WWE Fastlane results: Powell’s live review of Roman Reigns vs. Daniel Bryan for the WWE Universal Championship with Edge as special enforcer, Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus in a No Holds Barred match, Big E vs. Apollo Crews for the Intercontinental Title, Randy Orton vs. Alexa Bliss

By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)

WWE Fastlane
Aired March 21, 2021 live on WWE Network and pay-per-view
Tampa, Florida at Tropicana Field

Kickoff Show Result: Riddle defeated Mustafa Ali in 9:16 to retain the U.S. Championship.

A video package opened the show and focused on the top matches while touting the event as the final stop on the road to WrestleMania… Michael Cole and Corey Graves welcomed viewers from ringside…

1. Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax (w/Reginald) vs. Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair for the WWE Women’s Tag Titles. Cole and Graves were on commentary for the match. Baszler hit Belair with a knee to the side of the face during the first couple of minutes. Jax tagged herself into the match, which upset Baszler.

Later, Belair performed a 450 splash and had Baszler beat, but Reginald created a distraction. Banks tagged in and put Baszler in the Bank Statement. Belair ran in to cut off Jax, who shoved Belair onto Banks and Baszler to break up the submission hold. Banks was upset. She called Belair a rookie, said she was about to win, and called her a rookie. Moments later, Baszler rolled up and pinned a distracted Banks.

Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax beat Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair in 9:45 to retain the WWE Women’s Tag Titles.

After the match, Banks told Belair that it was all her fault. Belair tried to defend herself. Banks slapped Belair across the face and knocked her down. Banks left the ring. Belair got up and pointed at the WrestleMania sign while Banks posed on the stage…

Powell’s POV: Banks is clearly working as the heel in this program, but they can walk it back if she and Belair shake hands after their match at WrestleMania. It will be interesting to see if Jax and Baszler continue to have issues or if all is forgotten now that they are seemingly finished feuding with Banks and Belair.

After some advertising, the broadcast team hyped WrestleMania tickets… The broadcast team showed the image of Shane McMahon holding his leg in pain while telling the story that he suffered an injury in training…

Shane was shown walking backstage while using a crutch and he had his knee wrapped. Elias and Jaxson Ryker showed up. Elias made a pitch to Shane about WrestleMania. Shane wasn’t interested at first, but then he told him that he had an idea…

A video package set up the Intercontinental Championship match…

2. Big E vs. Apollo Crews for the Intercontinental Championship. Cole and Graves called the match. Big E speared Crews off the apron during the opening minute. “Is this what you wanted?” Big E asked. Back inside the ring, Big E performed multiple suplexes while talking trash. Big E charged at Crews, who moved, and E crashed into the corner.

Crews performed a series of suplexes. Crews performed a top rope frogsplash and got a two count. A short time later, Big E set up for his finisher, but Crews avoided it and put E in an inside cradle. Big E reversed it and got the pin.

Big E defeated Apollo Crews in 5:45 to retain the Intercontinental Championship.

After the match, Crews performed multiple suplexes on Big E and then stood over him and jawed at him. Crews slapped Big E several times, then picked him up and suplexed him again…

Powell’s POV: The finish looked a little clunky and was not replayed. I assume they kept this short because they intend to have a WrestleMania rematch.

One of the ads included a deodorant spot that included R-Truth dropping the WWE 24/7 Championship to some Old Spice spokesman dude (Updated: Rik Bugez), then pinning him to regain it. Akira Tozawa showed up and yelled at the spokesman…

The Raw broadcast team of Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton, and Samoa Joe checked in and recapped the story of Shane McMahon suffering an injury…

Shane McMahon introduced Elias, who was in the ring with him and Jaxson Ryker. Shane called for a preview of Elias’s performance at WrestleMania. Elias started playing, but Shane interrupted him and said that Elias would replace him in his match. Shane left the ring and then Braun Strowman made his entrance…

3. Braun Strowman vs. Elias (w/Jaxson Ryker). Ryker tried to create an early distraction, but Strowman still dominated Elias, who rolled to ringside. Strowman pulled him back onto the apron and ran him into both ring posts. They went to ringside where Ryker ducked at running shoulder block, only to have Strowman hit Elias with it.

