WWE Fastlane 2018: Star Ratings For All 7 Matches

6. Shinsuke Nakamura Vs. Rusev

Shanes FACE STARS
WWE.com

Happily, the Ohio crowd were high on both men, generating a hot atmosphere for an opener that met its various remits perfectly.

Rusev stalled with cowardice in the early going, slowing down the in-ring narrative to obscure from fans the tricky real-life story of Rusev's all-round awesomeness. The clever gambit paid off; once he made his way back into the ring, the heel tactics drove the hoped-for crowd reaction, which the Bulgarian Brute bolstered with a procession of vicious power moves and purposefully tedious wear-down holds. Mercifully, the lessons of 2017 were learned, belatedly; this wasn't an 80/20 fighting-from-underneath performance; the second half boasted two flattering performances from both men, who built their match well towards a breathless and stiff finish. Nakamura was put over as a submission artist, finding slick and inventive escapes from the Accolade, which was put over as something devastating. He didn't struggle to mimic the WWE babyface template: this was Nakamura wrestling as a confident Nakamura.

The finish was pure Nakamura too, in its wince-inducing violence. Returning the favour, he put Rusev over as a threat by flooring him with two Kinshasa kicks - the first, struck to the back of the head, was atypical of WWE policy, restoring Nakamura's otherworldly aura.

Star Rating: ***3/4

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and surefire Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!