Daniel Bryan vs. Roman Reigns: What's Next for Both Men After WWE Fastlane 2015?

Whether WWE fans liked it or not, Roman Reigns' conclusive—and clean—victory over Daniel Bryan on Sunday means that he, not Bryan, will progress to the main event at WrestleMania 31.

Their match was certainly one of the more enjoyable on the card at WWE Fastlane, but within seconds of it finishing, fans were immediately starting to wonder what it meant for both men moving forward.

Of course, Reigns is heading for that crunch match with Brock Lesnar for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, but how exactly how will that match play out? And what's next for Bryan after a loss that appears to leave him stranded without plans for WrestleMania?

First of all, let's take a look at the new contender for Lesnar's crown. His actions over the past few weeks have appeared to lean toward a heel turn, not least due to the fact that he was feuding with the company's top babyface in Bryan.

You only needed to look at how brutal Reigns was at times during his match with Bryan last night, too. It was reminiscent of when Reigns first broke onto the scene with The Shield. No longer squeaky-clean, he's rough and aggressive again.

But given how Lesnar is very much a heel—and has been for some time—perhaps WWE will ease up on Reigns' heel turn.

However, it could decide to be bold and brave, going down the route of executing the rare double turn at WrestleMania.

It's pretty clear that Reigns is struggling to get himself over with fans at the moment as a babyface, and the likelihood will be that the WWE fans will cheer for Lesnar in the run-up to their match. With Paul Heyman pulling the strings for Lesnar, if his promos are as reliable as they usually are, then Reigns will struggle to get over as a babyface even more.

What we're likely to see is more aggression from Reigns in and out of the ring, and less of an interest in WWE fans. That could potentially open the door for Lesnar to become the babyface in the feud—especially given how it's a role he hasn't worked with for some time.

And then there's the small matter of what's next for Bryan. A clean win for Reigns at WWE Fastlane came as a huge surprise, not least because it didn't leave anything in the pipeline for Bryan to work with.

Of course, that could all change in the shows heading out of Fastlane, but a clean loss for Bryan firmly knocks him out of the title picture for the next month or two.

There is a dream match that continues to be plugged by fans and wrestlers alike on social media, though—with Dolph Ziggler looking increasingly like Bryan's opponent at WrestleMania:

After Kane, Big Show and Seth Rollins' win at WWE Fastlane against Ziggler, Erick Rowan and Ryback, Ziggler is also short of a worthwhile feud at WrestleMania. Given how they are both increasingly adored by WWE fans, putting them in a match together could be a brilliant way to give two fan favorites some serious airtime on the biggest pay-per-view of the year.

Incredibly, Ziggler has never had a singles match at WrestleMania, and pitting him against one of the most technically brilliant competitors on the roster would create a contest well worth tuning into.

There's not even a need to turn either guy, especially considering their immense popularity. That would ensure that they would both be in a great position heading out of WrestleMania.

With plans being locked down quickly for every other top star on the roster, Bryan's options are narrowing by the day. Booking him in a program with Ziggler would not only ensure great TV, but also some phenomenal wrestling matches—something which we don't see too much of these days.