Back inside the ring, Elias clipped the knee of Strowman and took offensive control briefly. Strowman came back and hit his running power slam for the win…

Braun Strowman defeated Elias in 3:50.

Powell’s POV: Bait and switch. I feel so bad for the millions and millions of Shane McMahon fans who ordered Peacock thinking they would be able to see him wrestle. Okay, maybe not. Obviously, they decided to save Strowman vs. Shane for WrestleMania so they gave us this Raw match instead.

The WrestleMania video aired. We are 20 days away… Tom Phillips hyped the move to Peacock and encouraged viewers to sign up. The broadcast team recapped Riddle beating Mustafa Ali on the Kickoff Show, followed by T-Bar and Mace performing a double chokeslam on Ali afterward…

Riddle and Shinsuke Nakamura had a chat backstage. Riddle tried to talk Nakamura into going into business with him. Riddle started telling a story about his cousin Skeeter the skater. When he turned around, Nakamura was gone. Once Riddle left, Nakamura returned and started warming up for his match…

4. Seth Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura. Cole and Graves called the match. Rollins applied a headlock to start and barked at Nakamura about disrespecting him. Nakamura broke free and went on the offensive, which included a kick to the chest that led to a two count. Rollins regrouped and tossed Nakamura to ringside, then hit him with a flying knee from the ring apron.

Rollins dominated the next few minutes of the match and complained about Cesaro giving him The Swing. When Rollins turned his attention back to the match, Nakamura caught him in an armbar. Nakamura had Rollins over the apron and hit him with a knee to the head.

Rollins eventually came back and performed a springboard flying knee. Rollins followed up with a sling blade clothesline and covered Nakamura for a two count. A short time later, Nakamura caught Rollins with a kick and performed his sliding German suplex with Rollins in the ropes.

Nakamura set up for his finisher, but Rollins caught him and powered him up for a Buckle Bomb. Rollins followed up with a falcon arrow for a two count. Rollins showed frustration over not getting the pin. Rollins went for a Stomp, but Nakamura cut him off and performed a falcon arrow of his own for a near fall.

Nakamura set up for his finisher, but Rollins stepped aside and rolled him up. Rollins hit Nakamura with a shot to the back of the neck, then performed a unique kick. Rollins followed up with a Stomp and scored the pin. Afterward, Rollins looked to the stage and said “respect” multiple times…

Seth Rollins beat Shinsuke Nakamura in 12:55.

Powell’s POV: What was once a dream match for many fans was just a good, yet forgettable match in this case. In fairness, I think we’ve passed the point where most fans dream of matches involving Nakamura in WWE, so this was fine for what it was.

After some ads, a video package hyped Rhea Ripley’s debut for Monday’s Raw… A video package recapped the Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus feud…

5. Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus in a No Holds Barred match. Phillips, Saxton, and Joe called the match. McIntyre wore blue and white face paint. McIntyre was all over Sheamus to start. They ended up at ringside where Sheamus introduced a kendo stick. McIntyre whipped Sheamus into the ring steps, which sent the top piece of the steps flying. McIntyre stomped Sheamus’s head onto the bottom piece.

Back inside the ring, Sheamus hit McIntyre repeatedly with a kendo stick (because the damn things just won’t go away). McIntyre bounced back and picked up a kendo stick, then stared at Sheamus until he got back to his feet. McIntyre blasted Sheamus with kendo stick shots, then performed a Russian leg sweep with it. McIntyre jabbed an end of the stick into the eye of Sheamus. McIntyre hit Sheamus with another kendo stick shot that sent him to ringside.

Both men ended up on a broadcast table and blocked moves until McIntyre threw Sheamus off the table and into the timekeepers area. McIntyre followed and fish hooked Sehamus. They fought behind the barricade and traded some stiff shots. Sheamus suplexed McIntyre onto the exposed floor. They fought onto one of the virtual screen platforms where Sheamus performed a rolling senton.

