Fastlane (2015)

Last updated
Fastlane (2015)
WWE Fastlane 2015 Official Poster.jpg
Promotional poster featuring Roman Reigns
Promotion WWE
DateFebruary 22, 2015
City Memphis, Tennessee
Venue FedExForum
Attendance13,263 [1]
Buy rate 46,000 [2] (excluding WWE Network views)
Tagline(s)Get in the Fastlane on the Road to WrestleMania! [3]
WWE Network event chronology
← Previous
NXT TakeOver: Rival 		Next →
WrestleMania 31
Fastlane chronology
← Previous
First		Next →
2016

The 2015 Fastlane was the inaugural Fastlane professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It took place on February 22, 2015, at the FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. Fastlane replaced Elimination Chamber in the February slot of WWE's PPV event calendar; Elimination Chamber itself was pushed back to May for 2015.

Contents

Seven matches were contested on the main card with no matches on the Kickoff pre-show. In the main event, Roman Reigns defeated Daniel Bryan to retain his WWE World Heavyweight Championship shot against Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 31. In the penultimate match, Rusev defeated John Cena via technical submission to retain the WWE United States Championship. In another prominent match, Bad News Barrett retained the WWE Intercontinental Championship against Dean Ambrose. Also at the event Triple H had a "face-to-face" confrontation with Sting.

The event received 46,000 buys (excluding WWE Network views), down from the Elimination Chamber 2014 figure of 183,000 buys, which predated the launch of the WWE Network.

Production

Background

The event was held at the FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. FedExForum at night.jpg
The event was held at the FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee.

On December 8, 2014, WWE scheduled a pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event titled Fastlane to be held on February 22 that year at the FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. It replaced Elimination Chamber, which was previously held in February but was pushed back to May that year. The name "Fastlane" was chosen as a reference to its position on the "Road to WrestleMania", being held in the two-month period between the Royal Rumble and WWE's flagship event. Tickets went on sale December 13. [4]

Storylines

The event comprised seven matches that resulted from scripted storylines, where wrestlers portrayed heroes, villains, or less distinguishable characters in scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches. Results were predetermined by WWE's writers, [5] [6] while storylines were produced on WWE's weekly television shows, Raw and SmackDown .

On November 23, during the main event of Survivor Series, Sting made his first appearance in a WWE ring by attacking Triple H with a Scorpion Death Drop and dragging Dolph Ziggler on top of Seth Rollins, giving Team Cena the win and causing the Authority to be removed from power. [7] On the January 19 episode of Raw, Sting appeared backstage during the main event, a 3-on-1 handicap match between John Cena and the team of Big Show, Kane, and Rollins. The lights in the arena darkened as Sting walked to the stage and gestured to the Authority at ringside. The distraction allowed John Cena to pin Rollins for the win, which reinstated the recently (kayfabe) fired wrestlers Ziggler, Ryback, and Erick Rowan. [8] On January 26, Triple H challenged Sting to a "face-to-face" confrontation at Fastlane. [9] When Triple H reiterated his challenge on the February 9 episode of Raw, the lights went out, and a group of Sting impersonators appeared around the arena and inside the ring, illuminated by spotlights, while the real Sting accepted the challenge in a video message. [10]

After failing to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at the Royal Rumble, John Cena was being interviewed after the event. When asked what was next for him, Rusev, who was the last man eliminated from the Royal Rumble match, interrupted the interview. The two shoved each other and got into each other's faces. On January 26, Rusev was scheduled to defend his United States Championship against Cena at the event. [9]

On the January 29 episode of SmackDown, Nikki Bella was scheduled to defend the Divas Championship against Paige at the event. [11]

On the February 2 episode of Raw, Roman Reigns was manipulated by The Authority into agreeing to defend his title opportunity for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 31, which he had earned by winning the Royal Rumble match, in a match at Fastlane. Later that night, Daniel Bryan defeated Seth Rollins to earn the right to face Reigns at the event. [12]

On the January 19 episode of Raw, Dean Ambrose defeated Bad News Barrett. [8] The following weeks, Ambrose demanded a match for the Intercontinental Championship, but Barrett declined. On the February 16 episode of Raw, after Barrett defeated Damien Mizdow, Ambrose attacked Barrett by tying his hands around the ring post, forced him to sign the contract and had Barrett defend his title against him at the event. [13]

