Fast Lane 2016 Chris Jericho v AJ Styles

AJ Styles and Chris Jericho will collide to settle a score at WWE Fastlane, as WWE’s most lauded newcomer combats one of WWE’s most battle-tested Superstars.

Styles has proven to be a top-notch competitor since his WWE debut. His hero’s welcome during the 2016 Royal Rumble Match has already become the stuff of legend. The WWE Universe’s ovation for The Phenomenal One, coupled with the performance he delivered (lasting nearly 30 minutes in the contest amongst a Superstar-studded field), instantly established Styles as a major player in WWE — one that caught the eye of Y2J.

The following night on Raw, Jericho and Styles clashed in a match that would have once been considered an impossibility. The two matched each other blow for blow in a swift, ferocious battle, which saw Styles ultimately prevail after catching Jericho off-guard and rolling him up. However, the story would not end there.

After jockeying back-and-forth for a few weeks, including teaming up against the likes of The Miz and The Social Outcasts, the two squared off again on SmackDown, after which Jericho delivered an unexpected Codebreaker to Styles.

The rematch was just as dynamic as the first contest, with both competitors yet again wanting to stake their claim to being the best. Y2J ended up securing the victory, paving the way for Styles to challenge him to an all-important rubber match at WWE Fastlane. Though The Ayatollah of Rock ‘n’ Rolla initially refused, Styles unleashed a lightning-fast attack which changed Jericho’s mind. As Y2J angrily accepted the challenge, he also issued a warning, telling The Phenomenal One that he’d regret his decision to provoke the decorated veteran.

With WWE Fastlane quickly approaching, several questions arise. Will AJ Styles’ early WWE success be thwarted by Chris Jericho? Or can The Phenomenal One prove that all the hype is warranted and he truly is one of WWE’s newest elite? And as those questions shift to the forefront, one remains firmly in pole position: Who truly is the better man?