SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
WWE FASTLANE REPORT
OCTOBER 7, 2023
INDIANAPOLIS, IND.
AIRED LIVE ON PLE & WWE NETWORK
REPORT BY WADE KELLER, PWTORCH EDITOR
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves
NOTE: My report on this event was delayed due to an overlap with a family event on Saturday night and then being sick the rest of the weekend. I felt (just barely) well enough today to catch up, so here it is!
Big thanks to Brandon LeClair for his stellar live coverage on Saturday night here at PWTorch.com and for Kelly Wells and Javier Machado for joining Todd Martin on the VIP Roundtable on Saturday night after Fastlane when Rich Fann and I weren’t able to participate.
Also thanks Nate Lindberg for filling for Greg Parks hosting the PWTorch Dailycast’s post-PLE edition of the “Wrestling Night in America” live call-in podcast with Brandon. Also, thanks to Mike McMahon & David Bryant for hosting the AEW Collision post-show on Saturday night and to Kelly Wells & Nate Lindberg for filling for me Friday night on the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Post-show after Smackdown!
So many people on our great team of contributors came through this weekend in my absence from my usual duties.
-Pat McAfee narrated a video package previewing the event.
-Cole and Graves introduced the show from ringside.
-A video package aired on the Cody-Jey dynamic leading to the opening match.
(1) FINN BALOR & DAMIAN PRIEST vs. CODY RHODES & HEY USO – WWE Tag Team Title match
Jey Uso’s ring entrance began eight minutes into the telecast. The camera panned back to show the crowd raising and lowering their arms to Jey’s entrance. Cody came out second to a big ovation. Graves questioned whether Cody and Jey can team together and beat an established tag team in Priest & Balor. “It all boils down to tag team chemistry,” Graves said. As The Judgment Day came out, Graves and Cole discussed whether Priest is looking ahead to possibly cashing in later since Seth Rollins and Shinsuke Nakamura are battling in a Last Man Standing match. The bell rang to start to start the match 14 minutes into the show.
When Cole mentioned the history of Balor and Cody in The Bullet Club, Graves said, “Get those Twitter points, Michael Cole.” Cody got a nice pop at 2:00 when he tagged in against Priest. Cole and Graves talked about Jey’s “list of enemies doubling” on Smackdown the night before with The Bloodline aligning with The Judgment Day. They discussed the stress of Jey trying to fit in amongst the Raw wrestlers since being traded there.
At 6:00, Priest kicked Jey from behind on the ring apron to take back control of the match. Graves said a win here for Jey would give him a chance to “carve his own legacy in WWE.” They got the crowd worked up for a hot tag for Cody. At 10:00 Jey leaped and tagged in Cody. He rallied against Balor including a snap powerslam and a Disaster kick for a two count.
Cody superplexed Balor with a delay before dropping down. Both were slow to get up. Jey and Priest both tagged in at 13:00. Jey took off his t-shirt and covered Priest’s head with it and then punched him. Jey took forever to charge at Priest, staring at the crowd for ten seconds as an “Uso!” chant started. Priest recovered and avoided Jey’s charge. Jey came back quickly, though, and scored a two count after a crossbody block.
Jey escaped a Razor’s Edge by Priest and ducked a charging Priest, who tumbled to the floor. Jey dove onto both Balor and Priest, knocking them into the announce desk. Jey then landed a top rope splash for a near fall, broken up by Balor (who was a split-second late with the save and the ref had to stop his count early). Cody then hit a Cody Cutter on Balor. Priest kicked a charging Jey, but Jey ducked a Priest swing and hit a spear. Cole said that is a signature move of Roman Reigns. As Jey climbed to the top rope, Rhea Ripley and Dominik Mysterio walked out. Jey went after them at ringside. He knocked Dom down. Ripley flirted with and smiled at Jey. Jey sent ambiguous signals back. Meanwhile, Priest recovered and took control of Jey as soon as he re-entered he ring. Balor blind-tagged in and landed a Coup de Gras for a near fall, broken up by Cody.
