WWE Fastlane 2021

[Supremo]

I’m almost jealous of the people I see on Twitter and YouTube theorising and dissecting everything involving Bray Wyatt like it’s fucking Wandavision or something. The same company who had The Miz announced as being in the Elimination Chamber match literally days before it happened, then pulled him when they actually got around to writing that show. And you’re trusting them to be dropping purposeful hints, references, callbacks and symbolism? Insanity. Bray Wyatt is the epitome of modern day WWE booking. Killer concept, cool first act, but absolutely no long-term plan, and then they just make shit up on a weekly basis regardless of whether it makes sense of contradicts what came before. Is he going to dress like the Toxic Avenger from now on? Or just for this match? I guarantee they’ve not given this any thought yet.

What the fuck do we know though? We’re now at a point where people are discussing fans cheering Roman Reigns to spite the company.

Edited March 22, 2021 by Supremo

[Jazzy G]

The thing is I have an awful feeling if Bryan is being put into the match it's so Edge doesn't have to pin Roman to win the title, and so it's not as obvious that Edge can't go as well as he used to.

I don't think the cheering Reigns would be out of spite, it'd just be out of them forgetting that the way to show appreciation to a heel is to boo him.

@Daaaaaad! don't forget about Parts Funknown as well. Actually, you're probably best letting that one slide on account of it being Blampied, and the allegations he had.

[Project Nim]

I see Apollo Crews has done a reverse Kofi Kingston with his accent. 

A lot of the backstage skits are just plain awful. 

That Orton-Bliss thing was dreadful. However, it is superb to have The Yeti back in wrestling. 

Bryan genuinely looked like he was having a whale of a time in the main event. They’ve got to add him for Mania haven’t they?

[Factotum]

Bryan/Reigns should have been the Mania Main, but if they do have it as a Triple Threat it could turn out to be fun.

If it is just Edge V Roman, then I will have zero interest in it. Bryan makes the whole thing feel something

[DavidB6937]

Really enjoyed the show overall.

The Alexa/Fiend/Orton stuff was as expected so didn't really bother me. Not my kinda thing but as others have said, it seems to get a lot of people talking anyway.

I was really looking forward to Big E and Apollo so it was a shame that fell a bit flat at the end.

The end of the main didn't upset me too much only because that was exactly what I expected. You knew it was going to be some messy shit. In fact I'm more convinced than ever that Bryan will get a spot in that main event after how that all went down. Yes, I'm stupid and optimistic.

[Chili]

I don't watch the product so dickhead me for not bothering to research...

But is this Bryan thing literally a redo of the WM30 build. I know they joke about having that imaginary 7 year rule with WWE angles people sometimes chat about. But this is literally the same angle isn't it? Except he doesn't have to beat Triple H first?

[DavidB6937]

7 minutes ago, Chili said:

I don't watch the product so dickhead me for not bothering to research...

But is this Bryan thing literally a redo of the WM30 build. I know they joke about having that imaginary 7 year rule with WWE angles people sometimes chat about. But this is literally the same angle isn't it? Except he doesn't have to beat Triple H first?

Similar probably, but not sure I'd say it's literally a redo. I'd think of the WM30 stuff more as Bryan vs the Authority and being held down by the company etc.

[Chili]

21 minutes ago, DavidB6937 said:

Similar probably, but not sure I'd say it's literally a redo. I'd think of the WM30 stuff more as Bryan vs the Authority and being held down by the company etc.

Ah yeah, it's the Bryan not in the title match but he should be vibe that's throwing me there.

[rollthedice]

Did anyone else think that wasn't Bray under the burnt Fiend costume? 

 

[WyattSheepMask]

Opener was OK but Banks and Belair are a pair of unlikeable faces and it was blindingly obvious there would be a falling out. I assume that Bayzler is getting a crack at Sasha Banks prior to Mania having pinned the champ clean as anything. Then again she probably won’t.

Big E/Crews was going OK until that fucked ending.

Retribution split - no one cares.

I don’t watch week to week, how long have Rollins and Nakamura had their old themes back? Decent enough match too, although maybe a bit too much of Rollins’ ‘acting’. Nakamura sold for a lot of the match, but that’s the most I’ve enjoyed a match of his in a long time.

Enjoyed Drew/Sheamus, they’ve had a really good series and clearly trust each other enough to work a bit more snug. Of course, this being a Hardcore match on WWE PPV meant fucking bastard kendo sticks again, sick to death of that.

