WWE Fast Lane 2015: Stars Under the Most Pressure at PPV

After one of the wildest and most controversial finishes to a Royal Rumble match in history, the focus for the majority of the WWE Universe has shifted to the inaugural edition of the Fast Lane pay-per-view on February 22.

With Triple H going face-to-face with Sting, Rusev and John Cena squaring off for the first time on PPV and Divas champion Nikki Bella taking on the rookie Paige for the title, there is no doubt that several big names are under immense pressure.

Here are the top stars who face high expectations at the 2015 edition of Fast Lane.

Triple H and Sting

Sting’s debut in WWE was one of the most memorable moments in wrestling history. After years of being the face of WCW and TNA (WWE’s competition), Sting finally signed with the WWE and left his lasting imprint on the business by costing Triple H his job at Survivor Series.

As if helping remove The Authority from power wasn’t enough for Sting, he once again showed up on the go-home episode of Raw before the Royal Rumble and provided the distraction that helped Cena win and earned Dolph Ziggler, Erick Rowan and Ryback their jobs back.

Now, Triple H is ready to go face-to-face with his nemesis at the Fast Lane PPV.

According to Jeff Laboon of WWE.com, Triple H has challenged Sting to meet him in the ring at Fast Lane, but it is unclear what his intentions are. The two men will not have a match, but there is little doubt there will be physical altercation.

There is immense pressure on Sting, Triple H and the entire WWE to make Sting’s appearances matter, and the WWE Universe wants to see something special at the PPV. The hope is that Triple H gets the upper hand for the first time in the feud and The Authority beats down Sting.

After Sting came out of the woodwork to help the unjustifiably fired Superstars, the WWE Universe should expect Ziggler, Rowan and Ryback to make the save. The conclusion of this segment should be Triple H calling out Sting for WrestleMania and the WCW legend accepting.

Rusev

Whether you like Rusev’s character or not, he has immense talent in the ring and has a gimmick that is drawing a legitimate reaction from the fans. Add in his manager Lana and the heat she draws, and this duo has worked perfectly as top heels.

While Rusev has taken the ball and run with it every time he has been handed a feud, the biggest challenge of his young career will come at the Fast Lane PPV when he squares off against the 15-time champion Cena.

The feud between the two men couldn’t have started any weaker (as seen in the video above), but this is exactly what both Superstars need. For Rusev, this is the biggest match he has ever been a part of, and he will be launched into the upper echelon of wrestlers with an elite performance.

On the other hand, Cena needs an interesting storyline that will keep him out of the WWE Championship scene during WrestleMania season. The Russian sympathizer gimmick may be over the top, but the in-ring battle between Rusev and Cena should be great.

If Rusev thrives under the pressure at Fast Lane and has a great match, expect Cena vs. Rusev II at WrestleMania 31.

Paige

One of the most underrated talents on the WWE roster right now is former Divas champion Paige. As one of the best technical wrestlers in the division and a legitimate personality the company can build around, there will be immense pressure on the 22-year-old.

It’s easy to forget how young Paige is due to her incredible skill and in-ring presence, but she is already a seasoned pro. At Fast Lane, Paige will be squaring off against Nikki Bella for the championship.

Many fans don’t like the fact that one of the Bella Twins is holding the belt, and there is a hope that Paige takes the title away. Nikki has been fine in her role as heel champion, but it’s time for a change, and Paige offers the perfect opportunity for a shift in the booking.

While Paige could just be the latest victim WWE is feeding to Nikki leading into WrestleMania, the hope is that the company sees more upside in Paige, and this is the beginning of her run as the top star in the division.

More Paige is never a bad thing.

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