Fastlane Mini-Preview

Lots to get to. This is a stacked card; 8 matches when you include the Kickoff Show. That's pretty good for an event that's only on its third year and is a primer for later payoffs at Wrestlemania.

I feel like this will be a great night for heels, minus a couple exceptions. That too fits with this show being Wrestlemania's warm-up; the babyfaces have the chance at the big dance to avenge the losses they'll take here. (A recent example was Cena losing to the then unbeaten Rusev at Fastlane 2015, only to do the John Cena thing and overcome the Bulgarian Russian Bulgarian Brute later.

Let us begin.

1) Rich Swan & Akira Toozawa vs. The Brian Kendrick & Noam Dar



The undercard of 205 Live has seen a lot of Brian Kendrick welcoming new arrivals from Japan and offering them the chance to be cool and hang out with THE Brian Kendrick, only to be rebuked.

He can't be The Brian Kendrick if he doesn't win, to demonstrate why you should want to hang with him and do cool Brian Kendricky shit.

Prediction: Brian Kendrick & Noam Dar defeat Rich Swan & Akira Toozawa.

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2) Sasha Banks vs. Nia Jax



This match is ready-made for my "heels will have a good night" scenario. Its course can chart a perfect mirror image to Cena-Rusev: Nia gets the win here, to set up Sasha to come back at Wrestlemania.

Although something tells me Sasha may exact her revenge sooner and make it back into the title picture with Charlotte and Bayley, perhaps as a rematch of the Triple Threat from last year. I could, of course, be completely wrong, but it depends on how WWE views "Wrestlemania moments" being divided among the former Four Horsewomen. More on that later.

In either scenario, Nia gets the win here.

Prediction: Nia Jax defeats Sasha Banks.

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3) Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson vs. Enzo Amore & Big Cass

This would seem to be another bout positioned for a rematch at Wrestlemania after an Enzo & Cass loss, but I'm not so sure.

It may be just me, but it seems like the audiences aren't as enthusiastic lately for the Certified G's as they have been in the past. Case in point: Sheamus giving Enzo a Brogue Kick to the face at Raw in Los Angeles to shut Enzo up, with the crowd chanting "Thank you Sheamus!".

Might be a thing, might not be, but all this is to say I'm not sold that WWE is confident with handing Enzo and Cass the titles at Wrestlemania, having the Showcase of the Immortals be their moment.

WWE might even not be sold on Cass not being a singles star, with Enzo just being his cheerleader. (Cass vs. Brock Lesnar, with Cass being the main roster guy to finally beat Brock; damn, that is a money match waiting to be made. I still can't believe Cass vs. Rusev was botched the way it was. That could've been such a great angle with monster matches. An own-goal feud that should've been anything but.)

So I think WWE will let Enzo and Cass get the titles now to see how the audiences respond to them as the champs. If it works, the Certified G's can go on their own little run and maybe finally have a match with The New Day. If not, no harm no foul; the G's drop the titles at Mania and maybe WWE starts thinking about Cass vs. Brock.

(Yes, I just argued that because WWE is not super confident with the G's, they'll give them the titles. Don't judge....You're judging. Stop that.)

Prediction: Enzo Amore & Big Cass defeat Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson.

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4) Neville vs. Jack Gallagher

I feel like this one's a pretty easy call. Turnover with the title has been consistent in the Cruiserweight division since it debuted on Raw. I expect this match will continue the trend.

I would be shocked if whatever the Cruisers do at Wrestlemana isn't at least a Triple Threat match, especially with Akira Toozawa's debut and no likely room on the card for more than one Cruiserweight match. So anyone can walk into Wrestlemania as the Cruiserweight Champion and it's not likely to influence how WWE positions that match.

Thus, Jack Gallagher getting the win here gives Neville more reason to have a chip on his shoulder, and gives Gallagher a chance to do more of his goofy umbrella antics as the triumphant victor. Then they'll both walk into a match with Akira Tozawa, maybe Brian Kendrick too, at Wrestlemania.

(Now watch WWE blow up my theory, keep the Cruisers a one-on-one match at Mania for the title, and toss everyone else into the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royale. And have Neville win here too. Cuz they're dicks like that.)

Prediction: Jack Gallagher defeats Neville.

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5) Sami Zayn vs. Samoa Joe

Poor Sami Zayn.

Ever since his return from injury, Sami has been the guy who just happens to be opposite a wrestler on a sky high trajectory.

He took the pinfall against the debuting Shinsuke Nakamura in Sami's NXT finale.

It was a match for the ages, and there was no other way that it could end, but Sami still ate the pinfall.

