11 WWE Fastlane 2019 Impulse Reactions

8. Asuka Vs. Mandy Rose

Asuka Mandy Rose
WWE

This wasn't any good.

At just 6:40, Mandy Rose and SmackDown Live Women's Champion Asuka didn't exactly have an age to tell much of a story, but full responsibility shouldn't have fallen to Sonya Deville's Where's Kendo act on the floor to keep the fans keen. Nor facilitate the most pathetic of finishes.

Slipping on figurative banana skins has long been the most frustrating get-out-of-jail-free card for the company, but a literal stumble on a ring skirt ever-so-slightly left rested on the apron made both heels look like total mugs before an almighty boot floored Rose for the easy victory.

In defence of both combatants, the closing kick looked absolutely amazing - Kevin Dunn knew as much and provided a glorious beauty shot of it in the aftermath. That he chose to shine yet another light on the utterly embarrassing set-piece that preceded it highlighted what we were meant to be focussing on as the villains stumbled and bumbled their way to the back.

AJ Styles was aghast when Daniel Bryan put the men's belt in the bin. Why are so few bothered that the entire organisation have done the same to Asuka's prize?

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation for 10 years. Alongside the production of daily written, audio and video content covering WWE and AEW, he 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 on the UK's wrestling podcast charts with over 10,000 episodes and 70,000,000 total downloads. He also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House!, Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast, and has guested on long-running Sunderland AFC podcast Wise Men Say. With WhatCulture, he has provided in-person coverage of some of the biggest pay-per-views and Premium Live Events in wrestling history, including WrestleMania, Survivor Series, All In & Double Or Nothing in destinations such as New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. He has also been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana, 411Mania and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling. 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 music and culture magazines The Crack, Pilot as well as Sunderland AFC's premiere fanzine A Love Supreme. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it every other Saturday at the Stadium Of Light, and at Cribs gigs nationwide.