From The Network – WWE Fast Lane 2015

WWE Fast Lane 2015
2-22-15
Memphis, TN

Your hosts are Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler, and JBL.

Dolph Ziggler, Erick Rowan, and Ryback vs. The Authority (Seth Rollins, Corporate Kane, and Big Show) w/J&J Security
Rollins and Ziggler start. Sunset flip by Ziggler gets 2 and Rollins bails. Back in, Rollins works over Ziggler and Ziggler comes back with a dropkick. Tag to Rowan and he hits a pump handle back breaker. Elbow drop by Rowan gets 2. Kane tags in and Rowan slams him into a leg drop. Rowan hits a second rope back elbow for 2. Tag to Show and he works over Rowan in the corner. Show dumps Rowan and follows out but Rowan rams him into the post to come back. Spin kick misses and his leg nails the ring post. Back in, Show works the leg of Rowan and he slams him. Tag to Kane and he stomps away on Rowan. Rollins tags in and he continues to work the leg of Rowan. Rowan fights out and Rollins catches him with the Blockbuster for 2. Tag to Show and he grabs the Laso from El Paso. Rowan won’t quit so Show releases and goes for the Chokeslam. Rowan blocks and catches Show with a DDT. Tag to Rollins and Rowan catches him with a spin kick. Tag to Ryback and he hits the Thesz press on Rollins. Big splash misses but Ryback comes back with a powerbomb. Meat Hook to Kane and Ryback goes for the Shell Shock but J&J distract him. Roll-up by Rollins gets 2 and he hits the basement super kick for 2. Rollins goes up and leaps but Ryback moves. Ryback COUNTERS THE BLOCKBUSTER INTO THE SHELL SHOCK!!!! Big splash by Show to Ryback and Ziggler tags in. Ziggler blocks a Chokeslam and he hits the DDT on Kane for 2. Ziggler blocks the sidewalk slam and he hits a super kick. Faceasser to Rollins as he was coming in and he hits some punches in the corner to Kane. KO Punch by Show and Kane hits the Chokeslam for 3.
Winners- The Authority **3/4 (This was a solid match to start the show. The final few minutes were great and action packed but we had to sit through one of the most dull babyface in peril segments I’ve seen in some time with Rowan to get there.)

After the match, Rollins hits the Curb Stomp on Ziggler. Ryback and Rowan try to fight back but Ryback eats a double chokeslam. Curb Stomp to Rowan and RANDY ORTON COMES OUT!!!!! Orton lays out J&J Security and Kane with RKOs as Show helps Rollins escape through the crowd.

Video package for Goldust/Stardust airs.

Dusty Rhodes tells Goldust he is not happening with what has been happening with the Rhodes Family. Goldust tells Dusty he is not facing Cody, he is facing Stardust. He says he has to beat Stardust so bad that the thought of putting paint on makes him sick. He says he won’t stop until he brings Cody home. Dusty tells Goldust not to hurt Cody.

Stardust vs. Goldust
Goldust overpowers Stardust to start and he takes control of the early going. Inverted atomic drop by Goldust and Stardust blocks the Director’s Cut. Back in, Goldyst hits some rights on Stardust. Goldust counters a bulldog with a back breaker and he clotheslines Stardust to the floor. Back in, Goldust blocks the sunset flip and leaps off the second rope but eats boot on the way down. Stardust stomps away and Goldust bails. Stardust rams Goldust against the apron and he grabs the body scissors. Goldust starts to fight out so Stardust hits a gordbuster for 2. Stardust sends Goldust hard into the corner for 2. Stardust sends Goldust hard into the corner and he grabs a waist lock. Goldust misses a springboard back elbow and he counters the Cross Rhodes into the crucifix for 3 as they kind of botch the finish.
Winner- Goldust *1/2 (This was incredibly boring. The crowd didn’t care for the storyline and weren’t engaged in Stardust’s antics or cared about Goldust playing face in peril. This ended up being a huge disappointment considering these two have wanted to have their one on one program for years.)

We see highlights of the Rollins/Jon Stewart feud that took the internet by storm during the week.

Stardust attacks Goldust backstage and Dusty tells Cody to start. Stardust tells Dusty he killed Cody when he sent Goldust to take care of him. Stardust tells Dusty he’s living in his shadow now and he lays out Goldust with a super kick.

