10 Best WWE Fastlane Matches So Far
There have been some enjoyable pitstops on the Road To WrestleMania...
Tonight is WWE Fastlane, the last stop on the road to WrestleMania.
Fastlane was first introduced to the WWE calendar in 2015 and has been a staple, bar 2020 when it took a little break.
It's back now, however, and promises at least one worthwhile match in the form of Daniel Bryan challenging Roman Reigns for the Universal Title. The same two men headlined the first Fastlane show and they had a barnburner then, the first of many that would take place on Fastlane cards in the years after.
Looking back at previous events, it's striking just how many hidden gems there are on a show that is, really, at times mostly filler and not exactly necessary, especially if there is another pay-per-view bridging the Royal Rumble and 'Mania, such as Elimination Chamber.
To get you in the mood for the event - or to give you some random recommendations if you're reading this after the fact - I've looked at the other Fastlane shows and picked ten of the best matches in its short history.
It wasn't too hard, to be honest, because Fastlane has hosted plenty of frenetic multi-man matches and some big title bouts, as well as the last (proper) match of one of wrestling's greatest ever stables.
Perhaps Alexa Bliss versus Randy Orton will make next year's update.
On the other hand, almost certainly not.
10. AJ Styles Vs. Chris Jericho (2016)
AJ Styles's first major test after his debut in the 2016 Royal Rumble match was a singles encounter with friendly rival Chris Jericho at Fastlane.
Something of a dream match, AJ versus Y2J was something that fans had wanted to see for a while and, given the experience and ability of both, expectations were high.
Thankfully, they had themselves a dandy of a bout. It was a bit ropey in the beginning as they felt each other out and set a pace, and it didn't look like they were on the same page during a couple of exchanges, but they settled into their rhythm and built the match up nicely.
The intensity grew as it went on, with Jericho getting more and more frustrated at his inability to put The Phenomenal One away. In one of the match's most impressive moments, Jericho countered an attempted springboard move by hitting a springboard dropkick, causing Styles to lose his balance and fall from the top rope.
AJ survived the Walls of Jericho, Y2J kicked out of a Style's Clash and the pendulum swung back and forth until Styles was able to lock in the Calf Crusher and score the win via submission.
This was clearly the first entry in a longer story, and the two would have better matches against one another down the road, but this was a damn fine effort and one of the best things at Fastlane 2016.
Written by Lewis Howse
Features journalist for Cultaholic.com and script writer for the Cultaholic YouTube Channel.