On the January 29 episode of SmackDown, Tyson Kidd defeated Jey Uso. [11] On the February 2 episode of Raw, Cesaro defeated Jimmy Uso. [12] On the February 9 episode of Raw, Cesaro and Kidd defeated The Usos. [10] On the February 16 episode of Raw, The Usos were scheduled to defend their Tag Team Championship against Cesaro and Kidd. [13]

Early in the year, Gold and Stardust started having problems communicating in their matches, with Stardust (Cody Rhodes) becoming further entrenched in his gimmick, causing friction between the brothers. An angry Stardust walked out on a match against The Ascension (Konnor and Viktor) on the February 2 episode of Raw. [12] After a loss to The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods) on the February 16 episode of Raw, Stardust attacked Goldust. [13] On the February 19 episode of SmackDown, Goldust was scheduled to face Stardust at the event. [14]

On the February 9 episode of Raw, Dolph Ziggler, Ryback, and Erick Rowan came out and helped Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns to defeat Seth Rollins, Big Show, Kane and J&J Security (Jamie Noble and Joey Mercury). [10] On the February 16 episode of Raw, after Ziggler defeated Rollins via disqualification, he was attacked by Rollins and J&J Security, but Ryback, and Rowan came out and saved Ziggler. [13] On the February 19 episode of SmackDown, after Rollins defeated Ziggler, the Authority attacked Ziggler, Ryback, and Rowan. [14] Afterwards, it was announced that Ziggler, Ryback, and Rowan would face Rollins, Big Show, and Kane in a six man tag team match at the event. [15]

The Fastlane Kickoff pre-show included a "Miz TV" segment with Paul Heyman as the guest.

Event

Other on-screen personnel
Role:Name:
English commentators Michael Cole
Jerry Lawler
John "Bradshaw" Layfield
Spanish commentators Carlos Cabrera
Marcelo Rodriguez
Interviewers Tom Phillips (Pre-show)
Eden Stiles (Pre-show)
The Miz (Miz TV)
Ring announcer Lillian Garcia
Referees Mike Chioda
John Cone
Charles Robinson
Rudy Charles
Darrick Moore
Matt Bennett
Pre-show Panel Renee Young
Booker T
Corey Graves
Byron Saxton

Pre-show

During the Fastlane Kickoff pre-show, The Miz hosted a Miz TV segment, during which he scolded his personal assistant Damien Mizdow, telling him to sit in the corner, continuing the hostility between the two. Miz interviewed Paul Heyman, who informed the crowd that Brock Lesnar would not be in attendance, but that Lesnar would defeat whoever won the night's main event at WrestleMania to retain his WWE World Heavyweight Championship. No matches were held during the pre-show. [16]

Preliminary matches

The actual pay-per-view opened with Dolph Ziggler, Erick Rowan, and Ryback facing Seth Rollins, Big Show, and Kane (accompanied by Jamie Noble and Joey Mercury) in a six-man tag team match. In the end, Big Show executed a KO Punch on Ziggler whilst Rollins distracted the referee and Kane executed a Chokeslam on Ziggler to win the match. After the match, Rollins performed Curb Stomps on Ziggler and Rowan. While attempting a Curb Stomp on Ryback, Randy Orton returned and performed RKOs on Noble, Joey Mercury, and Kane while Rollins fled the arena. [17]

Next, Goldust faced Stardust. Goldust pinned Stardust with a crucifix for the win. After the match, Stardust shook Goldust's hand, but then attacked him backstage and informed his father, Dusty Rhodes, that their feud was not over. [17]

After that, The Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso) defended the WWE Tag Team Championship against Tyson Kidd and Cesaro (accompanied by Natalya). Kidd executed a Swinging Fisherman's Neckbreaker on Jimmy to win the titles. [17]