WWE Tag Team Championships- The Usos (Jimmy and Jey) w/Naomi © vs. Tyson Kidd and Cesaro w/Natalya
Jey and Kidd start. Slam by Jey and Jimmy tags in. Backbreaker/top rope fist drop combo by the Usos gets 2. Jimmy goes up and hits Whisper in the Wind for 2. Tag to Cesaro and he chop blocks Jimmy. Cesaro works over the leg and Jimmy tries to fight out of the heel corner with no avail. Tag to Kidd who hits a dragon screw leg sweep in the ropes. He works the leg of Jimmy and tags Cesaro. Second rope double stomp onto the leg by Cesaro and he works the leg of Jimmy some more. SINGLE LEG CESARO SWING~!!!! He converts it into a half crab and tags Kidd who hits a sling shot leg drop while Jimmy was in the hold for 2. Indian Deathlock by Kidd but Jimmy kicks Kidd to the floor to break. Tag to Jey and he cleans house. Jey hits the Samoan Drop on Cesaro and Cesaro rolls Jey up for 2 off the Kidd distraction. Enzuigiri by Jey and he hits the basement hip check for 2. Jey goes up but Cesaro crotches him. Tag to Kidd as Cesaro hits the deadlift suplex into the top rope elbow drop from Kidd for 2. Jey blocks the Sharpshooter attempt and Jimmy tags in. Jey presses him into the Samoan Drop for 2 as Cesaro saves. Enzuigiri from the apron by Kidd to Jimmy and Jey hits a suicide plancha to Cesaro!!! JIMMY HITS A SAMOAN DROP TO KIDD INTO THE BARRICADE!!!! Back in, Jimmy goes up for the flying splash but eats knees. Small package by Kidd gets 2 and he grabs the Sharpshooter. Jey breaks with a super kick and he slugs it out with Cesaro. Jimmy covers Kidd for 2. Jey super kicks Cesaro to the floor but Kidd catches him with the Swinging Fisherman’s Suplex for 3!!!
Winners and NEW WWE Tag Team Champions- Tyson Kidd and Cesaro *** (Unlike the previous match, the work in this match was really good but the crowd just could not get invested until the final stretch, which is a shame. I’m happy Kidd and Cesaro are getting a run with the belts and hopefully they get a long program with the Usos cause I know both teams are capable of greater matches.)

Video package for Triple H/Sting confrontation airs.

Triple H comes out and he apologizes for what he did to Ric Flair on Raw but he stands by what he said. He calls out Sting who makes his way out. Triple H says he knows what Sting wants and he feels sorry for him. He says he admires Sting for going down with the WCW ship but he says he was a reason that ship went down. He says his legacy is putting WCW out of business so Sting took him and Stephanie out of the WWE. He says without them, the WWE dies, and Sting failed. HHH says failing is what Sting does and he claims he can give Sting his legacy back. HHH offers to do business together with Sting and keep his legacy in place through branding and merchandise. He says Sting’s legacy will be bigger than ever and he says he will put Sting in the Hall of Fame. HHH also offers to do things the other way and says he will beat whatever if left of Sting’s legacy in the ring. He says he will erase Sting’s history and it will be like Sting never existed. HHH says by the look in Sting’s eye, he made his mind. HHH tries to attack but Sting fights back. HHH nails Sting with the microphone and he fires away on Sting. HHH grabs the sledgehammer but Sting points the bat at HHH’s head!!! HHH drops the sledgehammer and begs off. Sting points at the Wrestlemania sign and HHH accepts. HHH tries to attack from behind so Sting nails him in the midsection with his bat and lays HHH out with the Scorpion Death Drop.

WWE Diva’s Championship- Nikki Bella w/Brie Bella © vs. Paige
Paige attacks to start and they brawl on the mat. Nikki bails and Paige chases her back in. Nikki snaps Paige’s neck off the ropes to take her off the apron and she tosses Paige into the barricade. Back in, Nikki covers for 1. Chinlock by Nikki but Paige starts to fight out so Nikki hits the Alabama Slam for 2. Knees to the back by Nikki gets 2. Shoulders to the gut in the corner by Nikki and Paige comes back with a botched corner roll-up. Rolling short arm clotheslines by Paige and she hits a dropkick for 2. Roll-up by Nikki gets 2. Basement super kick by Paige gets 2. Nikki blocks the Rampage and throws a facebuster. Paige comes back with a super kick for 2. Nikki goes up but Paige follows so Nikki takes her off with a sunset flip bomb for 2. Nikki slams Paige’s face off the mat a few times but Paige takes her down and attempts the PTO. Nikki makes the ropes before Paige could fully lock it in and she pulls Paige into the corner. Roll-up with the tights by Nikki gets 3.
Winner and Still WWE Diva’s Champion- Nikki Bella **1/4 (Other than one screw-up, this was actually a solid effort and better than usual Diva’s match. The crowd still could have cared less about this match, but at least the effort was there this time around. )

