7 Pros/Cons of the new WWE PPV 'Fast Lane'

WWE has officially replaced its Elimination Chamber PPV with a new event titled ‘Fast Lane’ which shall continue the road to Wrestlemania. It remains to be seen yet whether this decision will really be ‘best for business’, but for now let’s take a look at a few possible pros and cons that could affect the success of the inaugural event.

#1 Con: Bad Name

You know the success of an event is off to a bad start when it’s already given a poor name. The title ‘Fast Lane’ has already come under much scrutiny from many fans, therefore giving them a negative mind set long before the PPV even has a chance to impress and prove people wrong.

WWE could have done worse than return to a previous PPV name that fans are familiar with such as ‘No Way Out’. However it is understandable that they would want to move on and choose a new/fresh name, but was ‘Fast Lane’ really the best option?

#2 Con: No WWE Champion

It is highly unlikely that Brock Lesnar will appear at Fast Lane. The lack of the WWE Championship will already make this PPV feel insignificant and immediately lower its importance/prestige. Regardless of the fact that previous PPV’s this year where a WWE Championship match was absent, such as Payback, Hell in a Cell, Survivor Series and TLC, all had solid main events, this cannot help Fast Lane get off to a good start. WWE will have to work hard to make up for Lesnar’s absence to assure the success of this debut event and the recent announcement regarding Sting is a definitive step in the right direction.

#3 Pro: Sting/HHH Face Off

As announced officially via The Authority on twitter, Triple H has challenged Sting to a face off at the Fast Lane PPV. A Sting appearance is exactly what this event needs to build excitement and cement the long term success of this new PPV for year to come. Sting’s mysterious ways will sure to build a huge amount of intrigue.

This also proves as the perfect scene to further the feud between Sting and Triple H, possibly to officially set up the expected and highly anticipated match between the two at WrestleMania. Sting has only made two appearances in WWE thus far and an all but guaranteed appearance at Fast Lane is sure to lure in numerous viewers and build up high anticipation. But will WWE be able to live up to the high expectations?

#4 Con: Bad Rumble (lack of momentum)

The finish to the Royal Rumble event can only be described as a mess. Despite Reigns impressing on the mic and in his showdown with Lesnar/Heyman on Raw proving that their mania main event may work, the rumble itself was poor and created a very bad atmosphere.

The triple threat championship was purely amazing and set the bar high. But with numerous anticlimactic eliminations (including Bryan going out very early) a large majority of the rumble was met with a chorus of boos. Coming off such a bad rumble environment, there is a severe lack of momentum that could hurt the pending success of Fastlane. Take away one factor that was guaranteed to draw some excitement regardless, the elimination chamber, and Fast Lane could fail miserably. However is the removal of the elimination chamber really such a bad thing?

#5 Con/Pro: No Elimination Chamber

The Elimination Chamber might not have been the most anticipated gimmick PPV, but watching multiple stars step inside the colossal ruthless metal structure was still a sure fine way to garner some enthusiasm. Without this factor, Fast Lane could struggle. The main reason for ditching the elimination chamber was apparently due to logistical reasons according to Stephanie McMahon. However this year, there was no real reason to have an elimination chamber match.

Provided Lesnar wouldn’t have been wrestling, there could be no WWE Championship chamber match (although seeing Lesnar dominate inside the merciless structure would have been awesome!!!). With the rumble already deciding his opponent (and no World Heavyweight Championship) , there couldn’t have been a No.1 contenders chamber match like we have seen in the past.

Maybe they could have had the IC title defended inside the chamber as it would surely have raised the prestige of the IC championship even more. Also if WWE decides the need to add someone else to the title match at mania, a logical way would be to put the third spot up for grabs inside the chamber. The lack of the elimination chamber could be a positive or negative factor for Fast Lane, but one thing it does guarantee is a fresh start.

#6 Pro: Fresh Start

With no real reason to even have an elimination chamber match, to stop the PPV from growing stale and boring, a fresh start could be exactly what the road to Wrestlemania needs. Fast Lane provides WWE with the opportunity to create a new unique piece in the anticipated road to mania and excite fans with a fresh PPV.

The name isn’t probably the best choice, but this still could be the fresh start WWE needs. However it remains to be seen whether WWE can actually capitalize on this fresh start and utilize it as positive new innovative step towards the bright future.

#7 Pro/Con: Cena v Rusev

A marquee matchup like Rusev vs Cena is sure to attract fans and build further anticipation for this debut event. But will this match live up to expectations and leave fans satisfied? One can only assume that this feud will carry on through to Wrestlemania which may indicate this bout at Fast Lane will with some sort of dodgy finish such as a DQ or maybe a count out.

It is highly unlikely that Rusev’s streak would end the month before Mania as a rematch would then have less importance. It’s also unlikely that Super Cena will be pinned cleanly a month away from the biggest event of the year where he will likely face the same opponent. So an unclean finish seems very probable. This match will likely gain fans interest in the build up to Fast Lane but the end result may leave them unsatisfied.

#8 Final Thoughts

There are many positive things regarding Fastlane which indicate a solid event, but at the same time there are also many negatives looming over the PPV. However, we will all just have to wait and see how the inaugural Fast Lane PPV lives up to the hype as the newest addition of the highly anticipated road to Wrestlemania.