WWE Fastlane 2016: Preview, Match Card Predictions and More
WWE will hold its second annual Fastlane pay-per-view event on Feb. 21 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. As the final pit stop before WrestleMania 32, every match on the card will hold some sort of significance.
The always exciting Royal Rumble extravaganza in late January kicked off the Road to WrestleMania with a bang, as Triple H won the Rumble to become the new WWE world heavyweight champion. We have witnessed the aftermath in recent weeks, with Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose and Brock Lesnar all battling for a shot at the strap on the grand stage.
Although they have been the focal point of WWE programming of late, they aren't the only individuals who are looking to make an impact at the February event.
Another matchup already confirmed for the card is Kalisto vs. Alberto Del Rio for the United States Championship. They have traded victories on multiple occasions and will finally settle their score on Feb. 21.
WWE still has time to add more matches to the show, and based off what we have seen in recent weeks, the following matches are essentially guaranteed to take place in some form or fashion. What else can we expect to transpire at WWE Fastlane 2016?
Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar vs. Dean Ambrose (No. 1 Contender's Triple Threat)
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Roman Reigns did all he could to emerge from the 2016 Royal Rumble match with his title in tow, but it was to no avail. He was eliminated by Triple H, who went on to capture his 14th WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
Reigns wasn't the only victim of Triple H's Rumble rampage, however, with Dean Ambrose coming close to clinching his first world title. Despite that, the Lunatic Fringe remains in the title hunt and is determined to pull off the shock of the century by winning the star-studded Triple Threat main event at WWE Fastlane.
Lest we forget Brock Lesnar, a man who has more of a claim than anyone to be next in line for a title opportunity. He has been running rampant on the roster in recent weeks and will presumably stop at nothing until he has the prestigious prize back in his possession.
While all three men are beloved babyfaces, they have teased tension with each other as of late, establishing it will be every man for himself at Fastlane. Not even Reigns and Ambrose, who have been buddies for over three years, will be on the same page. Each man longs for a golden opportunity against Triple H at The Show of Shows.
Of course, the bout makes little sense from a storyline standpoint given The Authority wanted the belt off of Reigns so badly prior to the Rumble. That aside, it should prove to be a terrific Triple Threat match.
Kalisto vs. Alberto Del Rio (United States Championship)
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It was reported by F4WOnline.com (h/t Wrestle Zone) recently that Alberto Del Rio was dealing with a lower-back injury he suffered from a bump he took during the Royal Rumble match. Obviously, this put his rivalry with Kalisto into question.
The two have been embroiled in a fun feud since the start of the year, which has seen them trade the United States Championship back and forth. Kalisto regained the gold by beating Del Rio at the Royal Rumble, becoming a two-time champion in the process.
I would have cut the program there, but WWE seems to have other ideas. The company has already gone ahead and confirmed the contest for Fastlane, leading fans to believe Del Rio will be fully healed by then after all.
There is no doubt they will produce another entertaining affair, but it will mark their fifth one-on-one encounter in a month alone. Kalisto will need to go up against fresh faces if WWE intends on getting him over with the audience.
Needless to say, it's a logical addition to the Fastlane card, but here's hoping this will be the last time we see them in the ring together for quite a while.
Charlotte vs. Brie Bella (Divas Championship)
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Originally, all signs pointed to Charlotte defending her Divas Championship in a Triple Threat match against Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch at WWE Fastlane. The three were the central focus of the Divas division on a recent edition of Raw, but as is always the case in WWE, plans changed.
Now, it appears Charlotte is headed for a title defense versus Brie Bella. The two clashed in non-title action on the latest episode of the flagship show, and Brie emerged victorious in shocking fashion.
They also had some interaction on the subsequent SmackDown, leading fans to believe they will be doing battle once more at Fastlane—this time with the gold up for grabs.
If WWE intends on saving the aforementioned Triple Threat for WrestleMania 32, that's fine. But there still aren't enough fans convinced Brie is a legitimate threat to Charlotte's title reign.
As good of a talent as the former Divas champion is, she has been so badly booked over the last several years that fans see her solely as Nikki Bella's sidekick. There is only so much they can do to build her up ahead of Fastlane, but if nothing else, she is a fresh face for Charlotte to work with for the time being.
The New Day vs. The Usos (WWE Tag Team Championships)
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Despite being stacked with tremendous talent, WWE's tag team division has been in a state of flux for some time. The New Day has been the company's hottest act, not only in the tag team ranks, since the summer of 2014, but no other tandem has come close to matching the group's popularity.
The Usos are overexposed, The Dudley Boyz have been reduced to enhancement talent and The Lucha Dragons have temporarily split up with Sin Cara out injured. On paper, there isn't anyone left for New Day to defend the WWE Tag Team Championships against.
Of those three tandems, though, The Usos are the most likely candidates to earn themselves another opportunity to take home the titles.
The two teams squared off at the Royal Rumble, with New Day stealing the win and presumably putting the rivalry to rest. However, they came in contact the next night on Raw when The Usos helped their relative The Rock clear the ring of the goofy trio.
