WWE newcomer AJ Styles looks to make a name for himself against veteran Chris Jericho: Courtesy of the award-winning WWE Network.
Show
WWE Fastlane
Match Results
Date and location
Sunday, Feb 21 | 8 PMET/5 PMPT
Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse
Cleveland, OH
AJ Styles def. Chris Jericho
CLEVELAND — At WWE Fastlane 2016, AJ Styles proved just how phenomenal he can be, reigning supreme over Chris Jericho in their rubber match by making the six-time World Champion tap out to the Calf Crusher.
Watch: WWE.com Exclusive with AJ Styles
Heading into the highly anticipated contest, both Superstars held one hard-fought victory over the other, with Styles beating Y2J in his Raw debut and The Lionheart roaring back with a win in their SmackDown rematch. Less than six weeks before WrestleMania, it would quickly become apparent that the only two people who wanted this third bout more than the WWE Universe were the two determined combatants themselves.
The epic showdown began with Jericho and Styles cautiously testing the waters, as both competitors looked for the perfect moment to strike first. Jericho soon took control, unleashing a calculated assault both inside and outside the ring. Though Styles fired back, Y2J managed to halt his adversary’s early attacks. Jericho landed a perfectly-timed dropkick on AJ as he leapt over the top rope and out to floor. Responding with his own high-octane offense, Styles unleashed a series of high-impact maneuvers which led to several near-falls on The Ayatollah of Rock and Rolla.
With each moment that passed, the action grew more intense. Then, in one particularly heroic moment where Jericho locked in the Walls of Jericho, Styles showed incredible intestinal fortitude by fighting through the pain to reach the ropes. This enraged Jericho, who sent his opponent crashing into the ringside barrier before once again locking in his famous submission hold outside the ring. Having dealt such punishment, Jericho then rolled back inside the squared circle, strategically leaving Styles to be counted out.
Y2J’s resilient rival made it back into the ring in before the 10-count, only to experience Jericho’s devastating Code Breaker. The Phenomenal One refused to be denied, however, and incredibly survived and retaliated with a subsequent Styles Clash. The veteran Jericho managed to survive the damage, but he could not escape the Calf Crusher and, ultimately, Y2J tapped out.
When the dust cleared, Styles and Jericho stood face to face, both exhausted after the intense showdown. At first it appeared Y2J’s ego would supersede sportsmanship as he formed a fist to threaten the contest’s victor. After a few moments, however, the pair of crafty ring competitors shook hands in the center of the ring, an immense show of respect that only comes from those who had pushed each other the limit and beyond.
In the end, though Jericho will always be “the best in the world at what he does,” at WWE Fastlane, Styles truly established himself as a phenomenal force to be reckoned with in WWE.
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CLEVELAND — At WWE Fastlane 2016, AJ Styles proved just how phenomenal he can be, reigning supreme over Chris Jericho in their rubber match by making the six-time World Champion tap out to the Calf Crusher.
Watch: WWE.com Exclusive with AJ Styles
Heading into the highly anticipated contest, both Superstars held one hard-fought victory over the other, with Styles beating Y2J in his Raw debut and The Lionheart roaring back with a win in their SmackDown rematch. Less than six weeks before WrestleMania, it would quickly become apparent that the only two people who wanted this third bout more than the WWE Universe were the two determined combatants themselves.
The epic showdown began with Jericho and Styles cautiously testing the waters, as both competitors looked for the perfect moment to strike first. Jericho soon took control, unleashing a calculated assault both inside and outside the ring. Though Styles fired back, Y2J managed to halt his adversary’s early attacks. Jericho landed a perfectly-timed dropkick on AJ as he leapt over the top rope and out to floor. Responding with his own high-octane offense, Styles unleashed a series of high-impact maneuvers which led to several near-falls on The Ayatollah of Rock and Rolla.
With each moment that passed, the action grew more intense. Then, in one particularly heroic moment where Jericho locked in the Walls of Jericho, Styles showed incredible intestinal fortitude by fighting through the pain to reach the ropes. This enraged Jericho, who sent his opponent crashing into the ringside barrier before once again locking in his famous submission hold outside the ring. Having dealt such punishment, Jericho then rolled back inside the squared circle, strategically leaving Styles to be counted out.
Y2J’s resilient rival made it back into the ring in before the 10-count, only to experience Jericho’s devastating Code Breaker. The Phenomenal One refused to be denied, however, and incredibly survived and retaliated with a subsequent Styles Clash. The veteran Jericho managed to survive the damage, but he could not escape the Calf Crusher and, ultimately, Y2J tapped out.
When the dust cleared, Styles and Jericho stood face to face, both exhausted after the intense showdown. At first it appeared Y2J’s ego would supersede sportsmanship as he formed a fist to threaten the contest’s victor. After a few moments, however, the pair of crafty ring competitors shook hands in the center of the ring, an immense show of respect that only comes from those who had pushed each other the limit and beyond.
In the end, though Jericho will always be “the best in the world at what he does,” at WWE Fastlane, Styles truly established himself as a phenomenal force to be reckoned with in WWE.
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