8 WWE Fastlane 2021 Impulse Reactions
4. Seth Rollins Vs Shinsuke Nakamura
This match was more important than it might have first appeared, and not because the story about Shinsuke Nakamura sticking up for his former tag team partner Cesaro was particularly exhilarating.
Rollins and Nakamura was to be the "workers" match for the evening. The type of contest Rollins and Cesaro will want to have in front of 25,000 punters at WrestleMania. The sort of pairing people get excited about the idea of without giving a huge deal of thought to the possible outcome. Here, there wasn't much to say afterwards either.
Functionally fine but with a grand total of one interesting spot - Rollins countered a ducked kick by rolling his foot into the back of Nakamura's head - this wasn't exactly a sales pitch to Vince McMahon about doing the big payoff on 'The Grandest Stage', but hopefully the 'Swiss Superman's spot on the card has already been assured anyway.
We'll know on Friday for sure. If both get thrown into a multi-man ladder match, consider this contest the reason. Offensively inoffensive, this was a golden opportunity to provide some fireworks on a show that had extinguished every other feeling of fun. That opportunity wasn't taken.