Home News 10 Takeaways From WWE Fastlane 2019

10 Takeaways From WWE Fastlane 2019

Robert Lentini
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10 Takeaways From WWE Fastlane 2019
Photo Credit: WWE.com

WWE Fastlane 2019 aired live from Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, OH. It was the final PPV before WrestleMania 35. Here are 10 takeaways from the PPV:

Shane McMahon Attacked The Miz

The Usos defended their SmackDown Tag Team Championships against Shane McMahon & The Miz tonight at Fastlane. The Miz got a great reaction from his hometown crowd. The Miz’s father was seated in the front row for the match.

Shane and The Miz controlled the match early as the crowd chanted “Miz is awesome!”. The Usos battled back and isolated Shane in the ring for several minutes. Shane finally was able to connect with a DDT on Jey Uso.

The Miz and Jimmy tagged in and Miz hit a Back Body Drop and then stomped on Jimmy in the corner. Miz went for a roll-up but Jimmy kicked out at two. The Miz knocked Jimmy and Jey to the outside and connected with a Crossbody off the top rope.

Back in the ring, Miz planted Jimmy with a DDT and went for the cover but Jimmy was able to kick out at two. Jey Uso tagged in and connected with a Samoan Drop for a near fall. Shane ran into the ring and got a Samoan Drop for his troubles. The Miz hit Jey with the Skull Crushing Finale but the referee was distracted by Shane in the ring for a moment and Jey was able to kick out at two.

Jey Uso lifted Miz up in the Electric Chair as Jimmy climbed to the top rope. Miz countered and shoved Jey into the turnbuckle and Jimmy fell to the apron. Shane and Jimmy then climbed up on opposite turnbuckles. Jimmy went for a Frog Splash on Miz but Shane hit Uso with a Dropkick while both Superstars were in midair. The Miz’s dad pointed at the turnbuckle and Miz climbed to the top. Miz went for a Frog Splash but Jimmy got his knees up. Jimmy then rolled up Miz for the pinfall victory.

After the match, The Miz and Shane went up to Miz’s father. The Miz shared a hug with his dad and then raised his hand. Shane McMahon then attacked The Miz from behind and beat him down against the barricade. Shane ripped off Miz’s “Cleveland is awesome” shirt and wiped the sweat off his head. Shane then threw the shirt at The Miz and taunted Miz’s father. Shane then grabbed Miz’s dad by the face and shoved him into the seats. Shane then choked out Miz and delivered a few elbows to his face.

I’m glad they went in this direction and turned Shane McMahon heel instead of The Miz. This storyline has been pretty boring up until this point, but now I’m looking forward to the build over the next few weeks on SmackDown. The best part about Miz & Shane separating is that The Usos can now enter a feud against an actual tag team.

Sonya Deville Accidentally Cost Mandy Rose Her Shot At The Title

Asuka defended her SmackDown Women’s Championship against Mandy Rose at Fastlane. Sonya Deville accompanied Mandy down to the ring for the match. Asuka started off in control and applied a Headlock. Rose broke free but Asuka quickly locked in a Knee Bar. Rose reached the bottom rope to break the hold but Asuka then bounced her face off the top turnbuckle.

Sonya distracted Asuka and Rose tried to capitalize with a kick but Asuka countered into an Ankle Lock. Deville once again hopped up on the apron and Rose connected with a knee to the face for a two count. Asuka locked in Abdominal Stretch as Deville was shown looking under the ring for something.

Asuka hit a Dropkick off the second rope and followed it up with a Hip Attack. Asuka went for another Hip Attack but Mandy got out of the way and hit a knee to the face for a near fall. Deville grabbed a kendo stick from under the ring but left the ring skirt on the ring. Rose then tripped on the ring skirt and Asuka capitalized with a kick to the face for the pinfall victory. Deville tried to apologize after the match but Rose ignored her.

The crowd didn’t give a damn about this match and sat in silence. Asuka and Mandy didn’t seem to be on the same page at all and it led to an awful match. Hopefully, WWE can come up with something on SmackDown so Asuka has an interesting opponent at WrestleMania. After this match, I don’t have any interest in seeing these this feud continue.

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1104891867387318273

Vince McMahon Screwed Over Kofi Kingston Again

Vince McMahon informed Kofi Kingston that he will be added to the WWE Championship match and then barred Xavier Woods and Big E from ringside.

Kofi came down to the ring and was informed that he was actually in a Handicap Match against The Bar.

