Guys, I need some help here. I’ve seen some people have the term “FastLane” as one word and others, like me, separate it. Is it one word? Or is it two? Can we get a discussion going here? Thanks. Anyways, looking at the card set for this Sunday, and looking at the card from last year, I think WWE has come a long way, in a lot of ways, with perhaps the most notable change, being AJ Styles being on the WWE roster. This card for me exhibits a lot of potential and can be a very nice prelude on the road to WrestleMania if booked correctly. With all that said, allow me to explain to you each of my predictions and what will go down in each match.
Six Man Tag Team Match: Kane, The Big Show and Ryback vs. Luke Harper, Erick Rowan and Braun Strowman
Remember just a few sentences ago where I said that WWE has changed in a lot of ways, but this match wouldn’t exhibit this. Not when you realize that The Big Show, Kane, Ryback and Erick Rowan were involved in a six man tag team match last year on the same show. I also couldn’t believe that this was the match that ended RAW last night. When The Big Show and Braun Strowman was announced as the main event, how easy was it to decipher that we would get, at best, 2 minutes of awkward punches and slow movement until the rest of the Wyatt Family got involved? Then it was like a nightmare when people who I don’t want to see on RAW came out of nowhere such as Ryback and Kane and lo, and behold, we have this. It’s pretty obvious who is going over here, being The Wyatt Family. This match really, however, is more to build up Braun Strowman if anything. With The Big Show and Kane in there, who Braun Strowman both eliminated in the Royal Rumble, WWE seems intent on giving people the mindset that this man is the real deal. This is probably your easiest match to predict of the night, folks.
Winners: The Wyatt Family
Kallisto (C) vs. Alberto Del Rio – United States Championship (2 out of 3 Falls)
I thought the 2 out of 3 Falls stipulation would go to the Styles/Jericho match, but this is what we have. First issue I see. For some bizarre reason, this match was bumped to the pre-show. Now, I think it is safe to say that most people do not want to see Del Rio and Kallisto to continue to fight with each other. These two have played the John Cena/Randy Orton 2009 shtick when they would seemingly give each other the title every couple of weeks. However, if we’re honest with each other, if both men are motivated, they can have great matches with each other, and a 2 out of 3 Falls match, which would most definitely end their feud (At least I hope), would bring out the best in both men. But you have one of your mid-card titles not on the main card? Yet we have room for the previous six man tag match and the tag team talking segment? Now, I guess I can’t be all to pent up because WWE is seemingly going full throttle with Strowman and the tag team segment may be just to introduce a new challenger to The New Day. It still kind of befuddles me though that they still have the US Title on the pre-show. This isn’t Santino Marella we’re talking about here. What about the Banks/Lynch vs. Naomi/Snuka tag? Eh, oh well. Kallisto’s going to retain here, because not only has Alberto Del Rio’s return been an utter failure, but him holding the title again would not make much sense, seeing as how he is in the League of Nations, and him holding a major belt wouldn’t do good for the belt’s development. Kallisto’s walking into WrestleMania 32 with the chip.
Winner: Kallisto
Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch vs. Naomi and Tamina Snuka
I personally don’t care for the match, besides of course, that Sasha is involved. Because she’s all perfect and stuff. Naomi and Tamina Snuka are showing why Sasha split from the team and why it was a good decision. These two are nowhere right now, and probably will never get to the promised land. Let’s just please call out the obvious. The NXT alumni are going over here, because one of them (or maybe both of them) will be challenging Charlotte for the belt at WrestleMania. A loss to the other two wouldn’t bode well for them. Hopefully this match is nice, short, sweet and to the point.
Winners: Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks
Kevin Owens (C) vs. Dolph Ziggler – Intercontinental Championship
Here’s another feud that has seemingly gone on for forever. Kevin Owens has consistently gotten the better of Dolph Ziggler, but for the past couple of weeks, Dolph has one-upped Kevin and this is probably the rubber match that heads these two in separate directions. Owens winning back the Intercontinental Championship was a wise move in my opinion for WWE. It wouldn’t make much sense for Dean Ambrose to challenge for the WWE Championship if he is already holing the Intercontinental Championship. Owens and Ziggler have been putting on some pretty good matches as of late, and with the title on the line, I think this has the potential to be another classic between them. Now as much as I want to laugh that Ziggler is fighting for the Intercontinental belt YET AGAIN, I can’t help but feel sorry for him in a way. It’s as if these two were just meant for each other and nothing more. You can expect KO to pick up the victory here, because Ziggler adds no value to the belt anymore. I suspect that Kevin Owens may be feuding with AJ Styles going into WrestleMania because he eliminated him from the Royal Rumble. The story writes itself. Two ROH alumni fighting for WWE’s primary mid-card belt at WrestleMania? Doesn’t get better than that if you ask me.
