Backstage WWE Rumors: Latest on Fastlane, The Fiend, Hall of Fame and More

Credit: WWE.com

WrestleMania 37 season kicks into full gear Sunday night when WWE presents Fastlane, the final pay-per-view to air on its streaming network, and the rumor mill is brimming with reports and updates about the company's biggest stars and storylines.

From an advertised match potentially off the card to the return of a former two-time world champion, the topics are significant and timely.

What do they entail and how might they affect the path the company takes toward its biggest show of the year? 

Find out now.

Despite just being announced Monday night on Raw, Braun Strowman vs. Shane McMahon now appears to be off the Fastlane card, according to Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats.

"Braun Strowman vs. Shane McMahon has disappeared from WWE's promotion for Fastlane, and speculation is the match won’t be happening at Sunday's PPV," Ortman wrote.

The match is also gone from the WWE.com preview of the show.

Perhaps WWE opted to hold off on presenting the contest since it is rather obvious the two will clash at WrestleMania 37 on April 10-11.

Or maybe the company decided against further diminishing Strowman's credibility after his humiliating beatdown at the hands of Shane-O-Mac on Monday's Raw.

Whatever the case may be, the latest chapter in the worst feud in WWE appears to be on hold for now. That is hardly a bad thing.

Ortman also noted the speculation ahead of Fastlane is that "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt will return and involve himself in the advertised match between Randy Orton and Alexa Bliss—as he should.

WWE has played the long game with Wyatt and Orton, culminating in what should be a marquee match on the WrestleMania 37 card.

No one really expects Orton vs. Bliss to advance as an actual intergender bout. It will be heavy on storyline, likely with some smoke and mirrors to boot, and the inevitable return to television of Wyatt.

The program dates back to November and includes the awe-inspiring visual of Orton lighting The Fiend on fire to close out the TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view. Wyatt's return will ignite (pun intended) his quest for revenge.

Whether we have seen the peak of the supernatural element in this storyline is the next question that will be answered, though *shakes magic 8-ball* all signs point to "No."

The current plan for this year's WWE Hall of Fame broadcast is to have as many inductees as possible on stage for the ceremony, per Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com.

Stars from the current roster and guests are expected to be in attendance, and the show will not be prerecorded and is expected to air live. There is no word on whether the ceremony will include inductees from both the 2020 and 2021 classes.

Shane "Hurricane" Helms revealed two-time women's champion Molly Holly will be the first inductee of this year's class.

The inductees from 2020, who were not able to honored due to the COVID-19 pandemic, included Batista, New World Order, The Bella Twins, "British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith, John "Bradshaw" Layfield and Jushin "Thunder" Liger.

This year's ceremony will take place on April 6.

On the latest Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer reported WWE champion Bobby Lashley was initially promised a match with Brock Lesnar when he re-signed with the company but for whatever reason, that match never happened.

With Lesnar's status with the company in question, there is no telling if it ever will.

It is one of the few dream matches yet to be produced by WWE and if the company is even remotely serious about Lashley as a bona fide main event attraction on Monday Night Raw, it should consider luring Lesnar back into the fold.

Especially as crowds begin filtering back into arenas, beginning on April 10 and 11 at WrestleMania.

Based on their MMA backgrounds and their badass auras, the match sells itself and would require the minimum creative efforts from WWE, all while generating intrigue and money.

Maybe putting Lashley over Drew McIntyre and building him throughout the summer for a showdown with Lesnar would be in WWE's best interest.