WWE Fastlane 2015 Results: Ranking Every Match at PPV

Last night saw the last stop on the Road to WrestleMania play out at the inaugural Fastlane pay-per-view—and its controversial ending has already proved to be a major talking point.

The last big show before WrestleMania is a difficult proposition; on the one hand, it needs to keep major programs bubbling over before the Showcase of the Immortals, but at the same time something needs to be kept in reserve for the biggest show of the year.

Some matches last night managed to strike that balance—and others didn't.

Here are the power rankings for the good and bad at WWE Fastlane 2015.

7. Nikki Bella vs. Paige for the WWE Divas Championship

Credit: WWE.com

Winner: Nikki Bella

Sadly, there was not all that much to see here.

Despite the talent of the two women involved, this match couldn't exceed the standard formula for a pay-per-view Divas Championship match.

There were some flashes of interest over the course of the bout, but with a running time of little more than five minutes, there wasn't much opportunity for anything all too engaging to kick into gear. It was a match as pedestrian as the uninspired build we've seen play out over the past few weeks.

It's a shame to think that this is what's on offer at the highest level for female performers in the foremost wrestling promotion in the world. The fact that the match ended with the division's standard roll-up pinfall speaks volumes about the dire straits that the women of the main roster find themselves in.

With the up-and-comers of NXT making waves, there's plenty of hope for the future—but the issue here isn't the talent on offer. Despite a very able roster, women's wrestling in WWE is handled like an unwanted responsibility.

That's a real problem.

6. Dolph Ziggler, Erick Rowan and Ryback vs. Seth Rollins, Kane and Big Show

Credit: WWE.com

Winners: Seth Rollins, Kane and Big Show

It seemed likely as soon as it was announced that this contest would be little more than a setup for the heavily anticipated Seth Rollins vs. Randy Orton match at WrestleMania—and while that was true, it was a decent enough opener as well.

After a steady start, the tags became more frequent, and the action livened up a little. Each man had his time to shine, but it soon became clear that this was going to be a showcase for The Architect, who was in fine form at Fastlane.

Rollins' superior conditioning and agility allows him to do things that others couldn't dream of, which means his matches are always filled with unique bits of action. One particularly neat sequence saw an attempt at a flipping neckbreaker on Ryback smoothly turned into The Big Guy's Shellshocked.

Outside of the inexplicable reliance on the tedious pairing of Big Show and Kane for pay-per-views in 2015, there was plenty to enjoy in this match—but really, it was an extended setup for the post-match return of Randy Orton.

There's nothing wrong with per se, but it does detract a bit from the bout itself when its only real reason for being on the card is a setup for the next pay-per-view that only includes one of the six men involved.

5. Stardust vs. Goldust

Credit: WWE.com

Winner: Goldust

A match between the Rhodes brothers has been rumoured for years at this point, which might explain why this encounter couldn't quite live up to expectations. That said, a WrestleMania rematch could right many of its wrongs.

It's difficult to pinpoint quite why this one didn't hit. The historic wrestling city of Memphis would have seemed to be the perfect setting for the brothers to face off, and the crowd were in the palm of their hands from the opening bell.

Both men took full advantage of this, further drawing their audience in with some strong storytelling in the ring. This wasn't a technical masterpiece, but it was the right sort of action for a sibling rivalry. However, despite all that the match had going for it, things didn't quite click.

A sudden ending—perhaps exacerbated by some confusion on the part of the referee—only cemented the long-awaited Rhodes showdown as a slight disappointment.

That said, there's plenty of potential for a WrestleMania rematch between the two to tear down the house.

4. Bad News Barrett vs. Dean Ambrose for the WWE Intercontinental Championship

Credit: WWE.com

Winner: Bad News Barrett (via disqualification)

This was a match that seemed bursting with potential ahead of Fastlane, but—as seemed to be the case throughout the show—turned out to be just the preamble to a more definitive meeting at a later date.

The story here was Barrett attempting to avoid spending too much time in the ring with Ambrose, goading the crowd and his opponent in equal measure. As a narrative, it was well executed—but, by its nature, it was a frustrating match to watch.

Many watching would have expected this to be a contender for best match of the night ahead of time, but too much was held back for that to be the case. The outcome was a stop-start contest that never really settled into any sort of flow.

The rematch will likely be worth the wait, particularly if it takes place at WrestleMania, but that won't make this a more satisfying match retrospectively. It's understandable that such a big show needs to be set up in advance, but at times Fastlane seemed like little more than a preview for an upcoming event.

3. Roman Reigns vs. Daniel Bryan

Credit: WWE.com

Winner: Roman Reigns

Whatever you think of the result, the main event of Fastlane was at least another pay-per-view singles match for Roman Reigns to add to his collection—and a bout to be proud of at that.

It should be of little surprise at this point that Daniel Bryan can wring a good match out of anyone, but last night he brought the best out of his opponent. This was a turning point in Reigns' career, and it's difficult to think of anyone more apt to shepherd him along than Bryan.

This was a classic contest of technique vs. power, and both men pulled out all the stops to ensure that it played out perfectly. The hugely experienced Bryan may have done much of the heavy lifting, but Reigns never seemed too far out of his depth.

In front of a different crowd, this could have been a classic, but as it played out, it was simply a very good match.

Reigns needed to look legitimate if he's to survive the Road to WrestleMania, and he did last night.

2. Rusev vs. John Cena for the WWE United States Championship

Credit: WWE.com

Winner: Rusev

There are two John Cenas; the standard version that we see week-in and week-out, and the rarer sighting that only makes himself known when it's absolutely necessary.

Last night he started out like the basic Cena, but as this match hit its pace we began to see the same competitor who helped talent like CM Punk and Daniel Bryan reach their potential in WWE. Cena can be a great opponent for the right competitor, and Rusev might just be that.

It takes a special talent to bring out the A-game of a veteran like Cena, and The Bulgarian Brute qualifies. He's a power wrestler with a great understanding of pacing and psychology, which is no common occurrence in the industry.

However, it has to be said that this was another match on the Fastlane card that seemed like a tease of something yet to come. It was very entertaining in its own right, sure—but it wasn't difficult to see that something was being held back.

That only serves to heighten expectations for the impending WrestleMania rematch, but if it can build from what we saw last night, it could well be among the best bouts on that increasingly stacked card.

1. The Usos vs. Tyson Kidd and Cesaro for the WWE Tag Team Championship

Credit: WWE.com

Winners: Cesaro and Tyson Kidd

Tag team wrestling has often gone underappreciated in WWE, but over the past two years we've seen The Usos do their utmost to make sure that the in-ring component of the division always hits a high standard.

The team have had great matches with everyone from The Wyatt Family to the Rhodes brothers, and over that time they've established themselves as a truly outstanding duo. Rather than treating the division as a stepping stone, they've set out to become the leading tag team in the company—and they've done it.

Faced with lesser teams, The Usos are still quite capable of putting on a great performance—but with two men like Tyson Kidd and Cesaro, they're liable to go above and beyond. Last night saw a perfectly paced contest that ramped up to a blistering finish, comfortably the best match of the night.

The pairing of Kidd and Cesaro offers up all kinds of possibilities in the ring, with the deadlift-suplex-to-slingshot-elbow-drop combo being a particularly breathtaking double-team technique. However, with The Usos' unique offense firing right back, this one really hit some highs before all was said and done.

These two teams could easily go on to feud for months and continue to have excellent matches. For most competitors on the card last night, it was clear that WrestleMania was still weeks away—but for these two teams, it seemed like the biggest night of the year.