All four then squared off and swung away mid-ring. Jey superkicked J.D. McDonagh off the ring apron. Ripley then hit Jey with the Money in the Bank briefcase. Balor rolled up Jey for a believable near fall. The crowd popped big for a kickout. Priest cleared the announce desk at ringside. Priest stood on the table and grabbed Cody to lift him when McDonagh swung the briefcase at Cody. Cody, though, ducked and the briefcase hit Priest in the knee. McDonagh gasped at the miscue. Cody then delivered a Crossroads on the announce table. Jey flip dove onto both Balor and McDonagh at ringside. Back in the ring, Jey superkicked Balor and then Cody landed a Cody Cutter with an assist from Jey. He followed with a Crossroads on Balor for a three count.
As Cody and Jey celebrated, The Judgment Day gathered and sold their dismay at the loss. Graves said McDonagh has a lot of explaining to do.
WINNERS: Cody & Jey in 21:00 to capture the WWE Tag Team Titles. (***3/4)
(Keller’s Analysis: Good opener. Although this match happening made a bit of a mockery out of “earning a title shot,” the win was a crowd-pleaser and opens up a lot of possibilities with Cody and Jey now able to appear on Smackdown in addition to Raw every week. The match was well formulated and crisply executed. They made every move count and had the crowd with them the entire way. The sound effect of race cars that sounded like an air horn randomly playing during the match was annoying.) [c]
(2) BOBBY LASHLEY & THE STREET PROFITS vs. REY MYSTERIO & SANTOS ESCOBARN (w/Zelina Vega) & CARLITO
Lashley and the Profits came out first. The Profits are wearing matching gold and black glittery ring outfits that matched Lashley and seemed upscale. Cole said that Cruz del Toro and Jacquin Wilde were injured so they aren’t available to team with Rey and Escobar. Cole said Rey called someone and it was never returned, but he’s confident whomever he called will show up. Graves said he’s been waiting months to say Dominik was right that Rey has no friends. “He’s a fraud,” said Graves. Cole said at least at the start it’s a three-on-two situation. The bell rang to start the second match 46 minutes into the hour and 11 minutes after the previous match ended.
Cole said Ford’s cockiness got him in trouble early in the match. Escobar sent Ford to the mat with a huracanrana off the top rope. Lashley broke up the cover. The heel trio isolated Escobar in the corner and worked him over for a while. Rey hot-tagged in at 3:00. Lashley caught Rey’s 619 attempt and dropped him to the floor. Ford flexed toward the fans at ringside. Graves touted Ford’s talents. He said he is gifted and has all the tools to be a major player. He said he’s maybe been missing that killer instinct. “If you are not constantly evolving, you are becoming obsolete,” Graves said. As Rey was about to hot-tag Escobar at 7:00, Ford yanked Escobar off the ring apron. Graves called it “main event level awareness.” Vega dove on a showboating Ford at ringside. Cole said, “Zelina Vega made the cocky Ford pay!”
Ford took over against Rey in the ring. He snarled between moves. Carlito’s music then played and he made his way out to the ring. “I guess his phone call was answered!” exclaimed Cole. Rey immediately hot-tagged Carlito. Fans chanted “Car-li-to!” After a minute of chaos, Carlito landed a Back Stabber on Ford for the win.
Cole said there is no way Lashely and the Profits expected to see Carlito tonight. Carlito and Escobar hugged.
WINNERS: Rey & Escobar & Carlito in 10:00. (**1/2)
(Keller’s Analysis: It was a bit of a stretch that Carlito couldn’t be there on time for the match. It felt artificially dramatized for the effect of him “saving the day.” The finish coming so fast worked, but it didn’t give him a chance to show much of what he can do. The match itself was just okay, but it’s fun to see The Street Profits take on this new attitude.)
-They went to the announcers at ringside who ere delivered a pizza from a national chain sponsor. Cole wondered where it came from. Xavier Woods showed up and said he sent it. Cole went “Oh yeah!” in the dorkiest way possible and then bit into a piece.
-A commercial aired for WWE Crown Jewel on Nov. 4. [c]
(3) IYO SKY vs. ASUKA vs. CHARLOTTE FLAIR – WWE Women’s Title match
As Asuka came out, Cole and Graves discussed how long it’s been since Asuka held a title. Cole noted that during the Kickoff show, Sky told Bayley and Dakota Kai she didn’t want them at ringside tonight as she had a strategy on her own. The bell rang 6 minutes into the second hour of the show. Charlotte kicked Sky at the bell. Asuka sprayed Charlotte in the face immediately. She screamed in delight and roundkicked Charlotte in the head and scored a two count, broken up by Sky. Graves called it “absolutely brilliance.”
