10 Impulse Reactions Following WWE Fastlane 2017
10. Hey Joe
An auspicious WWE pay-per-view debut for Samoa Joe saw 'The Destroyer' disappointingly brush past Sami Zayn in under ten minutes, in an elongated squash that did little for either man.
Over the past several months, Zayn has become the latest recipient of WWE's stop-start treatment, with gutsy displays against Braun Strowman and Rusev undermined with one-sided beatings on television and a rather pedestrian kicking from the 'Samoan Submission Machine' here.
Joe is brand new to the main roster, so it's understandable why he must be protected. And only a small portion of the audience saw these two as virtually inseparable in their absorbing NXT feud just one year prior.
That said, rather than implementing a return to their lengthy displays, or having Joe steamroll Zayn in under five minutes, the company dithered in the middle ground.
Zayn looked like a speedbump, whilst Joe's casual victory did far less for him than his debut attack on Seth Rollins or his follow-up victory over Roman Reigns the following week.
The conclusiveness of the beating did seem to signal bigger WrestleMania plans for Joe, but conversely smaller ones for Sami, as he may now have to settle for Battle Royal duties.