John Cena won an entry into the WWE Championship match at Fastlane after AJ Styles broke his own chance at a countout victory leading to an AA outside.
Daniel Bryan announced a match between AJ Styles and John Cena at Smackdown tonight with the stipulation that if Cena won, he’d be added to Fastlane’s main event.
The match was one to remember, particularly the ending sequences featuring Styles doing an absolutely rocking, vintage Jericho-style Lionsault that looked like it came straight out of ’90s WCW.
There would be multiple reversals, some serious elevation on a Phenomenal Forearm and plenty of AAs. At one point, Styles reversed an STF in the center of the ring, lifting himself into a pinfall.
Moves like THIS are why @AJStylesOrg is your @WWE Champion!#SDLive #CenavsStyles pic.twitter.com/GK3oOTidkp
— WWE (@WWE) February 28, 2018
Toward the end of the grueling match, both men were on the outside of the ring as the ref started the count. AJ Styles rolled back in before the 10 count and asked the ref to stop the count. He rolled back out only to walk right into a devastating AA into the commentator’s table.
😱😵😱😵😱😵😱😵😱😵#SDLive #CenavsStyles @JohnCena @AJStylesOrg pic.twitter.com/zufUCZNbZN
— WWE (@WWE) February 28, 2018
Cena got back into the ring and Styles literally used help from the WWE Universe itself, via a fan helping him to get up. Styles got back in the ring at nine and reversed an AA into a Calf Crusher. Unfortunately for Styles, Cena powered his way into reversing the move into another AA and won the match.
Post-match, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn and Baron Corbin hit the ring and pounced on both competitors only to be stopped by Dolph Ziggler. Dolph arrived to the ring in style, posting up a superkick party that the Young Bucks would be proud of. After helping Styles up, Dolph turned on him before being on the receiving end of a Cena AA.
Thanks for clearing the ring of @BaronCorbinWWE @FightOwensFight & @SamiZayn, @HEELZiggler... but now YOU get an AA! #SDLive pic.twitter.com/ijC2ycyWmz
— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) February 28, 2018
It’s official: WWE Fastlane 2018’s main event, a Six-Pack Challenge, will feature WWE Champion AJ Styles, John Cena, Dolph Ziggler, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn and Baron Corbin.
Daniel Bryan announces the match and its stipulations on Smackdown
.@JohnCena will be facing off against @AJStylesOrg TONIGHT for the opportunity to be in the @WWE Championship Match at #WWEFastlane! #SDLive pic.twitter.com/CgtDZAeS4k
— WWE (@WWE) February 28, 2018
Above, you can see Daniel Bryan announcing the match between Cena and Styles, which was, as always, an excellent match. It was quite surprising to see Cena win essentially clean over the WWE Champion before Fastlane’s main event — especially since an earlier heel, “Winners Find a Way to Win” Styles would have taken the count ut victory and could have done so here.
Next: See Ronda Rousey speak in her first Raw appearance
WWE Champion AJ Styles will have another go at Cena and Smackdown’s best at WWE Fastlane, the final Smackdown-exclusive brand PPV.