WWE Fastlane: 5 Things That Need To Happen

We’ve made it to the last stop before the showcase of the immortals, Wrestlemania. While most of the Mania card is locked in, there are still some wrinkles that need to be ironed out. WWE Fastlane presents a good opportunity to further develop storylines, especially a few that lack clarity.

These 5 things must happen at WWE Fastlane in order for Wrestlemania’s shape to be complete

The Wrestlemania card took form back at the Royal Rumble in January. Due to injuries and a surprising Money in the Bank cash-in, things have taken a major turn. WWE Fastlane seems like the perfect spot to get things back on track for the biggest show of the year. When these things take place during the show all will be better in the world of wrestling.

Asuka’s Wrestlemania plans revealed

A longer conversation needs to be had about the mishandling of Asuka for consecutive years. For now, fans are left to wonder who the champion will defend her title against. Being left off the past two shows is a slap in the face to the champion who held it down all of 2020, and quite frankly was the MVP for the entire company.

So far we have Charlotte staking her claim to the Raw Women’s title yet again, and as enticing as Asuka getting her Wrestlemania win back against Charlotte is, fans have seen this before. Rumors emerged that Lacey Evans was due to dethrone Asuka for the title, which would have surely alienated the entire wrestling fanbase. Saying Asuka deserves better isn’t enough any longer. It’s time to give her the program at Wrestlemania that’s been long overdue. Fastlane should present the start of a tournament to crown a number one contender. Hopefully, the commencement presents a challenger yet to be showcased.

The Boss Goes Heel

Fastlane presents an opportunity to do a callback angle in having Bianca Belair and Sasha Banks win the Women’s Tag-Team titles. This was done before with Shawn Michaels and John Cena being tag champs but facing off at Wrestlemania for the World title. History doesn’t need to repeat itself and this dream match is being tampered with far too much.

The story here is two of the best talents in the division squaring off. Instead, fans have seen a meaningless chase for tag titles and an influx of Reginald. Surely fans are happy to see Banks successfully defending the Smackdown Women’s title and having a lengthy title reign, but something is missing. The “Boss” gimmick as it’s currently portrayed has the same vibes as her run with Bayley in 2020. It’s time to pull the trigger on a complete heel turn and align Sasha with Reginald. After weeks of teasing the connection and pulling Reginald away from Carmella, this would present another obstacle for Belair to overcome and add another layer to what will be a stellar match. The Boss gets an employee at Fastlane.

The Fiend Rises

For weeks we have seen witchcraft and seances on Raw by Alexa Bliss. The payoff is the eventual return of Bray Wyatt. Randy Orton hasn’t been able to evade the wrath of Wyatt even after burning him alive. Long-term storytelling is on full display here as both performers are being allowed to take their time. New nuances will be revealed about the Fiend and his powers that weren’t featured when Wyatt was rushed into the World title picture.

We’ve seen Orton be hit with fireballs, choke on black matter, and stare at a possessed version of himself. Fastlane should show Orton getting a glimpse of the Fiend back from the dead. This will start the opportunity for both performers to avenge an undervalued performance from Wrestlemania 34.

Rhea Ripley Debuts

Rhea Ripley just missed her moment in winning the Royal Rumble and hasn’t been seen since. Recently packages have aired on WWE Raw of her imminent debut. Not only does WWE Fastlane present an opportunity to that, but it also provides a chance to fix the Raw Women’s title picture.

Ripley’s sole focus should be revenge. She should be the wall that prevents Charlotte from entering the title picture again. Have Ripley win a squash match at Fastlane and call out the queen again for a Wrestlemania rematch. Ultimately Charlotte will deny any advances until Ripley costs her a shot at the title, thus setting up the rematch.

Apollo wins the IC title

This is sure to ruffle some feathers but hear me out, the new Apollo Crews works. Of course, no one wants to see the Big E IC title run end, but in a sense, it has already served its purpose. The entire goal was to establish Big E as a major singles star, check. Now dropping the belt could sound problematic, but if the end game is the “island of relevancy” against Roman Reigns, sign me up.

This Apollo Crews heel turn has legs and there should be some back and forth before E moves on. However, at Fastlane Crews should get dirty to win the title at all costs in a major upset and title change. Big E will be fine in the long run flying solo as he is destined for a major push. Crews has a chance to cement himself on Friday nights with this reincarnation.

The Beast is Back

The writing is on the wall for the WWE Heavyweight title picture, Drew Mcintyre is gunning for Bobby Lashley. A matchup that on paper is good but doesn’t have the big fight, Wrestlemania feel heading into Fastlane. While it’s long documented that Brock Lesnar isn’t under contract, stranger things have happened. An appearance by Lesnar would definitely shake things up for what could be a triple threat for the title at Mania.

Lashley has been on the record for wanting a match with Lesnar for over a year. This not only accomplishes that but also provides the revenge angle for dropping the belt to Mcintyre last year. WWE is looking to have up to 45,000 fans in attendance on each night of Wrestlemania, so they’re obviously looking to go big for their first live show in over a year. Enter the beast into the all-mighty era.