Fastlane 2019 was an professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event and WWE Network event produced by WWE for the Raw and SmackDown brands. It took place on March 10, 2019, at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. It was the fifth event under the Fastlane chronology.
Background
Fastlane wfeatured professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing feuds, plots, and storylines that played out on WWE's primary television programs. Wrestlers portrayed villains or heroes as they followed a series of events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.
At Elimination Chamber, The Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso) defeated The Miz and Shane McMahon to win their record fourth SmackDown Tag Team Championship. On the following episode of SmackDown, The Miz, who was pinned, apologized to Shane for costing them the match. He then said that although there were no more automatic rematch clauses, he begged Shane to give them a rematch since Shane had the power to do so. The Usos interrupted and insulted Miz, after which, Shane scheduled a rematch for the titles at Fastlane.
On the February 12 episode of SmackDown, The New Day's Kofi Kingston was a last minute replacement for an injured Mustafa Ali in the six-man gauntlet match where the winner would be the last entrant in the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber match at the pay-per-view. Kingston eliminated WWE Champion Daniel Bryan in the first match of the gauntlet match. At Elimination Chamber, the championship match came down to Bryan and Kingston, where Bryan eliminated Kingston to retain the title. On the following episode of SmackDown, Kingston was granted a WWE Championship match at Fastlane after securing the pinfall victory over Bryan in a six-man tag team match that pitted Kingston, AJ Styles, and Jeff Hardy against Bryan, Samoa Joe, and Randy Orton. The following week, however, WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon interrupted the contract signing between Bryan and Kingston. Mr. McMahon praised Kingston for all of his accomplishments over the past 11 years in the WWE, but stated that the fans deserved the biggest box office match at Fastlane. He then replaced Kingston with a returning Kevin Owens, stating that Owens was more qualified and more deserving of the opportunity.
At Elimination Chamber, The Boss 'n' Hug Connection (Bayley and Sasha Banks) defeated Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose, The Riott Squad (represented by Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan), The IIconics (Billie Kay and Peyton Royce), Naomi and Carmella, and Nia Jax and Tamina in a tag team Elimination Chamber match to become the inaugural holders of the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship. The following night on Raw, The Boss 'n' Hug Connection's celebration was interrupted by Jax and Tamina, and Jax taunted Banks about not being able to retain a championship in her title defenses. The following week, The Boss 'n' Hug Connection were scheduled to defend the championship against Jax and Tamina at Fastlane.
On the February 19 episode of SmackDown, during a backstage segment, SmackDown Women's Champion Asuka was interrupted by Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose. Rose challenged Asuka to a non-title match and defeated her due to a distraction by Lacey Evans. The following week, Rose was granted a championship match against Asuka at Fastlane.
At the Royal Rumble, Becky Lynch was unsuccessful in regaining the SmackDown Women's Championship, but later entered the women's Royal Rumble match and won by last eliminating Charlotte Flair, despite injuring her own knee. The next night on Raw, Lynch confronted Raw Women's Champion Ronda Rousey and chose to face her at WrestleMania 35. Lynch then refused a medical examination on her knee after a brawl with Flair on SmackDown. Stephanie McMahon gave Lynch an ultimatum: have her knee examined or be suspended until she does. Lynch still refused and was suspended indefinitely. The following Raw, it was revealed that Lynch had her knee examined and was cleared and her suspension lifted, however, Vince McMahon overruled Triple H and Stephanie by suspending Lynch for 60 days and announced Flair as Lynch's replacement at WrestleMania. On the March 4 episode of Raw, Lynch's suspension was lifted and a match between Lynch and Flair was scheduled for Fastlane where if Lynch won, she would be added back into the championship match at WrestleMania to make it a triple threat match.
On the October 22, 2018 episode of Raw, Roman Reigns announced that he would be going on hiatus due to a rediagnosis of leukemia and subsequently vacated the Universal Championship. Later that night, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose won the Raw Tag Team Championship, however, immediately after the match, Ambrose turned on Rollins. Rollins and Ambrose then fought over the next couple of months, with their feud culminating at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, where Ambrose defeated Rollins to win the Intercontinental Championship. On the February 25, 2019 episode of Raw, Reigns announced his return to the WWE and that his leukemia was in remission and that he would return to action. The following week, Reigns called out Rollins and wanted to reunite The Shield one more time. Rollins reluctantly agreed since it would mean having to team with Ambrose again. As Ambrose then made his entrance, he was attacked by Elias. Later, Elias defeated Ambrose. After the match, as Reigns and Rollins came out, Ambrose exited through the crowd. Baron Corbin, Drew McIntyre, and Bobby Lashley then came out to attack Reigns and Rollins, after which, Ambrose returned and aided his former Shield brothers. After gaining the upperhand, Ambrose joined Reigns and Rollins for the signature Shield fist bump and a six-man tag team match pitting the reunited Shield against Corbin, McIntyre, and Lashley was scheduled for Fastlane.
