WWE Fastlane 2018: 10 Things WWE Got Right

10. Opening With Nakamura Vs. Rusev

Shinsuke Nakamura
WWE.com

That pop for Shinsuke Nakamura's entrance was always going to be the highlight of his match against Rusev. Talk about thrown together, this one was both proof of the rushed nature of Fastlane's card and a clear example that WWE sought a stop gap for Naka before WrestleMania 34.

As a match, it turned out fine and had a nice, decisive finish. Right from the off, people were excited to see Nakamura, so it was a smart decision to send him out first, have Aiden English do a little sing song for Rusev and then give both a good 15 minutes of air time.

Though it was slower at points than some inside the arena may have liked (there were periods of near silence during rest holds, for example), the match achieved it's goal of giving Nakamura a straightforward pay-per-view win without making Rusev look like a no-hoper.

Job done then.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.