WWE Fastlane

With WWE’s Fastlane 2023 just a few days away, fans are excited for a thrilling match card featuring some of WWE’s top performers. This Fastlane will feature John Cena and LA Knight vs. The Bloodline, Seth Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura for the World Heavyweight Championship, Iyo Sky vs. Asuka vs. Charlotte Flair for the WWE Women’s Championship, and much more.

Before we head into the PLE, however, let’s look at the event’s history and why it was conceived.

History of Fastlane 

The first Fastlane PLE was held on February 22, 2015, in Memphis, Tennessee. The event returned in 2016 in February and was slotted as an annual event for the WWE. Since then, including this year, there have been seven Fastlane events. Due to COVID-19, in 2020, the event was removed from the WWE’s yearly schedule. In 2021, it was brought back into WWE’s bio-secure bubble titled WWE ThunderDome, in Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. 

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However, the show was again pulled off the PPV calendar in 2022 before returning on October 7, 2023. This year’s Fastlane will replace Extreme Rules in WWE’s October slot. The name Fastlane was not the original name for the PPV event. It was originally titled FastTrack. However, the creative team changed the name before the first-ever Fastlane debuted. Fastlane references the “Road to WrestleMania”, as it was initially planned to take place between Royal Rumble and WrestleMania.

Fastlane 2015, the inception

As mentioned earlier, the first-ever Fastlane took place in 2015. The show featured the likes of Renee Young, Booker T, Byron Saxton, and Corey Graves on the pre-show panel. We got Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler, and JBL on the announce team for the show. The night’s first match was Dolph Ziggler, Erick Rowan, and Ryback vs. The Authority, featuring Seth Rollins, Big Show, and Kane. The match was a good starter, with Rollins’ team winning in 14 minutes.

The next match was one of a sibling rivalry between Stardust (now Cody Rhodes) and Goldust. Despite being about the bond between brothers, this match was not well-received by the fans. Goldust picked up the win in 9 minutes. Following this was the Tag Team Titles match between The Usos, and Tyson Kidd and Cesaro. Fans loved the match, and the chaotic nature of the last few minutes had everyone on their feet. Kidd and Cesaro picked up the win in 12 minutes.

One of the main events of the night was Triple H and Sting. Ahead of their match at WrestleMania, Hunter shared the ring with the icon Sting for a verbal back-and-forth. It did not take much time, and the crowd popped when Sting hit Triple H with a Scorpion Death Drop. This was followed by the Divas title with Nikki Bella vs. Paige. The match was the shortest of the night, with the crowd showing no enthusiasm. Bella retained the title after just 6 minutes.

This was followed by another short match for the Intercontinental Championship with Bad News Barrett vs. Dean Ambrose. A match that the fans did not care for and which ended in disqualification, allowing Barrett to retain the title. The next match was for the United States Title with Rusev against John Cena. This was one of the longest matches on the cards, with the fans getting into it. Unfortunately, for Big Match John, Rusev picked up the victory in 19 minutes.

Finally, the main event was Roman Reigns vs. Daniel Bryan in a #1 contender’s match. Ranked by experts and fans, it was the best match of the night, as both put in their 100%. Reigns’ winning did leave a sour taste in the fan’s mouth, but the match for 20 minutes was brilliant.  

Fastlane over the years

Over the years, Fastlane, unlike other WWE PPV events, did see some changes. Initially scheduled for the month of February, it replaced the Elimination Chamber, which was held in the same month. EC was pushed back to May when Fastlane debuted. Fastlane was a RAW exclusive in 2017, followed by a SmackDown exclusive in 2018. However, after WrestleMania 34, brand-exclusive PLEs were discontinued. 

Following the 2020 cancellation of the event, the 2021 show was a big deal for the WWE. It was the sixth Fastlane PLE and also the first event to be live-streamed by the WWE. Similarly, it was also the first PPV event to air on Peacock in the United States.

Date, Time, Location, Match Card: Everything You Need to Know About Fastlane 2023 All in One Place

The best matches at Fastlane were as follows:

• 2015: Roman Reigns vs. Daniel Bryan for the right to face Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 31.
• 2016: Roman Reigns vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Brock Lesnar for a shot at Triple H’s WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 32.
• 2017: Kevin Owens vs. Goldberg for the Universal Championship.
• 2018: AJ Styles vs. John Cena vs. Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn vs. Baron Corbin vs. Dolph Ziggler for the WWE Championship.
• 2019: The Shield (Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, and Dean Ambrose) vs. Baron Corbin, Bobby Lashley, and Drew McIntyre.

Wrestler records at Fastlane

Did you know that Roman Reigns has not lost at Fastlane? Yes, The Tribal Chief has won all his matches at Fastlane and holds an undefeated streak of 5-0. The next is The Big Show, with a 3-0 victory. John Cena is on the opposite side of the spectrum, with 0-2 at Fastlane. 

Fastlane 2023 Match Card

• John Cena and LA Knight vs. The Bloodline’s Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso.
• Seth Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura in a Last Man Standing match for the World Heavyweight Championship title.
• Iyo Sky vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka in a triple-threat match for the WWE Women’s Championship title.
• Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso vs. The Judgment Day’s Finn Balor and Damian Priest for the undisputed WWE tag team championship.
• Latino World Order vs. Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits

Where to watch WWE Fastlane 2023?

Within the United States, you can watch the event live on Peacock. If you are outside the US, you can watch it on the WWE Network by becoming a member. The event will start at 8 PM Eastern Standard Time (EST).

Fastlane 2023 Date And Venue 

WWE Fastlane 2023 will be held on October 7, 2023, at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. 

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