WWE Intercontinental Championship- Bad News Barrett © vs. Dean Ambrose
Barrett fires away to start and Ambrose comes back with a crossbody. Barrett bails and back in, Ambrose overpowers Barrett. Elbow drop by Ambrose gets 2 and he stomps away on Barrett in the corner. Big boot by Barrett knocks Ambrose to the floor and back in, he covers for 1. Knee lift in the corner by Barrett gets 1 and he grabs the chinlock. Ambrose fights out so Barrett catches him with a big boot, knocking Ambrose back to the floor. Barrett rams Ambrose against the apron and Ambrose comes back with a rebound lariat as Barrett tried to toss him in. Back in, Ambrose hits a Tornado DDT and he throws jabs at Barrett. Ambrose cleans house and he hits a bulldog on Barrett. Ambrose goes up and leaps but Barrett moves. Ambrose blocks Winds of Change and gets a small package for 2. Shotgun dropkick by Ambrose and he goes up. Standing elbow drop off the top by Ambrose gets 2. Barrett blocks the Jawbreaker Lariat and he hits Wasteland for 2!!! Ambrose counters the Bull Hammer with a roll-up for 2. Jawbreaker Lariat by Ambrose and Barrett bails to block Dirty Deeds. Barrett grabs the belt and goes to walk out but Ambrose takes him out with a suicide dive. Barrett tries to escape through the crowd but Ambrose stops him and sends him into the steps. Back in, Ambrose stomps away on Barrett in the corner but won’t stop at 5 for the ref DQ’s him!!! Ambrose lays out Barrett with Dirty Deeds after the match and he takes the Intercontinental Championship with him.
Winner by DQ and Still WWE Intercontinental Champion- Bad News Barrett **1/2 (Another PPV, another shitty finish to a Dean Ambrose match. Match was picking up steam before the finish, so chalk this up as another disappointment on this show. I really don’t know what their end game is with Ambrose, all these crappy finishes are going to kill the poor guy dead.)

The Druids comes out and the Undertaker’s music plays!!!!! They roll a casket out and Bray Wyatt sits up from the casket!!!! Wyatt says he quivered in fear the first time he saw him but now he is a broken man. A monster is now a mere mortal and his soul is lost. He says his mission is clear and that Bray Wyatt is now the new face of fear. At Wrestlemania, he will claim the soul of the Undertaker. They close the casket to end the segment.

Video package for Rusev/Cena airs.

WWE US Championship-Rusev w/Lana © vs. John Cena
Cena attacks to start and grabs a sleeper but Rusev powers out. Rusev stomps away in the corner and he choke Cena with his boot. Cena fights back and Rusev catches him with a spinning heel kick for 2. Rusev throws some kicks at Cena and he hits an avalanche in the corner for 2. Rusev knocks Cena off the apron into the barricade and back in, Rusev covers for 2. Dropkick by Cena gets 1 and Rusev comes back with one of his own for 2. Cena takes Rusev down and hammers away on Rusev. Cena hits a flying shoulder block and attempts another one but Rusev catches him and hits a fall-a-way slam for 2. Elbow drops by Rusev gets 2 and Cena begins to fight back. Rusev catches Cena with a half nelson but Cena starts to power out. Suplex by Cena and he hits a clothesline for 2. Rusev blocks the AA and hits a DDT for 2. Avalanche in the corner by Rusev and he hits a second one. A third Avalanche by Rusev gets 2. Cena fights back and begins to clean house. Blue Thunder Bomb by Cena and he hits the Five Knuckle Shuffle. Cena goes for the AA but Rusev escapes and hits a super kick for 2. Cena goes for the STF but Rusev block. Rusev catches a crossbody attempt and hits a spinning powerslam for 2. Tornado DDT by Cena gets 2. They slug it out and Cena goes for the AA but Rusev blocks again. Cena counters the spinning powerslam but Cena counters into the Crossface!!! Rusev powers out and he hits the Alabama Slam for 2. Elbow drops to the back by Rusev and Cena catches him in the STF!!! Rusev makes the ropes to break. Rusev blocks the AA and hits a high kick. Super kick misses and Cena finally hits the AA for 2!!! Cena goes up for the guillotine leg drop but Rusev powerbombs him on the way down. Accolade by Rusev but Cena powers up!!! Lana distracts the ref, allowing Rusev to go low. Super kick by Rusev and he goes back to the Accolade. Cena is out!!!
Winner and Still WWE US Champion- Rusev ***1/2 (This was Rusev’s best performance so far and this actually made him look at a monster and one of the few legitimate threats on the roster. I loved they built up to Cena finally landing the AA after multiple attempts and Rusev seeming to know Cena’s offense, having some sort of counter at every turn. This was missing some big impact moments and some spots that really could have stretched Cena’s vulnerability to put this over the top as something special but this was easily the best thing on the show to this point.)

