WWE Fastlane 2017: B/R Expert Match Predictions and Analysis

WWE Fastlane 2017 is the final pay-per-view stop on the Road to WrestleMania, and Sunday's card features an impressive lineup of matches that will have far-reaching ramifications for the Showcase of the Immortals. 

It all starts with the main event, where Kevin Owens and Goldberg will face off for the WWE Universal Championship. Goldberg, already booked for a rematch against Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 33 on April 2, could walk into the Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida, as the champion of the company's flagship brand, making that match the de facto main event of the industry's biggest spectacle.

The result of Sunday's championship match will send a clear message: Either WWE CEO Vince McMahon favors nostalgia over the continued growth of the company's deep roster or that WWE is finally turning a corner and giving its most talented workers a chance to shine under the brightest lights. 

It's old school vs. new school, and it will be interesting to see which direction WWE decides to go. 

The rest of the match card for the Fastlane PPV offers plenty more intrigue as it relates to WrestleMania. Here's the lineup as of Friday morning: 

• Rich Swann and Akira Tozawa vs. The Brian Kendrick and Noam Dar
• Sasha Banks vs. Nia Jax 
• Raw Tag Team champions Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson vs. Enzo Amore and Big Cass
• Cruiserweight champion Neville vs. Jack Gallagher 
• Sami Zayn vs. Samoa Joe 
• Raw Women's champion Bayley vs. Charlotte Flair 
• Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman 
• Universal champion Kevin Owens vs. Goldberg

Bleacher Report's lineup will answer the tough questions about the WWE landscape and provide predictions for each match on the WWE Fastlane 2017 card.

• Anthony Mango (@ToeKneeManGo), founder of SmarkOutMoment.com and host of the podcast Smack Talk.
• Kevin Berge (@TheBerge_).
• Erik Beaston (@ErikBeaston).
• Yours truly, James Moffat (@jamesmoffat).

It's time to tie up those laces and get ready to rumble. The predictions start now. 

Rich Swann and Akira Tozawa vs. The Brian Kendrick and Noam Dar (Kickoff Match)

Credit: WWE.com

Q: Fill in the Blank: Taking all factors into consideration (character, in-ring, mic skills, etc.), the best Superstar in the cruiserweight division is ______________.

Kevin Berge (KB): Neville and honestly it's not close. While I like many of the cruiserweight talent on the roster, Neville is working at a level that rivals many of the best heels in WWE. He is a fantastic worker in every facet while carrying himself with an enthralling sneer that makes his every promo a delight to listen to. If the division was ended today, Neville would instantly take over Raw's midcard.

Match Prediction: Swann and Tozawa take a dominant victory.

Anthony Mango (AM): Austin Aries, which is funny considering he's yet to make his debut on 205 Live as an official member of the division. Brian Kendrick is a close second, with Neville getting the bronze medal. Most others are great in the ring but struggle with their promos, save for Jack Gallagher, who is just shy of Neville mostly due to not having the same experience in WWE's system. Everybody has something to offer, which makes the division so good.

Match Prediction: Swann and Tozawa should come out on top.

James Moffat (JM): The Brian Kendrick gets the nod here. Since the division's debut, he has been the most consistent performer, and it's not even close. Part of this is due to his experience with WWE, but he has consistently shown himself to be a top worker and someone who can deliver very good matches night in and night out. He's carried the feuds he's been involved in and has made others look great in the process. 

Match Prediction: Swann and Tozawa win. 

Erik Beaston (EB): Neville. And it is not even that close. His character work as a heel has been impressive, and his ring work was never in doubt. The ruthless aggression and intensity he has shown since adopting his meaner, nastier, darker personality has helped him connect with audiences so much more than his superhero ripoff persona. He is the face of cruiserweight wrestling in WWE right now and with good reason.

Match Prediction: Rich Swann and Akira Tozawa

Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman

Q: True or False: Roman Reigns' WrestleMania 33 opponent will be The Undertaker.

