Overcoming adversity in a gruelling Last Man Standing Match, Seth ‘Freakin’ Rollins defended the World Heavyweight Championship against Shinsuke Nakamura in the main event of WWE Fastlane.
Kicking into fifth gear of WWE Fastlane, the main event featured a rematch between World Heavyweight Champion, Seth Rollins, and his challenger, Shinsuke Nakamura. Unlike their first meeting, this match was Last Man Standing. Rollins looked to begin the match at speed, aiming for the head of Nakamura with his boot, but Shinsuke escaped the ring and resumed the mind games that brought him to this dance. Any and all offense by Shinsuke Nakamura was considered for targeting the bad back of the champion, and the challenger used nunchucks, a kendo stick and a trash can to impose his will and wear down The Architect.
Shinsuke looked to follow up this weapon-based attack by putting Rollins through a table but the strike was sidestepped and Nakamura went through the wood himself. The match’s first Stomp was delivered to Shinsuke but he beat the 10-count. Rollins use of weapons became more creative as the match developed and he introduced a ladder and a steel chair to the fray. The fight spilled over the barricade and into the crowd, where Shin struck with a low blow – pushing Rollins off a raised staircase to send him crashing onto a stage below. Seth survived and took the match back towards the ring. He looked for the Pedigree on the concrete floor, exposed by Seth earlier in the contest, but fell victim to his own handiwork as he was back-body-dropped onto the cold grey surface.
Rollins fought hard to stay in the match but, despite delivering the Pedigree in the middle of the ring, Shinsuke persevered and took things to the next level. When Seth beat the 10-count after being driven through a table, Nakamura opened up on the World Heavyweight Champion with a chair. Seth tried to reintroduce the ladder but, at the top of it, Shinsuke Nakamura spewed a red mist into the face of Rollins, channelling his countryman, The Great Muta, whom he defeated on his retirement tour in January. Neither this, nor a Kinshasa through a table could keep the champion down for the count.
The brawling spilled into the crowd, once again, and Seth caught a second wind. Delivering a trifecta of a Pedigree and Stomp on a stage, and a Falcon Arrow from the stage through a tech table, Rollins was just barely able to beat the count while Shinsuke could only stumble. With the King of Strong Style unable to meet the 10-count, Seth Rollins retained the World Heavyweight Championship.
The long reign of Seth Rollins continues? Were you rooting for a Nakamura win? Let us know what you think of the outcome in the comment section.
