WWE Fastlane 2017 Winners: Biggest Stars of the Night

WWE Fastlane 2017 had one of the more intriguing match cards for a Raw-branded pay-per-view since the brand split last year, but by the end of the night, there were more groans and sighs from WWE fans than oohs and aahs. 

It was as slow and plodding of a show as WWE has put on in recent memory, and more than a handful of WWE fans on Twitter lamented the show's broadcast television quality, a feeling summed up by Bleacher Report's own Donald Wood on Twitter: "This episode of #Raw sucks."

To be sure, Fastlane was far from perfect. Most of the night's title matches lacked cohesion of any sort. The tag team title match was no better than most tag matches seen on Raw or SmackDown. The Raw Women's Championship match was by far the worst the women of the Raw brand have put on. 

And the night's main event between Kevin Owens and Goldberg, all 21 seconds of it, was as exciting as a hard sneeze. 

But in between the low moments of Fastlane, a handful of WWE Superstars did shine. Let's take a look at the Superstars who were the best of the best at WWE Fastlane 2017. 

Samoa Joe

Credit: WWE.com

WWE has hit all the right notes in its main roster promotion of Samoa Joe, and The Destroyer's first WWE pay-per-view continued that trend. 

Joe wasted no time demonstrating his superiority over Sami Zayn, showing little remorse for his opponent as he pummeled the Underdog from the Underground throughout their showdown. While Zayn showed some offense late in the match, Joe continued to counter every move with an even stronger one. 

"

Really nice opener. Joe looks strong on his PPV debut while Sami still gets enough chance offence to keep the match exciting. #WWEFastlane

— Adam Pacitti (@adampacitti) March 6, 2017"

"

Good match. Joe looked strong. Don't worry folks. Sami's day will come. Everyone can't be on top at the same time.

— Jimmy Korderas (@jimmykorderas) March 6, 2017"

This is the Joe that needs to continue to be pushed by WWE. His push is likely to continue, especially with Triple H in his corner. Whether the company decides to immediately put gold around Joe's waist is questionable, but it wouldn't be surprising. With two part-timers set to battle for the WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania 33, someone will have to step up and challenge either Goldberg or Brock Lesnar. 

Samoa Joe might be the perfect opponent for either man. 

Jack Gallagher and Neville

Credit: WWE.com

WWE hasn't done the cruiserweight division any favors, providing flimsy storylines and less than stellar champions in the division's short rebirth in the company. 

That being said, the two men who clashed for the division's title Sunday night—champion Neville and challenger Jack Gallagher—put on one of the most entertaining matches of the evening at Fastlane. 

The hard-hitting bout delivered more than any at Fastlane, giving the crowd something to finally cheer for after nearly an hour and a half of so-so performances and lackluster wrestling action. 

"

A lotta people are going to be pissed they went to the concession stand for this one. #WWEFastlane

— Alfred™ (@ThisIsNasty) March 6, 2017"

"

.@GentlemanJackG v @WWENeville has been the best match so far. Really good stuff. #WWEFastlane

— WWE Front Row (@WWEFrontRow) March 6, 2017"

Jack Gallagher played a perfect underdog challenger, taking more than his fair share of bumps throughout the bout and continually answering the call, especially when leaning on his signature headbutts to stun the champion. 

Neville continued to be the perfect arrogant champ, mocking his opponent numerous times throughout the match and delivering a flurry of high-octane moves that he's known for. Ending the match with his signature Red Arrow, a move that hasn't been seen in some time, was a nice touch as well. 

WWE would be smart to keep Gallagher in the title scene with Neville. The two men showed tremendous chemistry in the ring and, unlike many cruiserweight matches thus far, told a compelling story. 

Roman Reigns

Credit: WWE.com

For all the hell WWE continues to get for continuing to book Roman Reigns as an indestructible force, The Big Dog continues to deliver in big moments. Fastlane 2017 was no exception. 

By taking down the monster of a man that is Braun Strowman, Reigns solidified his spot at the top of the WWE food chain. Like it or not, Reigns is the biggest star in the company's eyes. 

"

after a roman match: "wow that was awesome. he really killed it"

tomorrow: "he sucks ass /internetpoints pls"

— Brooke Carrera (@brookecarrera) March 6, 2017"

It was an entertaining match with a solid story being told, but for many WWE fans, it's a tired one: Reigns overcomes the biggest of odds to defeat his opponent. What made Sunday night's match different was the opponent, as Strowman has been made to look unstoppable in the build to Fastlane.  

For weeks, Reigns has been Strowman's punching bag, being tossed around the ring like a ragdoll and thrown through tables and barricades. In typical WWE fashion, though, all of that was a prelude to Reigns overcoming the odds and defeating his opponent.

Strowman was no slouch in their Fastlane match. He continued to show progress in the ring that will eventually lead him to a world title. 

"

This match this excellent, so well booked. Both men working super hard. #WWEFastlane

— Gorilla Position (@WWEGP) March 6, 2017"

Sunday was just the latest stop for Reigns on his way to an inevitable showcase match at WrestleMania. It's likely that Reigns is headed toward a showdown with The Undertaker, as has been speculated by numerous outlets including Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t FlickeringMyth.com). 

"

Roman said this in his yard. I think a certain Deadman may have something to say about that tomorrow night.

— Jimmy Korderas (@jimmykorderas) March 6, 2017"

Monday night will go a long way in seeing just how WWE plans to book Reigns heading into WrestleMania 33.