8 Match Star Ratings For WWE Fastlane 2021

6. Big E Vs. Apollo Crews - Intercontinental Title Match

Randy Orton Goo
WWE.com

The f*ck was this?

Mistakes happen at all levels, and the thoroughly bizarre finish to the match was as much the fault of the edict as the talent. In a rational company, an audible would have been called to just move on in the hope that the strong work would help the audience recover from the botch.

WWE is not a rational company; in WWE, a company in which murder clowns return from the dead with burnt d*cks for fingers, the referees are instructed to treat everything like a shoot. It is bewildering.

And that is the only word for this finish; the entire organisation was so bewildered that no official announcement was made as to who won. Was this a tilt? A double pin? It hardly helped that such a device was used to prolong this rivalry a month or so back.

It's a shame, because this was uncharacteristically hot and urgent for a WWE midcard match. Worked in a proper physical sprint rhythm, this exploding beef match was damn good for five minutes or so there.

And then Pancrase Vince's weirdness screwed it all up.

Star Rating: ★

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Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!