WWE Fastlane 2023 Results: Winners, Live Grades, Reaction and Highlights
Could LA Knight maintain his impressive momentum at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis when he teamed with John Cena to battle The Bloodline's Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso in the main event of WWE Fastlane?
It was just one question on the minds of the fans ahead of an event that also featured Seth Rollins defending his World Heavyweight Championship against Shinsuke Nakamura in a Last Man Standing match and the latest in The Judgment Day's attempt to take over WWE Raw.
Find out what went down, who emerged victorious and which, if any, championships changed hands with this recap of the premium live event.
Match Card
1 of 7The match card for Saturday's pay-per-view:
- John Cena and LA Knight vs. Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa
- Last Man Standing match for the World Heavyweight Championship: Seth Rollins (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
- WWE Women's Championship match: Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka vs. Iyo Sky (c)
- The LWO vs. Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits
- Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship match: Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso vs. Finn Bálor and Damian Priest (c)
Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship
2 of 7
JD McDonagh's quest to prove himself to The Judgment Day hit a roadblock Saturday night when he blasted the injured left knee of Damian Priest with the Money in the Bank briefcase.
This allowed Cody Rhodes to deliver Cross Rhodes on the announce table, then join Jey Uso in dropping Finn Bálor with the 1-D to win the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships.
That came at the end of a lengthy, red-hot title bout that saw Uso and Rhodes set aside their previous issues and accomplish their goal of dethroning the heel champions at the top of the show.
Strong in-ring action, hampered only by a runtime that stretched some of the spots thinner than necessary, it was the perfect way to start the premium live event.
More importantly, it allowed the dissent that had permeated The Judgment Day to escalate, especially as Bálor is likely to defend his protégé, McDonagh, at the expense of his relationship with Priest.
Result
Rhodes and Uso defeated Priest and Bálor to win the titles
Grade
Top Moments and Takeaways
- Michael Cole was out here saying words like "Bullet Club" on WWE TV and reminding fans that both Bálor and Rhodes used to be part of the renowned group. Pro graps in 2023 are wild.
- The hot tag to Rhodes was electric. The energy in the arena changed with it.
- This was a long opener, but the crowd was right there with the four guys all the way through.
LWO vs. Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits
3 of 7
United States champion Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar entered Saturday's battle with Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits down a man, with no partner in sight.
For three-quarters of the bout, they found themselves forced to fight from underneath against a united front looking to establish itself as an unstoppable entity on SmackDown.
Then, it happened.
Carlito returned to WWE, months after cameoing at Backlash, hitting the ring to a thunderous ovation. He took out the opposition, dropped Montez Ford with a Backstabber and scored the victory for the babyfaces.
The execution of the surprise was well done. Rather than having him join Mysterio and Escobar, there was a sense of intrigue and mystery as to what was going to happen if the babyfaces were going to have anyone backing them up.
The mid-match arrival, the surprise of the crowd and the energy it brought to the contest were done well and made Carlito look like an even bigger deal.
It will be interesting to see what effect the 44-year-old has on LWO moving forward and if it fractures the relationship between Mysterio and Escobar, but one thing is for certain: Carlito is in the best shape of his career and has a rare second chance to write his legacy in WWE.
Result
LWO defeated Lashley and The Street Profits
Grade
B
Top Moments and Takeaways
- Cole called Mysterio's gear a tribute to Fastlane. Graves, not missing a beat, responded: "I thought he was a fan of Hi-Liters."
- Zelina Vega wiped out a cocky Ford with a Meteora at ringside. Good, give her something to do to keep her active. She proved earlier this year she is a valuable asset to the women's division and capable of making an impact when she is needed.
- WWE changed Carlito's music...and not for the better.
Triple Threat Match for WWE Women's Championship
4 of 7
Desperate to maintain her role as leader of Damage CTRL, Bayley scoffed at Iyo Sky's request that she stay backstage during her title defense against Charlotte Flair and Asuka and then directly involved herself in the closing moments of the bout.
Unlike recent instances, though, the interference benefited the champion.
With Bayley providing a distraction that took the referee's attention away from Asuka tapping out to Flair's Figure Eight, Sky launched herself from the top rope with a picture-perfect moonsault and pinned The Queen to win.
