WWE Fastlane 2017: Results That Will Have Biggest Impact at WrestleMania 33
WWE Fastlane 2017 might not have been the most exciting pay-per-view in recent memory, but it set up a number of storylines that will have a huge impact on WrestleMania 33.
No result was bigger than Goldberg's defeat of Kevin Owens, a victory that not only claimed him the WWE Universal Championship, but also makes his WrestleMania 33 bout against Brock Lesnar a title match.
The ease that Goldberg has run through his WWE opponents has been mind-boggling. In his two singles bouts, Goldberg has defeated both Lesnar and Owens in a combined one minute and 47 seconds. Let that sink in for a moment.
One minute. Forty-seven seconds.
It will be interesting to see how the WWE plans to make this latest Goldberg-Lesnar match must-see TV, considering how quickly Goldberg has disposed of the Beast Incarnate at both Survivor Series and in the Royal Rumble match.
Will the WWE have Lesnar vanquish Goldberg in a similar manner, continuing its typical 50-50 booking? Will Goldberg once again prevail with a quick 1-2-3? Or will WWE fans get an honest-to-goodness match between these two men?
Another question that needs to be answered: Will the WWE, especially CEO Vince McMahon, push the Goldberg vs. Lesnar title match into the main event spot of WrestleMania 33? That slot is supposed to go to the Royal Rumble winner, which is Randy Orton. However, Orton declared himself out of the SmackDown title picture once Bray Wyatt won the WWE World Championship at Elimination Chamber.
With Orton now declaring a desire to win that title and a match against AJ Styles slated for this week's SmackDown, could the WWE push Lesnar and Goldberg into the main event slot at The Showcase of the Immortals? It's an interesting question that won't likely be answered until we get closer to WrestleMania.
Which other Fastlane results will have an impact on WrestleMania 33? Click through to see more.
Kevin Owens Loses to Goldberg; Chris Jericho Next Up at Wrestlemania 33
1 of 4With his defeat at the hands of Goldberg at Fastlane, Kevin Owens is free to officially kick off his feud with his former best friend Chris Jericho—a feud fans have been waiting weeks for.
Ever since Jericho offered up Owens and the universal title to Goldberg on the February 6 episode of Raw, you knew Owens-Jericho was happening. It was just a matter of when.
Then, when Jericho walked out onto the ramp at Fastlane on Sunday night, the writing was on the wall—Owens was going to come after Jericho and his title.
In what has been the most telegraphed WrestleMania matchup of the season, the WWE announced on Monday that Owens and Jericho are officially booked to face off for the United States Championship at WrestleMania 33.
The intertwined narrative with Triple H and Samoa Joe adds another tantilizing angle to this feud, as the WWE can continue to criss-cross storylines before and after WrestleMania 33. With Jericho, Sami Zayn and either Seth Rollins or Finn Balor mixing and matching among those heels, Raw could have itself the beginnings of a tremendous feud that will carry the show through the summer.
WWE fans in New York will get the first shot at seeing such interactions, as Owens, Triple H and Samoa Joe are advertised to take on Zayn, Balor and Jericho at Raw's WWE Live show in White Plains later this month, as reported by Marc Middleton for Wrestling Inc.
This is especially important once Brock Lesnar and Goldberg go on hiatus, a mid-year ritual until the build for WWE SummerSlam begins.
Luke Gallows-Karl Anderson Defeat Enzo Amore-Big Cass in Controversial Fashion
2 of 4
Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson were able to retain their Raw tag team titles at WWE Fastlane, but not without controversy.
In the final moments of the match, With Karl Anderson covering Enzo Amore for the win, Amore was able to get his leg on the bottom rope, presumably breaking the count. A quick shove from Luke Gallows before the ref could see it ensured no title change at Fastlane.
It's likely that move results in a rematch between the teams, one that will happen at WrestleMania 33. First, as announced on Raw on Monday night, Enzo and Big Cass need to make it past Cesaro and Sheamus in a No. 1 Contender's Match next week.
That shouldn't stop the eventual coronation of The Realest Guys in the Room at WrestleMania from happening. Since their debut last summer, Amore and Cass have been groomed to lead the company's tag team division. The duo has been placed with the biggest stars (The New Day, John Cena) in huge spots, are given more camera time than most WWE Superstars and are among the top fan favorites in the company.
It seems like Amore and Cass are headed toward a coronation on the biggest stage the WWE has to offer.
Bayley Defeats Charlotte Flair Thanks to Sasha Banks; Triple Threat Booked
3 of 4
While Bayley remains the Raw women's champion following her defeat of Charlotte Flair at Fastlane, some might say that Sasha Banks is co-champ based on how she's helped the Huggable One in not one, but two title matches.
Not only did Banks interfere on Raw to help Bayley claim the title over Flair, but she once again injected herself into the outcome, this time on Sunday at Fastlane. Not only did Bayley successfully defend her title because of the interference, she also dethroned Charlotte on pay-per-view, where Charlotte had been 16-0 since her main roster call-up.
The animosity came to a head on Raw, where Flair and Banks each staked their claim to a WrestleMania showdown. In the end, Raw commissioner Stephanie McMahon booked Flair into WrestleMania and would only add Banks should she defeat Bayley that night.
Banks won, and for the second straight WrestleMania, fans will be treated to a Triple Threat Match for a women's championship, WWE announced.
Of course, it could always become a Fatal 4-Way. Speculation remains that Nia Jax, who lost to Sasha Banks on Sunday, could be added to the match, as reported by PWMania.com, even though she was not featured on the Raw after Fastlane.
Roman Reigns Pins Braun Strowman; Date with the Undertaker Looms
4 of 4
Roman Reigns' victory over Braun Strowman at Fastlane accomplished two goals just in time for WrestleMania season.
First, it planted Reigns atop the food chain, defeating Raw's resident monster who had yet to be pinned in his main-roster career. Whether or not he holds the WWE Universal Championship, there should be no doubt who the WWE believes is its alpha male.
That leads to the second goal: With no other mountain to climb, it allows Reigns to set his sights on the biggest prize of all, the ultimate WrestleMania moment.
A date with The Undertaker, he of the 23-1 record at The Showcase of the Immortals.
Before he could take on The Deadman, though, he needed to dispatch of Strowman. Taking a loss at Fastlane would have made no sense heading into WrestleMania 33, especially in a showdown against someone with the aura of The Undertaker.
On Monday, WWE fans got their moment. Strowman called out Reigns, only for The Undertaker to answer the call. After slinking away, Reigns comes to the ring to show his authority, proclaiming WWE to be "my ring."
A quick foreshadowing glance at the overhanging WrestleMania logo and an Undertaker chokeslam later, and WWE has an intriguing matchup that could produce the long-awaited Reigns heel turn WWE fans have been waiting for.
Should WWE follow the narrative it has set up since promoting Reigns vs. Strowman at Fastlane, Reigns will generate tremendous heat for declaring WWE his dominion, especially when staring down a legend such as The Undertaker.
More than likely, WWE will attempt to use this WrestleMania matchup as a generational passing of the torch. Unfortunately, Reigns isn't the Superstar who will engratiate himself to fans by defeating The Undertaker. Doing so will only bring him more boos, more animosity from WWE fans who see him not as The Guy, but as the guy WWE CEO Vince McMahon continues to push with no real connection to them.
.jpg?w=600 "Raw Results and Grades 🔠")