Sami's main roster feud with Kevin Owens was unreal good. Once again for the ages.

...But Sami still took the pinfalls in two out of the three matches.

That feud with Kevin Owens was the last time it felt like WWE considered Sami to be a big deal. Since then he hasn't had any direction. His last "feud" was as the guy who gets beat up and tossed around by the red hot Braun Strowman.

And now Sami finds himself across the ring from Samoa Joe, another superstar on a post main roster debut super run.

This match almost certainly wouldn't have been made if Seth Rollins hadn't been injured.

And it almost certainly will just be another pinfall for Sami as Creative keeps him in limbo, while building Joe as the monster heel ready to wreck the roster.

Better luck for Sami in his next feud.

Prediction: Samoa Joe defeats Sami Zayn.

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6) Bayley vs. Charlotte Flair

Here we go again with heels' night.

Charlotte has now famously not lost in a title match at a pay-per-view, going 16-0 in those matches. (WWE will remind you if you forget, don't worry.)

Expect this to be no different. Charlotte will win with a heel move to once again snatch back the title, on a match not on Raw television.

I haven't cared for this approach in how it treats the other women of the division. It's much easier to remember and go back to watch a specific pay-per-view moment than it is to remember on which week of Raw something occurred.

So to never have the other women of the division get their wins on pay-per-views diminishes the value of those wins.

It all feels more like an exercise in padding Charlotte's numbers than it does in sharing the spotlight in the division. (Big E even joked about this, something along the lines of "Cena is a 16-time champion; Charlotte will be that in a month".)

Given Charlotte's pedigree it's understandable what they're doing in making her so dominant, but it's time to put it to rest.

Wrestlemania 33 is the perfect time to have her drop the belt on a pay-per-view. But the question then becomes, whom does she drop it to? Sasha, or Bayley? That's where I wonder if we're not going to see a rematch of the Triple Threat match from Wrestlemania 32, with a different victor. It's up to WWE to decide whom they would bestow the "Wrestlemania moment" to in that scenario. Do they follow the order the women debuted on Raw, and give it to Sasha? Or do they give it to perhaps the most over babyface on the roster, Bayley?

Either way, the villainess will have her night at Fastlane.

Prediction: Charlotte Flair defeats Bayley.

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7) Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman

This is a match that really is just marking time for both men.

Roman Reigns has been rumored to be facing The Undertaker at Wrestlemania. The "this is my yard" moment between Reigns and Taker at the Rumble, after Reigns eliminated The Dead Man (!) signaled pretty clearly that said match could be in the cards.

Braun Strowman is ready for a big push at some point, either for a title, or in a supermatch against Brock Lesnar.

There's no title on the line here and no big stakes.

I expect a DQ, either with Strowman going nuclear as he is wont to do and hitting Reigns with a chair, etc., or....Undertaker showing up to assault or threaten Reigns.

Either way, it's a disqualification finish with Reigns "winning". Neither man is going to take a pinfall here.

Prediction: Disqualification; Roman Reigns defeats Braun Strowman.

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8) Kevin Owens vs. Goldberg



Here we go. The big one.

Goldberg's run has been sensational thus far. He's been a revelation on the mic, and WWE has booked him smart. The Spear & Jackhammer Heard 'Round the World at Survivor Series to squash Brock Freakin' Lesnar shocked pretty much everyone, and established Goldberg as a legit threat and a legit big deal anytime he appears for the company. Who knows? Maybe his run won't end at Wrestlemania as we'd figure. Where's this guy been for ten-plus years? He's awesome!

Conventional wisdom seems to be a Goldberg win, and quite possibly Goldberg squashing Kevin Owens via the usual two moves.

But I haven't been sold on that. It's so easy. They did it once. Why repeat it? Yeah Kevin Owens can bounce back from eating such a loss, but why do it at all?

I was expecting Lesnar to come in and screw things up for Goldberg, especially based on Lesnar's "close to the camera" promo a Raw or two ago.

But note that we haven't seen Chris Jericho on TV at all since Kevin Owens ended their bromance and beat his "best friend" up.

He's been on a live show. Getting beat up again by Owens. But other than that, total disappearance.

I think he comes back at Fastlane. Jericho comes back to distract Owens, leading to KO eating the spear and jackhammer from Goldberg.

So yeah, I think Goldberg wins. But I don't think he wins clean. He wins with help from Y2J getting his revenge to finally set up KO vs. Sparkle Crotch at Wrestlemania.

Prediction: Goldberg defeats Kevin Owens.

This should be a fun pay-per-view. I dig the Fastlane concept and it's delivered on cool moments in the past two years. Here's hoping for another great night.