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Fastlane brings us ever closer to the Grandaddy of Them All, but right now, it seems like many fans are more committed to getting #CancelWWENetwork trending on Twitter rather than riding the hype train to WrestleMania.

The build to WrestleMania has been extremely weak so far, and sadly Fastlane did it no favours, serving up arguably the worst WWE PPV in at least a year if not beyond that, full of questionable booking decisions and mediocre wrestling.

While a few matches rose to the top, on the whole it was a depressing show to watch, a reminder of how tone-deaf creative can be, and how under-served the talent can end up as a result.

Whether you’re going to cancel your WWE Network subscription or not, here are WWE Fastlane 2016’s matches ranked from worst to best…

8. R-Truth vs. Curtis Axel WWE.com

Result: Axel rolls up Truth...

Nxt has become a breeding ground for future WWE main event level talent. Over the past two years, WWE has developed talent that are now competing in main events all over the world. Performers like Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, Bray Wyatt, Paige and Aj Lee have all come through the Nxt development system and are on their respective ways to huge, long-term careers in WWE.

As talent continues to move up to the main roster, WWE must look to various outlets to refill their developmental system with up and coming talent. Not every performer that comes out of Nxt will be a main event level player on the roster. There needs to be a balance. They need to develop talent for every level of the card. For every Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins, there is an Adam Rose, Xavier Woods and Bo Dallas.

With that being said,...

WWE.com

This Tuesday on WWE Main Event, two more matches were made official for WWE’s Night of Champions PPV on September 21 in Nashville. The two matches will see Randy Orton take on Chris Jericho and Roman Reigns will match up with Seth Rollins in a battle of former Shield members.

The Orton/Jericho rivalry is something that goes back many years, most notably when Jericho came back to WWE towards the end of 2007 with Orton in position as the top heel in the company. They’ve had several matches over the years. Most likely the reason they’re doing the feud is to give Orton a win over a big name after he lost to Roman Reigns at SummerSlam. It was set up this week on Raw when Orton attacked Jericho in the trainer’s room. Jericho’s expected to be out of WWE after Night of Champions...

WWE.com

The WWE Main Event show is exclusively shown on WWE Network every Tuesday at 8pmET. If you miss the show live it’s easy to access in the WWE Network’s library by clicking on Shows, then In Ring and you’ll find it right there.

We plan on writing about it weekly here on WhatCulture in a one page post with a recap of the matches, key segments and thoughts on the characters involved as well. While it’s not a show with major segments or “can’t miss” moments that Raw has, we feel it’s worthwhile so we’re going to cover it.

At the start of the show they advertised Rusev vs. Jack Swagger. On Raw they said it was going to be Rusev against Sheamus. It just shows how quick they are to change their mind.

Seth Rollins defeated Fandango

It was a...

WWE.com

The decision to turn Seth Rollins heel was apparently made at the last minute, according to this week’s edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter by Dave Meltzer.

That fits with what we reported last week that the Rollins turn wasn’t in the Raw script that most people saw. It was WWE’s way of keeping it top secret from their own employees so that nobody could leak it out to the internet wrestling community.

The report goes on to note that it’s expected that Rollins will be getting new ring gear. This past Tuesday on WWE Main Event he was still wearing the same black vest that he wore when he was in The Shield. He wore a suit on Raw and Main Event when he wasn’t wrestling, though, so the transition is in place. It seems likely that Roman Reigns & Dean Ambrose will...

WWE.com

The next WWE PPV is Payback from Chicago on June 1st and after this week’s Raw as well as Smackdown taping the lineup is starting to take shape.

Two rematches from Extreme Rules have been confirmed: Evolution vs. The Shield and John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt.

Evolution’s rivalry with The Shield was the main focus on Raw. It seems like they’re going to build to something other than a regular 3 on 3 tag match. Perhaps a Chicago Street Fight is what they’ll go with. It could also be a 3 on 3 elimination style tag.