KB: True. Unless Undertaker has some major medical complications before WrestleMania, this contest is the one that makes sense for The Undertaker. Reigns should be a similar match up for Taker to Batista, who was one of Taker's best rivals. If anyone is going to help push Taker to another strong match as his body slows down, it will be Reigns.

Match Prediction: Strowman picks up the victory with a timely interruption from Taker.

AM: At this point, it seems like that is a guarantee. If WWE wants to really get the ball rolling and kill two birds with one stone, The Undertaker's gong should go off as a distraction to cost Roman Reigns the match, allowing Strowman to stay strong and prompting Reigns to seek vengeance, hopefully with a heel turn.

Match Prediction: Sadly, I think WWE will make the mistake of having Roman Reigns win.

JM: I'm going to say "true" based on the rumor mill, but I wouldn't be surprised if this match didn't happen. According to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t FlickeringMyth.com.com), The Undertaker worked the Royal Rumble in January hurt, and his bothersome hip might need to be replaced. But WWE CEO Vince McMahon is reportedly still penciling this match in at WrestleMania 33 as "a generational passing of the torch," so it's likely going to happen. 

Match Prediction: If it's going to be Taker vs. Reigns at WrestleMania 33, then Reigns defeats Strowman. If not, Strowman prevails. 

EB: True. Reigns is being groomed to be the face of WWE, and all one must do to support that claim is look at the Superstars he has encountered on the WrestleMania stage as a singles competitor: Brock Lesnar, Triple and now, presumably, The Undertaker. There is no higher-profile match on the grand stage than a dance with The Deadman, and on April 2, Reigns will face the greatest challenge of his vastly underrated career.

Match Prediction: Roman Reigns

Sasha Banks vs. Nia Jax

Credit: WWE.com

Q: According to Wrestle Zone, Sasha Banks is headed for a heel turn, possibly as soon as Fastlane. Is this good news or bad news for the WWE women's division?

KB: Banks is a much better heel than face, but who will take her spot in the division? Hopefully, she does not turn too fast as the division needs a balance near the top that cannot be solved right now. The Bayley vs. Banks feud will be phenomenal when it does occur; however, there is no need to make the quick switch with her spot already assured in a likely Fatal 4-Way at WrestleMania.

Match Prediction: Banks steals a roll up win off Jax to gain some revenge.

AM: Right now, it's a horrible decision. Sasha Banks is the only babyface other than Bayley, and if she turns, the scales will be far too uneven. If Emma were a face and Dana Brooke had turned on Charlotte Flair, it would be a different story. Down the line, Sasha turning heel on Bayley will be great, but now is not the time.

Match Prediction: Nia Jax wins.

JM: Bad news if it happens at Fastlane, but good news if it happens post-WrestleMania. Let's face it: Heel Sasha trumps Face Sasha any day of the week. However, with a Raw roster thin on babyfaces in the women's division, Sasha needs to remain a face to keep a balance. Let Sasha turn heel en route to a title match versus Bayley at SummerSlam, where they can try and duplicate their 2015 Match of the Year. 

Match Prediction: Nia Jax wins. 

EB: It is good news, for sure. Bayley, as the consummate underdog forced to go through a gauntlet of credible heels to achieve her goal of reigning over the women’s division, is exactly the type of story that strengthens her status as the resident heroine. Banks needs to rediscover her swagger. The Boss is but a nickname right now and not nearly as representative of the demeanor she brings to her performances. A heel turn and reintroduction of the blatant arrogance is just what Banks needs to re-establish herself as one of the premiere stars in WWE's Women’s Revolution.

Match Prediction: Sasha Banks

Neville vs. Jack Gallagher (WWE Cruiserweight Championship)

Q: Fill in the Blank: The cruiserweight championship match at WrestleMania 33 should be _________.

