WWE Fast Lane 2015: What to Expect from Inaugural Edition of PPV

WWE's Royal Rumble event is over now, but the aftershocks are still being felt among fans. Roman Reigns' Rumble victory has left a bad taste in the mouths of many that honestly did not want to see him elevated over favorites such as Daniel Bryan and Dean Ambrose.

And while the WWE faithful continue to debate back and forth over Reigns and other Rumble moments, the fact is that the company is moving forward.  The inaugural Fast Lane pay-per-view is coming up on Sunday, February 22, and there is already some buzz developing around the event.  WWE is surely already preparing for that night, and there is indeed much to expect from the first edition of Fast Lane.

Bray Wyatt will continue to shine

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Bray Wyatt has looked very good as of late.  The Eater of Worlds has finally seemed to hit his stride in WWE, and that is likely not a coincidence, as many believe he will be the man to face The Undertaker at WrestleMania 31.  If that is the case, then he should surely be built up as strong as possible, as a viable threat to pin The Deadman at 'Mania.

And there is every reason to believe that Wyatt's dominance will continue at Fast Lane.

He virtually owned Dean Ambrose in nearly every confrontation the two men had.  Their rivalry was the product of good booking; both men had faced off in the past when The Shield versus The Wyatt Family was all the rage in WWE.

To see them square off one-on-one was a big moment for fans who had been anxious to see each man break out of their individual molds.  Ambrose was coming into his own as The Lunatic Fringe and Wyatt was still captivating crowds with his promos.

And when they met, it was incredibly intense.

But Wyatt has moved on and had a great showing during The Royal Rumble match on January 25.  He eliminated six Superstars, including Daniel Bryan, and drew crazy heat from the crowd.  Wyatt stayed in the ring for almost an hour before being eliminated, which was definitely a statement on WWE's part.

He is likely headed for something big, and regardless of whom he will face next, Fast Lane should be a continuation of that journey. 

Daniel Bryan will get a redeeming moment

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Daniel Bryan's early elimination from The Royal Rumble remains one of the most disappointing moments for many fans.  The reason for that is because there was definitely a sense that Bryan would somehow make his way back up the ladder in 2015 as he did in 2013.

There was certainly no hotter Superstar two years ago than Bryan.  Thanks to a comedic partnership with Kane and a dynamic skill set, Bryan "Yes!"-chanted his way into the hearts and minds of fans.  And when The Authority decided to roadblock his path to success, Bryan's world changed overnight.

Suddenly, he was the next big thing; he was shot into the stratosphere and became arguably the most popular Superstar in WWE. Everything Bryan touched turned to gold, and when he became the WWE world heavyweight champion, he cemented his spot in the company.

But a neck injury took Bryan out of the picture for much of 2014, and when he returned to announce his 2015 Royal Rumble entry, fans were ecstatic.  Finally, Bryan would get his shot at the top once again. After all, his interrupted title run deserved to be continued, and the best way for that to happen was to get him over at the Rumble.

However, when he did not win, fans were near the point of rioting.  Their favorite had been denied his rightful spot at the top, a fact that his fanbase could not seem to handle.  So when Fast Lane debuts, Bryan needs a great moment to reward the fans that stuck up for him during the Royal Rumble debacle.

Bryan needs a win, a win that matters.  He needs to shine in the biggest way possible, and when that moment comes, there should be no doubt that WWE is righting a wrong.  A match against Kane—with the stipulation that if The Big Red Machine loses, he loses his job—would be a step in the right direction. Or perhaps Bryan could slide in and save Sting from an ambush by The Authority.

Whatever happens, Bryan needs to end his time at Fast Lane on his feet with a win.  He deserves to be strong in the eyes of the fans and has earned the right to shine on the pay-per-view stage.

Triple H's meeting with Sting will be a trap

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When Sting debuted at The Survivor Series last year, it made for a very historic moment in WWE.  For the first time ever, The Icon had stepped into Vince McMahon's ring and made physical contact with a contracted WWE performer.

That performer was Triple H, and the moment will never be forgotten.

Sting made history once again on the January 19 edition of Monday Night Raw when he appeared on the ramp, giving John Cena the distraction he needed to win the match.  It marked the first time that Sting had ever physically been on Raw, the same program that had battled with WCW Nitro years earlier.

And Triple H was left to put the pieces of The Authority back together again.

It's clear that Triple H is out for revenge.  One bit of interference was bad enough. Two intrusions will not be tolerated.  Hunter has called Sting out, and the meeting place will be the Fast Lane pay-per-view.

But this is obviously a setup.  It's very unlikely that Triple H's character would take the chance on being bested by Sting once again and would want reinforcements to back him up.  He would surely also want those reinforcements there to ensure that Sting would feel enough pain as physically possible.

The sight of Triple H standing nose to nose with Sting is one that many fans surely cannot wait to see again.  But to imagine that it will not come without a price seems ridiculous at best.  So Sting must either be armed with a hidden baseball bat, or he must have some backup ready as well.

Either way, The Icon must be ready, because when he arrives at Fast Lane, it will be game time.

Rusev will defeat John Cena

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This one may be a bit tough for some fans to swallow, but the fact is that Rusev will beat John Cena at Fast Lane.  While it's true that this is unknown territory for both men, it's also true that Rusev has come too far to go down in one match, even if it's at the hands of WWE's top guy.

Rusev has been portrayed as an unstoppable force, a juggernaut whose momentum cannot be quelled. He has crushed every Superstar who's been put in front of him and at this point, fans certainly expect that to happen every time they see him.

Like Wyatt, Rusev had a great showing at the Rumble himself when he eliminated six Superstars and finished in second place next to Reigns.  It certainly seemed as though Rusev was breaking through to the next level of the company.

And truth be told, WWE needs strong performers on that level.  Cena, Bryan, Seth Rollins and Reigns are not enough; the more main event stars there are, the more variety there is for fans to choose from.  WWE has new directions to go in with Rusev on that big stage, and one major direction is to pair him up with Cena.

Rusev will eventually lose a match by pinfall, and that loss could very well come at the hands of Cena. But Fast Lane should be a time for Rusev to continue his upward momentum, and that means that he should win the match against Cena.