The Wyatt/Cena match became official at the Smackdown tapings with the expectation that it will be a Last Man Standing match. They set it up two weeks ago with Cena saying he was still standing, then Wyatt fired back on Raw mentioning the stipulation and Cena has agreed to it. It...

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WWE is doing yet another promotional offer on the WWE Network, just a day after firing Executive Vice President of Programming Matt Singerman (who had been responsible for all programming on WWE Network).

These two moves could be seen as a worrying indication of panic over the Network’s sign-up numbers. Added to this is another worrying indicator of possible desperation in getting people to sign up – John Cena failed to appear on Monday Night Raw last night, with WWE instead opting to use his presence on WWE Main Event on the WWE Network.

Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio stated the Cena Network appearance is significant. Meltzer rightly points out that it’s quite remarkable for Cena to lose on PPV and then not follow up with a strong reply the next night on Raw. WWE have sacrificed the chance for Cena to get his heat back on TV,...

Paige will defend her Diva Championship against Tamina Snuka at Extreme Rules. The match was made official on WWE Main Event, Snuka won a number one contender battle royal, elevating her to the position of being Paige’s first big WWE feud.

This makes the Extreme Rules card as follows: The Shield vs Evolution, John Cena vs Bray Wyatt in a steel cage, Paige vs Tamina. Also expected to be added is Daniel Bryan defending his WWE title against Kane, and Cesaro winning the Raw Intercontinental title tournament to take on Big E for the belt at the PPV. That will probably be the main card right there.

The booking of Paige has so far left a lot to be desired. She got a great debut reaction owing to her being something different from the same old act we see every week, but beyond that the creative made absolutely no sense.

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Last night on WWE Main Event on the WWE Network, the Divas Champion Aj Lee successfully defended her title against Natalya.

Prior to the match, there was speculation via PWInsider that Aj could lose the title as a way to punish her due to the actions of her boyfriend Cm Punk. Instead Aj came out on top thanks to Tamina’s interference in a very competitive match that went nearly 15 minutes.

Regarding a possible Divas Title match at WrestleMania, the speculation is that it would be a match involving several divas. The most likely contenders are stars from Total Divas such as Nikki Bella, Brie Bella, Natalya, Naomi (if she’s healthy) and Cameron. It’s just a question of how many women they want to include in the match. It’s unlikely that they’re going to have a battle royal due to the other battle royal on the card,...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Roman_Reigns_November_2013.jpg

Roman Reigns is one of the most talked about young talents in the entire WWE. He has everything Vince McMahon looks for in a star. He has the in-ring ability, he has some charisma, he has the look, he has the “it” factor and even comes from a wrestling family dynasty. Roman Reigns was given a major push starting back at Survivor Series where he dominated his match and eliminated 4 men on his own. He went on to beat Punk on Raw in singles competition as well. At the Royal Rumble he would break Kane’s 13 year record of 11 eliminations in the Rumble.

The Shield breakup is obvious and it’s going to happen sooner rather then later. Right now there is talks of having Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose and Reigns face off in a triple threat match at Wrestlemania 30 but...

The 2013 year has belonged to Daniel Bryan. Whether it was a comedy promo with Kane or a match of the year contender with John Cena, the talented wrestler has always delivered. Momentum has followed Bryan all year, all types of fan have got behind the likable underdog character. No one can boast the loud reactions and chants that Bryan has inspired whenever he has appeared in a WWE ring. Chanting “Yes” in unison with 10,000 people is now one of the most enjoyable aspects of attending WWE live.

Bryan has achieved his success with a level of high consistency. He has wrestled more than any other man this year, and it has more often than not been a match of night performance. Feuds with The Shield, Dolph Ziggler, Randy Orton and John Cena have all produced some brilliant matches. Comedy promos with Kane and intense verbal jousts with Cena have also...