Sheamus and Cesaro went right after Kingston and beat him down in the corner of the ring as the crowd booed. Kofi tried to fight back but The Bar sent him flying out of the ring. Kingston shoved Sheamus into the ring post and then rolled Cesaro back inside. Kofi climbed to the top rope and leaped towards Cesaro but Cesaro countered with an uppercut.

The crowd chanted “this is boring!” as Cesaro held up Kingston. Sheamus set up for the Brogue Kick as Woods and Big E ran down the entrance ramp. Rusev and Nakamura attacked them from behind as The Bar hit a double White Noise for the victory.

The Revival Retained The RAW Tag Team Championships

The Revival defended their RAW Tag Team Championships against Ricochet & Aleister Black and Bobby Roode & Chad Gable in a Triple Threat match. Black and Ricochet knocked everyone to the outside and then posed in the ring to start off the match.

Dawson tagged in and planted Ricochet with a Suplex for a near fall. Dawson applied a Headlock as the crowd got behind Ricochet. Ricochet broke free and tried to tag in Black but Dawson sent him to the corner. Ricochet connected with Double Knees and both Superstars fell to the canvas.

Black and Roode tagged into the match. Aleister leveled Bobby with a shoulder tackle and followed it up with a running knee to the face. Black hit a Springboard Moonsault and set up for Black Mass but Dawson broke it up. Roode connected with a Spinebuster and tagged Gable back in.

Gable planted Black with a German Suplex but he didn’t realize that Ricochet had tagged in. Wilder leaped off the top rope and hit a Splash on Gable as Ricochet climbed to the stop. Ricochet hit a Shooting Star Press on Wilder and went for the cover but Roode broke it up. Dawson and Ricochet then battled on the top turnbuckle. Ricochet hit a Hurricanrana that sent Dawson flying onto the rest of the Superstars outside the ring.

Ricochet then ridiculously launched himself over the ring post and took out Bobby Roode outside the ring. The Revival then hit the Shatter Machine on Chad Gable to retain the RAW Tag Team Championships. After the match, a brawl broke out and Black & Ricochet were the last two Superstars standing.

Unlike SmackDown, RAW’s tag team division seems to be back on track and it should lead to some great matches every Monday night. This match was absolute chaos and it was awesome to watch.

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Samoa Joe Retained The United States Championship

Samoa Joe put the United States Championship on the line against R-Truth, Andrade, and Rey Mysterio in a Fatal 4-Way match tonight at WWE Fastlane.

Andrade and R-Truth were knocked out of the ring to start off the match. Samoa Joe then launched Rey out of the ring and then took out everyone with a Crossbody. Back in the ring, R-Truth connected with a Slingblade on Andrade for a two count.

Mysterio planted Andrade and R-Truth with a Hurricanrana at the same time and then knocked Andrade to the outside. Samoa Joe got back into the ring and took Truth and Rey out with a Clothesline. Mysterio battled back and planted Joe with a Tornado DDT for a near fall.

Mysterio went for a Crossbody but Joe caught. Andrade then came out of nowhere and hit Joe with a Dropkick. Andrade mocked Eddie Guerrero and went for three Suplexes in a row on Rey. Mysterio countered the third Suplex into a roll-up for a near fall.

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Rey Mysterio climbed to the top rope and hit Andrade with an awesome Hurricanrana outside the ring. Zelina Vega attacked R-Truth from behind but Carmella fought her off. Joe connected with the Uranage on Rey but R-Truth broke up the cover. R-Truth hit the Five Knuckle Shuffle on Joe but Joe quickly got up. Joe launched R-Truth into the ring post but got hit with a 619 from Mysterio. Rey went for a Splash but Joe got out of the way and Joe locked in the Coquina Clutch. Mysterio passed out and Joe retained the United States Championship.

Fastlane has been a surprisingly good show so far. Aside from the SmackDown Women’s Championship match, every match has been entertaining. It is awesome to see Joe finally get a run with a title. He didn’t pick up a fluke roll-up win tonight, he choked out a legend in Rey Mysterio. Joe has deserved this for a long time and I hope WWE continues to build him up and gives him a long run with the United States Championship.

Nia Jax & Tamina Attacked Beth Phoenix After Losing Their Title Match

Sasha Banks & Bayley defended their Women’s Tag Team Championships against Nia Jax & Tamina tonight at WWE Fastlane. Bayley and Tamina started off the match by locking up in the middle of the ring. Tamina showed off her strength and shoved Bayley to the corner. Bayley exploded with a flurry of punches and then tagged Sasha Banks into the match.

