5 best Fastlane matches in WWE history

#1 Roman Reigns vs. Daniel Bryan (Fastlane 2015)

Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan produced a fantastic main event at Fastlane in 2015

The 2015 Fastlane main event between Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan was vital to Reigns' rise as a main player in WWE.

In January 2015, Reigns had won the controversial 2015 Royal Rumble Match. During the match, the crowd in Philadelphia audibly turned on Reigns and booed every moment of the match. The fans clearly wanted Bryan to win the match, so they were upset when he was eliminated from the Rumble early on.

The uproar caused by The Big Dog's Royal Rumble victory was remarkable. Fans flooded social media with negative comments and threatened to boycott the WWE Network and WrestleMania.

In the 2015 #RoyalRumble Match, #TheBigDog @WWERomanReigns last eliminated @RusevBUL to earn a main event spot at #WrestleMania! pic.twitter.com/CNjTeSKppG

— WWE (@WWE) January 22, 2017

To combat this negative response, WWE acted quickly and announced a match between Reigns and the beloved Daniel Bryan for Fastlane. The winner is this bout would earn the chance to challenge Brock Lesnar for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 31.

Though the match was booked to appease the vocal minority, it turned out to be an absolute classic. Of course, the same disgruntled fans were vocal after Reigns defeated Bryan in the main event of Fastlane. But Bryan did everything he could to legitimize Reigns and prove that The Big Dog was worthy of his main event spot at WrestleMania.

The match included many breathtaking moments. Daniel Bryan nearly made Reigns tap out to the YES! Lock, but The Big Dog broke the hold by reaching the ropes. Bryan also hit his signature running knee finisher for yet another near fall. But when Bryan attempted a second running knee, Reigns countered with a Spear for the victory.

@WWERomanReigns defeats @WWEDanielBryan, faces @BrockLesnar in 35 DAYS for the @WWE World Hvt. Title! #WWEFastLane pic.twitter.com/16xmUjAHGO

— WWE (@WWE) February 23, 2015

While certain fans may not have been thrilled with the outcome, the match was a wrestling masterclass, and it showed that Reigns was more than worthy of appearing at the main event level in WWE.