Today in the modern world, time is our scarcest resource as a WWE fan. There is way too much content out there. Between the main shows, the B shows, and YouTube content the fan has become a little more discerning with their viewing patterns. Truth be told, not many people even watch Smackdown on Fridays. And It’s a shame that on Monday, WWE gave you a three-hour Raw show that in reality did not mean as much as the one-hour show Main Event or Nxt.

Manchester, England played host on the more important episodes on Main Event in quite some time. As previously announced on Raw, Natalya following the win in a tag match against Aj and Tamina received a Divas title shot against the Black Widow. It was really a great match. They played up the drama a little bit with having her husband Tyson Kidd looking on...

First off, let me apologize for no Raw thoughts this week. I haven’t been feeling that well lately. That’s no excuse for not having content up. But I just want to let you know what’s going on.

Raw definitely saw a lot of interesting things. We saw interactions between Randy Orton and Shawn Michaels setting up Hell in a Cell. Punk beat the clock and put himself in a handicap match with Ryback and Paul Heyman in Satan’s structure. Plus, we got great matches from Daniel Bryan and Alberto del Rio and a great tag team title match between the Rhodes family against Rollins and Reigns of the Shield.

The title change this past Monday definitely shook up the landscape of WWE. The tag division is getting focused on once again as the Usos are looking for their shot against the new gatekeepers. Along with that...

When the Main Event was relaunched last year, reports were that Ion Television , specifically said they didn’t want it to become another Superstars. Apparently one year later, that plan has gone we have to wonder if the Wednesday night program will go the way of the dodo? Remember when they would build matches on Main Event with video packages having one featured contest? Now, it just seems like another show. If you need any illustration that this happened, check out this week’s episode from Columbus, Ohio.

We begin the night with Josh Matthews and Alex Riley at the announce desk. Riley’s arm is in a sling apparently after having shoulder surgery. I guess the Miz isn’t coming back anytime soon.

The action begins with a three on two handicap match with Tons of Funk versus 3Mb. The match is nothing really special. Although seeing Brodus Clay...

It’s been one of those weeks in WWE where things haven’t been looking the greatest. The Raw rating was the the lowest since December, and maybe the powers that be might want to rethink their strategy.

People in Stamford may tell you that it’s due to one person’s inability to get over, but it’s much, much deeper than that. Instead of going into a long diatribe, I will show you what the problem is and how in the same company things are done better. Let’s look at this week’s editions of WWE Main Event and Nxt.

WWE Main Event

We begin the night on Main Event, with Santino Marella power-walking to the ring as Josh Matthews and Alex Riley welcome us to the show.

Soon after, Damien Sandow makes his way to the ring and says that in the land of the idiot,...

After Monday’s Raw, the corporate machine has really made an impact on the WWE roster. With the breakdown of the world’s largest athlete and the firing of Cody Rhodes, it definitely seems to be a theme of the wrong place wrong time with the new regime. And that carried over strangely to Main Event and Nxt as weird booking was in effect.

Josh Matthews welcomes us to Minneapolis, Minnesota alongside the returning Alex Riley. I love Riley in this role. He really does a great job in getting the sports analogies much like Jim Ross. We actually get a double dose this week as he commentates Nxt as well.

The night begins as Fandango goes against Justin Gabriel. The match itself was nothing spectacular not like Gabriel’s brand-new shirt that looks like the spokesman for Jack’s Links Beef Jerky Other than a dive to the outside...

With all the over-the-top McMahon craziness from Monday night, people may gloss over the Wednesday night offering of the Main Event and Nxt. But in reality it is still without a doubt the best one-two punch of WWE produced programming all week. Especially this week as we get a double dose of crazy, sexy and cool with Divas Champion Aj Lee. Plus, we see an awesome two out of three falls match with Antonio Césaro and Sami Zayn. Let us begin with this week’s Main Event.

The show begins with a solid six man tag with the Usos and Kofi Kingston versus The Shield. Everybody was on point as both trios gave it their all. At one point, the babyfaces did an amazing triple dive on the Hounds of Justice. The match had great back-and-forth between the two sides. Kofi Kingston definitely looks the best since his return to the WWE.