Banks applied a Headlock but Nia was able to tag herself in. Nia lifted Banks up onto her shoulders but Sasha was able to escape and tag in Bayley. Nia once again lifted Banks up and launched her onto Bayley. Nia went for the cover but Bayley kicked out at two.

Tamina tagged back in and leveled Bayley with a Clothesline for a two count. Tamina brought Bayley back to the corner and tagged in Nia. Jax. and Tamina then took turns beating down Bayley for the next few minutes as Banks pleaded for a tag.

Finally, Sasha was able to tag in and she connected with a Crossbody off the top rope onto Tamina. Banks followed it up with a running knee for a two count. Tamina tagged in Nia and then they completely botched a Samoan Drop. Nia almost dropped Banks but was able to hit the Samoan Drop and went for the cover but Bayley broke it up.

Bayley tagged in and launched Tamina out of the ring. Tamina and Jax both tried to charge at Bayley and both crashed into the ring post. Banks tagged in and hit Double Knees on Nia off the top turnbuckle. Banks then hit a Crossbody off the top rope but Jax caught her on the outside of the ring. Bayley followed that up with a Suicide Dive that took out everyone.

Back in the ring, Bayley connected with an Elbow Drop on Nia and went for the cover but Tamina dragged her to the outside. Bayley hit Tamina with a Neckbreaker and then charged at Jax. Nia lifted her up for a Powerbomb but Bayley countered into a cover for the victory.

After the match, Tamina and Nia Jax attacked Bayley and Sasha. Jax launched Banks over the announce table as the crowd booed. Beth Phoenix was commentating on the match and Tamina got in her face. Beth blasted Tamina in the face but Jax attacked her from behind. Jax and Tamina rolled Beth into the ring and Nia hit her with a Leg Drop.

Tamina then climbed to the top rope but Natalya rushed the ring for the save. Tamina hit Natalya with a Superkick and then punched Phoenix in the face several times. WWE officials then rushed the ring and Tamina & Jax retreated.

I had zero interest in this match going into it but I actually enjoyed it. The botched Samoan Drop spot was the only negative. The rest of the match was entertaining and I’m interested in what went down after the match. Nia Jax and Tamina have gotten no reaction every week on RAW, but the crowd booed them out of the building tonight. That is a good sign and hopefully, Jax and Tamina continue to disrupt things on tomorrow night’s RAW. A match with Jax and Tamina is never going to be a work of art, but at least we were given a reason to hate them tonight. I’ll need that trend to continue for me to care about any match involving Jax and Tamina going forward.

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1104910608502325249

Daniel Bryan Retained In A Great Match

Mustafa Ali was added the to the WWE Championship match tonight. Thus, Daniel Bryan defended the title against Ali and Kevin Owens in a Triple Threat Match. Ali got booed during the introductions before the match because the crowd was pissed off that Kofi Kingston wasn’t in the match.

The crowd broke out in a loud “we want Kofi!” chant before as referee Mike Chioda raised up the title. Bryan told Owens and Ali that they don’t deserve to be in this match because he has a purpose and is the planet’s champion. Owens and Ali beat the hell out of Bryan and sent him flying out of the ring. Owens hit Ali with a shoulder tackle as the crowd went back to the “we want Kofi!” chant.

Owens and Ali then battled in the corner of the ring. Bryan hit Ali with a Dropkick that sent him flying into the barricade outside the ring in an awesome sequence.

Owens and Bryan traded shots for a bit as Ali tried to get back into the ring. Mustafa finally got to the apron but Daniel quickly knocked to the floor. Bryan hit Owens with a kick to the face and went for the cover but Ali broke it up at two. Daniel then hit Ali with a Belly to Back Suplex.

Owens hit a Cannonball on Bryan and went for one Ali but Mustafa countered with a Superkick. Owens then lifted up Ali and hit a Senton on Bryan while Mustafa was on his back. Kevin delivered a couple of chops to Bryan’s chest and then perched him up on the top turnbuckle.

Mustafa hit Owens with an Inverted Hurricanrana and then hit Bryan with a Spanish Fly off the top rope. Ali made his way up to the top turnbuckle and went for the 054 but Owens got out of the way. Owens hit Ali with the Stunner and went for the cover but Bryan broke it up at the last second.

