After a year hiatus, WWE Fastlane came back, and even though it was only five matches, it was a thrilling and insane night in Indianapolis.
Typically held after the Royal Rumble, this year's edition was the first time Fastlane was held during the fall. Three of the five matches were for championships, and one championship changed hands.
John Cena and LA Knight had their much anticipated matchup against Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso of The Bloodline, and the end result will sure have ripple effects in the coming weeks, especially involving Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns. The night was also capped off with a wild Last Man Standing match between Seth Rollins and Shinsuke Nakamura that is worth watching over and over again.
Here is a recap of the action from Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis:
What a brutal, stunning and creative match that was.
The Last Man Standing match was out of control from the moment the bell rang. There were kendo sticks, tables, ladders and even nunchucks in what turned out to be an insane battle from two of the most entertaining stars on the WWE roster.
The match truly went off the rails outside of the ring when Nakamura spit out the red mist on Rollins' face in what looked like blood as he fell through the announcer's table. But the champion got up before the 10 second count. Rollins even got a kinshasa from Nakamura through the table, but the champion got out of the ring to stay in the match. It went in the stands, and Rollins hit a falcon arrow through a table that gave both stars pain. Both stars were down, but Rollins was able to get up before the count of 10, while Nakamura wasn't, as Rollins retained in a gruesome match.
The brutality each star endured was worth a round of applause, and it was one of the craziest Last Man Standing matches in recent memory.
The build up for this match was main event worthy, and it ended it some major questions for The Bloodline.
Cena started the match and started off on a good note, but Sikoa imposed his will on the 16-time WWE champion, and it was just Cena getting punished for a good portion of the match, all while Uso taunted the crowd. But the crowd at Gainbridge Fieldhouse was ready to blow the roof off the place once LA Knight got into the match.
The match picked up from there, including a high flying sequence from Cena and Uso. The Bloodline looked like they were poised to get the win, but LA Knight's pure athleticism was on display with a jump on the top rope to take Uso down. Cena hit the signature five-knuckle shuffle before LA Knight hit the BFT to get the big win for the hottest star in the men's division. As for The Bloodline, Paul Heyman summarized it best.
"We got a problem," he said.
Asuka and Charlotte Flair came into this match as some of the biggest names in the women's division, but Iyo Sky continues to make a name for herself.
It was a match full of opportunities from each star, with Flair showing off her power, Asuka showing her technical work and Sky showcasing her aerial attack. But veteran Flair and Asuka gave some big highlights, with Flair launching herself off the top rope outside of the ring and Asuka with a big powerbomb of the other competitors.
Asuka and Flair traded submissions, but neither were able to get a tap out before Sky interrupted. Bayley later came to the aid of Sky, but the champion could be heard saying "I don't need you" before she got taken out.
But it turned out to be the difference; Flair got Asuka to tap out on a figure eight, but Bayley distracted the referee. Sky then landed the over the moonsault on Flair to get the pin and retain.
Now that's cool.
Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar were in need of a partner for their six-man tag match, and they were completely dominated for nearly the entire match. But when the LWO was just about done, veteran Carlito returned to a massive pop. He hit signature after signature move, ending with it with a backstabber on Ford and securing the pin to get the comeback win.
One match, new champions.
The biggest question going into the match was if Rhodes and Uso would have good in-ring chemistry with the pair sharing such little time working with one another. It was a solid start to the match with several quick tags from the challengers. It wasn't until midway through the match that Priest and Balor took momentum, but Rhodes was able to get in and turn it back his way, including a superplex off the top rope on Balor.
Things look destined for a dirty finish when Rhea Ripley, Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh came out to support Priest and Balor, but no distraction could get in the way. McDonagh used the Money in the Bank briefcase to his advantage, but instead hit Priest's injured knee. Rhodes and Uso then unleashed a full-on assault on Balor, with Rhodes capping it with a Cross Rhodes for the win and crown new tag champions in what was an exhilarating start to Fastlane.
WWE's newest signee is in the building.
Less than two weeks after signing with the company, former AEW Jade Cargill arrived in Indianapolis in style, where she was greeted by WWE chief content officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque before walking off together.
In recent years, WWE has strayed away from having special stages for its pay-per-views, often going with the same one on Raw and Smackdown. But it's upping the stage a bit this time around, adding race cars to the stage for the event held in Indianapolis.
Fastlane is Saturday, Oct. 7 at 8 p.m. ET.
The event can be streamed on Peacock, but you must have their premium or premium-plus subscription to watch. Internationally, it will be available on WWE Network.
Matches not in order of schedule
Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar will be taking on the Street Profits and Bobby Lashes in a six-man tag team match, but it is unknown who will be the third person for LWO with Joaquin Wilde and Cruz Del Toro out. In a backstage segment, Mysterio told Escobar he made a call to someone, but they haven't responded yet.
Several outlets have reported veteran Carlito could be in the mix, with his last appearance at Backlash in May.
It's new era in WWE for Montez Ford.
Ford, alongside Angelo Dawkins, have become a crowd favorite as the Street Profits since their debut in 2016, with their hype, solo cup-drinking-selves bringing a lit atmosphere to the tag team division. But the former WWE Smackdown and Raw Tag Team Champions have meant business recently, aligning themselves with veteran Bobby Lashley in what could become the next dominant faction.
The trio will have their first match together when they take on the LWO − Rey Mysterio, Santos Escobar and either Joaquin Wilde or Cruz Del Toro − at Fastlane on Saturday, and Ford hopes it'll be a preview of what's to come from the rejuvanated team.
"This the hungriest we've ever been in our entire WWE stages," Ford told USA TODAY Sports.
Read the full feature on Montez Ford here.
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