10 Positives Heading Into WWE Fastlane 2017
6. Samoa Joe’s Arrival
It may feel like something of a distant memory now, but the Fastlane build did of course provide fans with the debut of Samoa Joe on the post-Royal Rumble episode of Raw.
Admittedly, things didn’t quite pan out as expected. Seth Rollins, the man who would most likely have been facing Joe at the upcoming PPV, re-injured his knee taking the Coquina Clutch, leaving Joe high and dry with regards to an opponent for Fastlane.
Crucially, though, the writers have managed to maintain Joe’s momentum with some solid back-up plans. A pinfall victory over Roman Reigns, not to mention his attacks on Sami Zayn, have helped him look every bit like the destroyer he’s being touted as. And to make the best of a bad situation, though it may not have been intentional, sidelining Rollins in the way that he did also helped to further that reputation.
As the first-ever two-time NXT Champion, as well as one of the better workers in the company, big things were expected of Joe upon graduating to the main roster. We haven’t been let down on that account.