Bryan went for the running knee but Owens countered into the Pop-Up Powerbomb for a near fall. Owens tried to Powerbomb Bryan on the apron but Daniel countered into a Back Body Drop. Bryan charged at Ali but Mustafa got out of the way and Daniel crashed into the ring post. Ali climbed back up to the top rope and hit the 054 onto Bryan on the ring apron.

Daniel rolled to the opposite side of the ring and Ali followed him. Mustafa went for the cover but Rowan dragged him out of the ring. Rowan hopped up to the ring apron and Owens and Ali hit him with a double Superkick. Ali hit Rowan with a Hurricranrana and then Owens flipped onto him.

Bryan hit Owens with a knee to the face and rolled Owens inside the ring. Bryan climbed to to the top rope but Ali attacked him from behind. Ali perched Daniel on the top turnbuckle and hit him with a chop to the chest. Bryan shoved Ali off the turnbuckle but Mustafa flipped and landed on his feet. Ali then leaped off the apron and planted Bryan with a Tornado DDT. Owens hit Ali with a Pop-Up Powerbomb on the ring apron, but Rowan interfered and sent Owens over the barricade.

Daniel rolled Ali into the ring and went for the cover but Mustafa somehow kicked out at two. The crowd broke out in a “Kofi!” chant once again as Bryan slapped Ali in the face. Ali responded with a slap of his own and hopped up to the second rope. Mustafa leaped towards Bryan but Daniel was ready and hit the running knee for the pinfall victory. Daniel Bryan is still the WWE Champion. After the match, Rowan grabbed Ali by the face and slammed him to the mat.

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I thought this match was dead once Ali was introduced as the third Superstar. The crowd went totally negative but Owens, Ali, and Bryan were able to win them back. Mustafa Ali was put in an impossible situation here, it reminded me of Rey Mysterio entering the Royal Rumble at #30 in 2014 when the crowd desperately wanted Daniel Bryan.

The crowd didn’t want to boo Mustafa Ali, but he wasn’t Kofi Kingston, so they had no choice. However, they were able to get the crowd back into it by providing an awesome title match. WWE is clearly setting this up for Kingston to have his moment at WrestleMania 35 and I have no issue with that.

Ronda Rousey Ensured That Becky Lynch Is Going To WrestleMania

Charlotte Flair faced Becky Lynch tonight at WWE Fastlane. If Lynch won the match, she would be added to the RAW Women’s Championship match at WrestleMania 35. Lynch hobbled her way down the entrance ramp with her crutch as Flair grinned in the ring.

Flair pointed at the WrestleMania sign as Becky threw the crutch out of the ring. Becky hobbled around the ring and Flair mocked her. Becky responded with a flurry of right hands but Charlotte shrugged them off and sent Lynch to the corner.

Charlotte continued to taunt Lynch and then booted Becky in her injured knee. Flair applied the Half Crab in the middle of the ring and shoved her elbow in Lynch’s face. The crowd chanted “Becky!” as she screamed in agony. Lynch escaped for a moment but Flair trapped her back in the Half Crab in the center of the ring.

Lynch finally escaped the hold but Charlotte went right back to work on Becky’s injured knee by slamming it into the ring apron a couple of times. Becky desperately tried to roll-up Charlotte but Flair kicked out at two. Charlotte launched Becky out of the ring and then launched Lynch into the barricade.

Back in the ring, Charlotte climbed to the top rope but Lynch was able to shove her to the floor outside the ring. Flair got back into the ring and Lynch quickly locked in the Dis-Arm-Her. Flair countered into the Figure Four and then bridged into the Figure Eight in the middle of the ring.

RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey then rushed the ring and hit Becky Lynch. Referee Charles Robinson then announced that Becky Lynch won the match by DQ and is heading to WrestleMania. Rousey smirked and then exited the ring as Charlotte got pissed off. Rousey pointed to the WrestleMania sign and made her way backstage.

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I thought that this was terrible. I’m still excited about the RAW Women’s Championship Triple Threat Match at WrestleMania 35, but this was the dumbest way to get there in my opinion. Becky could have stolen this match with a roll-up, I don’t understand the point of Rousey interfering and making her odds to retain worse. Rousey blasted the WWE Universe on last week’s RAW and did it again on social media this week.

I was under the impression that she is now a heel, so why would she go out of her way to make sure the fan favorite is in the title match at WrestleMania? It really doesn’t matter because the majority of people are still going to be excited for this match, myself included. I just often catch myself trying to make sense of the words or actions of WWE Superstars, even though I watch every second of WWE programming.

