Fastlane 2015: A WrestleMania Setup Show Saved by Its Main Event

Fastlane opens with six wrestlers carrying several overlapping Authority stories, and the match feels more like a long Raw segment than a pay-per-view attraction. Ziggler supplies most of the pace for the babyface side, while Big Show and Kane slow the middle around power offense and isolation. The finish leans on Seth Rollins distracting the referee so Big Show can land the knockout punch before Kane pins Ziggler after a chokeslam. That result gives The Authority another protected win without resolving much. The post-match attack is more important because Randy Orton returns and drops Noble, Mercury and Kane with RKOs while Rollins escapes. The wrestling is competent, but the segment exists mainly to restart Orton's program.

Goldust and Stardust finally receive a singles match after weeks of brother-versus-brother tension, but the bout never captures the emotional weight the story suggests. The work is deliberate and technically sound, with both wrestlers using familiar counters to emphasize how well they know each other. The problem is the finish. Goldust wins with a crucifix pin that looks awkward and arrives before the match has built a meaningful closing stretch. Stardust shaking his brother's hand afterward briefly teases reconciliation before another backstage attack makes clear that the feud will continue. That structure turns the pay-per-view match into another chapter rather than a payoff. Nothing is disastrous, but the rivalry deserved more intensity and a clearer conclusion.

Tyson Kidd and Cesaro versus The Usos is the undercard's clearest success because the teams already have chemistry and the championship change feels earned. The Usos bring the faster opening pace, while Cesaro's power and Kidd's precision create enough contrast to keep the match from becoming a sequence of similar exchanges. Natalya remains involved at ringside without determining the finish. Kidd eventually catches Jimmy Uso with a swinging fisherman neckbreaker and scores the pin to win the titles. The result gives Kidd and Cesaro immediate credibility as a team and creates a fresh championship direction heading into WrestleMania. The match is not long enough to become great, but it is crisp, decisive and useful.

Nikki Bella and Paige have enough character contrast for a stronger championship match, but Fastlane gives them barely five and a half minutes. Paige works aggressively and creates a few believable comeback moments, while Nikki uses her power advantage to keep the champion in control for stretches. The finish is the larger problem. Nikki rolls Paige up while holding her tights, retaining the title through a shortcut that protects the challenger but denies the match a satisfying conclusion. The result immediately points toward another rematch and the eventual return of AJ Lee. The wrestling is competent, and the crowd understands the rivalry, but the division receives neither the time nor the clean finish needed to make the title feel important.

Bad News Barrett and Dean Ambrose enter with a simple championship story and then receive one of the night's most frustrating finishes. Ambrose's aggression fits the feud, and Barrett's strikes give the match enough physicality to suggest it might become a useful midcard title fight. Instead, Ambrose refuses to stop attacking Barrett in the corner and is disqualified at the referee's five count. He responds by hitting Dirty Deeds and leaving with the championship belt, preserving the feud without resolving anything. The decision technically matches Ambrose's reckless character, but it makes the pay-per-view audience sit through eight minutes for an intentional non-payoff. The match is not badly wrestled; the booking simply prevents it from becoming worthwhile.

Rusev and John Cena give Fastlane its first match that feels like a genuine pay-per-view attraction. Rusev's power and undefeated aura make Cena work from underneath for long stretches, while Cena's comebacks are strong enough to make the champion's control feel meaningful. The Attitude Adjustment near-fall gives Rusev a major survival moment, and the Accolade becomes a credible finishing threat rather than a routine submission hold. The ending uses Lana to distract the referee, allowing Rusev to land a low blow before reapplying the Accolade until Cena passes out. The shortcut protects Cena and creates an obvious WrestleMania rematch, but the match itself is physical and well paced. Rusev leaves looking stronger despite the interference.

Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan rescue the event with a main event built around the exact question WWE needed to answer before WrestleMania. Bryan pushes Reigns into a longer, more technical match than Reigns had usually worked in singles competition, forcing him to survive the Yes Lock, repeated kicks and a Running Knee. Reigns answers with power, counters the third suicide dive outside and survives Bryan's best offense without relying on interference. The finish is clean when Reigns catches Bryan's second Running Knee attempt with a spear and scores the pin. Bryan's post-match handshake gives the result additional legitimacy. The crowd remains divided, but the match proves Reigns can deliver under pressure and sends WrestleMania toward the intended Lesnar title match.