Back in the day, the idea of championships and the prestige behind them proved that you made it. These days, as much as it pains me to say this just feels like a rubberstamp that is used to get more excitement into a match. Those iconic championships that we all grew up on just seem be clothing accessories not prestigious and worthwhile titles, with very few exceptions. Vince Russo said to much controversy in the early 2000′s titles were props and it seems like in WWE’s case that may be true.

This definitely was illustrated by this week’s Wednesday two pack of the Main Event and Nxt. It showed that there is a different title mentality in the wrestling business today. But I’m getting ahead of myself again. Let me illustrate my point by breaking down this weeks Nxt.

The show begins with the incomparable Paul Heyman...

Since their debut in November 2012, The Shield has definitely changed the landscape of the WWE. Rollins, Reigns and Ambrose have brought justice to the developmental system by making first impressions all the more important. However, in recent weeks, it seemed the three have taken a backseat to other storylines and showed vulnerability piling up losses. This week justice looks to be a priority again on this week’s Main Event and Nxt.

Let’s start with the first of two appearances on this weeks edition of The Main Event. The show begins with a six man tag rematch from last week’s Monday Night Raw as the Usos and Mark Henry battle The Shield. Really solid opening contest with good back and forth between the two trios. The babyfaces start off really hot dominating until the first commercial break and then it switches as the Hounds of Justice take control.

Usually, the two pack of WWE Main Event and Nxt is the strongest wrestling television of the week from Vince and company. However, sometimes there are building weeks with a ton of shenanigans. And this week was apparently one of those times. Not to say there wasn’t great action, just not up to standards of the usual programming. Let’s begin by breaking down this week’s edition of the Main Event.

The Main Event comes to us from the not so distant past of last week. We are welcomed by the broadcast team of Jbl and Josh Matthews as R-Truth does his full rap as he is set to battle the Rebel Son himself Wade Barrett.

(Can you tell WWE is on an international tour this week and didn’t really care what they put out on television this week?)

The match itself felt very awkward. I just...

Since his debut in 2008, Sheamus has run roughshod over the WWE. The Celtic Warrior has used his overwhelming power and unmatched will and determination to get a boot up on all obstacles. However, in the last week, thanks to the wounds of The Money in the Bank the man formerly known as the Irish curse seemed to have found a blessing in a bruise giving him some much-needed vulnerability. This week’s Main Event and Nxt illustrates the two sides of the same Fella. Let’s break down the difference by recapping the Main Event first.

The Main Event began as the Irish import battled “The Real American” Jack Swagger in a really good match. Swagger did a great job working the leg creating drama in the match. Quite frankly that match is the best Jack has looked in some time. I like the psychology of this. It does wonders for Sheamus as a babyface.

This week both WWE Main Event and Nxt had quite an interesting showing featuring former champions in action. From the Peeps and Jericholics to the Emmalation of true Bolievers, all fan bases were well represented for the most part. But let’s not get too ahead of ourselves, how about we begin with this week’s Main Event from Gamecock country North Charleston, South Carolina.

We open this weeks episode back with a two-man booth as the Miz and Josh Matthews welcome us the show. Chris Jericho makes his way to the ring for his Wednesday night debut against last week’s color commentator extraordinaire Cody Rhodes. Overall, a really good back and forth match as to be expected. Unfortunately, it wasn’t in the booking sheet for Cody Rhodes this week as he takes a loss in the Walls of Jericho.

I don’t mind that Cody loses to...

Every week, it seems WWE’s Main Event and Nxt give fans solid action in the ring. However, this week the fans focus may gravitate what’s behind the announce table. We had some pretty eclectic pairs in the announce booth this week that really made the shows way more memorable than they should’ve been. This especially goes for this week’s Main Event from Edmonton, Alberta.