Furthermore, they have scored several wins in the last few weeks, so a rematch between The Usos and The New Day isn't out of the question. The match would be more of the same, sure, but hopefully the rekindling of the rivalry will take us through WrestleMania 32.
AJ Styles vs. Chris Jericho
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It didn't take long at all for AJ Styles to settle in at WWE and solidify himself as a star in the eyes of the casual viewers. One night removed from his phenomenal performance in the 2016 Royal Rumble match, in which he lasted close to half an hour, he bested Chris Jericho in his debut match on Raw.
Following the bout, he looked to shake Jericho's hand as a sign of respect. When Jericho did so with hesitation, it was a surefire sign their feud was far from over.
Shortly thereafter, Styles shifted his sights to The Miz, whom he soundly defeated on the Feb. 4 edition of SmackDown. Jericho then entered the ring, went face-to-face with Styles and challenged him to a rematch on the subsequent episode of the Thursday program. AJ accepted.
With that, the stage is set for what could be another excellent outing from two of the best in the business, but if WWE were wise, the promotion would give that match some sort of convoluted conclusion that would plant the seeds for another rematch. And WWE Fastlane is the place to do it.
It's unknown whether Styles vs. Jericho is the long-term plan heading into WrestleMania 32, but even if it isn't, it has the potential to be a fun filler feud for both men. The rumored rematch could well steal the show if given the time it deserves.
Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch vs. Team B.A.D.
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As noted, it appeared Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch would be involved in the Divas Championship picture at Fastlane, but WWE has since changed direction. They began a new program with Naomi and Tamina on the most recent episode of Raw.
In the midst of Banks' match with Lynch, Naomi and Tamina interfered and laid waste to The Boss, effectively ending Team B.A.D.'s tenure as a trio. Lynch reluctantly sided with her longtime friend and foe, and as seen on SmackDown, they seem to have come to terms with pairing up to take out a common enemy in Team B.A.D.
As great as Charlotte vs. Banks vs. Lynch at Fastlane would have been, that is a match better saved for WrestleMania 32. Instead, Banks can avenge her expulsion from the group before putting her full focus on chasing the Divas Championship.
Truth be told, it would have been odd for Banks to break away from Naomi and Tamina without any storyline explanation. Granted, they were a lousy faction from the get-go, but at least WWE is putting the effort in to make fans care about seeing them go their separate ways.
If nothing else, it will give fans who have closely followed the careers of Banks and Lynch dating back to their days in NXT a chance to see Team B.A.E. (Best At Everything) reunite for one night. It will be worth it for that reason alone.
Big Show vs. Braun Strowman
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Big Show vs. Braun Strowman is a match few fans want to see, but we all know it's almost inevitable.
Strowman is a Vince McMahon pet project, according to PWInsider (h/t PWMania.com) and although he has improved in the ring in that time, he is still no where near ready for a push as a singles star. His one-on-one matchup against Roman Reigns many months ago made it clear he should strictly be a tag team competitor for the foreseeable future.
Nevertheless, The Wyatt Family have been in the midst of a rivalry with Big Show in recent times. Show disposed of Erick Rowan with ease on Monday's Raw before being taken out by the fearsome faction, an ambush led by Strowman in the absence of Bray Wyatt.
Strowman has been positioned as the heavy hitter of The Wyatt Family for some time. And with a potential WrestleMania match with The Undertaker looming, reported by Bryan Alvarez of Wrestling Observer Live, WWE will aim to make him as strong as possible. It will likely begin with a dominant showcase against Big Show at Fastlane.
Even if the other members of the group are involved in some way, the fan interest simply isn't there. Big Show isn't a compelling character in 2016, and The Wyatt Family needs to be booked to look unstoppable—not vulnerable at the hands of The World's Largest Athlete.
Kevin Owens vs. Dolph Ziggler
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Kevin Owens and Dolph Ziggler have clashed in singles competition no fewer than a dozen times in the past year, but oddly enough, they never cease to entertain the audience with their high-quality matchups. Their latest encounter, on the Feb. 1 edition of Raw, was no exception, though Ziggler shocked the world by landing a clean victory over Owens.
It was a strange move to say the least, especially considering Ziggler lost to Heath Slater a mere month earlier on Raw. And now viewers are supposed to expect he is capable of beating a competitor the caliber of Owens all on his own.
That said, the surprise win triggered a ruthless rivalry between the two, as seen days later on SmackDown. Ziggler sat in on commentary during Owens' match with Kalisto and cost him the contest against the United States champion by acting as a distraction at ringside.
Following a string of unfortunate losses, Owens is determined to bounce back in a big way, starting with avenging his loss to the bleached-blonde Superstar. With a rematch bound to take place sooner rather than later, Fastlane would be the ideal event to host the rubber match.
Both Superstars have plenty to prove as the WrestleMania card takes shape, and they will have their time to shine at Fastlane. Granting the winner a shot at either the United States or Intercontinental Championship would be a great way of raising the stakes as well.
Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is a journalism major at Endicott College. Visit his website, Next Era Wrestling, and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.
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