As Asuka took control against Sky in the ring, Charlotte was being tended to at ringside, rubbing a towel on her face and blinking rapidly and crying from the pain of the mist in her eyes. Charlotte returned a minute later and landed a big boot to Asuka. Fans booed. Charlotte kipped up after a suplex of a Aky. She then turned back to Asuka. As Iyo and Asuka teamed up against Charlotte, a faint “Let’s Go Iyo!” chant started. Charlotte hit Asuka and Iyo with a crossbody off the top rope at 7:00 for a near fall. She chopped both of them one after another and eventually both fell to the mat. Charlotte got a mixed response.
Charlotte suplexed both of them at once and then kipped up. Again a mixed response. She hit both with a rolling clothesline and scored a two count on Asuka. (Whoever had the idea to add race car noises throughout this show should be punished somehow.) With all three down at 9:00, they went to a side shot as Cole touted a sellout crowd of over 14,000. Sky and Asuka went into a series of leverage near falls. Asuka hip attacked Charlotte to knock her off the ring apron, but it was a slightly off target. Asuka whipped Sky into the ropes and Sky dove through the ropes onto Charlotte at ringside.
Sky stood on the ring apron and played to the crowd, then moonsaulted toward Asuka and completely missed. Charlotte then climbed to the top rope and was booed. She moonsaulted toward both women and barely made contact with both of them with her arms, but then both crashed to the ringside mat. Back in the ring, Asuka charged at Charlotte, but played to the crowd first, so Charlotte recovered and kicked Asuka. When Charlotte climbed to the top rope, Sky knocked her off balance. They battled on the top turnbuckle in the corner. Charlotte lifted Sky onto her shoulders. Asuka then powerbombed Charlotte to the mat with Asuka still on her shoulders. Asuka covered Charlotte for a two count. Then she scrambled and covered Sky for a two count at 12:00.
Asuka locked on her armbar on Charlotte. Charlotte countered into a Boston Crab mid-ring. Charlotte applied a figure-four, but before she could bridge into a Figure-Eight, Asuka dove at her with a Meteora and scored a two count. Asuka and Sky each applied submission holds on Charlotte at once. Cole asked who would be declared the winner if Charlotte tapped. Charlotte broke free, but it was a good question. Charlotte speared Asuka seconds later for a dramatic near fall.
Bayley showed up at ringside and tried to help Sky back into the ring. Sky wasn’t thrilled. Charlotte caught Sky with a running boot, knocking her to teh floor. Charlotte turned around and was met with a flying Code Breaker by Asuka for a two count. A “This is awesome!” chant rang out. Charlotte applied a Figure-Eight on Asuka. Bayley distracted the ref as Asuka flailed. Sky then landed a moonsault. Bayley stepped back and the ref turned around to count three.
Sky leaped into Bayley’s arms for a hug. Graves said Bayley is a role model and a leader. Cole called it “a class Triple Threat battle.”
WINNER: Sky in 18:00 to retain the WWE Women’s Title. (***)
(Keller’s Analysis: This dragged at times and had some moves that didn’t look crisp, but at other times they drew the crowd into the action. The lack of synchronicity between who fans like and how the wrestlers in the match were presented, with a lack of a clear-cut babyface to root for, hurt the match.)
-Cole and Graves commented on highlights of the Cody & Jey win earlier. Then they plugged the Fastlane press conference after the event featuring Cody and Jey. They showed L.A. Knight arriving in a sports car with a Slim Jim logo on it. Cole called him a “self-proclaimed mega-star.” He sped into the parking garage at a dangerous speed and skidded to a stop and got out looking confident. [c]
-Graves thanked Yanaka for “I Want More,” the official theme of Fastlane.