Video package for Reigns/Bryan airs.

Roman Reigns vs. Daniel Bryan
Winner faces Brock Lesnar for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestlemania. Bryan takes control in the early going but Reigns overpowers him to come back. O’Connor roll by Bryan gets 2 and Reigns blocks the Mexican surfboard attempt. Tilt-a-whirl slam by Reigns and he clotheslines Bryan to the floor. Reigns tosses Bryan into the barricade and back in, Bryan throws some kicks to the leg of Reigns. Bryan begins to work over the leg of Reigns but Reigns fights out with rights. Reigns stun guns Bryan and hit a Samoan Drop. Leaping clothesline by Reigns and Bryan drop toe holds Reigns into the corner. Lariat by Reigns turns Bryan inside out for 2. Rolling T-Bone suplexes by Reigns and he hits the dropkick from the floor onto Bryan. Bryan blocks the Superman Punch with a kick to the chest. Bryan throws some knees to the midsection of Reigns and he hits some corner dropkicks to Reigns. Bryan puts Reigns on top and follows up. Reigns blocks the Frankensteiner and he hits a super Powerbomb for 2!!! Rapid corner clotheslines by Reigns and he puts Bryan on top. He follows up but Bryan crotches him and hits the back superplex for 2. Yes! Lock by Bryan but Reigns makes the ropes to break. Reigns bails to recover and Bryan hits the suicide dive to the floor. He follows it up with a second one and he goes for a third but Reigns catches him and hits an overhead belly to belly suplex on the floor!!! Reigns goes for the Spear but Bryan sidesteps him, sending Reigns crashing into the steps!!!! Back in, Bryan goes up and leaps but he eats the SUPERMAN PUNCH on the way down~!!! Reigns covers for 2!!! Bryan counters a Spear with a small package for 2 and he hits the high kick. Flying knee strike by Bryan gets 2!!! Bryan throws some kicks and he catches Reigns in the Yes! Lock. Reigns breaks the hold and he throws some forearms at Bryan. Triangle Choke by Bryan but Reigns breaks with a powerbomb. High kick by Bryan and Reigns catches him with the Spear for 3!!!
Winner- Roman Reigns **** ( OK, so Reigns was having these types of matches during his build up to the Royal Rumble, the backlash against him wouldn’t be as severe. He has been forced down the fans throats as the next chosen one, his promos and matches aren’t organic. If he had a run of matches like this, strong competitive battles where Reigns proved he was the better man, his run to Wrestlemania probably would have been much stronger. This was an excellent match and Bryan worked his ass off to make Reigns look strong.)

5.5

The final score: review Not So Good

The 411

Man the last two matches sure saved this show from being one of the most dull and uninteresting WWE PPVs that I have seen in some time. We got a collection of mediocre matches combined with a plethora of bad finishes. I honest can't remember when the build up to WrestleMania as been this poor. The under card guys have never looked worse, the Reigns push is not lighting the world on fire despite a decent attempt to salvage it during the main event, and right now the best booked program is Rusev/Cena. I'm hoping WrestleMania overachieves but right now WWE is on a streak of mediocrity that doesn't look to improve anytime soon. Another skippable show in the series of them, but try to check out Rusev/Cena and Reigns/Bryan.