WWE ‘Fastlane’ 2016 Pay-Per-View Results — Updated LIVE!
On Sunday, February 21, WWE will present Fastlane, live at 8 p.m./5 p.m. ET/PT at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. For those who are unable to attend the show live, it will be available for viewing exclusively on the award-winning WWE Network.
However, the Inquisitr understands not everyone in the WWE Universe (or wrestling community in general) will be able to spend up to four hours watching Fastlane. Therefore, results will be presented live as they become available.
Similar to past WWE pay-per-views, the WWE is providing one courtesy to those who do not have a paid subscription to the WWE Network. One hour before the special event, Fastlane Kickoff will take place, which will include a panel of WWE personalities and commentators most likely consisting of Renee Young, Corey Graves, and Byron Saxton discussing the matches at the pay-per-view. As a bonus, there will be a 2-out-of-3-Falls match between Kalisto and Alberto del Rio for the WWE United States Championship.
The Fastlane Kickoff can be viewed not only on the WWE Network, but also on WWE’s official website, WWE App, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus, Pheed, and Pinterest one hour before the actual pay-per-view.
This pay-per-view is still new for WWE, initialized back in 2015. The concept for it is WWE is on the “fastlane” to Wrestlemania, kind of like the last stop before the biggest stage of them all. Ergo, this pay-per-view is supposed to be taken as the one that sets up Wrestlemania, which was the same job of the pay-per-view it replaced, No Way Out. It is believed the name change is in association to WWE’s direction to be more family friendly. Seriously, “Fastlane” does sound more inviting than “No Way Out” right?
Prior to Fastlane, the Inquisitr published numerous articles leading up to the pay-per-view. The following articles may or may not represent the forthcoming results.
- Will WWE actually utilize the “double pin” scenario for the main event at Fastlane?
- These are the possible spoilers for Fastlane. Could this be the pay-per-view to debut Enzo Amore and Big Cass?
- What is the possibility of the Undertaker returning at Fastlane? Will he even have a match at the “Grandest Stage of them All?”
Nevertheless, the following match card, shown below, is what is being provided at this moment. Just remember, it can change for any reason. The Inquisitr will update this article with the latest results and details as they become available live.
AJ Styles vs. Chris Jericho — This will surely be the “pure wrestling” match of the night given the years of ring expertise both Styles and Jericho have. To help build his momentum, Styles will most-likely win, which Jericho is probably more than happy to push (he’s been pushing younger or newer talent as of late). Still, the outcome is not as important as the match itself, kind of like when Jericho wrestles Shawn Michaels, Eddie Guerrero, or Kurt Angle at a pay-per-view.
RESULT: AJ Styles defeats Chris Jericho via submission with the Calf Crusher.
SYNOPSIS: This was the longest match of the night and one that truly tested AJ Styles. This was technically the final match between the two wrestlers as each have a win over one another. This would break the tie.
The match begin with both testing and sizing each other up. Eventually Jericho took control as he calculated his attack both inside and outside of the ring. AJ Styles was able to fire back at times, but Jericho quickly crushed them which includes drop kicking Styles off the top rope during his springboard. Later on, Jericho even landed a dropkick from outside the ring into Styles’ face when he tried to springboard out of the ring to Jericho outside.
The final part of the match was a test of resiliency as Chris Jericho was able to lock in the Walls of Jericho. After much time has passed, AJ Styles was able to crawl to the bottom rope forcing Jericho to break the hold. Jericho, truly furious that he could not finish Styles, went to lock in the Walls of Jericho again. Styles actually countered it into the Styles Clash. The move wasn’t enough to put away Jericho for a three count so Styles locked in the Calf Crusher. After a few minutes agonizing in pain, Jericho finally tapped out. AJ Styles is victorious.
Kevin Owens vs. Dolph Ziggler (WWE Intercontinental Championship) — This is another match surely made for “pure wrestling,” too. Just like AJ Styles and Chris Jericho, Owens and Ziggler are amazing technical wrestlers in the ring. This is more surprising for Owens given his body type and size. Still, the chemistry between these two to deliver an enjoyable match will be on point. The only difference between this match and the Styles versus Jericho match is the ending is important given the title is on the line. Owens is expected to retain for him and Ziggler to have an amazing match at Wrestlemania 32.
RESULT: Kevin Owens defeats Dolph Ziggler via pinfall after a Pop-Up Powerbomb.
SYNOPSIS: As said earlier, this would be one of two technical matches of the night and it was first. Kevin Owens started out the match by hitting multiple power moves that required agility usually seen in wrestler lighter than him. His initial onslaught paid off as he injured Dolph Ziggler’s shoulder. With the odds now in Owen’ favor, Ziggler had nothing but resilience to work off of, kicking out of every pin attempt. Even Ziggler’s attempt to gain momentum failed as his injured shoulder came back into play.
Eventually, the battle raged on in which both men connected with super kicks against each other. The biggest move Kevin Owens pulled off is his side suplex from the second turnbuckle while Dolph Ziggler did a hurricarana outside of the ring that sent Owens’ head into the steel steps. With control on his side, Ziggler tried to end the match with Sweet Chin Music, the finisher Shawn Michaels is famous for. Owens ducked the kick and Ziggler just stopped himself short of kicking the referee’s head off. That was enough distraction for Owens as he pulled off the pop-up powerbomb on Ziggler securing the win.
Ryback, Big Show, and Kane vs. The Wyatt Family (Six-Man Tag Match) — To be fair, this is the obligatory tag match every pay-per-view has and if the story continues as it has been going, the Wyatt Family will continue to dominate. The build-up for the match was also rushed, so it may be the least interesting match of the night. This is very sad to write because everyone involved has contributed well (with the exception of Braun Strowman simply because he is new). This feud is expected to continue on, but may evolve to something different before Wrestlemania 32.
RESULT: Ryback, Big Show, and Kane defeat The Wyatt Family after Ryback pins Luke Harper after the Shellshock.
SYNOPSIS: This was the second-slowest match of the night given the fact it consisted of six big men wrestling each other. What needs to be known before the ending of the match is that each big man had their time to shine in a back-and-forth game. There really wasn’t anything of note worth mentioning until the very end.
The flurry began with Kane delivering a Choke Slam to Erick Rowan. Braun Strowman interfered, tossing Kane outside of the ring but Big Show stepped in to stop him. Strowman found himself thrown outside of the ring too. Luke Harper tried to attack Big Show but instead was Gorilla Pressed over Big Show’s head. Harper than found himself being thrown into his two teammates outside of the ring. As a cap-off, Big Show followed the chaos outside and landed a flying shoulder block into Strowman.
Ryback was able to get Luke Harper back into the ring in which he hit him with a meathook clothesline. Ryback was about to set up for Shellshock but Bray Wyatt tried to interfere. Wyatt got a boot in the face by Kane for his trouble. With nobody able to help Harper, Ryback hosted the Wyatt Family member onto his shoulders to deliver Shellshock. Three seconds later, Ryback, along with Big Show and Kane, would celebrate their victory.
Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks vs. Team B.A.D. (Divas Tag Team Match) — Back in NXT, both Lynch and Banks formed a duo that was amazing to watch. Formed from the ashes of awkward beginnings (Lynch originally came out in cross-play Leprechaun gear and River Danced and Banks was a lackey to both Summer Rae and Charlotte), they have become the best versions of themselves as the “Lass Kicker” and “The Boss” respectively. They will most-likely win as a setup for a Triple Threat match against Charlotte at Wrestlemania 32. The only sad thing about this match is Naomi and Tamina will be delegated to the back yet again.
RESULT: Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks defeat Team B.A.D. after Banks submits Tamina with the Bank Statement.
SYNOPSIS: For devout NXT fans, the reunification of Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks as a tag team was a trip down memory lane. And though it isn’t exactly an inch of what we NXT fans are used to, it was a decently solid match.
The match started out with Sasha Banks and Naomi, but Sasha and Becky Lynch still had a relationship best described on the rocks as Becky tagged herself in. The “Lass-Kicker” showed her spunk in the initial offensive but eventually, Naomi and Tamina were able to slow down the match in their favor. Cutting the ring in half, Naomi and Tamina kept Becky in their corner, staying fresh by doing quick tag-out switches.
In a burst of effort, Becky Lynch was able to send Naomi over the ropes and stagger Tamina which gave her enough opportunity to tag in Sasha Banks. Sasha took control of the match locking in the Bank Statement on Naomi. Tamina was able to break Sasha’s hold which caused the latter to chase the former, a devious chase plan in which Sasha received the Rear View from Naomi. Unfortunately for Naomi, she was only able to get a two-count as Becky returned to the ring. The “Lass-Kicker” and “The Boss” were able to take control yet again in which Tamina found herself in the Bank Statement and Naomi found herself in the Dis-Arm-Her. Tamina gave up a good fight but could not take it anymore as she tapped out to Sasha’s hold which in turn gave the win to both her and Becky.
Charlotte vs. Brie Bella (WWE World Heavyweight Championship) — Given that her sister Nikki Bella is on the shelf and her husband Daniel Bryan has retired, Brie Bella will most-likely win this match as an award for her dedication and service to WWE. This will surely be more concrete if Brie is truly retiring from wrestling this coming summer. Also, with no belt, Charlotte can concentrate on delivering the “best Divas match the WWE has ever seen in a long time” with Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks if the rumored Triple Threat at Wrestlemania 32 happens, which might become a Fatal 4-Way if the Fourth Horsewoman of NXT appears.
RESULT: Charlotte defeats Brie Bella via submission with the Figure-Eight Leglock.
SYNOPSIS: It is sad to say this but this was the worst match of the night and that includes the “pop-up” match between R-Truth and Curtis Axel. It must be noted that Charlotte is starting to come off as an excellent heel so the match wasn’t bad because of her personality. It all came down to Brie Bella. As much as people like her for shoots and television roles, she simply lacks chemistry in the ring. As a matter of fact, there were many botches and missed queues during the match because of her.
Brie Bella did come out strong, utilizing the emotions garnered from her twin sister Nikki Bella’s shelving and her husband Daniel Bryan’s retirement. Once the bell rang, the match seemed very awkward. As mentioned earlier, many missed queues and botches. For example, Brie was supposed to do a drop toe hold on Charlotte in which Charlotte would land on the bottom ropes. It was an obvious setup for Brie’s running knee. However, the angle Brie did the drop toe hold made Charlotte land next to the ropes. Brie had to adjust Charlotte onto the bottom rope before continuing. Let’s not forget the numerous botched pin attempts, especially when Brie tried to pull off a crucifix pin.
Near the end of the match, Brie Bella did a diving drop kick off the top turnbuckle. Though she connected, Brie hurt her knee. This caused her to slow down and weaken significantly. This was best seen when Brie locked in the Yes Lock switched to a single leg crab. Charlotte was able to power out of the move which sent Brie flying towards the ropes. She simply did not have enough leg strength to plant her submission. Eventually, Brie found herself locked in the Figure-Eight Leglock. Given her injury sustained earlier, Brie quickly tapped out and Charlotte retained the championship.
R-Truth vs. Curtis Axel — There really wasn’t any build-up for this match so there really isn’t much to say about it. From what it seems, WWE messed up with the timing of their previous matches prior to the main event. The second-to-the-last match, Chris Jericho vs. AJ Styles, ended just before 10 p.m. That’s not good for a four hour show. Anyways, the match shouldn’t even be called a match given that it lasted less than five minutes. What this match did do was continue the story of Goldust and R-Truth teaming up to make up a team called “The Golden Truth.”
RESULT: Curtis Axel defeats R-Truth via pinfall with a Roll-Up.
SYNOPSIS: Not really much to say about this one since it was really short. In short, R-Truth was outnumbered by the rest of the #SocialOutcasts. Bo Dallas, Adam Rose, and Heath Slater kept R-Truth distracted which in turn kept him from doing what he needed to do.
Goldust, the man who wants to start a tag team with R-Truth calling themselves “The Golden Truth,” came to R-Truth’s aid. Unfortunately, a miscommunication in which Goldust threw one of the #SocialOutcast members back into the ring in which R-Truth had to hope over him was his downfall. Curtis Axel snuck up behind for a roll-up pin for the count of three.
Dean Ambrose vs. Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar (Triple Threat Match for #1 Contendership for WWE World Heavyweight Championship) — This will be a hard-hitting, pulse-pounding match to watch. There will hardly be any finesse or style, but a lot of chaotic, high flying and big power moves. Expect both Ambrose and Reigns to be taken to Suplex City on multiple occasions. Also expect Ambrose to always be smiling no matter what happens to him. Rumor has it the ending will be a “double pin.” To be fair, it may take one just to pin Lesnar. With this rumor intact, it is a huge unknown who will win, even with knowledge of how the story is going right now.
RESULT: Roman Reigns defeats Dean Ambrose and Brock Lesnar after Reigns pins Ambrose after the Spear.
SYNOPSIS: This was easily one of the most-predictable matches of the night given the organization it had. The match can easily be divided into three parts. The first is Brock Lesnar dominating the match. The second is Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose fighting it out while keeping Lesnar incapacitated. Finally, the ending.
The first part was once again, Brock Lesnar dominating. Both Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose were taken to Suplex City. Even the times both Reigns and Ambrose tried to gain control was met with a visit to Suplex City. Ambrose even tried to suplex Lesnar once and paid the price with an belly-to-belly, overhead suplex. The second part is when both brothers teamed up to put Lesnar through a table. The time Lesnar recovered was met with another slam through a table.
In the end, the final furry included Brock Lesnar coming back into the ring and suplexing Roman Reigns with Dean Ambrose on top of his shoulders. Lesnar was too exhausted to follow-up as Ambrose and Reigns recovered. The end came after Ambrose went into chaos mode, smashing a steel chair that made Lesnar go out of the ring. Though Reigns was getting whopped the same way, he mustered enough strength to spear Ambrose. Three seconds later, Roman Reigns is he new number one contender, and he was eventually joined by Triple H, the current WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
[Image via WWE Fastlane 2016 Poster]
