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Fastlane is the last PPV before WrestleMania 35. Some might see it as a 'blow off' PPV just to get the WWE to April, but a lot of storylines for the Show of Shows will likely kick off at Fastlane or continue narratives that have already been started.
As of Wednesday, the following matches have been announced for the Fastlane PPV this Sunday, March 10:
Fastlane Kickoff Show: Rey Mysterio vs. Andrade
Women's Tag Team Title Match: Bayley and Sasha Banks (c) vs. Nia Jax and Tamina
SmackDown Women's Championship Match: Asuka (c) vs. Mandy Rose
SmackDown Tag Team Title Match: The Usos (c) vs. Shane McMahon and the Miz
Raw Tag Team Title Match: The Revival (c) vs. Aleister Black and Ricochet vs. Bobby Roode and Chad Gable
Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch (If Lynch wins, she is added to the Raw Women's Title match at WrestleMania)
The Shield vs. Baron Corbin, Drew McIntyre and Bobb Lashley
WWE Championship Match: Daniel Bryan (c) vs. Kevin Owens
Which matches are slated to be exciting or pivotal to storyline development so close to the big show? Here are the Fastlane matches ranked in order of excitement and potential for being good matches.
Women's Tag Team Title Match: Bayley and Sasha Banks (c) vs. Nia Jax and Tamina
The first challengers for the first women's champions and two of the four NXT Horsewomen are Tamina and Nia Jax.
The Raw announcers hyped up Nia Jax and Tamina as 'serious threats' or 'the favorites' to win the inaugural Women's Tag Team Titles, but it was mainly due to Jax being treated as a monster heel threat.
She has mostly been booked like Braun Strowman in that she's dangerous up and until she actually has a match of consequence.
Ronda Rousey beat her twice and Sasha Banks beat her in order to challenge Rousey at the Royal Rumble.
It's like when the Big Show, Braun Strowman and Jax have always been considered favorites to win Royal Rumbles simply due to their sizes.
In terms of Tamina, she is among the sloppiest in-ring workers in the women's division, hence the low ranking of this match. Nia Jax gets heat on the mic more so because she is annoying when she talks, rather than actually getting heat. Luckily this match is at Fastlane and not WrestleMania.
Bayley and Banks will likely carry the action like they usually do and hopefully get a better challenge in a month.
SmackDown Women's Championship Match: Asuka (c) vs. Mandy Rose
As much as people may not like that Mandy Rose is getting a shot at the SmackDown Women's Championship, who else on the show is there for Asuka to face before a potentially bigger match in a month?
They might be saving someone like Naomi for a multi-woman match while others like the IIconics, Carmella and Sonya Deville haven't been booked lately to be considered challengers for Asuka.
Rose has actually improved a lot in the ring and is probably where Mr. McMahon would have liked Dana Brooke to be in her early main roster career.
While Brooke hasn't really improved by leaps or bounds, Rose actually has a personality beyond 'loud-mouth blonde' that Brooke was when she was first starting out as a heel. While the conclusion shouldn't be in doubt with an Asuka win, it wouldn't totally surprise me if WWE did the crazy thing of having Asuka lose so close to WrestleMania.
It could set up a reason for Asuka to chase again and potentially put a few more faces into the mix.
Hopefully, a random Lacey Evans ramp walk won't confuse Asuka like when James Elsworth dressed up like the Empress of Tomorrow and cost her the title.
SmackDown Tag Team Title Match: The Usos (c) vs. Shane McMahon and the Miz
The main reason that this isn't ranked ahead of the prior two matches is that there is potential for a heel turn from either Shane McMahon or the Miz during/after the match.
The Usos will do their usual Samoan Drop, Superkick, Suicide Dive, top rope splash and some confusion will likely lead them to victory.
McMahon and the Miz were paired together for a WrestleMania match, so if a turn doesn't happen on Sunday, something has to happen on the ensuing SmackDown.
If more was meant for their reign as champions, then they would have held the titles for longer than one PPV cycle.
Just who turns on whom is in question, but it would be too easy for the Miz to turn on Shane. Miz hasn't tested the babyface waters and McMahon has essentially been taking a spot in matches for superstars that haven't been on TV.
While The Usos are the champions who were likely given the belts to keep them from leaving WWE, they are likely secondary for what may be planned for McMahon and the Miz in April.
Rey Mysterio vs. Andrade
As Rey Mysterio and Andrade have proven on numerous occasions and in two singles matches against each other, all they need is a ring in order to offer some of the most exciting action that WWE has provided over the last year.
Their 2-out-of-3 Falls match never had a conclusion but was hot fire from start to finish. Not to mention that their first match was so good that it necessitated having a three-fall match.