On the February 11 episode of Raw, The Revival (Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson) defeated Bobby Roode and Chad Gable to win the Raw Tag Team Championship. The following week, NXT call-ups Aleister Black and Ricochet made their main roster debuts, and then defeated The Revival in a non-title match on the February 25 episode. On the March 4 episode, Black and Ricochet were granted a Raw Tag Team Championship match against The Revival, but it ended in disqualification after Roode and Gable attacked The Revival. A triple threat tag team championship match between the three teams was then scheduled for Fastlane.
After several weeks of feuding, a match between Andrade and Rey Mysterio was scheduled for the Fastlane pre-show.
On March 8, it was announced that The New Day (represented by Big E and Xavier Woods) will face Rusev and Shinsuke Nakamura on the Fastlane pre-show.
Event
Pre-show
During the pre-show, The New Day (represented by Big E and Xavier Woods) faced Rusev and Shinsuke Nakamura. In the end, Big E and Woods performed the Midnight Hour on Rusev to win the match.
Preliminary matches
The actual pay-per-view opened with The Usos (Jey and Jimmy) defending the SmackDown Tag Team Championship against The Miz and Shane McMahon. The climax saw Miz perform a frog splash on Jey, however, Jey countered into a roll-up on Miz to retain the title. After the match, a disappointed Miz and Shane hugged Miz's father, who was in the front row. After Shane consoled Miz, Shane then attacked Miz thereby turning heel.
Next, Asuka defended the SmackDown Women's Championship against Mandy Rose, who was accompanied by Sonya Deville. In the end, Rose tripped on the ring apron, which Deville had moved prior to obtain a kendo stick, allowing Asuka to perform a kick to the face on Rose to retain the title.
After that, The New Day' Kofi Kingston came out for what he thought was a triple threat match for the WWE Championship next, after Vince McMahon agreed to put Kingston in the WWE Championship match with Big E and Xavier Woods banned from ringside, however, Kingston ended up facing The Bar (Cesaro and Sheamus) in a 2-on-1 handicap match. After The Bar continued to dominate Kingston, Big E and Woods came out to assist Kingston only to get intercepted by Shinsuke Nakamura and Rusev, whom they defeated earlier on the pre-show. In the climax, The Bar performed a double White Noise on Kingston to win the match.
Match Preview
| Big E & Xavier Woods vs. Shinsuke Nakamura & Rusev | Preview |
| The Usos vs. The Miz & Shane McMahon | Preview |
| Asuka vs. Mandy Rose | Preview |
| The Revival vs. Black & Ricochet vs. Gable & Roode | Preview |
| Boss 'n' Hug Connection vs. Nia Jax & Tamina | Preview |
| Daniel Bryan (c) vs. Kevin Owens | Preview |
| The Shield vs. Baron Corbin, Drew McIntyre & Bobby Lashley | Preview |
| Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch | Preview |
Results
- Numbers in parentheses indicate the length of the match.
- (c) refers to the champion(s) heading into the match.
- Pre-Show: The New Day (Big E & Xavier Woods) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura & Rusev (w/ Lane) (13:20)
- The Usos (Jey Uso & Jimmy Uso) (c) defeated The Miz & Shane McMahon to retain the WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship (14:20)
- Asuka (c) defeated Mandy Rose to retain the WWE SmackDown Women's Championship (6:40)
- The Bar (Sheamus & Cesaro) defeated Kofi Kingston in a Handicap Match (5:15)
- The Revival (Dash Wilder & Scott Dawson) (c) defeated Aleister Black & Ricochet & Chad Gable & Bobby Roode in a Triple threat tag team match to retain the WWE Raw Tag Team Championship (10:50)
- Samoa Joe (c) defeated Rey Mysterio, Andrade (w/ Zelina Vega) & R-Truth (w/ Carmella) by submission in a Fatal four-way match to retain the WWE United States Championship (10:51)
- Boss 'n' Hug Connection (Bayley & Sasha Banks) (c) defeated Nia Jax & Tamina to retain the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship
Matches
- Daniel Bryan (c) vs. Kevin Owens for the WWE Championship
- The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins) vs. Baron Corbin, Drew McIntyre & Bobby Lashley
- If Lynch wins, she will be added back into the WWE Raw Women's Championship match at WrestleMania 35
Other on-screen talent
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See also
DVD release
[ Fastlane 2019 on DVD]
External links
Fastlane 2019 Official Website
[ Fastlane 2019 Kickoff Show on WWE Network]
[ Fastlane 2019 on WWE Network]- [ Fastlane 2019 Kickoff Show at CAGEMATCH.net]
- [ Fastlane 2019 at CAGEMATCH.net]
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| 2015 • 2016 • 2017 • 2018 • 2019 • 2021 • 2023 |
| 2019 World Wrestling Entertainment pay-per-views |
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Blackpool • TakeOver: Phoenix • Royal Rumble • Elimination Chamber • Fastlane • TakeOver: New York • WrestleMania • Money in the Bank • TakeOver: XXV • Super Show-Down • Stomping Grounds • Extreme Rules • TakeOver: Toronto II • SummerSlam • TakeOver: Cardiff • Clash of Champions • Hell in a Cell • Crown Jewel • TakeOver: WarGames • Survivor Series • Starrcade • TLC: Tables, Ladders, & Chairs |