The show opens with the introduction of our new broadcast team for the Main Event for the foreseeable future. Our new squad is The Miz, Josh Matthews and Ricardo Rodriguez. Perhaps WWE finally realized that having Michael Cole on every broadcast was a little much. I know he’s the voice of WWE but he’s overexposed.

It’s interesting that they decided to give Rodriguez a shot at the announce table. I think he is a good talker, but in the right situations.

“I’m going to get in this ring and do my best,” cried Cena, pleading for the approval of yet another disgustingly ungrateful crowd. It didn’t work, though more effective in gaining their favour was his subsequent takedown of Ryback who – let’s be honest – is opening himself up to mockery the minute he steps through that curtain and begins breathing like an asthmatic bull. Amusing as it is to have the jittery neurosis of Ryback fully acknowledged, Cena’s character assassination of his opponent isn’t entirely helpful considering all the work put into building the Ryback character over the last few months.

“Everyone will know,” Ryback replied, “yourself included: Ryback Rules.” Doing that thing where he speaks and shivers as if he’s contracted pneumonia, he revealed the stipulation of the Extreme Rules showdown as a Last Man Standing match. If Cena humbles and humiliates him and...

Smackdown this week from Knoxville was quite the song and dance. With most most of the roster already in the UK it was a bare-bones crew. However, there was some solid wrestling and silliness definitely thrown in for good measure.

The show opens with Fandango having his long elaborate entrance as the crowd very quietly hums the theme. Then his attention turns to Lillian Garcia as he tests her dancing abilities asking her if she wants to Fandango with him. This leads to some awkward sequence where it almost looks like Garcia wanted to kiss him at one point. I love the combination of dirty Johnny Curtis from Nxt and Fandango it gives the character a lot more depth. In the end, Fandango drops Lillian for her bad skills leaving her distraught.

Santino comes out calling the dancing douche bag a couple bad names that he thinks are funny before they get to the match.

This week’s editions of the WWE Main Event and Nxt had many similarities. These included of all people, Justin Gabriel and multi-man featured match ups. Which one was the better show? I will let you decide.

The Main Event used its format well as the show began with a Battle Royal featuring everyone on the Superstars crew competing for an Ic title shot later in the episode. The current champion came Wade Barrett out and chastised all the men that were in the ring. That was until The Great Khali came out along with Hornswoggle getting his groove on with Natalya when of course the Punjabi Playboy comes out and enters the fray. Somehow, Wade is shocked by this? Barrett then goes to the back and prepares for his title defense later on in the night.

The Battle Royal itself was okay considering the participants. It didn’t feel like it really mattered , though.

Okay guys, normally I would do two separate articles looking at WWE Main Event and WWE Nxt. But given the interest of time, since it is the kickoff of Wrestlemania week festivities and the fact that main events only had one match with some recaps of the Raw angles, I’m going to combine my thoughts on both shows into one big opinion piece.

Let’s begin with the Main Event this week, which saw the Miz who is challenging for the Intercontinental title this Sunday in a handicap match for no discernible reason (unless I missed something on the WWE app… Sorry my tablet is in the shop) against the Primetime Players with his opponent Wade Barrett on commentary alongside Jbl and Michael Cole.

There’s so much wrong with this… Like I said before, there was no reason for this… The announcers didn’t even try to say...

You know, there are certain times as a professional wrestling fan where you are left scratching your head at certain decisions the WWE makes with its characters. This week’s Main Event was definitely one of those times as the United States champion Antonio Césaro yodeled. Now I understand it, he is Swiss, and it was used to get heat. I just hope it doesn’t become that one characteristic that the company plans to push down your throat. Much like Nikolai Volkoff in the 80s with his version of the Russian national anthem. Who knows maybe it will lead to him using the Ricola bomb as his finisher again?

All that aside, I thought Antonio did another masterful job in his match with Kane using great psychology and ingenuity to get around some of the limitations of the older performer the Big Red Machine. I thought Daniel Bryan also...