A Roman Reigns Loss or Draw at Fastlane Would Prove Lack of Faith from WWE

On Sunday night, World Wrestling Entertainment will present its Fastlane pay-per-view, the final extravaganza on the road to WrestleMania.

In the evening's marquee match, Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan will battle for the opportunity to challenge Brock Lesnar for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in a match with major implications on the main event of the biggest show of the year.

Reigns, the 2015 Royal Rumble winner, should have already cashed his ticket to the grandest stage in sports entertainment.

However, fan backlash, coupled with a compelling and logical story of Bryan seeking the title he never rightfully lost, has created a scenario where the former Shield member may not even have the opportunity to battle for the WWE title.

If that is the case, if Reigns loses to Bryan come February 22, it will be a terrible indictment on the second-generation star by a company that expects him to carry it well into the future.

Fans have been more than critical of Reigns' rise since his return from injury late in 2014. They have been quick to point out his green microphone skills and an in-ring style that is still growing and evolving.

Rather than recognizing that he is young and constantly improving, they are quick to take everything at face value, labeling him unready to compete at the next level—especially when Bryan is lurking, ready to step up to the plate and return to the WrestleMania main event.

History indicates that many a Superstar has been elevated to the top of the company before they were truly ready. 

Bret Hart was a phenomenal wrestler but lacked the personality of the larger-than-life characters that surrounded him. Still, he captured the WWE title in October 1992 and eventually developed into the top babyface in the organization while on the job.

The same can be said for John Cena and Batista, neither of whom was really ready to assume the position that they did after ascending the ladder and capturing the WWE and World Heavyweight Championships, respectively, at WrestleMania 21.

Even Triple H was not fully ready to be the top heel in the industry when he earned his first main event push in 1999. His character was not fully hashed out, nor was his work as strong as it would eventually become.

But by working with top talents and continuing to develop, he made the most of said opportunity.

Reigns is comparable to Cena and Batista in that he has come along at a time when the state of professional wrestling on WWE's main roster is stuck in status quo at best.

There is little in the way of excitement and the product itself feels very bogged down by the same names and faces at the top of the card that have dominated the scene for a decade now.

The juggernaut may not be a polished product, but he has demonstrated enough to suggest that he will one day be "the guy" in WWE. The only way to get him there—to really allow him to develop and grow into the performer fans expect out of that spot on the card—is for him to get there and learn on the run.

Hart, Cena, Batista and Triple H all learned because they had the opportunity. They had the opportunity because WWE demonstrated an unwavering faith in them to become what Vince McMahon envisioned.

If Reigns loses to Daniel Bryan at Fastlane, if he even draws him and creates a Triple Threat scenario at WrestleMania, it will prove a very real lack of faith in the young star by WWE. In turn, it will create doubts within the minds of fans as to whether Reigns truly is the guy.

Adding Bryan to the mix would make it appear as though WWE could not trust Reigns and Lesnar to have a quality match and thus added Bryan to the mix to ensure a spectacular product.

That decision, right or wrong for the sake of quality, would intensify questions about Reigns' readiness and overall ability to be a main event attraction.

After all, how can fans have faith in a guy that WWE does not believe in?

Reigns needs to beat Bryan at Fastlane, both to solidify himself as the future of the industry and to provide WWE with its first legitimate breakout star to one day replace Cena.

Bryan will remain an integral part of WWE programming in the wake of this year's build to WrestleMania. His popularity will demand it.

But with a neck holding on with paper clips, gum and duct tape as if put back together by MacGyver, WWE should not sacrifice the growth of Reigns just to introduce Bryan back to the WrestleMania main event.

For once, having a plan and sticking to it would be the correct course to take.