WWE Fastlane 2015: Biggest Themes Established in Build to Event

Following a Royal Rumble that left many fans sour on the company's direction, the build to WWE Fastlane 2015 has exceeded expectations—even if they were low to begin with.

With an intriguing set of fresh matches slated for Sunday night, it's time to put the Road to WrestleMania back on course. Fastlane may be a stepping stone toward a bigger event, but that doesn't mean it won't be a satisfying show in its own right.

In fact, the themes WWE has established over the course of the build seem to be perfect fare for the show preceding the biggest night on the wrestling calendar.

Here are the biggest talking points ahead of Fastlane.

Tag Team Turmoil

Credit: WWE.com

Outside of the apparent reformation of the underrated Prime Time Players, the past few weeks have been rather troubling for WWE's tag team division. Both Gold and Stardust and The Miz and Damien Mizdow have been in the midst of rough patches for their respective partnerships.

Ever since their pairing began, it's been quite obvious that Miz and Mizdow were set to square off, and WrestleMania has always seemed like the likely time for that to happen. However, there's a bit more complexity to the issue between the Rhodes brothers.

Recent weeks have seen Goldust show signs of remorse upon seeing just how far his half-brother has slipped into the Stardust persona. It seems like he's going to try and bring Cody back to the real world—but having that play out over the course of just one match would feel rushed.

Instead, expect this Fastlane bout to set up some sort of WrestleMania showdown. However, with two tag team splits in the offing, it's likely that at least one of the duos will have a parting of the ways play out in a multiman match, perhaps even the second Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.

That being said, both feuds need to keep ticking over until then—so it wouldn't be surprising at all to see some development for each feud at Fastlane.

The Youth Movement

While the ascent of Roman Reigns has left many fans cold, few would dispute than an attempt to forge the next big thing is the right move for WWE. While faces from the past are always liable to make comebacks in pro wrestling, it certainly seems like the company's focus is on the future.

Given that WrestleMania is The Showcase of the Immortals, it makes sense for some of the old guard to show their faces at the biggest show of the year. However, for this last stop on the Road to WrestleMania, the card looks youthful from top to bottom.

Half the competitors on the Fastlane card are still in their 20s—and, more importantly, it seems that the younger Superstars are largely the favourites to win come Sunday. After years spent with a stagnant main event picture in the mid 2000s, it seems that WWE is beginning to look beyond the needs of the present.

There are many reasons why NXT has been such a breath of fresh air over the past couple of years, but a huge part of its appeal is the fact that its roster is filled with fresh, hungry wrestlers. Established stars become established for a reason—but up-and-comers possess a certain fire that's difficult to replicate.

Expect to see some leaders of the youth movement pick up big wins this Sunday. WrestleMania may be where legends are born, but Fastlane is as good a place as any to start building up momentum.

The "Fast Lane"

Credit: WWE.com

There was speculation as soon as it was announced that the Elimination Chamber was being phased out in favour of Fastlane and that the name would give some indication as to the content of the show. Over the past weeks, we've seen that crystallized, as the main event will decide who heads onward to WrestleMania.

In a sense, we're seeing Daniel Bryan attempt to use Fastlane to gain entry to a match he has no right to; but, at the same time, Roman Reigns has been on the "fast lane" to the top ever since he arrived on the main WWE roster.

Whenever a new talent begins to rise up the ranks in wrestling, there always seems to be discussion as to whether WWE is going about it in the right way. Paying one's dues has been a big part of the wrestling industry since its inception, and the practice is alive and well today.

There's an argument to be made that both men angling to face Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania are undeserving—Bryan within the storyline and Reigns outside it. Last year's WrestleMania build was always going to be a hard act to follow, but this rather meta approach has done an admirable job.

With that being said, we're not at the finish line just yet. The climax of this storyline at the pay-per-view will see it either continue its path as an intriguingly roundabout route to the main event at WrestleMania or else cement it as a casualty of WWE's playing for time with no clear plan.

Here's hoping that it turns out to be the former.