple H arrived next, dressed up ready for a brawl. He was soon joined by Sting. Triple H did most of the talking, telling Sting that he respects his decision to stay on the "sinking ship" of WCW, but that his legacy will be erased unless the Stinger agrees to walk away from the WWE forever. A brawl ensued, with Triple H getting the upperhand by knocking WCW's Franchise with a microphone. From there, the Cerebral Assassin grabbed his trusty sledgehammer, but was disarmed by Sting and his big, black bat (which he then used to point to the WrestleMania sign). A Scorpion Death Drop later and this segment was over. While I would've preferred some words out of Sting, I understand that his Crow character was always one that spoke with actions rather than words. Still, if this segment was designed to leave me salivating for their WrestleMania match, it was a rather bland amuse bouche, adding no stakes to their rivalry or even explaining why Sting showed up at Survivor Series. (2/5)
Paige was up next for her match against the Divas Champion, Nikki Bella. I was fairly critical of Paige's character work when she debuted a little under a year ago, but always respected her in-ring skills. Like Roman Reigns, I see a ton of potential but not yet mastery of her craft. Meanwhile, I’ve praised Nikki for her considerable improvements as an in-ring performer, so I was pretty excited for this match. From the get-go, Paige played the victim, taking some hard bumps on the outside as well as a devastating Alabama Slam. I've read some reviews that noted that Paige seemed to have been knocked loopy from the move, but I didn't catch it - to me, she was her typical, inconsistent-but-spirited self, her moveset well-delivered, but almost too varied to the point that I'm not sure I see her personality in any of it. Nikki seemed to be working with less confidence than she showed in her previous few PPV matches, moving a bit slow at times and finding herself out of position in at least one noticeable spot in the corner. I'm not sure if we were supposed to believe Nikki cheated en route to her victory (as the commentators noted), but it didn't look like it from where I was sitting, even on the replay. A more blatant pull of Paige's trunks would've made a world of difference. I would've preferred some interference out of Brie and Nikki winning with her Torture Rack finisher because the ending was too similar to the flash pin in the Goldust/Stardust match. This mostly-awkward showing needed something different to wrap it up. (1/5)
From here we heard the sound of revving engines, announcing the arrival of Dean Ambrose for his match with Intercontinental Champion, Wade Barrett. Better commentary would've helped their cause as it seemed like JBL and Jerry Lawler took this match off entirely, jawing about Twitter and current events a good deal more than the action in the ring. What I liked about this match was how both guys seemed to have eachother’s best combos scouted, which led to a few nice twists. One of Ambrose’s strengths is his intensity and mannerisms and how they help his moves come across as extensions of his personality, which was on full display here. Unforutnately the finish was a total non-decision without precedent. A champion can willfully walk out of a match, take a count-out loss, and retain their title. A challenger, being aware of this rule, would ostensibly do whatever it takes to keep their opponent in the ring. What makes no sense, in this match or in any I’ve ever seen, would be for a referee to declare the challenger disqualified for preventing the champion from walking. What exactly did Dean Ambrose do that was worthy of a DQ? Not listen to the ref’s warnings to refrain from using a completely legal stomp on his opponent? Had he used a weapon, I could see the ref's call making sense, but the way this finish was executed was absolutely terrible. (2/5)
Before our next match-up, fans were treated to the arrival of a number of torch-bearing druids, typically the signal of the presence of the Undertaker. Then, it was darkness and a gong and a casket. And while I (and most others probably) didn't expect to see the actual Deadman, I wasn’t disappointed with Bray Wyatt’s appearance or subsequent promo. Cool segment, but not an all-time great one. The first actual face-to-face between the New Face of Fear and the Old Face of Fear (and I’m not talking Meng) could be. (3/5)
John Cena vs. Rusev for Rusev's United States Championship was next, with both Cena and Rusev getting their fair share of boos during the pre-match introductions. Though the Memphis crowd seemed to be firmly behind the babyfaces for most of the evening, this match proved just how much Cena remains a lightning rod, even when put up against an American-bashing Ruskie (okay, Bulgarian). The first few minutes saw both men connecting with nice strikes, followed by Rusev taking control and Cena playing salesman. In a very small moment towards the beginning of the match, some "Jerry" chants broke out (hey, they were in Memphis) but I loved Rusev's improvised reaction, another one of those "little things" that Rusev gets right as a rookie that others don't in their whole careers. As the match progressed, things became considerably more even, building to a series of well-executed nearfalls and near-submissions. In their first major match against eachother, this one was imperfect (several spots seemed “anticipated” by one or both guys, a sign of the two workers who don’t have great timing with eachother yet), but was nonetheless effective in getting Rusev over as someone that is Cena's equal in strength and determination. Thankfully, it also showed us how Rusev is different than Cena - that while Rusev is a "super athlete," he's also a cheater willing to take the easy way out to hold onto his title. I'm not excited about the possibility of Cena getting his win back at WrestleMania, but I'll gripe about that when it happens. This match delivered. (3.5/5)
Main event time - Roman Reigns arrived first, through a crowd that gave him a somewhat mixed reaction, or at least not a very loud one. Similarly, Daniel Bryan’s ovation was noticeably smaller than any he received in 2014 (though, with the crowd raising their arms in a united "Yes!" chant, it came off significantly better than Reigns' lukewarm response). As soon as the match began in earnest, the dueling Bryan/Reigns chanted began and it legitimately sounded 50/50, with Bryan's supporters deep-voiced and Reigns' fans younger and more feminine. Fan responses aside, both men brought considerable energy to the bout, trading control and busting out some of their best moves and reversals early on. After a vicious kick to the midsection, the tone of the match changed, with the ref trying to buy time for Reigns and Bryan showing little remorse in his efforts to beat down the ex-Sheild member. Whether by design or not, though, the audience seemed to get behind Bryan more at this point, booing Reigns' powerbomb comeback. Minutes later, with the action spilled outside the ring, the match entered its next phase - one where it seemed the crowd's favoritism had shifted even more to Bryan's side, but where the Reigns hatred subsided a bit as the audience begrudgingly respected the beating Reigns was taking. When Reigns finally connected with a spear to end the match, it did not come off as a magical move pulled out by a better competitor, but a last ditch effort by the number one contender to hold onto his WrestleMania title shot. With a post-match moment that some fans booed, the show ended the way it needed to, even if it wasn't the way many of us wanted it to. Easily Reigns strongest match as a singles performer and probably the best Bryan match since his return. (4/5)
With an average match/segment rating of 2.72-out-of-5, FastLane delivered on its promise, but didn't exceed it. The main event and Rusev/Cena were as good as expected, but not so much better that I'd call either a Match of the Year contender (especially not compared to the incredible Lesnar/Rollins/Cena match from last month's Royal Rumble). While I enjoyed the 6-man tag, Stardust/Goldust, and Tag Titles matches, Ambrose/Barrett was underwhelming and the Divas Championship match was probably the worst Divas Title match on a major show in the Network Era. The Sting/HHH segment was also lackluster, leaving me with no more understanding of Sting's motivations than I had upon his debut in November. With nothing at stake in their WrestleMania match, not even Sting's pride, I'm just not sure what the issue is between the two sides and why I should care. I won't call this show a disaster of epic proportions, though. The bulk of the in-ring action was decent, at times good, and at other times very good. Minute-for-minute, it may have actually been a better top-to-bottom show than any they've had since last summer.
FINAL RATING – Watch It…With Remote in Hand
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