5 Biggest Stories heading into WWE Fastlane
WWE’s Fastlane event is coming up on Sunday, March 5, and fans are surely hoping for a big night from Vince McMahon’s company. Fastlane is Monday Night Raw’s answer to SmackDown Live’s Elimination Chamber, which saw Bray Wyatt become the new WWE champion.
That kind of surprise is what fans love about WWE, and much of the time, the overall feeling is that they don’t happen nearly enough. For far too long, WWE’s events have been fairly predictable, with little reason for anyone to get excited for the unexpected.
But WWE’s New Era is slowly changing that perception. Mainstays like Wyatt are finally getting their due, while veteran newcomers like Samoa Joe are getting prime time exposure. WWE is embracing the next generation of stars, while also respecting its past. It’s a great mix, and the ideal way to do business.
Fans are certainly hoping that trend continues at Fastlane, which is already surrounded by a good amount of buzz. This is a positive for the company of course, because the higher the anticipation, the more eyes will be on the product.
But Fastlane’s success is crucial to WWE because it’s the last big event before WrestleMania 33. The Showcase of the Immortals brings the red and blue brands together on April 2, and the groundwork that’s laid now means the difference between exciting, and painfully predictable.
The buzz surrounding Fastlane will surely increase, and the stories leading to it will only get hotter.
#5 The rise of Braun Strowman
Braun Strowman was rumoured to be on the short list of WrestleMania opponents for The Undertaker in early 2016. The Wyatt Family strongman was new to the main roster, but many believed that his size and strength made him the ideal Superstar to challenge The Phenom on the grandest stage of them all.
But many others laughed at the very idea of that notion, mostly due to Strowman’s inexperience. However, just one year later, everything has changed. Strowman is now one of the heavy hitters on Monday Night Raw, and it’s obvious he’s on track to main event stardom.
His upcoming Fastlane match against Roman Reigns is pivotal in Strowman’s journey. Reigns has been the next man on pace to inherit the top spot and though he’s perhaps not done that just yet, it’s obviously what WWE wants for him.
So a win over Reigns at this stage would be huge, especially for a guy like Strowman, whose game has improved tremendously in just one year. He’s a contender now, and the best way to keep building his WWE career is to get important wins over top talents.
For Strowman, it doesn’t get any bigger than Reigns. Reigns may have lost recently to Samoa Joe on Raw, but another loss at Fastlane would be huge for Strowman, who would definitely benefit from the rub. Strowman is indeed on the way up, and defeating Reigns could be another step in the right direction.