Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Rusev

The Bulgarian Brute will look to wipe the canvas with The Artist, as Rusev battles Shinsuke Nakamura
at WWE Fastlane.
The fuse to this explosive matchup was lit during a SmackDown LIVE clash between Nakamura and Aiden
English when The King of Strong Style kneed the singing Superstar’s throat and apparently left him
unable to perform his famous rendition of “Rusev Day!”
Though it is unclear whether his strike will leave English with permanent damage, The Bulgarian Brute
is out for retribution, and he plans to use his WWE Fastlane showdown to derail the Royal Rumble
Winner’s Road to WrestleMania, which is slated to lead to a WWE Championship Match on The Grandest
Stage of Them All.

WWE Champion AJ Styles vs. John Cena vs. Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn vs. Baron Corbin vs. Dolph Ziggler

At WWE Fastlane, WWE Champion AJ Styles was already set to put his title on the line against
the The “Yep!” Movement, a rabid Lone Wolf and a Showoff who always has something to prove. But
as of the Feb. 27 edition of SmackDown LIVE, you can add The Leader of The Cenation to that list, as
John Cena has earned the right to be among those challenging The Phenomenal One on SmackDown LIVE’s
final pay-per-view before WrestleMania.
After Styles scored a controversial victory over Owens & Zayn to deny them the chance to become co-WWE
Champions in a Handicap Match at Royal Rumble, SmackDown LIVE General Manager Daniel Bryan placed the
best friends in a match against each other to determine who would be next to challenge for the title.
That match was gate-crashed by Styles himself, setting the stage for Bryan to schedule what was
originally a WWE Championship Triple Threat Match for WWE Fastlane.
With friction still mounting between Bryan and Shane McMahon, however, the SmackDown LIVE Commissioner
followed up by announcing that the winner of the following week’s showdown between Ziggler and Corbin
would be added to the WWE Title Match.
After Owens and Zayn assaulted both competitors to prevent that match from getting started, McMahon
established two singles matches to deal with the problem, pitting Corbin against Owens and Ziggler
against Zayn. If either The Lone Wolf or The Showoff overcame their attackers, they would be added
to the WWE Title Match at the March 11 pay-per-view. Corbin and Ziggler each emerged victorious,
setting the stage for all-out anarchy.
And just when it seemed the match was set in stone, Cena used his free-agent status to cross over
from Raw to SmackDown LIVE and ask for an opportunity to find his own personal Road to WrestleMania.
That resulted in a main event showdown against AJ Styles, and the 16-World Champion triumphed and
earned his chance to challenge for the WWE Title, potentially also paving a path to WrestleMania.

SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos vs. The New Day

Who’s ready for another instant classic?
The Usos and The New Day will reignite their rivalry at WWE Fastlane when Jimmy & Jey defend the
SmackDown Tag Team Championship against the record-setting titleholders, who earned the honor
after defeating perennial contenders Chad Gable & Shelton Benjamin.
This isn’t just the latest in a series of challenges to The Usos’ dominance; it’s a chance for
ya boys to get back on the championship track. Kofi, Big E & Woods haven’t tasted tag team title
glory since last fall, when they lost the SmackDown Tag Team Titles to The Usos inside Hell in a
Cell. They’ve subsided on a healthy diet of pancakes and positivity since then, but a championship
victory would truly be the heartiest meal of all.
The Usos and The New Day brought out the best of each other in 2017, and while only one will leave
WWE Fastlane as champions, this latest rematch is truly a scenario where everybody wins —the
WWE Universe in particular.

United States Champion Bobby Roode vs. Randy Orton

Randy Orton is poised to unleash a serpentine takeover when he attempts to dethrone United States
Champion Bobby Roode at WWE Fastlane.
The tension began to rise on the Feb. 6 edition of SmackDown LIVE when Orton hit the Glorious
titleholder with an RKO out of nowhere, just moments after Roode defeated Rusev to retain the
championship. Though Orton’s motives were unknown at the time, it soon became clear that he was
after the United States Championship.
Still furious over being struck with an RKO seven days prior, Roode made it clear that he wanted
The Viper to answer his United States Championship Open Challenge the following week. The Viper
did just that, but an interruption from Jinder Mahal prevented the title bout from getting started,
and the former WWE Champion used SmackDown LIVE’s Top 10 List to stir the pot. After a fight broke
out between all three, the opportunistic Modern Day Maharaja dropped both competitors with the ring-shaking Khallas.
Though Mahal would again work his way into the mix the following week, SmackDown LIVE Commission
Shane McMahon overruled General Manager Daniel Bryan, who wanted to give Mahal an opportunity to
challenge for the star-spangled championship. Instead, Shane made a one-on-one title bout between
Roode and WWE’s Apex Predator for WWE Fastlane.