WWE Fastlane 2017: Best Moments from Buildup to PPV Event

In years past, WWE Fastlane has typically set the stage for what we are bound to witness at WrestleMania, and the latest installment appears to be no exception. Although the build to the event has been entertaining, the show itself will have the tough task of topping SmackDown Live's Elimination Chamber from February.

Since the dawn of the brand split over the summer, the competition has been heated between Raw and SmackDown. The blue brand has outshined Raw almost every month to date in the pay-per-view department, yet Sunday's Fastlane could very well be as good if not better than Elimination Chamber once the smoke clears.

Then again, Raw has benefited from having more time to build to their upcoming event, unlike the Elimination Chamber, which took place two weeks after the Royal Rumble on January 29. That extended period of time has paid off for Raw, with most matches on the Fastlane card carrying meaning and having WrestleMania implications.

In the weeks from the Rumble to Fastlane, many historic happenings have transpired on Monday nights, laying the groundwork for what should be a sensational event on Sunday night. From championships changing hands to shocking debuts, Raw has undoubtedly seen a surge in quality en route to Fastlane.

Before Raw's final major pit stop on the road to WrestleMania 33 on April 2, we will take a look back at the most memorable moments that have occurred on the rocky road to Fastlane 2017.

Samoa Joe Arrives on Raw with a Bang: Raw, Jan. 30

Conspicuous by his absence at the Royal Rumble, Seth Rollins resurfaced on Raw the very next night to call out Triple H. Instead, he went face to face with Stephanie McMahon, who announced her husband's long-awaited return to Raw later that evening.

Once in the ring, Triple H explained his actions from months earlier when he severed ties with Rollins, calling him the "weak link" of The Authority. His fighting words drew The Architect out to the squared circle, and it appeared as if the two were finally set to go to war.

Before Rollins could come in contact with HHH, however, Samoa Joe emerged from the audience and laid waste to the former two-time WWE World Heavyweight champion. This marked the official main roster debut of Joe, and he immediately made an impact by brutalizing Rollins on Triple H's behalf.

From tossing him into the barricade to choking him out in the ring, Joe was ruthless in his assault of Rollins. News broke later that week Rollins had been injured during the attack, which Joe took complete credit for in the storyline.

Joe had already carved out quite a path of destruction for himself on NXT, but in one night, he solidified himself as the biggest threat of anyone on Raw, especially considering his ties to Triple H.

A New Cruiserweight Championship Contender Is Crowned: 205 Live, Feb. 7

It didn't take Neville long at all to cement his spot as the self-proclaimed "King of the Cruiserweights" by beating Rich Swann for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship at the Royal Rumble. With Swann subsequently suffering an injury, a new No. 1 Contender needed to be determined in his absence.

Thus, five of the division's most valiant competitors clashed on the Feb. 7 edition of 205 Live in a thrilling Fatal 5-Way elimination main event match. The combatants included Noam Dar, Cedric Alexander, Mustafa Ali, TJ Perkins and Jack Gallagher.

The matchup was unlike anything viewers have seen from the cruiserweights since the debut of the division, with all five Superstars putting forth a fantastic effort. Every second was suspenseful, and the action was exhilarating from start to finish.

Ultimately, the contest came down to Gallagher and Perkins, the latter being a former cruiserweight champion in his own right. They battled back and forth for what felt like forever before Gallagher scored the decisive victory over the established star.

It was a triumphant win for Gallagher, who was already riding a wave of momentum coming off his feud with Ariya Daivari. He will pose an entirely different threat to Neville than anyone else he has faced up to this point.

Kevin Owens Betrays "Best Friend" Chris Jericho: Raw, Feb. 13

For months, there was arguably no act more entertaining on Raw from week to week than Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho. Regardless of whether fans approved of their tactics inside the ring or not, Jeri-KO constantly provided them with laughs as a result of their hilarious antics.

Simultaneously, Owens was far from the dominant force he needed to be as the reigning universal champion. He looked like a joke in the presence of Superstars such as Goldberg, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins, and thus something needed to change if he was ever going to be taken seriously.

On the Feb. 13 edition of Raw, Jericho held a "Festival of Friendship" for him and Owens, presenting his best friend with a variety of gifts. This included a suggestive painting as well as a personal magician, but nothing seemed to win over Owens.

