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The last stop before WrestleMania was the SmackDown specific paper-view, Fastlane, which aired live from the Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio. The event was headed by a six-pack challenge, which saw, AJ Styles defending his WWE Championship against five other contenders.
In another set of marquee matches, fans got to see The Usos squaring up against their biggest rivals, The New Day; and also, Charlotte defending her Women's Championship against the Riott Squad Leader, Ruby Riott.
The build-up to the PPV was quite lackluster and it looked as if SmackDown was just biding time before they could go into full WrestleMania mode. The PPV fared much better than most fans expected. Let's take a look at the five things which helped save Fastlane.
#5 Nakamura and Rusev look impressive
Fastlane opened with a stellar bout between Nakamura and Rusev, setting the tone for the rest of the show. The crowd was firmly behind the two men, with dueling chants of 'Nakamura' and 'Rusev Day'. The quick strike exchange between the two men was a joy to watch.
This match helped Nakamura gain some much-needed momentum as he was not featured heavily on TV since his Royal Rumble win. Rusev looked amazing too and landed some pretty good strikes. The match delivered on all fronts. It was a fun opener.
Nakamura is set to face AJ Styles at WrestleMania 34 for the WWE Championship. This match once again proved his expertise within the ring, and, silenced his doubters. Rusev is currently not involved in any match, and it looks as if he might feature in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. It is only a matter of time before Rusev is seen as a legitimate main-event superstar by the management.
#4 Bludgeon Brothers enter the title scene
Bludgeon Brothers wreaked havoc on Sunday night when they interfered in the tag-team title match between The Usos and The New Day. They took out all five men and were the only ones left standing. The Bludgeon Brothers are a force to reckon with, and their inclusion in the tag title scene will be quite interesting to watch.
The team of Harper and Rowan looked menacing as ever, and it looks like we're headed towards a three-way tag-title match at WrestleMania, which should be amazing, to say the least. Harper and Rowan had a great set of matches with The Usos in the summer of 2014, back when they were part of the Wyatt Family.
These three teams are the best SmackDown Live has to offer, and the match at Mania will surely be fantastic. These three teams share unbelievable chemistry. Harper and Rowan are two highly underrated superstars on the WWE roster, and it is delightful to see them being given an opportunity to showcase their abilities in the ring.
#3 Ruby Riott shined, but the right woman won
Ruby Riott unsuccessfully challenged Charlotte Flair for the SmackDown Women's Championship. Charlotte retaining the title was the right decision moving forward, given her star-power. As far as the match itself is concerned, it was a really good bout. Riott was able to show her prowess in the ring.
Riott has really come into her own as an arrogant and cocky heel. She has a bright future ahead, given the lack of true heels in the women's division across both rosters. She has an outstanding move set, which was on full display during her match.
Charlotte retaining the championship was a good decision to go with, given the level of talent she possesses, and her drawing-power. Charlotte is probably the best female worker in the whole of WWE, which includes NXT. The belt looks more prestigious with Charlotte as champion, and adds more intrigue, as to who will finally dethrone her.
#2 Asuka vs Charlotte is official!
Just as Charlotte was celebrating her successful title defense, Asuka's music hit, and the crowd went berserk. Fans had been long awaiting this clash, ever since Asuka made her main roster debut.
Asuka has destroyed every woman in her path, and it was about time before she challenged the 'Queen of WWE'. Asuka earned her the opportunity to challenge the champion of her choosing at WrestleMania, as she was the winner of the first-ever Women's Royal Rumble match.
The build-up to the match should be interesting. Wrestling fans are in for a treat come WrestleMania. The match will most likely be billed as the 'Unstoppable Force against the Immovable Object'. Both Charlotte and Asuka have had similar paths, since coming on to the main roster, destroying every woman in their path.
The match will be a good opportunity for both Charlotte and Asuka to showcase their true potential, and that too on the grand stage of WrestleMania.
Asuka remains undefeated in her WWE run, and it will be intriguing to see if Charlotte will be the one to break the streak. Asuka will look to dethrone Charlotte as 'The Queen' and cement her legacy as one of the greatest female superstars in WWE.
#1 It's happening!
AJ Styles defied odds and overcame five of the top stars in WWE to retain his WWE Championship. With this win, the 'dream match' between Nakamura and Styles becomes official. Both Styles and Nakamura are on the top of their game, and a clash between these two titans will surely be like a dream come true for wrestling fans.
This match has all the ingredients of becoming a true classic and could be a potential 'Match of the Year' candidate. The WWE Championship between Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton last year was a huge let-down, and clearly lowered the appeal of the WWE Championship. Styles and Nakamura are two highly-talented individuals and will look to provide fans with one of the best matches possible.
They have clashed once before, but that was in NJPW, when they faced each other for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship, at Wrestle Kingdom X. Both men went hard after each other, but it was Nakamura who ended up winning this gruesome and highly-entertaining bout. The match was highly appreciated by wrestling fans worldwide and was awarded a 4.75-star rating by Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. They will look to have a similar match this time around too.
The build to the match will start on the SmackDown after Fastlane, and it will be interesting to see how this feud develops, over the next few weeks.
Bayley gives us a HUGE update on a top Superstar's upcoming return RIGHT HERE.
