WWE Fast Lane 2015: Handicapping Most Likely Swerves at Event

The lack of a full episode of Raw has left the WWE Universe uncertain as to what the future holds for the company, but it is clear that the focus has already shifted to February’s Fast Lane pay-per-view.

The 2015 Royal Rumble was one of the wildest events in recent memory, and the controversy it caused in the wrestling world has left many fans scratching their heads. The road to WrestleMania has begun, but there are more questions than answers right now.

The wide-open landscape of the current WWE lends itself to monumental swerves.

Here are the most likely swerves fans will see at Fast Lane.

John Cena Beats Rusev

The expectation in the feud between John Cena and Rusev is that the United States champion will earn the victory at Fast Lane and take the loss at WrestleMania. While a third and deciding match at Extreme Rules is possible, WWE could go in a different direction.

With the backlash against Roman Reigns in the main event, there are questions as to whether the company will follow through with the original plan. If WWE is uncertain about its WrestleMania main event, do not be surprised if Cena is victorious at Fast Lane.

Cena could easily be inserted into the WWE Championship scene if needed, and giving him a clean win over Rusev would be what he needs to claim his spot in the title match. The problem is that if Cena wins and Reigns is still in the main event, Rusev would then have to earn a victory at WrestleMania.

After seeing Cena’s past history, it doesn't sound feasible for Rusev to beat the 15-time champion at WrestleMania 31.

While it wouldn’t be a swerve in the traditional sense, there is no doubt that Cena could easily be booked to beat Rusev at back-to-back PPVs. It would make no sense in terms of building new stars, but Rusev could be the next victim WWE feeds to Cena.

Dolph Ziggler Goes Full Heel

One of the most unique swerves possible at Fast Lane would be the full-blown heel turn of Dolph Ziggler.

After being unceremoniously dumped out of the Rumble by The Big Show and Kane and seeing Daniel Bryan fill the underdog role, Ziggler is wallowing.

As popular as Ziggler is, the lack of top heels on the roster would make this the perfect time to turn heel. The problem is that only a major betrayal would get the WWE Universe to boo him.

The answer would be joining The Authority and stabbing Sting in the back.

Sting and Triple H are scheduled for a face-to-face meeting at Fast Lane, and when The Authority goes to beat up the wrestling legend, Ziggler should hit the ring and make the save for the man who helped him win at Survivor Series.

When Sting turns his back to Ziggler in order to focus on Triple H, The Show Off should hit the Zig Zag on Sting and leave him lying for Triple H to hit his prone opponent with the Pedigree. The reaction from the crowd would be pure hatred and would lead to a successful run as a top heel.

Daniel Bryan is Shoehorned into the WrestleMania Main Event

After seeing the reaction from Philadelphia and the movement on Twitter to cancel the WWE Network following the Royal Rumble, the company is undoubtedly exploring all of its options heading into WrestleMania.

The success of this PPV is imperative to the WWE, and if the fans continue to reject Reigns, there is a chance that the WWE will pull the trigger on a storyline that would catapult Daniel Bryan back into the WWE Championship scene.

Bryan never actually lost his WWE Championship, and the company could create a storyline possibly centered around a little-known clause in his contract regarding a guaranteed rematch for the title once he was healthy enough to wrestle.

The WWE seems to be set in its ways with Reigns as the future of the company, but reactions to Bryan in every city are unquestionable. While he may have main evented WrestleMania last year, how many times did Stone Cold or The Rock steal the show in back-to-back years?

The next several weeks will determine whether the company sticks with the game plan, but if it clearly isn’t working, infusing Bryan into the match is an option the WWE should explore. If Bryan doesn’t fight for the WWE Championship, a one-on-one match against a heel Ziggler wouldn’t be a bad consolation prize.

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