U.S. Title Match Has A Great Stipulation But A Poor Spot On Fastlane Card

By Nicholas A. Marsico

After it was announced that Kalisto would defend his WWE United States Championship at Fastlane against Alberto Del Rio, the challenger asked for a stipulation. The former champion requested a two-out-of-three falls match in order to prove Kalisto to be a fraud by beating him twice in one match. That’s a good piece of booking on the part of WWE, and it is even somewhat unexpected that they would spend the extra few seconds to have a wrestler provide a verbal reason for the special rules.

The multi-fall match also makes sense based on the men having roots in lucha libre, which has used two-out-of-three falls matches as a staple in Mexico.

Here’s the odd part: the match is being used as the pre-show filler match. Chances are that the time that was going to that match is being sacrificed to the Cutting Edge Peep Show with The New Day as special guests. Wouldn’t it make so much more sense to switch those? Put Edge and Christian on the pre-show to get more eyes on it and then use it to make an impromptu Tag Team Championship match for the actual event, putting E & C there as well.

That’s better on both an entertainment and business level. Edge and Christian are used twice instead of once and they are put on the free part of the show, hopefully helping entice a few people who might be on the fence about getting it. Giving away a free match, especially a title match, isn’t the best way to get people to pay for the other stuff you’re throwing at them.

Business aside, it’s just stupid. Put the talking segment on the pre-show and the match on the actual show. Kalisto should win, and please disband the League of Nations. Nobody cares.

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