It's a shame, however, that WWE has placed this one the kickoff pre-show because it has potential to be the match of the night, just like Buddy Murphy's last two title defenses.
While it doesn't boast a title to necessitate it being on the main card, the exciting nature of the former matches will hopefully get viewers to tune in before the main show kicks off.
Perhaps it would have been better to get the crowd hot by starting off the PPV rather than being relegated to air between segments of analysts talking.
The Shield vs. Bobby Lashley, Drew McIntyre and Baron Corbin
WWE's attempt to keep Dean Ambrose from leaving the company made this match a necessity when and if he does depart.
The Shield's matches are usually entertaining and fast-paced in spots, but two of their three opponents (Corbin and Lashley) aren't the most exciting with their in-ring styles.
Baron Corbin mostly uses rest moves while Lashley usually relies on stiff power moves. When McIntyre is in the ring, however, the action usually picks up.
A Shield match is also filled with several fun spots but will likely end with Roman Reigns getting a hot tag en route to picking up the win.
For those reasons, although it's great to see Reigns back and the Shield reunited, the formula for their matches haven't really changed. That's why it isn't ranked higher.
If something else happens after the match, however, then I'll be more interested. If not, I'd be highly surprised if the Shield, and mainly Reigns, didn't get huge showcase and win over the three heels.
Raw Tag Team Title Match: The Revival (c) vs. Aleister Black and Ricochet vs. Chad Gable and Bobby Roode
While traditional booking for the WWE Raw Tag Team Titles would suggest that it would be one of the lower ranked matches of a PPV, the participants are what shoot them up the list.
The Revival have been underutilized by Raw until their tag team title victory, but even then, they've only won one of three matches since claiming the belts.
All six men thrived in NXT and half of the participants (the Revival, Chad Gable) faced off in some of the best matches in NXT history.
The Revival's matches with American Alpha always delivered and their triple threat match with DIY and the Authors of Pain were one of the best matches in WWE history. The champs thrive in the chaos that these matches bring and this could contend for match of the night.
Since every wrestler in the match is technically sound, the quality shouldn't falter. The fact that two of the brightest stars from NXT over the last year will also be in the match should only push this match over the edge.
Not to mention it will officially be the main-roster PPV debuts for Ricochet and Aleister Black so both WWE and I have high expectations for this match.
As to who walks out with the titles, anything is possible, especially depending upon who WWE wants to walk into WrestleMania 35 with the belts.
Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair
This match will only further the history between two of the Horsewomen of NXT. They've been battling each other for the last six months but the story of getting to the 'main event' of WrestleMania has been convoluted at best.
Lynch won the Women's Royal Rumble, even though she wasn't originally booked as a participant. Since she won, she should be in the match next month.
But to further drag out the storyline, she bit back against the management (McMahons) got suspended and was stripped of the match.
This match should have been Flair vs. Rousey for the title but Mr. McMahon has been insistent on Flair being involved in the match at 'Mania.
Since that is what he wants, the road to get to the actual match in April has gone down unnecessary paths, like the suspension, when they could have just suspended her 30 days so that she could 'heal' and let some of the other women get the spotlight on the Road to WrestleMania.
But due to WWE putting all three women in prominent spots on both Raw and SmackDown, especially this week, they've left themselves with a problem of who is worthy to challenge for the SmackDown Women's Title at WrestleMania as well as forgetting about the rest of the women in the division.
The match might not be as good as the previous ones Lynch and Flair had throughout last year, but the end game is getting Lynch back into the match she already earned her way into via a Rumble win.
WWE Championship Match: Daniel Bryan (c) vs. Kevin Owens
To me, this is the most exciting match even without the involvement of Kofi Kingston. Both Bryan and Owens are top-notch workers in the ring and on the mic.
The fact that Kevin Owens was able to get the crowd on his side so soon after replacing Kingston in the match is a testament to his love of his craft and his ability as a pro wrestler.
Another important reason why this tops my list is that it's a face Owens challenging for a title and the potential for a Sami Zayn return/attack on Owens is high.
Zayn has been cleared for an in-ring return and would be the perfect opponent for Owens at WrestleMania should Owens fail in his bid to win the title.
Daniel Bryan is also one of the best ever at his craft. Not too long ago, fans were in love with him and the 'Yes' chant was used by crowds nightly. He was one of the most beloved superstars of all time.
And now? He's easily getting the crowd to boo him due to his dedication to his heel character and the fact that he actually believes in his message. A lot of what he says is true but it's how he delivers his message that makes him a heel.
All in all, this match should close the PPV since it's the WWE Championship match, but it likely won't with the WWE Universe hot for Becky Lynch and the reunion of the Shield on the same card.