Triple H cut a promo about his frustrations with Sting. Upon Sting's arrival, Triple H offered to do business with Sting, allowing Sting to be immortalized on the WWE Network and even be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. After failing to come to a resolution, Triple H attacked Sting and grabbed his signature sledgehammer, however Sting came prepared with his signature baseball bat. With Triple H trapped in the corner, Sting pointed to the WrestleMania sign, silently challenging Triple H to a match. Triple H tried to attack Sting from behind, but Sting attacked Triple H with his bat and performed a Scorpion Death drop to end the segment. It was revealed later in the show that a match between the two at WrestleMania 31 had been made official. [17]

In the fourth match, Nikki Bella (accompanied by Brie Bella) defended the Divas Championship against Paige. Nikki rolled-up Paige whilst holding Paige's tights to retain the title. [17]

Next, Bad News Barrett defended the Intercontinental Championship against Dean Ambrose. Ambrose was disqualified for attacking Barrett in the corner and not backing off by the count of five, meaning Barrett retained the title. After the match, Ambrose performed Dirty Deeds on Barrett and left the ring with the title belt. [17]

In another segment, several hooded torchbearers stood on the entrance ramp while a casket was wheeled down to the ring, leading the audience to believe that The Undertaker was returning. Instead, Bray Wyatt was in the casket, revealing that his cryptic vignettes over the past few weeks were referring to The Undertaker, and challenged The Undertaker to a match at WrestleMania. [17]

In the penultimate match, Rusev (accompanied by Lana) defended the United States Championship against John Cena. In a back-and-forth match, Rusev countered out of several Attitude Adjustment attempts but failed to pin Cena. Cena performed an Attitude Adjustment on Rusev for a near-fall. Rusev countered a Diving Leg Drop Bulldog into a Powerbomb and applied The Accolade but Cena escaped. While Lana distracted the referee, Rusev attacked Cena with a low blow, and applied The Accolade again. After Cena passed out, the referee stopped the match and awarded Rusev the victory by technical submission, meaning Rusev retained the title. [17]

Main event

In the main event, Roman Reigns defended his WWE World Heavyweight Championship contendership at WrestleMania against Daniel Bryan. During the match, Bryan applied the Yes! Lock on Reigns, who was able to reach the ropes for a break. When Reigns subsequently rolled out of the ring, Bryan performed two suicide dives, but Reigns countered a third dive and turned it into a suplex outside the ring. Reigns performed a Superman Punch for a near-fall. Bryan performed a Running Knee for another near-fall. After a series of roundhouse YES! kicks, Bryan attempted a second Running Knee, but Reigns countered with a spear to win the match. Visibly upset, Bryan shook Reigns' hand but added that "you better kick his (Lesnar's) ass" as the show ended with the two leaving the ring. [17]

Reception

Fastlane received mixed reviews, with much of the criticism directed at most of the matches not having decisive finishes. Matthew Asher of Slam! Wrestling gave the event a rating of 3/5, writing that "questionable match endings and fan reaction may hurt [WrestleMania 31] [...] After the disastrous Royal Rumble finish and #CancelWWENetwork trending worldwide, it looked like the WWE was going for a mulligan at the brand new PPV WWE Fastlane. Sadly, I don't think that happened as a very harsh audience made it clear they weren't too happy with the results of this latest PPV." Asher criticized the endings of the following matches: Goldust-Stardust, Bella-Paige, Barrett-Ambrose and Rusev-Cena, while rating the tag title match 3/5 and the main event 4/5. Asher pointed out that at one point, Roman Reigns should have lost via count-out if not for a slow count and that the show ended with Reigns having "the unfortunate task of soaking up the mixed reaction of the crowd". [18]

Kenny Herzog of Rolling Stone magazine headlined his article with "It's Roman Reigns, Deal With It", while remarking that "it seemed as if the Fastlane ticket holders came in protest, or at the very least begrudged". Regarding the main event, Herzog wrote that "Daniel Bryan essentially put Roman Reigns over", but "no one really, truly thought DB would get the 1-2-3 and headline a second straight WrestleMania (which perhaps explains the crowd's curbed enthusiasm), and we all realized Reigns would counter that second running knee with a decisive spear". Herzog reserved praise for Tyson Kidd's portrayal of his character, as well as Kidd and Cesaro's in-ring abilities, concluding that Kidd "has emerged as a key to the midcard revival". [19]

