WWE Fast Lane 2015: Most Intriguing Storylines to Track on Road to PPV

On Feb. 22, World Wrestling Entertainment will enter the Fast Lane on the road to WrestleMania with its brand new pay-per-view event airing on WWE Network for free.

The top stars in the company will battle it out in hopes of gaining momentum ahead of the biggest show of the year.

Roman Reigns will be the Superstar facing the most scrutiny when he steps in the squared circle that evening.

On the heels of a Royal Rumble victory in which he was nearly booed out of the building, and in light of criticisms surrounding his readiness to perform in the main events, supporters and detractors alike will be interested to see how he fairs in his last big opportunity to impress before he challenges Brock Lesnar for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

Rusev will risk tarnishing his streak of consecutive matches without being pinned or made to submit when he battles John Cena in one of the event's more anticipated bouts.

Add to that a showdown between Sting and Triple H and you have an event with the potential to not only set the table for the Showcase of the Immortals, but also to improve dramatically upon the last two major disappointments produced by the company.

But what are the most intriguing storylines entering the show?

Here is a look.

Roman Reigns' Journey to Championship Glory

To say that Roman Reigns' Royal Rumble victory was ugly would be an understatement. The Philadelphia fans completely turned on the company's booking of the star, whose quiet charisma and tough persona have recently been sacrificed in favor of building him as an odds-beating John Cena clone.

The following night on Raw, Reigns was allowed to be more natural and organic in his two opportunities to speak and it worked much better.

As Fast Lane approaches, WWE Creative would be wise to handle Reigns the same way they did in the wake of last year's WrestleMania, when he rose to prominence as the explosive juggernaut who spoke softly and speared through everyone put before him.

Booking him in the same mold as Cena would be a mistake and could significantly hamper Reigns' ability to get and stay over with the WWE Universe.

Ruin the connection with the fans and no victory over Brock Lesnar will be able to successfully elevate the second-generation star to the position WWE envisions for him.

Credit: WWE.com

Is John Cena a Thing of the Past?

On the Jan. 29 episode of SmackDown, Rusev and Lana both addressed Cena as if he was a thing of the past, no longer relevant in the age of the Bulgarian Brute and his reign of dominance over WWE in the last year.

Cena responded by running down the list of accomplishments and titles he has accumulated over the course of the last decade. He was passionate and serious while reminding Rusev that he is still the measuring stick in the world of sports entertainment.

It was strong promo work from Cena and a refreshing direction for the Rusev character. No longer is he fighting for Mother Russia against another loyal American, now he is representing the future of the industry against someone he considers ancient and irrelevant.

Most may think Fast Lane is the night Cena topples the United States champion, but why end Rusev's winning streak at a B-level pay-per-view when it could happen at WrestleMania.

Expect Rusev to roll though Cena or lose by disqualification, perhaps setting up a rematch a month later at the biggest event of the year.

The Vigilante and The Game

When Sting appeared at Survivor Series, flattened Triple H with the Scorpion Death Drop and assisted Dolph Ziggler in vanquishing The Authority (for the time being, at least), it set in motion events that would ultimately lead to a match between the two at WrestleMania.

Before we get to that point, the Stinger will come face-to-face with the COO of the company at Fast Lane in a segment that should lead to the official announcement of the former WCW franchise player's first match in a WWE ring.

And it makes sense.

As much as fans want to see Sting battle The Undertaker, and rightfully so, Sting has long been the vigilante of the companies he has competed in. He has been tasked with setting right injustice and battling corruption.

Come Fast Lane, he will set out to do that when he accepts a challenge to battle Triple H on the biggest stage the industry has to offer, and one on which he has never appeared.