McIntyre slammed Sheamus into the virtual screens, then threw him through a barricade and onto some equipment, which led to some pyro going off. McIntyre brought Sheamus back to the main floor level and suplexed him on the the floor behind the ringside barricades. McIntyre hoisted Sheamus up and carried him back to ringside, but Sheamus raked his eyes and slipped off his shoulders. Sheamus delivered a Brogue Kick that sent McIntyre over the barricade.

Sheamus picked up McIntyre while standing on the barricade and gave him White Noise through the broadcast table. Sheamus held his hip or lower back, which he did on and off during the match, then rolled McIntyre back inside the ring. Sheamus grabbed a piece of the broadcast table and brought it inside the ring with him. Sheamus punched McIntyre, who fought back. Sheamus set up for an Alabama Slam over the piece from the broadcast table, but McIntyre countered into a Future Shock DDT. McIntyre followed up with a Claymore Kick and scored the pin…

Drew McIntyre defeated Sheamus in 19:40 in a No Holds Barred match.

Powell’s POV: Another war between McIntyre and Sheamus. They did a hell of a job and this was easily the match of the night thus far. I hope there’s a plan to keep Sheamus relevant if this was the end of the road for his feud with McIntyre.

A video package recapped the Randy Orton madness story involving The Fiend and Alexa Bliss…

Randy Orton made his entrance. He stood on the rope and struck his pose, then clutched his stomach and started spitting up the black goo again.

Powell’s POV: Orton has to stop eating those damn convenience store burritos before his matches.

Orton went to ringside and wiped his face with a towel, then returned to the ring and called for Bliss, who made her entrance to a warped version of the Firefly Funhouse theme…

6. Randy Orton vs. Alexa Bliss. Phillips, Saxton, and Joe called the match (poor guys). The referee called for the bell. Orton walked toward Bliss, but fire shot up in his face. Orton backed away into the corner, then charged at Bliss, who moved, causing Orton to tumble to the floor. They went to ringside. Bliss looked up and some lights fell between her and Orton.

Bliss laughed maniacally. Orton watched her walk to the other side of the ring where she ended up sitting on the bottom rope. Orton climbed onto the apron and looked up, then apprehensively entered the ring. Bliss blew him a kiss. Orton walked toward her and she shot another fireball at him. The broadcast team agreed that Orton blocked the fireball with his hand.

Bliss sat on the top rope. A burnt hand tore through the ring and grabbed Orton’s foot. Orton got away and then fire and smoke shot out of the hole. A toasted version of The Fiend climbed through the hole and into the ring. Bliss shoved Orton at The Fiend, who dropped him with Sister Abigail. Bliss covered Orton and got the win…

Alexa Bliss defeated Randy Orton in 4:45.

Powell’s POV: Hey, the veteran put over the younger wrestler just like so many of us wanted, right? A 24-star classic. Match of the decade. Or something. If you’ve enjoyed this ridiculous storyline more than I have, then you probably enjoyed this a lot more than I did.

Cole and Graves hyped Hulk Hogan and Titus O’Neil as the co-hosts of WrestleMania. They ran through the previously announced matches for the two-night event… A portion of Paul Heyman’s promo from Talking Smack aired… A video package set up the main event…

Edge made his entrance and stood at ringside dressed in regular clothes. Daniel Bryan was out next followed by Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman. Ring announcer Greg Hamilton delivered in-ring introductions for the championship match…

7. Roman Reigns (w/Paul Heyman) vs. Daniel Bryan for the WWE Universal Championship with Edge as the special enforcer. Cole and Graves called the match. Cole noted that Reigns had held the title for 203 days. Early in the match, Bryan hooked Roman’s arm, then used his foot to push it to the mat. A short time later, Reigns slammed Bryan to the mat and covered him for a two count. Reigns smeared Bryan’s face into the mat.

Reigns got the better of Bryan with some slow paced offense. Reigns knocked Bryan off the apron with a punch and then taunted Edge before running Bryan into the barricade. Bryan came back with some kicks to the body, but Reigns ran him into the ring post and then threw him back inside the ring where he covered him for a two count.