Throughout the night, the crowd for Fastlane was noticeably quiet, which Benjamin Tucker of Pro Wrestling Torch acknowledged. Tucker, who attended the event, rated the event 6.0/10, and stated "an okay event that did not need to happen", with the "general feeling on the show, though, was WWE holding back". Tucker felt that the Memphis crowd was being wrongly blamed for the "Fastlane snoozer", writing that, "It's sad to see individuals lash out at others who spend their hard-earned money to see something they love because "they didn't do it right." This is all misguided hatred. Hate WWE's terrible booking. Hate sloppily designed matches. But don't hate the fans. [...] If we pay to go to these events, we react how we feel. If WWE cannot make us feel the "proper" way, then it's on them, not us. And unfortunately, tonight was definitely on them, with a middling show that felt like another three-hour Raw special than a true pay-per-view". [20]

Aftermath

On the February 23 episode of Raw, Randy Orton called out Seth Rollins to a match. When The Authority appeared instead of Rollins, Orton apparently rejoined them. [21] On the March 9 episode of Raw, Orton would insult each member of The Authority, only to pass it off as a joke, but later in the night, Orton would refuse a tag by Rollins during a 2-on-1 handicap match against Roman Reigns, intentionally cost both of them the match. Afterwards, Orton brutally attacked Rollins, following it up with an RKO through the broadcast table. [22] On the March 12 episode of SmackDown, Orton challenged Rollins to a match at WrestleMania 31, [23] which Rollins accepted on the following Raw. [24]

Dolph Ziggler, Ryback, and Erick Rowan avenged their loss on the February 26 episode of SmackDown, defeating Rollins, Kane, and Big Show. [25]

Bray Wyatt called out The Undertaker after a series of mysterious messages that were played out on February episodes of Raw and SmackDown, saying he was no longer afraid of the Undertaker and proclaiming that he was "the new face of fear". [21] [25] On the March 9 episode of Raw, Undertaker accepted Wyatt's challenge to face each other at WrestleMania 31 by setting Wyatt's trademark rocking chair on fire with a bolt of lightning. [22]

Paige received a rematch against Nikki Bella for the Divas Championship on the March 2 episode of Raw, which she won via DQ after Brie Bella interfered. The Bellas attacked Paige post-match, only for AJ Lee to return and fight The Bella Twins off. [26] On that week's SmackDown, Lee defeated Brie after Paige prevented Nikki from interfering. [27] On March 9, a tag team match pitting The Bella Twins against Lee and Paige was scheduled for WrestleMania 31. [28]

The Usos received a championship rematch against WWE Tag Team Champions Tyson Kidd and Cesaro on the following Raw. Natalya turned heel during the match when she interfered and caused a disqualification that kept the titles from changing hands. [21]

Also, John Cena challenged Rusev to a rematch for the United States Championship, which Rusev declined. [21] [25] On the March 2 episode of Raw, Stephanie McMahon stated that Cena would not be competing at WrestleMania unless Rusev agreed to a match. [26] The following week, after Rusev won his match, Rusev made several insulting remarks toward the US, which drew the ire of Cena, who applied the STF on Rusev until Rusev passed out. Cena used a bottle of water to revive Rusev and placed him in the hold again, and refused to release it until Lana granted Cena a title rematch against Rusev at WrestleMania 31. [22]

Fastlane returned in February 2016, thus establishing Fastlane as an annual pay-per-view for the promotion. [29] It was held annually until 2020 when Fastlane was removed from the schedule to allow WWE to hold their Super ShowDown PPV that year, but Fastlane was reinstated in 2021. [30] The 2021 Fastlane would in turn be the final Fastlane held until the event was reinstated in 2023. [31]