KB: Neville vs. Jack Gallagher vs. TJ Perkins vs. Tony Nese vs. Rich Swann vs. Cedric Alexander in an elimination match. Most of the best cruiserweight matches so far have been clashes with multiple wrestlers going at it all at once. These six best represent the division's first months and its potential future with WWE typically wanting as many wrestlers as possible to get a paycheck.

Match Prediction: Neville makes Gallagher tap out.

AM: I would love to see a Lumberjack Match between Neville and Austin Aries. If there wasn't already a few multiwrestler matches in place, I would say a Cruiserweight Open would be fun, but that would be overkill at this point. Aries and Neville are the two biggest stars and having the rest of the division ringside gets them on the card without making it too chaotic and similar to the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.

Match Prediction: Neville stays the king of the cruiserweights.

JM: WWE should put on a ladder match featuring the entire division, which would generate loads of excitement and give the company a much-needed reboot divisionwide. Giving each of the Superstars a chance to claim the gold would make for high drama and would give WWE a chance to develop new storylines for individual wrestlers. 

Match Prediction: Neville wins, retaining his title. 

EB: Neville vs. Austin Aries. How awesome does that sound? 205 Live has featured video packages hyping the impending return of The Greatest Man That Ever Lived to the squared circle and, as such, there is no better way to introduce him to main roster fans than by having him step up to the proverbial plate as the cocky, arrogant challenger to the super-serious champion.

Match Prediction: Neville

Bonus Question No. 1

Credit: WWE.com

Q: With Mick Foley's imminent departure from WWE for hip surgery (h/t Philly.com), who would be the best choice to replace the outgoing general manager?

KB: While many legends could return and take up the role, the most logical choice would be to hand the general manager responsibilities over to Kurt Angle. The soon-to-be WWE Hall of Famer has likely re-signed with WWE and needs to get back into the program in a way that will reintroduce him gradually. As a strong entertainer, Angle would be the perfect legend to change the dynamic on Raw.

AM: If WWE is looking for someone in-house, this could be a good way to bring Kurt Angle back into the fold if he isn't wrestling. Despite there being zero chance it would happen, my outsider pick (no pun intended) would be Kevin Nash.

JM: Personally, I'd like to see William Regal make the jump from NXT GM to Raw GM. It makes the most sense, seeing as he's help developed a majority of the top talent on the program and could easily slide into the role. 

EB: There is 2017 Hall of Famer Kurt Angle, who has filled the role before. There is the always-popular William Regal. Maybe even dip into the back of old tricks and book Paul Heyman or Eric Bischoff in the role. Instead, Raw has the potential to make some waves and stick to the performers on the roster. How outside-the-box of a choice would it be for

How outside the box of a choice would it be for Summer Rae to get that role? She has been out of action for months and was never really effective in the ring in the first place. Couple that with her experience in a similar position during her time in Florida Championship Wrestling, and you have someone capable of filling that position that is not Stephanie McMahon but still a strong powerful female character. Lana is another fine choice for the role: a performer who commands attention and can talk.

Sami Zayn vs. Samoa Joe

Q: Which of these two men will hold gold first in WWE?

KB: With Joe's alliance with Triple H and his dominance from the start of his run, I would expect he will capture the WWE Universal Championship during the summer. Zayn might beat him to gold, but I can only see him capturing the United States Championship this year and even that will likely only be later in the year.

Match Prediction: Samoa Joe gains another early impressive victory.

AM: As far as a world title, it has to be Samoa Joe, but if we're counting the United States or Tag Team Championship belts, I would have to lean toward Sami Zayn. There's a possibility he could be the one to take the United States title off Kevin Owens if he wins it from Chris Jericho at WrestleMania to counteract losing the Universal Championship here at Fastlane.

Match Prediction: Samoa Joe definitely doesn't lose this.

JM: I think Joe is going to win a title sooner rather than later in WWE. The clearest path Sami Zayn had to a championship was the United States title, but now with Chris Jericho becoming a top face thanks to the mauling he suffered at the hands of Kevin Owens, that path is blocked.

