WWE Fastlane: Top 5 Matches in The PPV’s History
By Dorathy Gass
The Fastlane pay-per-view (PPV) may not be an event with a long history, but over the years, it has carved a small, respectable legacy.
After all, the name for the PPV was dubbed as such because it has always landed between the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania, thus offering a play on the Road to WrestleMania tagline.
In the last five PPVs, Fastlane has truly changed the game for WrestleMania, at times. Who could forget the 2017 Fastlane when Goldberg challenged then Universal Champion Kevin Owens? Goldberg walked away with the title and headed into the Grandest Stage of Them All to face then-rival, Brock Lesnar.
With that said, the previous Fastlane shows have had some highs and some lows. Below the top five matches in the PPV’s history.
Daniel Bryan vs. Roman Reigns – Fastlane 2015
Anyone else feeling a little déjà vu here after last night’s SmackDown? Back in 2015, things were a lot different for Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan. Both were faces, but the WWE was working overtime to redeem Reigns given how some within the WWE Universe viewed him at the time. Bryan had returned to the WWE after a tumultuous 2014. Sure, that year DB squeezed his way in the WrestleMania XXX main event, win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, and have his ‘Mania moment; however, his father’s passing and an injury that forced him to relinquish the WWE Title left a bad taste for many. Plenty of fans wanted to see Bryan win the Royal Rumble that year to head on to WrestleMania 31 to reclaim what he lost in 2014. Alas, Reigns ended up being the victor.
Their battle at Fastlane 2015 was for the number one contender’s spot at WrestleMania 31, and a chance against then-champ, Brock Lesnar. The match had its highs and lows, and Bryan brought out the best in Reigns. In the end, Reigns scored the win and also earned a bit of respect from Bryan along the way.