-Pat McAfee (who apparently finds Aaron Rogers’ anti-vax quips hilarious) arrived to his music. He wore a WWE title belt with an Indianapolis Colts logo on it. He said there was no chance in hell he’d miss this show on this night “in this glorious city.” He said in WWE, they know sometimes they come to a town and the crowd doesn’t appreciate that they’re there and they have no energy and juice, but that’s not Indianapolis. Fans cheered. (How dare a crowd of ticket-buying fans not “properly appreciate” that WWE has come to their town!) He then asked the crowd to give him a “Hell yeah!” if Indianapolis should host a WrestleMania. Then he introduced John Cena, who made his entrance.
(4) JOHN CENA & L.A. KNIGHT vs. SOLO SIKOA & JIMMY USO
Cena made his entrance followed by Knight. Then Heyman accompanied Jimmy and Solo to the ring to Jimmy’s music. Cole told McAfee that since he has been gone, Roman Reigns hasn’t been around since Summerslam. Cole said Heyman looks like he’s aged 20 years during that time. McAfee said he looks terrible now. Graves said Heyman has had to hold the Bloodline together lately. With Cena and Knight standing next to each other, fans chanted “L.A. Knight!” Cena was wearing flat sneakers without heels and Knight had boots with lifts, which brought them eye-to-eye. The bell rang 38 minutes into the hour.
When Cena and Jimmy circled the ring a minute in, a “Cena!” chant rang out. Cena knocked Jimmy down and then called Solo into the ring. Cole plugged Heyman and Cena being ringside for the match on NXT on Tuesday night (which goes head-to-head with Dynamite, which is on a special night). Heyman gloated at ringside as Jimmy and Solo beat on Cena for an extended period early in the match. Solo hung Cena upside down and charged with a headbutt. Cole said Cena was getting beaten to a pulp. Cena avoided a hip attack by Jimmy at 5:00. McAfee said now is the time to get Knight in the ring. Cena crawled over to tag, but Jimmy cut him off. Fans booed. Jimmy settled into a side headlock near his corner.
At 9:00 Cena hit an Attitude Adjustment out of nowhere. Both Jimmy and Cena were down and slow to get up. Knight reached for the tag. Solo intervened just before the tag attempt made contact. A delighted Heyman was on his phone delivering play by play to Reigns. Solo had Cena in the corner on his back. The camera zoomed in and caught Cena calling instructions to Solo. He was certainly shown to be aware enough to move out of Solo’s path. Solo dropped on Cena and went for the cover, just as Cena told him he should do.
Cena lifted his knees when Solo dropped on him again. Cena then crawled over for the tag again. Cena hot-tagged Knight which got the desired big pop. He hit a series of movers on Jimmy as Cole called him the “fastest-rising star in WWE.” Knight stomped away at Jimmy in the corner and then DDT’d an interfering Solo. Jimmy caught Knight with a sudden superkick for a two count at 13:00 which quieted the crowd.
Jimmy leaped off the top rope, but Knight moved and then landed a powerslam. He played to the crowd and hit his running elbowdrop. Solo caught him with a Samoan drop, but Cena leaped off the top rope with a crossbody. Jimmy then hit Cena with a sudden top rope splash for a near fall. A “This is awesome!” chant rang out. They went to a wide shot of the crowd with all four down. Knight stood and took on both Solo and Jimmy with a flurry of punches. Jimmy backdropped a charging Knight over the top rope. Cena lifted Solo with an Attitude Adjustment. Jimmy superkicked Cena to break that up.
Knight met Jimmy on the top rope and landed a superplex. Cena then looked around and made a cartoon face and went into his You Can’t See Me routine. Knight then hit the Blunt Force Trauma on Jimmy for the win.
Cena and Knight celebrated together afterward. Cole said McAfee picked a great match to come out for. Cena tried to raise Knight’s hand, but Knight refused. Instead, he raised Cena’s hand in a show of respect. They showed a dejected Heyman updating Reigns on his phone.
