Until this week’s Smackdown Live, four matches got confirmed for the Fastlane PPV.
All of them were the championship matches for the existing title on the blue brand. It was not enough to fill up the match card for upcoming PPV event. Hence, we expected to get at least one more match added to the show. That’s what exactly was confirmed on WWE.com.
It happened following what happened on Smackdown Live. Shinsuke Nakamura won the Royal Rumble PPV and is due with the confirmed WWE Champion who will head to Wrestlemania 34 with the title around his waist. It is still not finalised, as to who would emerge as the title-holder. It is going to be six-pack challenge for the prime title present on the blue brand on the Fastlane match card.
AJ Styles will have to defend it against five other names who are Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, Baron Corbin, Dolph Ziggler and John Cena. Meanwhile, Nakamura was out of any rivalries on Smackdown Live. He was also kept off the televised episodes before returning, this week.
Sounds like @ShinsukeN is planning to turn #WWEFastlane into… #NakamuraDay!#SDLive @RusevBUL @WWEDramaKing pic.twitter.com/outk2etmmo
— WWE (@WWE) March 7, 2018
In a backstage segment, he was stating to Dasha Fuentes the dream match between him and AJ Styles is in certain jeopardy. The stacks are more than odd for the current champion. He has less than 20 percent of opportunity to retain the title in a match which will be contested under No-DQ capacity.
Rusev and Aiden English showed up in the segment to issue a challenge to the Artist. It was for a singles competition at the Fastlane PPV. Being a prime babyface superstar, there was no way that he was going to deny that. Hence, it was accepted in quick time setting up the fifth match for the Smackdown-exclusive PPV on this Sunday.
IT’S OFFICIAL: @RusevBUL will collide with @ShinsukeN THIS SUNDAY at #WWEFastlane LIVE on @WWENetwork! #SDLive @WWEDramaKing #RusevDay pic.twitter.com/yubE4jsfjV
— WWE (@WWE) March 7, 2018
Later, WWE’s official website confirmed the match with the following statement:
“The Bulgarian Brute will look to wipe the canvas with The Artist, as Rusev battles Shinsuke Nakamura at WWE Fastlane. Will he succeed? Or will The Artist be celebrating Nakamura Day at the end of the knockdown, drag-out fight? Find out at WWE Fastlane, this Sunday at 8 ET/5 PT, streaming live on the award-winning WWE Network.”