Results

No.ResultsStipulationsTimes [17]
1 The Authority (Big Show, Kane and Seth Rollins) (with Jamie Noble and Joey Mercury) defeated Dolph Ziggler, Erick Rowan and Ryback by pinfall Six-man tag team match [32] 13:01
2 Goldust defeated Stardust by pinfall Singles match [33] 08:55
3 Tyson Kidd and Cesaro (with Natalya) defeated The Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso) (c) (with Naomi) by pinfall Tag team match for the WWE Tag Team Championship [34] 09:33
4 Nikki Bella (c) (with Brie Bella) defeated Paige by pinfall Singles match for the WWE Divas Championship [35] 05:34
5 Bad News Barrett (c) defeated Dean Ambrose by disqualification Singles match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship [36] 07:58
6 Rusev (c) (with Lana) defeated John Cena by technical submission Singles match for the WWE United States Championship [37] 18:42
7 Roman Reigns defeated Daniel Bryan by pinfall Singles match for Reigns' #1 contendership to the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 31 [38] 20:10
(c) – the champion(s) heading into the match

    Related Research Articles

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryback</span> American professional wrestler (born 1981)

    Ryback Reeves is an American former professional wrestler and YouTuber. He is best known for his tenure with WWE, where he performed under the ring name Ryback.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">SummerSlam (2014)</span> WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event

    The 2014 SummerSlam was the 27th annual SummerSlam professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It took place on August 17, 2014, at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California for the sixth and final consecutive year. This was also the first SummerSlam event to air on WWE's livestreaming service, the WWE Network, which launched in February. It was also the first WWE pay-per-view to incorporate the new WWE logo but it would not be used on air and on the turnbuckle pads until the next night on Raw. This would also be the last WWE pay-per-view to feature the championships with the scratch logo as all were updated with the new logo also on the following night's Raw.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Payback (2013)</span> WWE pay-per-view event

    The 2013 Payback was the inaugural Payback professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by WWE. The event took place on June 16, 2013, at the Allstate Arena in the Chicago suburb of Rosemont, Illinois. It replaced WWE's previously well-known event, No Way Out. The concept of the event was the wrestlers seeking payback against their opponents.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Survivor Series (2014)</span> WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event

    The 2014 Survivor Series was the 28th annual Survivor Series professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It took place on November 23, 2014, at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri, and was the first Survivor Series event to livestream on the WWE Network, which launched in February. The event was notable for the WWE debut appearance of former World Championship Wrestling (WCW) wrestler Sting and also the first Survivor Series since 2001 to not feature a world championship match.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Night of Champions (2014)</span> WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event

    The 2014 Night of Champions was the eighth annual Night of Champions professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It took place on September 21, 2014, at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, and was the first Night of Champions event to livestream on the WWE Network, which launched in February. The theme of the event was that every championship promoted on WWE's main roster at the time was defended.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Battleground (2013)</span> WWE pay-per-view event

    The 2013 Battleground was the inaugural Battleground professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by WWE. The event took place on October 6, 2013, at the First Niagara Center in Buffalo, New York. Battleground was originally announced to be the new October PPV for the promotion; however, it was moved up to July the following year. It replaced Over the Limit, which had been previously held in May but was going to be held in October 2013.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Rumble (2015)</span> WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event

    The 2015 Royal Rumble was the 28th annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It took place on January 25, 2015, at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This was the second Royal Rumble held at this venue after the 2004 event, when it was formerly known as Wachovia Center; the arena changed its name to Wells Fargo Center in 2010. It was also the first Royal Rumble to livestream on the WWE Network, which launched in February 2014. As has been customary since 1993, the Royal Rumble match winner received a world championship match at that year's WrestleMania. For the 2015 event, the winner received a match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 31.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Hell in a Cell (2014)</span> WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event

    The 2014 Hell in a Cell was the sixth annual Hell in a Cell professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It took place on October 26, 2014, at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, and was the second Hell in a Cell at this venue after the 2010 event. This was the first Hell in a Cell event to livestream on the WWE Network, which launched in February.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs (2014)</span> WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event

    The 2014 TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs was the sixth annual TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It took place on December 14, 2014, at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, and was the first TLC event to livestream on the WWE Network, which launched in February. It was the only event in the series to have the "stairs" annotation added to the title.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Payback (2014)</span> WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event

    The 2014 Payback was the second annual Payback professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It took place on June 1, 2014, at the Allstate Arena in the Chicago suburb of Rosemont, Illinois for the second consecutive year. This was also the first Payback event to livestream on the WWE Network, which launched in February. The theme of the event was wrestlers seeking payback against their opponents.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Money in the Bank (2014)</span> WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event