Joe, meanwhile, could be in line for any three of Raw's titles, depending on how he's booked. He could win the universal title at SummerSlam, he could take the US title from Jericho should Owens retain his title at Fastlane, or WWE could do the unbelievable and pair Owens and Joe and have them become the next dominant tag team on Raw. Zayn, meanwhile, remains a bridesmaid in all of this. 

Match Prediction: Joe continues to dominate, defeating Zayn

EB: Samoa Joe, if only because he is in the midst of a red-hot push. I would not be surprised to see him unseat Chris Jericho for the United States Championship as soon as the first post-Fastlane Raw.

Match Prediction: Samoa Joe

Luke Gallows-Karl Anderson vs. Enzo Amore-Big Cass (Raw Tag Team Championship)

Q: How can WWE jump-start the flagging tag team division companywide?

KB: WWE must establish teams. One of the biggest problems for the division is the lack of credible talent. The latest tag team to be added to the Raw division was Rusev and Jinder Mahal, and they are already portrayed as jokes. Both Raw and SmackDown must take the time to build teams as threats and give them stories that suit that development. If that means reshuffling the division and adding teams first, it should be done quickly.

Match Prediction: Gallows and Anderson cheat their way to a win, keeping Enzo and Cass in title contention.

AM: All they have to do is give the divisions time to compete and some spotlight with promos and good enough storylines to capture everyone's attention. If the creative team can do it with everything else, they can do it with these performers, too. They simply don't value it as much and put it on the backburner when their focus is on something else.

Match Prediction: Gallows and Anderson should retain the titles.

JM: WWE created the mess that is the current tag team divisions by not having a succession plan following The New Day's demise. The brand split hurt the tag division more than any other in the company, and now WWE is left with thin divisions on both Raw and SmackDown. The solution is simple, but would never happen: Move the tag division to one brand, and cut the fat from it. That includes removing non-tag teams (Rusev and Jinder Mahal, Sheamus and Cesaro) and maybe even expediting breakups (Fandango, Enzo Amore and Big Cass). 

Match Prediction: Gallows and Anderson retain using dirty tricks, setting up a rematch for WrestleMania 33. 

EB: The tag division on both shows has been incredibly underserved by the brand extension. The best way to jump-start the division is to rebuild the lesser teams. Pay attention to The Shining Stars, Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel, The Ascension and Breezango. Put some emphasis on them, and the champions will look better for having beat them. As it currently stands, weak champions and lack of depth has hurt the quality of the division.

Match Prediction: Gallows and Anderson

Bayley vs. Charlotte Flair (Raw Women’s Championship)

Credit: WWE.com

Q: Did WWE jump the gun on crowning Bayley its Raw women's champion prior to WrestleMania?

KB: Absolutely, though it was not a surprise. WWE has been trying to keep Charlotte's pay-per-view streak alive for as long as possible but also wanted to make a change to establish Bayley before WrestleMania. Throughout her run so far, WWE has just moved too fast with Bayley, who has not yet played the underdog role that made her so popular in NXT.

Match Prediction: The match goes to a no-contest after Banks and Jax interfere.

AM: Very much so, and hopefully, it isn't because they wanted to repeat the storyline where Charlotte loses it on Raw and wins it back on the next pay-per-view for the fourth time in a row. If that happens, you can cash the check and show me the door as I'll no longer care about the women's division on Raw. I'm already teetering on that edge with the overabundance of Charlotte, and if this happens once again, I'm done.

Match Prediction: I'd be a fool not to think WWE wouldn't be foolish enough to have Charlotte become the champion again, wouldn't I?

JM: WWE certainly expedited the storyline it created for Bayley by having her win so soon, but it also provided a huge surprise for its television audience. Bayley is more than a credible champion, proving her mettle in the ring, but WWE probably could have maximized its underdog storyline if it had either allowed Bayley to immediately win the title on her first chance (a la Paige's debut) or by extending her drought until its apex, which would have likely been at WrestleMania. 