Winner: Kevin Owens
Cutting Edge Peep Show Segment
I guess Fast Lane in some ways isn’t really all that different, because we have a talking segment on the main card again, just like last year with Triple H and Sting. Now, I’m pretty sure these two aren’t going to come out and twerking the night away with plastic horns on their heads. I have a couple of theories. First, The Dudley Boyz come out with their new attitude, talk to Edge and Christian about the good old days of the triangle TLC, and challenge The New Day at WrestleMania, with more teams wanting a crack at them, or we have a new challenger arise. With the team of Enzo Amore and Big Cass rumored to make their main roster debut soon, perhaps this is the moment they get and maybe that’s why WWE didn’t want this on the pre-show. Or maybe my original fear happens and they all end up twerking with plastic horns on their head. Guess we’ll have to find out.
Chris Jericho vs. AJ Styles
This is a hard match to predict if you ask me. They both have clean victories over each other and Jericho hasn’t been a heel so much as he’s been a tweener, which basically means that he’s not a full-blown heel just yet. Now this feud seems to be predicated upon Jericho’s jealousy that AJ’s debut victory came at his expense. Now, my natural instinct, based on watching WWE all my life, is that Styles goes over here, because he’s still relatively new in WWE and making a 17 year veteran such as Chris Jericho and having him go over on PPV would kind of just blow Styles’ return. However, Jericho’s character does seem to indicate that he’s up for bigger things so I wouldn’t completely rule out the possibility of Jericho winning. The safe bet is Styles here, though. He seems to be in store for big things and this rubber match against Chris Jericho to close out his first major feud may be what he needs to propel him to not only the WWE style but to more complex feuds, because Styles has only wrestled The Miz and Chris Jericho in singles matches since his debut. This Sunday, expect AJ Styles to go over and gain more momentum heading into WrestleMania 32. However, I must say, if their match this Sunday is anything like their Smackdown match, and if they take it to another level, we’ll be in for a treat.
Winner: AJ Styles
Charlotte (C) vs. Brie Bella – Divas Championship
I may be wrong on this, but I believe Summerslam 2014 was the last match to feature two Diavs matches featuring Stephanie McMahon/Brie Bella and AJ Lee/Paige. So, needless to say, finding a PPV with two Divas matches on the main card is pretty rare. Now, I find it kind of funny these two have used Daniel Bryan’s retirement as a means to build up this feud. Now, in a sense, you could understand why Brie would use it, because they are married, and why Charlotte would use it, because heaven knows she needs to do anything to get some heat. Despite Daniel’s retirement, Charlotte will win once again to build towards a match against either Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch or both at WrestleMania. This is just a means to an end. A way to get a Divas Championship match on the card. Just count how many of Brie’s awkward kicks he does throughout the match.
Winner: Charlotte
Number 1 Contender Triple Threat Match: Roman Reigns vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Brock Lesnar
Well, here is one thing that we can rule out for sure. Brock Lesnar will not be winning this Sunday. Why? He’s faced Triple H at WrestleMania within the past 3 years already, WWE will certainly not be putting the title back on him because he just had a lot of burn with it and rarely defended it during that time frame, and it wouldn’t make a whole lot of sense storyline-wise. So you can eliminate him from any consideration already. So your choices are Roman Reigns or Dean Ambrose. Which means the answer should already be clear. Roman Reigns has been in an uphill battle against The Authority for well over a year now, and while Roman has already won the belt not once, but twice, it seems as though third time being the charm will be his ultimate coronation at WrestleMania against the man who eliminated him at the Royal Rumble, Triple H. Dean Ambrose has little business with Triple H and there seems to be other fish in the sea for him at WrestleMania. Now, is there a slight possibility, if any, that Ambrose upsets and main events WrestleMania? I mean, just like Roman, Triple H did eliminate him too so he has a right to be mad. Plus, he’s been in Roman’s shadow since Seth split (though Roman did use Dean’s initial popularity to get over with the crowd to begin with) and perhaps he will be more focused on getting his and not concerned about what Roman wants anymore. WrestleMania 32 seems to have Roman’s name in bright lights just waiting for the confetti to come down. In terms of the ending, I am wagering that Brock Lesnar will have the match won, The Wyatt Family will jump him from behind (which will of course lead to a Bray Wyatt/Brock Lesnar match) and Roman will pin Dean, who’s attempted to lay him out as of late. Can we see Dean turn heel here? Well, Roman has already defeated Dean with the title on the line, so unless Dean does something truly heelish such as exposing the turnbuckle or low-blowing Reigns, I don’t expect the heel turn to fully happen. Not at least this Sunday. So expect Roman to win in the main event of Fast Lane to get the chance to main event WrestleMania for the second consecutive year. I guess Fast Lane this year isn’t really that much different than last year, eh?
Winner: Roman Reigns
Agree? Disagree? Let me know. Until next time.