    The 2014 Money in the Bank was the fifth annual Money in the Bank professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It took place on June 29, 2014, at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. This was the first Money in the Bank event to livestream on the WWE Network, which launched in February.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">The Authority (professional wrestling)</span> Professional wrestling stable

    The Authority was a villainous professional wrestling stable in WWE, which originated due to Triple H helping Randy Orton win the WWE Championship from Daniel Bryan at the 2013 SummerSlam pay-per-view immediately after cashing in the Money in the Bank contract. The name of "The Authority" was introduced on October 7, 2013 on Monday Night Raw during a match between The Shield vs Cody Rhodes, Goldust and Daniel Bryan. Jerry Lawler first said "The Authority" during that match. The Authority initially referred to only Triple H and Stephanie McMahon as a power couple. The Authority shares similarities with The Corporation and The McMahon-Helmsley Faction, and also had ties to Triple H's previous stables D-Generation X (DX) and Evolution, the latter of which existed alongside The Authority for a brief period in 2014.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Battleground (2014)</span> WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event

    The 2014 Battleground was the second annual Battleground professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It took place on July 20, 2014, at the Tampa Bay Times Forum in Tampa, Florida, and was the first Battleground event to livestream on the WWE Network, which launched in February. It was the last WWE pay-per-view event to incorporate the WWE scratch logo, as the following month, WWE rebranded and began using the logo that was originally used for the WWE Network.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">WrestleMania 31</span> 2015 WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event

    WrestleMania 31 was the 31st annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It took place on March 29, 2015, at Levi's Stadium in the San Francisco Bay Area city of Santa Clara, California. Nine matches were contested at the event, including two matches on the Kickoff pre-show.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Extreme Rules (2015)</span> WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event

    The 2015 Extreme Rules was the seventh annual Extreme Rules professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It took place on April 26, 2015, at the Allstate Arena in the Chicago suburb of Rosemont, Illinois, and was the second Extreme Rules event to take place at this venue after the 2012 edition. The concept of Extreme Rules is that the event features various hardcore-based matches.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Elimination Chamber (2015)</span> WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event

    The 2015 Elimination Chamber was the sixth Elimination Chamber professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. The event was livestreamed exclusively on the WWE Network in the United States, marking the first Elimination Chamber to air on the WWE Network, and it was available on PPV in various territories outside the country. It took place on May 31, 2015, at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas. It was the only edition of the event to be held in May; previous and future incarnations have taken place in February. It was also the first event to include a tag team Elimination Chamber match, although it is also the first event in WWE history where the Chamber did not play host to a match for a world championship or future world championship match opportunity. An Elimination Chamber event was not held in 2016, but it returned in 2017; in turn, it was the last Elimination Chamber event to be held before the reintroduction of the brand extension in July 2016 and the last event to feature the original Elimination Chamber structure that was used since 2002.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Payback (2015)</span> WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event

    The 2015 Payback was the third annual Payback professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It took place on May 17, 2015, at the Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore, Maryland and was the first Payback held outside of the Chicago suburb of Rosemont, Illinois. The theme of the event was wrestlers seeking payback against their opponents.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">SummerSlam (2015)</span> WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event

    The 2015 SummerSlam was the 28th annual SummerSlam professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It took place on August 23, 2015, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York and would be the first of four consecutive SummerSlam events to take place at the arena. It was the first SummerSlam since 2008 to be held outside of Los Angeles as its Staples Center was the exclusive home for SummerSlam from 2009 to 2014. It was also the eighth SummerSlam to be held in the New York metropolitan area. The Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey was originally supposed to host SummerSlam, but due to its closure in April 2015, the event was relocated. It was also the first SummerSlam to be four hours in length, a length previously reserved only for WrestleMania. This was also the last SummerSlam held before the reintroduction of the brand extension in July 2016.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Money in the Bank (2015)</span> WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event

    The 2015 Money in the Bank was the sixth annual Money in the Bank professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It took place on June 14, 2015, at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. It was the first WWE pay-per-view event that was held in Columbus since Bad Blood in June 2004. Money in the Bank was available for free to new subscribers as part of a free-trial to WWE's streaming service, the WWE Network, in over 140 countries.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Night of Champions (2015)</span> WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event

    The 2015 Night of Champions was the ninth annual Night of Champions professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It took place on September 20, 2015, at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. This was the second Night of Champions held at this venue, after Vengeance: Night of Champions in 2007. As per the theme of the event, every championship promoted on WWE's main roster at the time was defended. The event was replaced by the similarly themed Clash of Champions in 2016; however, WWE revived Night of Champions in 2023. This in turn made the 2015 event the final Night of Champions to be held before the reintroduction of the brand extension in July 2016.

