‘WWE Fastlane 2023’ PPV Review
Welcome to this review of the 2023 edition of WWE”s Fastlane pay-per-view, well I say pay-per-view but this is technically a PLE (Premium Live Event) because… I have no idea what the difference is other than some countries get to see PLE’s without paying more than a subscription to a streaming service. Anyway, rant over, here’s the review…
Match #1: Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship – Cody Rhodes & Jey Uso def. Finn Bálor & Damian Priest
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
The Judgment Day’s firm grasp on WWE is slipping as Señor Money in the Bank and Finn Bálor lost the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships to the unlikely pairing of Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso. Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley, NXT North American Champion “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh arrived to help their Judgment Day teammates, but McDonagh’s attack backfired as he accidentally hit Damian Priest with the Money in the Bank briefcase instead of The American Nightmare. That was the beginning of the end for Priest and Bálor, as Rhodes laid out Priest with a Cross Rhodes on top of the announce table. Moments later, Jey landed a superkick and held Bálor in place for a Cody Cutter. Finally, a Cody Cutter to Bálor allowed Rhodes and Uso to become the new Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #2: Rey Mysterio, Santos Escobar & Carlito def. Bobby Lashley & The Street Profits
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
WWE Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio recruited none other than Carlito to be his and Santos Escobar’s partner for their Six-Man Tag Team Match against Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits, and it was a decision that not only delighted the WWE Universe, but it also helped them pick up the win. The LWO started the match a man down, but the arrival of Carlito sparked their huge comeback, as he nailed a Backstabber to pin Montez Ford to give his team the victory.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #3: WWE Women’s Championship Triple Threat Match – IYO SKY def. Charlotte Flair and Asuka
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
The WWE Women’s Championship remains with Damage CTRL as IYO SKY pinned Charlotte Flair to retain her title in spectacular fashion. Flair was blasted by Asuka’s signature green mist just moments into the match, and it sparked a frenetic and action-packed contest that reached its crescendo when Bayley distracted the official, allowing SKY to hit a gravity-defying moonsault onto Flair that delivered the champion the victory. SKY’s win wasn’t without controversy, however, as it appeared that Asuka was tapping out to Charlotte’s Figure-Eight Leglock prior to the champion landing her moonsault.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #4: John Cena & LA Knight def. The Bloodline
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
The Dream Team of John Cena and LA Knight set the WWE Universe ablaze with their thrilling takedown of Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa of The Bloodline. Sikoa and Uso dominated the action early, but once The Megastar tagged in, the tides turned in a major way as he and The Greatest of All Time took control of the match and infuriated Paul Heyman. With all four Superstars brawling, The Cenation Leader clocked Uso with the Five-Knuckle Shuffle, and Knight scored the three-count after following up with Blunt Force Trauma.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #5: World Heavyweight Championship Last Man Standing Match – Seth “Freakin” Rollins def. Shinsuke Nakamura
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Seth “Freakin” Rollins retained his World Heavyweight Championship in a Last Man Standing Match, but it came at an agonizing cost for The Visionary. Shinsuke Nakamura made it a point to attack the champion’s already injured back, and he did just that by sending Rollins through three separate tables, each time coming closer to winning the title. With what seemed like his last gasp, Rollins hit Nakamura with a Falcon Arrow through a table and rose to his feet, retaining his title, and sending the WWE Universe into a frenzy.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 2.5/5
This was a weird pay-per-view, sorry, premium live event… We got a good opening match and two good mid-card matches but the main event was bad and so was the 6-man tag match. And the whole thing was only 5 matches? That could’ve been an episode of Raw. In fact, this would have been a fantastic episode of Raw, even if it made for a mediocre PLE. At least we got new Undisputed Tag Champs. The best thing about Fastlane? The “drunk” Cody and Jey on the post-show media scrum!