Fast Lane 2015

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 188 Minutes
Certificate: 12
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: May 4 2015

The February PPV event is rarely the highlight of the year in WWE, with a greater focus on promoting WrestleMania than putting on a classic show in its own right. That is the case once again when reliving Fast Lane on DVD: there are some enjoyable matches and important angles, but they are less effective upon second viewing than they were in the time (and matters aren't helped by a crowd which seems to be half-asleep).

The opening six-man tag, pitting Ryback, Erick Rowan and Dolph Ziggler against Seth Rollins, Big Show and Kane, is okay but nothing out of the ordinary, and is more notable for post-match capers. Stardust vs. Goldust simply doesn't get going, and the botched finish (although the error was made by the referee, not the wrestlers themselves) and the aforementioned disinterested audience make the match seem worse than it actually is. On the bright side, The Usos vs. Tyson Kidd and Cesaro is a really good doubles encounter, and the angle between Triple H and Sting effectively sets up The Stinger's first WWE bout against HHH at WM 31.

Nikki Bella vs. Paige is standard stuff, as is Bad News Barrett vs. Dean Ambrose, which also has a disappointing outcome to make things worse. An angle involving Bray Wyatt teasing a return for The Undertaker at least draws a loud crowd reaction, and Rusev vs. John Cena is a good match which makes the Bulgarian Brute look as strong as he feasibly could against Cena. Lastly, Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan put on a strong main event with the WM 31 WWE Title shot at stake, even if it ultimately failed in its true, long-term goal to reverse the growing anti-Reigns brigade. There are no extra matches from the preview show, since an actual match was replaced by Paul Heyman appearing on Miz TV, which we get here as a bonus feature.

To appreciate Fast Lane, you really have to watch WrestleMania 31 immediately afterwards, since almost everything on this card is designed to promote Mania - and WM was far better than this show. It is far from a terrible card, and none of the matches provoked the same anger and bewilderment that the Royal Rumble match did, but Fast Lane is likely to do little more than increase your DVD collection rather than being a release that you absolutely need to purchase.

Overall Rating: 6/10 - Reasonable