3 ways A.J. Styles may retain his WWE title at Fastlane 

In the February 6 edition of Smackdown Live, the main event saw two men who were destined to fight forever, go head-to-head once more in a number one contender's contest for the WWE Championship.

Despite Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn tearing the house down in a terrific bout, a provoked A.J. Styles would interfere and cost the match to end via disqualification.

Smackdown Live's General Manager would then announce a triple threat match for the WWE Championship at the Fastlane pay-per-view instead.

Here are 3 possibilities on how the recently scheduled bout may conclude in A.J. Styles retaining his title

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#3 A.J. Styles retains clean

A.J. Styles' first WWE title win at Backlash 2016

From a booking perspective, it remains certain that WWE should allow Styles to come into WrestleMania looking as strong as ever.

Given enough time, these three men may put on a brilliant wrestling match. This is provided that they're not booked in a screwy finish.

A back and forth bout ending in Styles getting the upper hand may serve as a reminder of Styles' credibility as WWE Champion heading into WrestleMania to face Shinsuke Nakamura.

Owens and Zayn's loss may also be protected by the fact that it was a triple threat match rather than the previous handicap match at the Royal Rumble.

#2 Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn implode

Best friends but bitter rivals

There is a long history between Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, therefore this option may be a no-brainer to those familiar.

Notwithstanding their recent alliance as best friends once more, WWE has already began teasing dissension between the two.

As heels, Zayn and Owens may clearly work most of the match beating down Styles in a two-on-one assault. However, it is only a matter of when one will turn on the other. After all, it is every man for himself.

Amidst the chaos of the two friends, Styles may take advantage and snatch a win to secure his place in the main event of WrestleMania 34.

#1 Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan interfere

Smackdown Live's commissioner and general manager

Shane McMahon and Kevin Owens started their rivalry back in 2017. A brutal Hell in a Cell match ended in Sami Zayn assisting Owens to pick up the win, turning Zayn heel in the process.

As the storyline progressed over the months, Sami Zayn and Daniel Bryan were both inserted into the feud between Shane and Owens.

In spite of the ambiguous plans WWE has for these four men at WrestleMania, they have another chance to advance this feud heading into The Showcase of The Immortals.

This may be the most interesting finish to the triple threat bout, as it can go in several ways. How will Shane McMahon or Daniel Bryan be involved in the match?

Will they be siding with any specific participant in the WWE title match? Will there be a heel turn from either authority figure?

The questions above may only be answered at the pay-per-view. However, it is certain that any sort of interference shall still lead to Styles retaining, allowing the other four men to focus on their personal differences at WrestleMania once and for all.

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