Reigns/Bryan was good as expected because the pair of them are great and work really well together. Jey Uso, whose looking at two thigh-slap fines by the looks of it, didn’t need to be involved, which ultimately dragged the whole down thing down after what was a really good match up to that point. 
Bryan will be involved with the title match at WM, no doubt about it, just depends on how they get there. 
Edge earned his shot, he’d be an idiot to put himself in a position where he could lose that, but Edge v Bryan one-on-one on Night 1, the stip being that if Bryan wins, Night 2’s match becomes a Triple Threat might not be the worst thing they could do and it gives people a reason to watch both nights

Bliss/Orton though, fucking hell. I wasn’t expecting much from it, but if they were to have intergender wrestling, Orton is one of the safest  pair of hands they have. I can’t think of a time that he has legit hurt anybody, so that wasn’t a worry for me. 
This was fucking horrific though. The only reason it gets any love on social media is because Alexa Bliss is involved in it and the pervs think they have a shot with her. Put any other woman from the roster in the role and they’d be shitting all over it. 
It’s just Bliss being Harley Quinn, but the “woa! I’m fucking mad me!” version of Harley Quinn  i.e the shit version, but that’s a whole other conversation. 
A Pre-taped horror movie shitfest surely awaits Orton and Wyatt, purely because I can’t picture them doing it in the Tampa sunshine.

Take out Braun v Elias and Bliss v Orton, this was a decent couple of hours

Edited March 22, 2021 by WyattSheepMask

[RedRooster]

2 hours ago, d-d-d-dAz said:

But I’d consider that a different form of shitting all over it. Maybe it’s not all boo’s, but if they’re fundamentally rejecting the story then that’s still crap.

That match needs Daniel Bryan now, it needs someone the audience can non defiantly, uncynically and Unironically root for.

That said, if they STILL exclude Bryan from the main event, I think the likely result is just boo city.

I'm not sure I would consider it a rejection of the story as much as I would an overdue acceptance of Roman Reigns. 

I don't even think it would harm the match. Brock/Roman is probably the best example I can give from recent 'Manias. Going into that event, people (once again) wanted Bryan to be facing off against Lesnar, but when the bell rang the match wound up being absolutely thrilling and, arguably, the best match on that card. 

Don't get me wrong - they fucked up by not having Bryan win the Rumble, and I fully expect them to add him to the match. 

But if they do wind up going ahead with a Reigns/Edge programme, I don't think it's a disaster. I would be amazed to see the crowd piss all over Reigns after the year he's had. He's the most compelling character in wrestling. The crowd will absolutely want to see him. That doesn't typically result in the reaction you predict. 

Heck, even if he ended up (or ends up) facing Bryan, I'd predict a split crowd, with dualling "Let's go Bryan"/"Roman Reigns" chants - the guy is about to get the biggest positive reaction he's had in years. 

[SuperBacon]

I think a lot of people forget just how many different audiences watch WWE.

Every time my 11 and 8yo's have seen Bliss over the last couple of months when we've watched it, they've loved it. Same with Bray/The Fiend. They'd have probably loved last nights match as well (they'll likely never see it to be honest). It was stupid bollocks, but no more than the stupid bollocks we loved when we were young.

Bryan vs Reigns was typically excellent. Edge is such a third wheel in all of this, and just didn't need to be anywhere near any of this at all. Bryan HAS to be involved.

Seth Rollins is awful. Awful as a baby face, awful as a heel...however, that spot where he hooked his foot on Nak's leg and sweep kicked him was awesome. Fair play.

[Yakashi]

Alexa is very good at doing what they ask. What they ask is utter shit but she does it really well. Randy was the best thing in wrestling this time last year. I’m sure no one could imagine the level of shit he’s been reduced to. Coughing up warriors leftover hair gel and arguing with his own ghost. At least he got to look strong by no selling and blocking fire with his bare hands before he got pinned in one move by the 4ft 10 spooky schoolgirl.

Main event was very, very good but fucking hell, imagine putting themselves in this situation again. Only possible way out of this is having Bryan win the three way before Roman beats him at whatever PPV is the new backlash.

Everything else was just usual wwe style wrestling. Not memorable in the slightest.

[DavidB6937]

29 minutes ago, SuperBacon said:

Seth Rollins is awful. Awful as a baby face, awful as a heel...however, that spot where he hooked his foot on Nak's leg and sweep kicked him was awesome. Fair play.

Is he awful though? He deserves a lot of the criticism he's had over the years but I don't think he's consistently awful. He's been a fantastic fiery babyface at times. And I actually think this incarnation of his heel character is far more entertaining than the messiah stuff with the Mysterios previously, and absolutely better than his Authority heel run for sure.

[SuperBacon]

Just now, DavidB6937 said:

Is he awful though? He deserves a lot of the criticism he's had over the years but I don't think he's consistently awful. He's been a fantastic fiery babyface at times. And I actually think this incarnation of his heel character is far more entertaining than the messiah stuff with the Mysterios previously, and absolutely better than his Authority heel run for sure.

I think he is, and has been pretty much ever since the (first) break up of The Shield,  but it's only my stupid opinion.