Brock Lesnar-Dean Ambrose Feud Adding Huge Momentum to WWE Fastlane 2016 Match

Brock Lesnar and Dean Ambrose are volatile components creating an explosive chemical reaction that is bolstering the build to WWE Fastlane 2016's main event.

The collisions between Lesnar and Ambrose have turned a Triple Threat No. 1 contender's match that looked to be doomed by predictability into something much more compelling. Their feud has grown from subplot to the top reason to tune in.

That comes from their crackling chemistry and each man flourishing in his role.

When WWE announced a few weeks back that Ambrose, Lesnar and Roman Reigns would battle it out at Fastlane for the right to face Triple H at WrestleMania, it felt like simply a vehicle to further elevate The Big Dog. After all, the company had focused so much on the narrative of Reigns battling back against The Authority.

That was the key story following TLC. That was the heart of the Royal Rumble match.

But instead of Fastlane just being another tale of Reigns overcoming the odds, WWE has wisely adjusted the aim of the spotlight. It now points down on Lesnar and Ambrose, a bear and a hyena having one hell of a battle.

On Monday's Raw, Ambrose hurried along the contract signing so he could get a crack at Lesnar:

The Beast Incarnate had thrown him to the mat last week. Part fearless and part foolish, Ambrose wanted to jump right back into the fray. He curled around the table in the ring and soon stuck his head right back into the lion's mouth.

Lesnar ended the staredown by hurling The Lunatic Fringe across the ring into Reigns.

This came just a week after Ambrose told Lesnar to take him to Suplex City. Ambrose once more forced the audience to pay attention as he unwisely challenged the powerhouse. Lesnar, meanwhile, was at his best here—overwhelming, destructive, terrifying.

Clearly, WWE is trying to establish Ambrose as a reckless warrior and Lesnar as an unstoppable force.

Their dynamic together has been near perfect. This has been the most fascinating version of Ambrose since he was knee-deep in bad blood during his feud with Seth Rollins. He's been electric, focused and has made it easy to root for him to actually come out on top at Fastlane.

The folks at WrestlingInc.com summed it up well when praising Ambrose:

Ambrose spent the rest of the night on Monday seeking payback. He later stepped into the ring and goaded The Beast Incarnate to come after him, firing off a series of insults. "I thought the F-5 was supposed to hurt," he said.

That act in itself forces one forward in their seat.

No one calls out Lesnar. No one steps inside an ogre's cave and pokes it with a stick like this.

Eventually, Lesnar emerged and throttled Ambrose. The Lunatic Fringe wouldn't stay down, though. He pushed himself up after an F-5 and smirked as he asked for more.

This has been such a fun side of Ambrose. He's a rabid masochist. Lesnar, meanwhile, is back to being the human tornado that he plays best. The combination is magic.

The story going down this unexpected path has turned Fastlane from filler to must-see.

It effectively teases the possibility that Lesnar will simply run roughshod over both Reigns and Ambrose come Feb. 21. It hints at the dark horse Ambrose somehow riding his uncanny toughness to an upset win. Even if neither outcome happens, the increasing animosity between these two promises to be fun to watch at Fastlane.

In the process, Reigns has been pushed to the background.

Reigns' role is less clear at the moment, as noted by Benjamin Tucker of PWTorch.com:

That needs to change to maximize the build to Fastlane, especially if the plan is for Reigns to win. We need to see more cracks in his partnership with Ambrose, hear more of his hunger to regain the world title and have his past issues with Lesnar reemerge more.

For the moment, though, Ambrose and Lesnar are suddenly looking like rivals who should continue battling past Fastlane. As The History of WWE suggested, perhaps a WrestleMania match is in order:

Lesnar and Ambrose are certainly making the Fastlane main event feel like a marquee bout despite it effectively being a WrestleMania prologue. The chaos that they are churning up is too compelling to just walk away from in two weeks.