3 Reasons why Kevin Owens replaced Kofi Kingston at Fastlane

The Monday Night Raw had some unforeseen surprises this week as Batista and Roman Reigns returned to Vince McMahon's billion dollar company. The trend followed on SmackDown Live in the following night when Matt Hardy and Kevin Owens made their long-awaited returns. It has been a fabulous week for WWE, and the storylines are developing gradually for the Grandest Stage of Them All.

Fastlane is the upcoming pay-per-view of WWE which is scheduled to be held in Cleveland. It is the final PPV before WrestleMania 35. Kingston was scheduled to face the WWE champion Daniel Bryan at Fastlane, and two superstars were set to have an official contract signing this week. However, Vince McMahon stunned the WWE Universe when he announced Kevin Owens as the replacement of Kofi Kingston.

There is no denying that the decision disappointed many fans as Kingston is a current fan favourite. But Owens is an elite superstar who has attained plenty of success in his career. Owens won the Intercontinental title twice, US title thrice and the Universal title once but he never managed to grab the WWE title. Hence, Owens will be aiming to grab the WWE title at Fastlane.

Here we discuss three possible reasons why the former Universal champion replaced Kofi Kingston at Fastlane.

#3 A fresh feud and a new contender for the WWE World title

Owens vs Bryan

Daniel Bryan overpowered five other Superstars of the blue brand at Elimination Chamber. The current WWE champion faced Samoa Joe, AJ Styles, Randy Orton, Jeff Hardy and Kofi Kingston at Toyota Center. Previously, he also defended the title against AJ Styles at TLC and Elimination Chamber. Hence a fresh challenger will be captivating for the WWE Universe.

Though Kingston replaced Mustafa Ali before Elimination Chamber, the two men had an intense battle inside the Elimination Chamber. Moreover, they also locked horns in tag team match on SmackDown Live. WWE could be looking for a new opponent of Bryan and Owens is undoubtedly a great choice.

Owens and Bryan never had a one-on-one bout, and they can steal the show at Fastlane. There is no denying that the feud could become prodigious as both superstars are proficient on the mic and inside the ring.

#2 Kevin Owens is a main event Superstar

Owens as the Universal champion

There is no denying that Kevin Owens is a main event superstar who headlined several pay-per-views in his WWE career. While Kofi Kingston is not a top-tier superstar and he has not achieved significant success in his WWE career. The New Day member has been part of WWE for 11 years, but he is a mid-carder.

WWE signed Owens in 2014, and he was the main event superstar in NXT. Considering Owens was the NXT champion, he headlined several NXT takeover shows. He continued the momentum in the main roster as he won a total of six titles. Since he held the most prestigious title of the red brand in 2016, he main evented Clash of Champions, Hell in a Cell, Survivor Series, Royal Rumble and many more.

Though Kingston is a fan favourite after Elimination Chamber, he does not have the star power like Owens. Since star power plays a pivotal in Vince McMahon's billion dollar company, Owens could be a better choice for Daniel Bryan.

#1 Kofi Kington could face Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania 35

Will we see this match at WrestleMania 35?

The WWE Universe was excited to see a bout between Kofi Kingston and Daniel Bryan at Fastlane. With Owens replacing the New Day member, the match is still possible at the Grandest Stage of Them All. Kingston and Bryan could collide at Metlife Stadium if the latter manages to retain the WWE title at Fastlane.

Kingston attained immense popularity in recent weeks after his incredible performance in the Gauntlet match on SmackDown Live. As a matter of fact, he also lasted 31 minutes in the Elimination Chamber match before Bryan overpowered him to retain the WWE title. WWE could be planning to continue his impressive momentum, but the remarkable run could halt if Bryan pins Kingston in Cleveland.

Considering the mind-boggling run of Daniel Bryan, he is not expected to lose the title at Fastlane. Bryan has been a remarkable champion after he grabbed the title last year. With the recent popularity of Kingston, he could be the WrestleMania opponent of the current WWE champion. Kingston could win his maiden WWE World title at the Show of Shows if he faces Daniel Bryan in New Jersey.