Match prediction: Charlotte wins the title back, thereby extending her pay-per-view winning streak. 

EB: Absolutely. The Bayley payoff should have happened at WrestleMania but given WWE's devotion to the heel and her neverending pay-per-view win streak, odds are the decision was made to give her another high-profile victory on the WWE Network.

Match Prediction: It’s PPV, so...Charlotte

Kevin Owens vs. Goldberg (WWE Universal Championship)

Q: Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar is already booked for WrestleMania 33. What is the chance the match will be for the WWE Universal Championship?

KB: About 75 percent chance. Goldberg vs. Lesnar stands as WWE's biggest money match for WrestleMania, so it makes sense to give it Raw's top title. However, a host of problems could ensue after WrestleMania with Brock Lesnar (likely) the universal champion. Owens vs. Jericho is good enough to keep the championship hanging in the balance, but it is still the underdog against Lesnar and Goldberg.

Match prediction: Goldberg captures the world championship though with some help from Jericho.

AM: At this point, I would say it is a 99 percent chance, which is very disappointing to me. I think the Jericho and Owens feud is more than worthy of the Universal Championship and the final encounter between Goldberg and Lesnar not only doesn't need the title involved, it also will be a detriment to the Raw roster going forward. Why take the title away from your workhorse to give it to a part-timer who is going to drop it a few weeks later to another part-timer who will then sit out the next few months until SummerSlam? It's going to happen, but just because it goes down doesn't mean I have to accept it with a smile on my face.

Match prediction: Goldberg squashes Kevin Owens in no time.

JM: I'm going to say 50 percent and will try to explain why that's not a cop-out. Having Goldberg squash Owens would be the wrong message for WWE to send its fans and roster, having a 50-something part-timer waltz in and headline WrestleMania 33. In addition, a Lesnar-Goldberg match for the company's top prize would need to be the show's main event, which is supposedly already slotted to be the WWE World Championship match from SmackDown. I get the distinct feeling that Owens is going to retain somehow but don't know how because I cannot conceive of a way considering how strong WWE has booked Goldberg. 

Match Prediction: Kevin Owens is going to retain somehow, even if Goldberg is given the victory. 

EB: Before this past week’s Raw, the answer was a solid 50-50. After Goldberg promised his family he would win—and made it such a point to say so—it became clear Da Man will make good on his word and leave with the title. Current odds: 76 percent.

Match prediction: Goldberg

Bonus Question No. 2

Credit: WWE.com

Q: Our final question: Who are you most disappointed is not part of the WWE Fastlane card?

KB: While they will likely be involved in the tag team title match somehow, it is a shame that Cesaro and Sheamus are not present on the Fastlane card as they only seem to be improving as a unit with each month. Feels like a shame that two of Raw's best performers right now are on the outside looking in on Raw's last show before WrestleMania.

AM: The easy pick is Seth Rollins, but that's not WWE's decision. Since that was originally planned and taken off the table by force, the one person I'm disappointed to see WWE purposely didn't book is Big Show, who I was hoping would get something to do to build up momentum to his match against Shaquille O'Neal. Without him on the card, it looks like that match probably won't happen, which is disappointing.

JM: There's actually a pretty long list of guys who aren't booked for Fastlane. The New Day doesn't have a match. Neither do Sheamus and Cesaro. Of course Seth Rollins' exclusion because of injury is a disappointment as well. But I'm going to go with Cedric Alexander. The man is possibly the best athlete in the cruiserweight division but hasn't been given anything to work with. He's fast becoming the Apollo Crews of Raw. 

EB: Gotta go with Cedric Alexander. The cruiserweight continues to shine in the limited ring time he sees. He wowed audiences throughout the 2000s and has not disappointed on 205 Live. A high-profile match with the cruiserweight champion has eluded him.