    References

    1. ↑ Middleton, Marc (February 26, 2015). "News On Sami Zayn's Return To WWE NXT, Another WWE Diva Calls Out Airline, Fastlane Attendance". Wrestling Inc. Archived from the original on February 26, 2015. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
    2. ↑ Namako, Jason (April 30, 2015). "Buyrate for 2015 WWE Royal Rumble and Fast Lane PPVs". WrestleView. Archived from the original on May 1, 2015. Retrieved May 1, 2015.
    3. ↑ "WWE Fastlane 2015". WWE .
    4. ↑ Caldwell, James (December 8, 2014). "WWE News: February PPV gets a new title (w/Poll)". Pro Wrestling Torch. Archived from the original on January 15, 2015. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
    5. ↑ Grabianowski, Ed (January 13, 2006). "How Pro Wrestling Works". HowStuffWorks. Discovery Communications. Archived from the original on November 29, 2013. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
    6. ↑ "Live & Televised Entertainment". WWE . Archived from the original on February 18, 2009. Retrieved March 21, 2012.
    7. ↑ Caldwell, James (November 23, 2014). "Caldwell's WWE S. Series PPV results 11/23: Complete "virtual-time" coverage of Team Cena vs. Team Authority, more". Pro Wrestling Torch. Archived from the original on November 26, 2014. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
    8. 1 2 Tedesco, Mike (January 20, 2015). "WWE Raw Results – 1/19/15 (Sting debuts on Raw)". WrestleView. Archived from the original on January 20, 2015. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
    9. 1 2 Martin, Adam (January 27, 2015). "Fast Lane match, segment announced for 2/22 in Memphis". WrestleView. Archived from the original on January 30, 2015. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
    10. 1 2 3 Nemer, Paul (February 10, 2015). "WWE Raw Results – 2/9/15 (5-on-2 Handicap Match)". WrestleView. Archived from the original on February 10, 2015. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
    11. 1 2 Tedesco, Mike (January 30, 2015). "WWE Smackdown Results – 1/29/15 (Casket Match)". WrestleView. Archived from the original on January 30, 2015. Retrieved January 31, 2015.
    12. 1 2 3 Tedesco, Mike (February 3, 2015). "WWE Raw Results – 2/2/15 (Daniel Bryan vs. Seth Rollins)". WrestleView. Archived from the original on February 3, 2015. Retrieved February 3, 2015.
    13. 1 2 3 4 Tedesco, Mike (February 17, 2015). "WWE Raw Results – 2/16/15 (Bryan and Reigns in action)". WrestleView. Archived from the original on February 17, 2015. Retrieved February 17, 2015.
    14. 1 2 Tedesco, Mike (February 20, 2015). "WWE Smackdown Results – 2/19/15 (Rollins vs. Ziggler)". WrestleView. Archived from the original on February 20, 2015. Retrieved February 20, 2015.
    15. ↑ Martin, Adam (February 20, 2015). "New matches added to the WWE Fastlane PPV this Sunday". WrestleView. Archived from the original on February 20, 2015. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
    16. ↑ Caldwell, James (February 22, 2015). "Caldwell's WWE Fast Lane PPV Report 2/22 (Pre-Show): Complete coverage of Paul Heyman on Miz TV, more". Pro Wrestling Torch. Archived from the original on February 23, 2015. Retrieved February 23, 2015.
    17. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Caldwell, James (February 22, 2015). "Caldwell's WWE Fast Lane PPV Results 2/22: Complete "virtual-time" coverage of Bryan vs. Reigns, Cena vs. Rusev, Sting-Hunter confrontation, final PPV before WM31". Pro Wrestling Torch. Archived from the original on February 23, 2015. Retrieved February 23, 2015.
    18. ↑ Asher, Matthew (February 23, 2015). "WWE Fastlane: Questionable match endings and fan reaction may hurt 'Mania". Canoe.ca . Archived from the original on June 27, 2015. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
    19. ↑ Herzog, Kenny (February 23, 2015). "WWE 'Fastlane': It's Roman Reigns, Deal With It". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on February 24, 2015. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