WINNERS: Cena & Knight in 17:00. (**3/4)
(Keller’s Analysis: A formulaic, but effective match. The downside is that it was so similar in structure, but also inferior, to the opening tag match. Jimmy is dreading how Reigns will react on Friday to Jimmy losing here.) [c]
(5) SETH ROLLINS vs. SHINSUKE NAKAMURA – World Hvt. Title match
The bell rang 7 minutes into the second hour. Nakamura bailed out at the start. Seth teased a dive. He then chased Nakamura back into the ring. Cole noted that Seth’s back had Kinesio tape on it. Seth swung a kendo stick at Nakamura. Nakamura ducked and then rammed Seth’s back into the ring apron. Fans chanted “We Want Tables!” early. Nakamura lifted the ringside mat. Seth rammed Nakamura into the ringside steps twice. Then he picked up the top of the steps and rammed Nakamura with them when Nakamura stood. Nakamura ducked when Seth threw the steps at him. Seth punched Nakamura and threw him back into the ring. Seth then pulled kendo sticks. chairs, a trash can, and a table out from under the ring and threw them into the ring. Fans popped for the table, nearly as loud as for the hot-tags to Cody and Knight earlier.
Nakamura recovered during that time and upkicked Seth and then kneed him off the edge of the ring apron. Nakamura went on sustained offense. He applied a sleeper mid-ring at 8:00. Seth made a comeback and worked over Nakamura with kendo sticks and a running knee. He leaped off the top rope and landed a frog splash. The ref began counting Nakamura down. Nakamura stood ta eight. Seth swung a kendo stick, but Nakamura ducked and took over with a back stabber with his neck across the horizontal kendo stick.
Nakamura leaned a table in the corner. Cole said many have been wondering where this version of Nakamura was hiding in recent years. Graves said Nakamura at first wanted the adulation of fans, but he realized that wasn’t getting him to the top. He said this is the true Nakamura. Seth avoided a charging Nakamura, who crashed into the table. Seth landed a Stomp and the ref counted to eight before Nakamura stood. Seth charged and clotheslined Nakamura over the top rope.
Seth pulled a ladder out from under the ring and he rammed Nakamura with it. Seth set up a ladder next to the announce desk. Seth placed Nakamura on the announce desk and then climbed the ladder. Nakamura moved. Seth dropped down and went after Nakamura at ringside. He knocked Nakamura over teh ringside barricade. Seth went after Nakamura in the crowd where a camera suddenly appeared to document it. Nakamura took over by shoving Seth into the railing and then he methodically beat Seth with a chair all the way back to ringside.
Seth set up a sudden Pedigree, but Nakamura backdropped out of it. Seth stood before ten. Back in the ring, Nakamura charged, but Seth kicked him. Both were down. Seth rolled to the floor and Nakamura stood at nine. Nakamura placed Seth on a table at ringside a minute later and then leaped with a double-stomp which broke the table. Cole expressed concern from Seth’s back. Cole told Seth to stay down and “damn his pride” to protect his health. Seth stood. Nakamura then bashed Seth over and over with a chair to the back at 23:00. “This is sickening to watch!” exclaimed Cole. “Seth is a proud champion, but at some point you’ve got to give a damn about yourself and your family and your profession.”
When Seth climbed the ladder again, Cole implored Graves to talk sense into Seth and said he was going to kill himself. Nakamura met Seth on the ladder, sprayed red mist on his face, and then shoved him onto the announce table. The table collapsed. The ref began counting. Seth stood before ten. Nakamura gave Seth a backbreaker in the ring and then delivered a Kinsasha into the table leaning in the corner. “Thank goodness that’ll be it!” said Cole. He said Nakamura was about to win the World Championship. Seth rolled to the floor before ten.
Nakamura went back on the attack in the crowd. He placed Seth on a platform near the hockey entrance tunnel. He punched away at Nakamura, then stomped away at him. Nakamura let out a loud yell. Seth landed a Pedigree and a Stomp, but then went down. Both were down as the ref began counting again. Both got up at nine. Seth took Nakamura off the platform with a Falcon Arrow onto two tables below. Fans chanted “Holy shit!” The counted both down again. Seth stood at nine and Nakamura stayed down at ten.
Cole wondered how much longer that pace was sustainable for Rollins, who wants to be known as “the working man’s champion.”
WINNER: Rollins in 29:00 to retain the World Hvt. Title. (****1/4)
(Keller’s Analysis: A really good version of Last Man Standing match. The red mist simulated blood without anyone blading.)
FINAL THOUGHTS: This was a good, but hardly a must-see event. With the length clocking in at 2 hours, 40 minutes, it was an easy watch with a strong main event.
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