6 Ups & 7 Downs From WWE Fastlane 2021

Ups…

6. Nothing Match Revs Up

Mustafa Ali Matt Riddle
WWE.com

Riddle versus Mustafa Ali in a rematch from Raw is the definition of a kickoff show match that didn’t really any expectations – or interest.

But the two grapplers managed to suck viewers in during a hot closing sequence that more than made up for a pretty pedestrian first half. Riddle mounted a quick-paced comeback after Ali had worn him down, nailing an Exploder suplex, PK, powerbomb and Final Flash knee for a near-fall, then had a Floating Bro blocked. But Riddle then turned a Tornado DDT attempt into a Fisherman Buster for a 2-count, only for Ali to immediately segue to a Koji Clutch.

In the end, it was Riddle hoisting Ali up to the middle turnbuckle for a Bro Derek for the successful United States Championship defense in a match that actually showed a glimmer of what both men can do in the ring.

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Contributor

Scott is a former journalist and longtime wrestling fan who was smart enough to abandon WCW during the Monday Night Wars the same time as the Radicalz. He fondly remembers watching WrestleMania III, IV, V and VI and Saturday Night's Main Event, came back to wrestling during the Attitude Era, and has been a consumer of sports entertainment since then. He's written for WhatCulture for more than a decade, establishing the Ups and Downs articles for WWE Raw and WWE PPVs/PLEs and composing pieces on a variety of topics.