John Cena will compete in his first non-WrestleMania/SummerSlam premium live event for five years at Fastlane this weekend.
‘The Greatest of All Time’ has only sporadically appeared in WWE since making the move to Hollywood in recent years.
Cena’s last in-ring exploits at a top-level live event came in a losing effort to Austin Theory at WrestleMania 39, while he also took part in a brief cameo appearance at London’s Money in the Bank this summer.
But the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike has allowed Cena to return home to WWE for his longest stint in years ahead of a blockbuster Mania 40 next year.
Fastlane, named for its original position on the ‘Road to WrestleMania’, has lost some significance in its new slot on the calendar.
But this year’s edition will be WWE’s first major pay-per-view in which the company is not owned and controlled by the McMahon family following the sale to Endeavor.
WWE Fastlane 2023: Date and how to follow
The event will be held on Saturday, October 7.
It is taking place at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indiana, home to NBA side Indiana Pacers and WNBA team, Indiana Fever.
The prelims will take place at midnight and is available to stream for free on WWE’s YouTube channel.
The main card will then begin from 1am in the UK and continue into the early hours of Sunday morning.
TNT Sports Box Office will show the event on UK TV, with their coverage starting at 1am and more details can be found here.
It can also be live-streamed on the WWE Network.
WWE Fastlane 2023: Fight card
Subject to change
- Seth ‘Freakin’ Rollins (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura – Last Man Standing Match for the World Heavyweight Championship
- John Cena and LA Knight vs. The Bloodline’s Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa (with Paul Heyman) – Tag Team match
- IYO SKY (c) vs. Asuka vs. Charlotte Flair – Triple-threat match for the WWE Women’s Championship.
- Latino World Order (Rey Mysterio, Santos Escobar, and either Joaquin Wilde or Cruz Del Toro) (with Zelina Vega) vs. Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford)
- The Judgment Day (Finn Balor and Damian Priest) (c) vs. Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso – for Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship
WWE Fastlane 2023: What has been said?
Cena recently shared just how much his first WWE contract was worth having first signed with the company in 2001.
Speaking with Kevin Hart on his podcast Hart To Heart, Cena said: “My first contract with WWE was $12,000 a year.
“I quit my job the day I was signed. I think my rent was $1,000 a month. So all my money is now rent.”
“My dad… I could have told him any other position. He would have been like, ‘Yeah, whatever,'” Cena said, revealing that when he told him he got “a job with WWE,” his father said, “‘Oh, my son… This is unreal. It’s going to be great. I can’t believe it.’
“Still, to this day, he’s extremely proud,” he added.
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