10 WWE Fastlane 2018 Impulse Reactions

1. Leg It

Shinsuke Nakamura Rusev
WWE

AJ Styles' successful WWE Title defence was greeted with relief more than out-and-out joy after John Cena's Monday Night Raw promo struck fear in the hearts of the fanbase that he'd sneak his way into their main event. It was an inspired touch from WWE to use their vaunted headliner to put the long-awaited battle under threat and install the tiniest shred of suspense into Sunday's six-pack smasher.

People needn't have worried - the result had really been foreshadowed within seconds of the pay-per-view's start.

Shinsuke Nakamura looked f*cking magnificent in his striped ensemble. 'The King Of Strong Style' hasn't delivered a wealth of matches to prove his worthiness on the 'Grandest Stage', but his sartorial elegance has more-than justified the spot. A spiritual sequel to the hooped numbers he'd saved for NXT TakeOver title matches and the best look he's had since his Survivor Series SmackDown Live! blue, the stripes have opened up a world of opportunities for the 'Show Of Shows'. Does he now swap the palette for WrestleMania? Jagged lines? Stripes and hoops, one on each leg?!

'The Phenomenal One' wasn't to be out-done. His luxurious turquoise tights bettered the stunning red-and-blue photoshopped efforts that adored the pay-per-view poster.

Ronda Rousey's debut clash might be considered the true main event of WrestleMania, and Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns may go on last. But AJ and Shinsuke reminded the world exactly who'll be wearing the trousers at the 'Show Of Shows'. Long Style has arrived.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett