United States Champion Kalisto vs. Alberto Del Rio (2-out-of-3-Falls Match)
Though the big title match has been on the books for weeks, the added wrinkle of a 2-out-of-3 falls format came into play days before the showdown, on Feb. 15. Del Rio issued the challenge, which Kalisto accepted on Twitter, after his team prevailed in a Six-Man Tag Team Match. The first Superstar to claim two falls — be it by pin, submission, disqualification or count-out — will leave the WWE Fastlane Kickoff with the stars-and-stripes title.
Since the start of 2016, the U.S. Championship has swung back and forth between Kalisto and Del Rio three times. The masked Superstar originally upset Del Rio to win the U.S. Title on the Jan. 11 edition of SmackDown. Days later, however, The Essence of Execution rebounded and, with the help of his League of Nations teammate King Barrett, reclaimed the championship gold on SmackDown. Yet Del Rio’s game plan for the highflier faltered again at Royal Rumble, where Kalisto regained the championship.
Now they will duke it out once more, this time in a match type known for testing competitors’ endurance. Which Superstar will go the distance and defeat his opponent not once, but twice, to claim the prestigious United States Championship?
Don’t miss this action-packed U.S. Title 2-out-of-3 Falls Match when the Kickoff airs live tonight at 7 ET/4 PT. In addition to WWE Network, the Kickoff streams live for free on WWE.com, the WWE App, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google+.
Then be sure to stay tuned for WWE Fastlane when it airs live on WWE Network at 8 ET/5 PT. Featuring Brock Lesnar, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose in a Triple Threat Match to determine Triple H’s opponent at WrestleMania, the rubber match between AJ Styles and Chris Jericho, and much more, WWE Fastlane is the event where The Road to WrestleMania kicks into high gear!
Becky Lynch & Sasha Banks vs. Naomi & Tamina
“Trust issues” doesn’t even begin to describe the dynamic between Sasha and Becky. Both competitors have expressed their ultimate desire to win the Divas Championship from Charlotte, and as The Boss proved at WWE Royal Rumble — where she laid out Becky in addition to Charlotte — she will not hesitate to take down The Irish Lass Kicker if she gets in her way of winning the Divas Title.
Sasha’s championship ambition led to the decimation of her alliance with Naomi & Tamina. The Boss opted out of Team B.A.D., stating she would go it alone in her pursuit of the Divas Title. Though Naomi & Tamina initially said Sasha’s declaration of independence was fine by them, they showed their true colors moments later, during Sasha’s singles bout against Becky. Disagreeing over how to handle The Irish Lass Kicker, Naomi & Tamina soon betrayed Sasha, putting the boots to her until Becky rushed in for an unlikely save.
Though Becky remains laser-focused on winning the top title in the Divas division, Sasha is quick to note that her assistance on Raw has brought her into Naomi & Tamina’s crosshairs.
Will Becky & Sasha form a successful partnership against the rough-and-tumble and ever-dangerous Tamina & Naomi? Or will their animosity toward each other be their undoing? Don’t miss this high-octane Divas Tag Match at WWE Fastlane, live on WWE Network Sunday, Feb. 21, at 8 ET/5 PT.
The New Day to appear on 'The Cutting Edge Peep Show'
Whether you reek of awesomeness or proudly raise the unicorn horn, WWE Fastlane has you covered this Sunday when Edge & Christian welcome WWE Tag Team Champions The New Day as guests on “The Cutting Edge Peep Show.”
The outspoken WWE Tag Team Champions crossed paths with Edge & Christian, one of the most audacious and decorated teams in WWE history, last September on Raw. The end result was a memorable, if brief, musical showdown between Xavier Woods’ trombone and Christian’s kazoo. Might the WWE Universe be in store for an encore battle this Sunday?
Watch the absurdity unfold at WWE Fastlane, live this Sunday at 8 ET/5 PT on WWE Network. Then stay tuned to watch the series debut of The Edge and Christian Show That Totally Reeks of Awesomeness, immediately following WWE Fastlane.
Ryback, Big Show & Kane vs. The Wyatt Family
The Wyatt Family’s war on WWE’s titans will come to a head at WWE Fastlane, when Braun Strowman, Luke Harper & Erick Rowan clash with Ryback, Big Show & Kane in a massive Six-Man Tag Team Match.
Bray Wyatt and his clan of monsters have been targeting the giants of the squared circle in recent weeks. On the first Raw of 2016, the four apocalyptic warriors manhandled Ryback and Big Show, outmatching the giants and pummeling them into the canvas. In the 2016 Royal Rumble Match, Strowman put in an impressive showing, tossing out The World’s Largest Athlete and The Devil’s Favorite Demon. One night later, all four members of the Family ganged up on Kane after Wyatt’s victory over The Big Red Monster, with Strowman squeezing the life out of Kane before sending him into a double chokeslam at the hands of Harper & Rowan.
Big Show was next to feel The Wyatt Family’s wrath on the Feb. 1 edition of Raw. After he defeated Rowan in one-on-one action, The World’s Largest Athlete was picked apart by Harper, Strowman and Rowan. Though he was bigger than them all, the numbers game was too much for the giant to overcome. At the direction of Harper, Rowan & Strowman hoisted the 450-pounder up and slammed him onto the unforgiving steel ring steps.
The Big Guy was the last to come face-to-face with the eerie clan. After falling to Wyatt on the Feb. 8 edition of Raw, Ryback tried to fight off all four members of The Wyatt Family, but could not overcome the odds. Ryback was tossed into the steel steps, and then Bray Wyatt sent The Big Guy crashing into the arena floor with Sister Abigail. After the ambush, The Eater of Worlds took glee in proclaiming that “the apocalypse has just begun.”
The following week, however, as The Wyatt Family continued their campaign against Big Show, Ryback arrived to make an unlikely save for The World's Largest Athlete. Although he, too, was overwhelmed by the Wyatts' numbers advantage, Demon Kane soon emerged — from below the ring, no less — to help even the odds.
War is here, and it begins at WWE Fastlane. Will Bray Wyatt’s dark prophecies come true, or will a trio of titans prove that Wyatt’s words are nothing more than wind? Find out at WWE Fastlane, live this Sunday on WWE Network.
Divas Champion Charlotte vs. Brie Bella
Charlotte, who has taken credit for causing Nikki’s injury, has also added insult to injury by mockingly wishing the Fearless Diva well. The brash comments have not sat well with Nikki’s twin sister, Brie, who made a statement against the titleholder when she pinned Charlotte on the Feb. 1 edition of Raw in a non-title match. In that encounter, Brie used Ric Flair’s attempt to distract the referee against Charlotte, reversing an attempted Figure Eight into an inside cradle.
Brie’s victory has earned her a championship bout at WWE Fastlane, but the WWE Universe can be sure that winning the title is only one of the objectives motivating the challenger. The matters are certainly personal, as well. The hard-kicking, deceptively sly challenger will be sure to shift into Brie Mode at WWE Fastlane in the hope of making Charlotte pay for messing with her family.
Will Brie teach Charlotte a lesson in humility at WWE Fastlane, avenging Nikki and winning the Divas Title in the process? Or will the dirtiest Diva in the game find a way to hold onto her precious championship, by any means necessary? Watch WWE Fastlane on Sunday, Feb. 21, at 8 ET/5 PT, on the award-winning WWE Network to find out.
AJ Styles vs. Chris Jericho
AJ Styles and Chris Jericho will collide to settle a score at WWE Fastlane, as WWE’s most lauded newcomer combats one of WWE’s most battle-tested Superstars.
Styles has proven to be a top-notch competitor since his WWE debut. His hero’s welcome during the 2016 Royal Rumble Match has already become the stuff of legend. The WWE Universe’s ovation for The Phenomenal One, coupled with the performance he delivered (lasting nearly 30 minutes in the contest amongst a Superstar-studded field), instantly established Styles as a major player in WWE — one that caught the eye of Y2J.
The following night on Raw, Jericho and Styles clashed in a match that would have once been considered an impossibility. The two matched each other blow for blow in a swift, ferocious battle, which saw Styles ultimately prevail after catching Jericho off-guard and rolling him up. However, the story would not end there.
After jockeying back-and-forth for a few weeks, including teaming up against the likes of The Miz and The Social Outcasts, the two squared off again on SmackDown, after which Jericho delivered an unexpected Codebreaker to Styles.
The rematch was just as dynamic as the first contest, with both competitors yet again wanting to stake their claim to being the best. Y2J ended up securing the victory, paving the way for Styles to challenge him to an all-important rubber match at WWE Fastlane. Though The Ayatollah of Rock ‘n’ Rolla initially refused, Styles unleashed a lightning-fast attack which changed Jericho’s mind. As Y2J angrily accepted the challenge, he also issued a warning, telling The Phenomenal One that he’d regret his decision to provoke the decorated veteran.
With WWE Fastlane quickly approaching, several questions arise. Will AJ Styles’ early WWE success be thwarted by Chris Jericho? Or can The Phenomenal One prove that all the hype is warranted and he truly is one of WWE’s newest elite? And as those questions shift to the forefront, one remains firmly in pole position: Who truly is the better man?
Intercontinental Champion Kevin Owens vs. Dolph Ziggler
Newly crowned Intercontinental Champion Kevin Owens won’t have to wait long for his first title defense, as he takes on four-time Intercontinental Champion Dolph Ziggler at WWE Fastlane.
The title match caps off a series of remarkable and supremely physical matches between The Prizefighter and The Showoff in recent weeks. Owens claimed the first showdown in January, pinning Ziggler after connecting with the Pop-Up Powerbomb, but the ever-resilient Ziggler bounced back in the following weeks, defeating Owens in back-to-back rematches on the Feb. 1 and Feb. 8 editions of Raw.
Each fight has been more intense and evenly matched than the one before it, and to snare the win in the Feb. 8 encounter, Ziggler even resorted to extreme tactics, illegally putting his feet on the ropes to score the pinfall. Though he cried foul, Owens had tried employing a similar strategy earlier in the match, leading many to conclude that The Showoff had simply beaten the unapologetic rule-breaker at his own game.
Ultimately, Owens prevailed when the stakes were the highest, overcoming Ziggler, defending Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose, Tyler Breeze and Stardust in a Fatal 5-Way Match on Feb. 15 to win the title and begin his second reign as Intercontinental Champion.
Now that he once again has a prize to defend, will Kevin Owens’ fist-slinging, bulldozing attack win out against a competitor who has become a familiar rival? Or will Dolph Ziggler’s dynamic offense result in championship gold around The Showoff’s chiseled waist? Watch the thrilling Intercontinental Championship duel live when WWE Fastlane takes over the award-winning WWE Network Sunday at 8 ET/5 PT.
Dean Ambrose vs. Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar (Triple Threat Match to determine Triple H's opponent at WrestleMania)
The Authority announced WWE Fastlane’s star-studded and high-stakes main event on the Jan. 25 edition of Raw, the night after the Royal Rumble, and it brings into conflict not only three of WWE’s most popular Superstars, but also three of the most dominant.
Prior to losing the WWE World Heavyweight Title to Triple H in the Royal Rumble Match, Roman Reigns appeared primed for a long championship reign. That all changed during WWE’s annual 30-Superstar fray, when Reigns suffered yet another injustice at The Authority’s hands. WWE Chairman Mr. McMahon orchestrated a gang attack by The League of Nations, and though Reigns rebounded from the four-on-one beatdown, he was ultimately eliminated by The Cerebral Assassin, who entered the Rumble Match as the surprise 30th entrant. Just how far is Reigns willing to go at WWE Fastlane to earn a title showdown against The Game, at WrestleMania no less?
Brock Lesnar faced similar, if even more sinister, headwinds in the WWE World Heavyweight Title Royal Rumble Match. After laying waste to a ring full of Superstars, The Beast Incarnate was undone by The Wyatt Family as Luke Harper, Erick Rowan and Braun Strowman ousted him from the ring, even though they had already been eliminated. No doubt incensed over his Royal Rumble outcome, the always-dangerous Lesnar now has Feb. 21 circled on his calendar. Will The Conqueror return to the main event of WrestleMania by triumphing in WWE Fastlane’s Triple Threat Match?
Rounding out the Triple Threat Match is the Superstar who is, perhaps, the most unpredictable competitor in WWE, Dean Ambrose. The Intercontinental Champion has been on an upswing following a strong showing in the Royal Rumble Match, where he finished as the runner-up, and a barbaric title defense against Kevin Owens in a Last Man Standing Match. Can Ambrose’s unhinged attack pay dividends and lead to his first WrestleMania main event?
Will Reigns and Ambrose’s friendship survive their high-stakes battle? Will The Beast take both founding members of The Shield to Suplex City? And when the smoke clears, which Superstar will have punched his ticket for WrestleMania and secure a title bout against The King of Kings?
Because this stupid PPV used to be one of their better PPVs of the year, Elimination Chamber, here's one of the better EC moments:
https://youtu.be/_5lcKJUd7qo?t=1856
hopefully its for a main event push