Later, Bryan caught Reigns with a kick. Reigns charged at Bryan, who moved and sent Reigns to ringside, but Reigns landed on his feet. Bryan dove at Reigns, who was supposed to catch him, but fell to the ground. Reigns powered Bryan up, but Bryan slipped out and shoved him into the ring post. Bryan went to hte apron and threw a flying knee at Reigns and then rolled him back inside the ring.

Bryan went up top and performed another flying knee. Bryan followed up with a missile dropkick. Bryan took some time to cover Reigns, who kicked out right away. Bryan threw a series of kicks to the chest of Reigns, who ended up blocking one. Reigns backed Bryan into the corner and hit him with an uppercut. Reigns raked his glove over the face of Bryan, then threw knees at him.

Bryan went for a takedown, but Reigns stuffed it. Reigns powered up Bryan for a powerbomb, but Bryan countered into a huracanrana and then blasted Reigns with a kick to the head. Bryan covered Reigns for a near fall. Heyman expressed concern while watching from ringside. Bryan told Reigns that he was about to be broken. Bryan grabbed the arms of Reigns and then stomped his face with his foot.

Bryan applied crossface, then gave it up to reposition into the Yes Lock. Reigns powered out and threw shots at Bryan, then hoisted him up and powerbombed him for a near fall. Bryan caught Reigns with a kick, then charged at him with a running knee, but Reigns moved and Bryan took out the referee. REF BUMP!!! Reigns speared Bryan and made the cover. Edge entered the ring and made the count, but Bryan kicked out at two.

Reigns jawed at Edge, who told him to take care of his business and he would take care of his own. Reigns threw punches at Bryan, who caught him in a triangle submission hold. Reigns powered him up. Bryan threw punches at the head of Reigns, who fell back to the mat while Bryan locked in a cross face. Bryan threw forearm shots to the head of Reigns and then applied the hold again.

Jey Uso showed up and superkicked Edge and then Bryan, which broke the hold. Uso went to ringside and grabbed a chair, which he brought back to the ring. Uso ran Edge through the ropes and into the ring post. Uso tried to hit Bryan with the chair, but Bryan ducked it and then drilled Uso with a running knee. Bryan picked up the chair and slammed it over the back of Uso repeatedly.

Bryan tried to hit Reigns with the chair, but Reigns moved and Bryan accidentally took out Edge. Reigns clocked Bryan with a Superman Punch. Reigns went for the spear, but Bryan countered into the Yes Lock. Graves pointed out that Reigns appeared to be fading and was on the verge of tapping out. Reigns lightly tapped his hand, which the broadcast team pointed out, but Edge slammed a chair over the back of Bryan. Edge hit Reigns and then Bryan with the chair, then yelled, “This is mine. Mine!” Edge left the ring while both men were down. A new referee came out. Reigns put his arm over Bryan and the referee made the three count.

Roman Reigns defeated Daniel Bryan in 30:00 to retain the WWE Universal Championship.

Powell’s POV: They saved the best for last. McIntyre vs. Sheamus was a great brawl, but I enjoyed the more traditional main event event slightly more. The main event finish was creative with Reigns lightly tapping out just before Edge went crazy. The finish was done in a way where they could turn the WWE Universal Championship match into a Triple Threat, but they could also save Bryan to be a post WrestleMania opponent for both men. For whatever it’s worth, Cole acted like everything was now set with Reigns vs. Edge at WrestleMania.

Overall, there was some good wrestling on the show, most notably in the two aforementioned matches. The outcomes felt highly predictable throughout the show. I’m happy they didn’t do anything too crazy when they are so close to WrestleMania, but I really hope the company will seriously consider moving the Royal Rumble to February and then go with either Elimination Chamber or Fastlane in March. They just don’t need to have two events between the Rumble and WrestleMania. I will have a lot more to say later tonight when Jake Barnett joins me to co-host our Dot Net Members’ exclusive audio review of Fastlane. Let me know what you thought of the show by voting in our polls below.