AJ Styles Attacked Randy Orton

Elias appeared several times tonight during WWE Fastlane. Elias would try to perform a song but was constantly being interrupted by WWE Superstars making their entrance. Lacey Evans interrupted and classed up the joint by strutting down the entrance ramp.

Randy Orton then snuck into the ring and hit Elias with an RKO out of nowhere. Orton posed for the crowd as AJ Styles came down to the ring through the crowd. Styles set up on the apron and then hit Randy with the Phenomenal Forearm.

Randy Orton has been interrupting AJ Styles during backstage interviews on the past few episodes of SmackDown. AJ Styles versus Randy Orton at WrestleMania 35 sounds like a great match and I’m looking forward to watching the storyline progress over the next few episodes of SmackDown before WrestleMania.

The Shield Ended The Night With A Win

The Shield reunited and battled McIntyre, Baron Corbin, and Bobby Lashley in the main event of WWE Fastlane. Rollins was isolated in the ring for the first part of the match but finally was able to escape and tag in Ambrose.

Dean connected with a Clothesline on McIntyre and went for a roll-up but Drew kicked out at two. Ambrose Clotheslined McIntyre out of the ring and then hit him with an elbow to the face off the top rope.

Back in the ring, Lashley hit Ambrose with a Spear as Corbin launched Rollins into the barricade. McIntyre hit Dean with the Claymore Kick and Ambrose fell to the floor outside the ring.

McIntyre, Corbin, and Lashley took turns beating the hell out of Ambrose for the next few minutes. Dean finally was able to fight back and hit Lashley with a Neckbreaker. McIntyre tagged in and walked right into a Clothesline from Ambrose.

Roman Reigns and Corbin tagged in. Reigns hit Corbin with a Clothesline and then blasted McIntyre and Lashley off the ring apron. Reigns hit Baron with a Drive-By and went for the cover but McIntyre broke it up at two.

Rollins and Ambrose took out McIntyre and Lashley with double Suicide Dives. Reigns Clotheslined Corbin out of the ring but Baron shrugged it off and planted Reigns with the Deep Six for a two count.

Dean Ambrose sprinted across the announce tables and took out everyone in the timekeeper’s area as Corbin and Reigns traded shots in the middle of the ring. Corbin connected with a Chokeslam for a near fall as Ambrose, Rollins, Lashley, and McIntyre battled in the crowd.

Corbin went for a Superplex but Reigns blocked it. Roman planted Corbin with a Powerbomb off the top rope and went for the cover but Baron kicked out at the last moment. McIntyre and Lashley lifted up Ambrose but Rollins leaped out of the stands and took everyone out with a Crossbody. Back in the ring, Reigns went for a Superman Punch but Corbin blocked it. Reigns then quickly was able to hit the Superman Punch for a two count as Rollins and Ambrose made their way back to the ringside area.

Reigns hit Lashley and McIntyre with a Superman Punch but turned around into the End of Days from Corbin. Baron went for the cover but Dean Ambrose leaped across the ring to break it up at the last second. Corbin got pissed off and punched Ambrose in the face several times.

Corbin, McIntyre, and Lashley cleared off an announce table and were about to Powerbomb Reigns through it but Ambrose and Rollins broke it up. Roman hit Bobby with a Superman Punch and then Seth delivered The Stomp to Lashley on the announce table.

Roman hit Corbin with a Spear and then The Shield beat the hell out Drew McIntyre. The Shield connected with a Powerbomb that sent McIntyre through an announce table. The crowd chanted “one more time!” as Reigns, Rollins, and Ambrose nodded their heads.

The crowd chanted “this is awesome!” as The Shield surrounded Corbin in the ring. Rollins hit Corbin with a Superkick, Reigns connected with a Superman Punch, and then Ambrose delivered the Dirty Deeds to Corbin. The Shield then planted Corbin with the Powerbomb and Reigns covered Baron for the victory. Rollins, Reigns, and Ambrose then shared a hug in the middle of the ring after the match.

I thought something interesting was going to happen after this match, given the fact that it was the main event of the PPV. I was waiting for Ambrose to attack Reigns but nothing happened at all. Instead, it was just a 6-man tag match and The Shield picked up the win. I understand giving The Shield a nice send-off, but that could have happened during an episode of RAW. Overall, Fastlane 2019 was still a very entertaining show and the next few weeks of RAW and SmackDown should be interesting as WWE builds towards WrestleMania 35.

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