WWE Fastlane 2016: Full Card Predictions After Royal Rumble

WWE Fastlane 2016 will be a bridge from the Royal Rumble to WrestleMania—more precursor than powerhouse event.

All the marquee matches Sunday's pay-per-view teased fans with will have to wait. WWE is sure to save its best for its biggest show of the year. Fastlane, meanwhile, will be used to set up what's to come.

That means Charlotte will watch her rivals battle for the right to face her. Brock Lesnar won't meet The Wyatt Family's patriarch just yet. And Triple H won't step into the ring, despite emerging from the Royal Rumble with the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

Last year's Fastlane solidified who would clash in WrestleMania's main event. It featured a midcard feud that didn't go anywhere past the PPV. It saw the WWE champ essentially get a bye.

Expect a similar pattern in the second-ever edition of Fastlane.

Brock Lesnar vs. Luke Harper and Erick Rowan

Despite being one of the favorites, The Beast Incarnate didn't even make it to the Royal Rumble's final four.

Blame The Wyatt Family. Bray Wyatt instructed his sadistic crew to batter Brock Lesnar and oust him from the match. That was a not-so-subtle peek at what WWE has planned for the two men.

As James Montgomery pointed out on Rolling Stone, "After getting eliminated by the Wyatt Family, he appears locked into a 'Mania feud with the Swamp Shaman."

If Wyatt vs. Lesnar is the WrestleMania plan, count on Fastlane building toward that bout. Pitting Lesnar against both Harper and Rowan gives him a chance to showcase his destructive power. Perhaps Wyatt attacks The Beast Incarnate afterward, but the official collision between these two has to wait.

Given his recent history with the clan, Lesnar should have plenty of animosity to distribute among the whole faction.

Kalisto vs. Rusev (United States Championship)

Kalisto may have bested Alberto Del Rio again, but don't bet on him being done with The League of Nations.

After dethroning Del Rio at the Royal Rumble, Kalisto became U.S. champ for the second time. WWE can't be planning to have him drop it days later as he did last time. This game of hot potato has to stop eventually.

The League of Nations will likely just send another member after the luchador to mix things up.

King Barrett appears to still be injured, as WWE hasn't put him in harm's way in a long time. Sheamus is likely to be involved in a bigger storyline. That leaves Rusev, whose desire to be U.S. champ is easy to write given that he lost it on WWE's biggest stage last year.

WWE can further play up Kalisto's underdog status with this bigger opponent. And fans can see him take a break from battling Del Rio yet again.

Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Banks

Becky Lynch couldn't break through and dethrone Charlotte at the Royal Rumble. Moments after the bell rang, Sasha Banks emerged to shake up the Divas Championship picture.

She ambushed Charlotte and held up the gaudy title as a clear sign of her intentions.

That leaves many foreseeing a Triple Threat match at Fastlane.

The only issue with that route is that Banks vs. Charlotte at WrestleMania won't feel as special if those two just clashed in a three-way bout on the previous PPV. WWE is more likely to have Lynch and Banks face off to propel the latter toward a title shot.

This route would be a lot like what WWE did with Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan last year, having them earn their ticket to WrestleMania's marquee by going through each other.

WWE can have Banks turn face along the way. The company can also mine more from Lynch's current momentum. 

The New Day vs. The Social Outcasts (Tag Team Championship)

As well as The New Day and The Usos worked the tag team title match at the Royal Rumble, it was hard to get excited about it. This rivalry just hasn't clicked.

WWE is likely to have the champs move on and see if they can create sparks with someone else.

The lack of depth in the tag team division gives the company limited options, though. Sin Cara's injury put The Lucha Dragons on hold. The Dudley Boyz have already tangled with The New Day several times over. Los Matadores haven't been seen in months.

That opens the door for a low-ranking team like Heath Slater and his posse to get a shot here. WWE, meanwhile, has until WrestleMania to build up a more formidable duo for Big E, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods. 

Titus O'Neil vs. Big Show

As many sighs as the idea of this match will induce, don't put it past WWE to book this.

O'Neil has been getting a mini-push of late. Not counting the Royal Rumble, he hasn't lost since November, per CageMatch.net. In the Rumble, WWE made sure to highlight him, having him go on a tear mid-match.

Big Show has been the opponent of choice for those on the rise recently.

Reigns first had to topple the giant to get to where he is now. Ryback's Intercontinental Championship run first saw him take on The World's Largest Athlete.

And WWE never seems to tire of having Big Show remain a prominent figure. Every few months or so, he seems to gather steam and bowl over people before stepping to the side for a stretch. O'Neil promises to be the next one to experience that firsthand.

Elimination Chamber to Decide No. 1 Contender for WWE Championship

Chris Jericho vs. AJ Styles vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Kevin Owens vs. Roman Reigns vs. Sheamus 

After relying on proxies since the inception of The Authority, Triple H seized the WWE title himself at the Royal Rumble. The plan to keep Reigns down worked. Now what, though?

ProWrestling.net's Jason Powell asked a pertinent question: "How will the McMahons not look stupid when they end up giving Reigns a chance to earn the title shot at Fastlane?"

Reigns earning back the championship is the obvious way to go at WrestleMania. To get him to that point, the company would be smart to pit him against five other Superstars. The "Reigns overcoming the odds" narrative can carry on.

The Elimination Chamber allows The Authority to stack the deck again. Vince McMahon can insert Sheamus into the bout. WWE's evil empire can bribe Jericho (as a means to a heel turn) and/or enlist Owens on its side.

Ambrose and Reigns can enter by winning qualifying matches. WWE can then throw in Styles as a fun way to present the exciting newcomer.

WWE can set up multiple WrestleMania matches this way. Should it want to go with Jericho vs. Ambrose or Styles vs. Owens, it can build the foundation during the Elimination Chamber match. And Reigns defying the odds once more would set up his expected shot at The Game.