The match was good, and the involvement of Bayley late was essential to the story at play, but the action did become somewhat disjointed along the way. Luckily, the combatants recovered and executed the finish to perfection.
The argument will be that Flair tapped out Asuka and should be the champion.
Sky will also question Bayley's interfering despite her request that she did not, even if it helped her retain. Those two stories, and how WWE intertwines them, will be worth watching beyond Saturday's show.
Asuka...well, she tapped out so expect her to fall out of title contention, especially as she prepares to battle Roxanne Perez Tuesday night on NXT.
Result
Sky defeated Flair and Asuka to retain
Grade
B+
Top Moments and Takeaways
- Asuka sported a new robe and a mask with blonde hair, most definitely an ode to Flair.
- Sky made her way to the ring on her own after demanding on the Kickoff Show that she handle the match alone.
- The Empress of Tomorrow took advantage of the No Disqualification rules, spraying mist in the face of Flair and taking her out of the equation early.
John Cena and LA Knight vs. Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa
5 of 7
You could not have laid out a match to better highlight LA Knight than what we got in Saturday's co-main event, in which he teamed with John Cena to defeat Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso.
Cena took the majority of the heat, selling for the heels before the red-hot tag to Knight, which popped the crowd and led to a fantastic home stretch. Despite the veteran getting a bunch of his stuff in late, it was Knight who delivered BFT to secure the win.
In his biggest test to date, The Megastar passed with flying colors. His performance lived up to the moment, he was as fired up as the fans, and the result was one of those defining showings that his supporters will be able to point to as evidence he can handle the pressure-packed situations that come with being the top babyface in WWE.
Up next? Based solely on what we saw leading into Saturday, his win over Jimmy and his backstage confrontations with Paul Heyman, the answer almost has to be a one-on-one showdown with Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.
Whether that takes place at Crown Jewel or at Survivor Series next month is the question.
Result
Knight and Cena defeated Uso and Sikoa
Grade
B+
Top Moments and Takeaways
- Pat McAfee is an absolute beast. He was part of ESPN College Gameday earlier on Saturday, called Oklahoma vs. Texas and still made it back to Indianapolis to cameo ahead of the co-main event. Props to him for appearing and joining Michael Cole and Corey Graves on commentary.
- Laying out the match with Cena as the babyface in peril and setting up Knight for the big babyface hot tag was the right idea.
- The crowd was completely behind The Megastar for the comeback. His energy and intensity fired them up even more.
Last Man Standing for World Heavyweight Championship
6 of 7
World heavyweight champion Seth Rollins settled his differences with Shinsuke Nakamura in grand fashion Saturday night, defeating him in a wild, chaotic Last Man Standing match that spilled throughout the arena and culminated with The Visionary delivering a falcon arrow through a table on the floor.
Rollins fought through considerable pain in his injured back and really established himself as the workman's champion.
The feud between the two should be over at this point because Rollins has absorbed everything Nakamura had and beat him both times. Asking fans to buy into the Japanese Superstar one more time would not make sense.
As for who might be next for Rollins, look no further than intercontinental champion Gunther or someone like the monstrous Bronson Reed. That is, as long as there are no plans to run back a feud with The Judgment Day until Damian Priest is ready to cash in.
Result
Rollins defeated Nakamura to retain
Grade
A
Top Moments and Takeaways
- In years past, Rollins has been over but not at the level of the most popular guys on the show. That is no longer the case. He is on par with LA Knight, Cody Rhodes and John Cena.
- Rollins took a big bump on the unprotected floor and selling it was no issue because there's no chance it did not hurt.
- Nakamura drove The Visionary through a table with double knees to the body. Moments later, he pulled a page from the playbook of his idol, The Great Muta, by spraying mist in the his eyes and sending him crashing through the announce table.
- The finish was executed well, as opposed to some Last Man Standing matches that are convoluted and unnatural.
Overall Grade
7 of 7For a show that did not have an abundance of buzz surrounding it, Fastlane exceeded expectations.
It delivered another quality night of professional wrestling that may have peaked with LA Knight's momentous victory but also featured great stuff from Seth Rollins, the SmackDown women's division, Carlito and the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship match.
The smaller card allowed for more time for each match, and despite the lengthier contests, the crowd remained red-hot throughout, proving their investment in the competitors and stories involved.
Overall Grade: B+
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