As much of a riot as all of this was, the segment took a very dark turn once Owens presented Jericho with a present, which ended up being "The List of KO." In that moment, Owens shot Jericho a menacing glare and proceeded to annihilate him ringside.

While this was a much more aggressive Owens than we have come to know in recent years, the change in character essentially sent the message that he was willing to do whatever was necessary to leave Fastlane with his title intact.

Bayley Realizes a Lifelong Dream of Becoming Champion: Raw, Feb. 13

Since signing with Raw in August 2016, Bayley has had her sights set on taking the Raw Women's Championship. After challenging for the title early on in her Raw run at Clash of Champions and falling short, she spent the next five months stacking up several victories to prove herself as a worthy contender.

Bayley was granted one last shot at the strap on the Feb. 13 edition of Raw, and had she failed in her pursuit of the title this time, she likely would have been bumped to the back of the line.

To make the matchup even more meaningful, the longtime adversaries clashed in the main event of Raw that night, a sacred spot that had been occupied by the women only a few times before. It was their chance to shine and show the world what women's wrestling was all about, and they surely succeeded.

Similar to every other encounter they've had in NXT and on Raw, it was an exceptional match, though it almost ended with interference from Dana Brooke. Before Brooke could factor into the finish, however, Sasha Banks came to her best friend's aid, leading to Bayley beating Charlotte for her first Raw Women's Championship.

When WWE's resident hugger raised that title high above her head in victory, it marked the culmination of a lifelong journey of becoming champion. It can be argued that WWE should have held off on the title change until a bigger event, but as a moment, it was supremely special.

Fresh Faces Emerge in Raw's Tag Team Title Scene: Raw, Feb. 20

The Club spent several months chasing the Raw Team Championship in 2016, and at the 2017 Royal Rumble event, they finally took home the titles with a win over Cesaro and Sheamus. In the process, the hunters became the hunted, and they were met with challenges from a variety of teams.

During Cesaro and Sheamus' rematch for the twin titles on the Feb. 6 edition of Raw, The Club was attacked ringside by Enzo Amore and Big Cass, causing the contest to be thrown out. This sparked a rivalry between Cesaro, Sheamus, Enzo and Cass, with the former champs claiming the New England natives cost them their chance to regain the gold.

Two weeks later, the two tandems finally squared off in a match to determine new No. 1 contenders to the Raw Tag Team Championship. Cesaro and Sheamus had become such a cohesive unit that they were nearly unstoppable together, but they lacked the experience Enzo and Cass had from teaming up for so many years.

It was a hard-fought match that ultimately ended with Enzo and Cass securing the victory and punching their ticket to Fastlane for the Raw Tag Team Championship.

Prior to this point, the former NXT stars had yet to contend for tag team titles in a standard two-on-two match since joining the main roster. They actually have yet to win championship gold anywhere they have wrestled, and this was their step toward achieving that goal.

Contract Signing Descends into Chaos: Raw, Feb. 27

At the Royal Rumble, Roman Reigns was closing in on capturing the Universal Championship in his match with Kevin Owens when he was blindsided by Braun Strowman. With his hopes of entering WrestleMania 33 with the title in tow dashed, Reigns sought revenge on Strowman the next night on Raw to ensure he suffered the consequences.

Their feud was far from over, however, as the bad blood between the behemoths continued to simmer in the weeks that followed. Reigns continued to target Strowman throughout February, but on every occasion, Strowman annihilated The Big Dog and left him laying.

At long last, Reigns had seemingly met his match because not once was he able to overcome his archenemy. Each week that passed, Strowman's destruction of Reigns became more and more brutal, yet Reigns refused to back down from the "Mountain of a Man."

Although their Fastlane matchup was made official shortly following the Royal Rumble, a contract signing was held days ahead of their epic clash on Raw, regardless. Strowman signed his name on the dotted line almost immediately, but before Reigns could do the same, a war broke out between the two heated rivals.

Despite enduring an incredible amount of punishment at the hands of Strowman, Reigns rose to his feet in the ring while a seething Strowman looked on from afar. It was a powerful, prophetic sight of what fans are bound to witness come Sunday at Fastlane.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is a digital 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.