AJ Styles Retains Title at WWE Fastlane; Faces Shinsuke Nakamura at WrestleMania

Despite long mathematical odds, AJ Styles successfully defended the WWE Championship on Sunday night at Fastlane in a six-pack challenge match.

Styles was in the right place at the right time to earn the victory. John Cena disposed of Dolph Ziggler with the Attitude Adjustment. Kevin Owens then took Cena out with a Pop-Up Powerbomb. Before Owens could pin Cena, Styles flew off the top rope with a Phenomenal Forearm to earn the pinfall.

With the result, Styles will face Royal Rumble winner Shinsuke Nakamura at WrestleMania 34 in New Orleans on April 8.

Styles tweeted about the upcoming encounter:

It looked like Styles' hopes of retaining were in dire straits when Cena sent him through one of the announcer tables with an Attitude Adjustment. WWE shared a replay of the massive move:

However, Styles recovered just enough to get into position to take out Owens.

On the whole, the match was very good and allowed each of the six wrestlers to enjoy at least one big moment. Zigger, for example, somehow countered an Attitude Adjustment into a Famouser, which was an impressive feat.

CBSSports.com's Brian Campbell and Raw announcer Jonathan Coachman were among those enthralled by the action in the main event:

In addition to Styles vs. Nakamura, the Fastlane main event planted a few more seeds for WrestleMania.

Owens and Sami Zayn each saw possible pinfall attempts interrupted by SmackDown Live commissioner Shane McMahon. Owens and Zayn have been feuding with McMahon for months, and it appears the story will culminate somehow in a WrestleMania battle.

For Cena, Sunday's match represented his last opportunity to have a clear path to WrestleMania. Now, the 16-time champion is seemingly out of options. However, his defeat opens the door to a match with The Undertaker, something Cena teased on the Feb. 26 edition of Raw.

Cena vs. The Undertaker would add to what is already a stacked WrestleMania 34 card, between Styles vs. Nakamura, Ronda Rousey's in-ring debut and a women's title match pitting Charlotte Flair against Asuka.