    20. ↑ Tucker, Benjamin (February 23, 2015). "Crowd getting the blame for Fastlane snoozer, but where should the focus be?". Pro Wrestling Torch. Archived from the original on February 25, 2015. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
    21. 1 2 3 4 Martin, Adam (February 24, 2015). "WWE Raw Results – 2/23/15 (Fallout from Fastlane PPV)". WrestleView. Archived from the original on February 24, 2015. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
    22. 1 2 3 Nemer, Paul (March 10, 2015). "WWE Raw Results – 3/9/15 (Orton gets revenge on Rollins)". WrestleView. Archived from the original on March 12, 2015. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
    23. ↑ Nemer, Paul (March 13, 2015). "WWE Smackdown Results – 3/12/15 (Six Man Tag Match)". WrestleView. Archived from the original on March 15, 2015. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
    24. ↑ Nemer, Paul (March 17, 2015). "WWE Raw Results – 3/16/15 (Sting/Orton fight The Authority)". WrestleView. Archived from the original on March 19, 2015. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
    25. 1 2 3 Nemer, Paul (February 27, 2015). "WWE Smackdown Results – 2/26/15 (Fastlane rematch)". WrestleView. Archived from the original on February 27, 2015. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
    26. 1 2 Martin, Adam (March 3, 2015). "WWE Raw Results – 3/2/15 (Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins)". WrestleView. Archived from the original on March 4, 2015. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
    27. ↑ Nemer, Paul (March 6, 2015). "WWE Smackdown Results – 3/5/15 (Tag Team Main Event)". WrestleView. Archived from the original on March 7, 2015. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
    28. ↑ Namako, Jason (March 9, 2015). "Divas tag team match added to WrestleMania 31 card". WrestleView. Archived from the original on March 11, 2015. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
    29. ↑ Paglino, Nick (September 27, 2015). "WWE Announces Date and Location for 2016 Fastlane PPV". WrestleZone. Archived from the original on September 28, 2015. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
    30. ↑ Johnson, Mike (January 17, 2021). "WWE Fast Lane PPV update". PWInsider. Archived from the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
    31. ↑ Keller, Wade (June 20, 2023). "WWE bringing back Fastlane event, date and location announced". Pro Wrestling Torch. Archived from the original on June 20, 2023. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
    32. ↑ Melok, Bobby (February 3, 2015). "Seth Rollins, Kane & Big Show def. Dolph Ziggler, Erick Rowan & Ryback". WWE . Archived from the original on February 25, 2015. Retrieved February 20, 2015.
    33. ↑ Medalis, Kara A. (February 3, 2015). "Goldust def. Stardust". WWE . Archived from the original on February 20, 2015. Retrieved February 20, 2015.
    34. ↑ Clapp, John (February 2, 2015). "Tyson Kidd & Cesaro def. The Usos to win the WWE Tag Team Championship". WWE . Archived from the original on February 17, 2015. Retrieved February 17, 2015.
    35. ↑ Burdick, Michael (January 29, 2015). "Divas Champion Nikki Bella def. Paige". WWE . Archived from the original on February 25, 2015. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
    36. ↑ Taylor, Scott (February 2, 2015). "Intercontinental Champion Bad News Barrett def. Dean Ambrose by Disqualification". WWE . Archived from the original on February 17, 2015. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
    37. ↑ Burdick, Michael (January 26, 2015). "United States Champion Rusev def. John Cena". WWE . Archived from the original on January 29, 2015. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
    38. ↑ Benigno, Anthony (February 2, 2015). "Roman Reigns def. Daniel Bryan". WWE . Archived from the original on February 3, 2015. Retrieved February 3, 2015.
    This page is based on this Wikipedia article
    Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
    Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.