Welcome one and all to my preview and predictions for WWE Fastlane, the final and RAW exclusive Pay Per View before Wrestlemania 33. As with every other post I urge you to leave comments and feedback below or by following me on social media by following the links to the right of the page. I would also like to take this time to ask all of you to share the link to this and my blog in general. Fastlane has the potential to set up a Goldberg Vs Lesnar match for the WWE title which in my opinion would make it a lot more significant however, I really don't want to see that. Given that Kevin Owens has worked incredibly well this year as Universal Champion I think it would not be fair to Owens or the fans for him to go into Wrestlemania without the title. In general RAW has been lagging behind the more slimline and exciting Smackdown Live and I'm not as excited for Fastlane as I was for Elimination Chamber.
1. Noam Dar and Brian Kendrick Vs. Akira Tozawa and Rich Swann
This is just another throw away match that doesn't really have much relevance to what is happening on 205 Live or RAW. Sure they are combining two feuds that have been bubbling along nicely. I would have loved to see two singles matches over the tag match and maybe even have had Tozawa Vs. Kendrick on the main card. Overall it doesn't really matter who wins or loses in this match but, this will be a nice little showcase for the under utilised Cruiserweight division.
2. Sasha Banks Vs. Nia Jax
This has been an OK feud that has been a way of showing how powerful Nia is and has been overlooked since coming to RAW. I disagree of course I find Nia Jax just dull and one dimensional. The writers are trying to sell Nia as the female Braun Strowman and I just don't care. Her lack of character and mic time has done her no favours and she should have been left down at NXT a little longer to really develop her as a character. Sasha has just been OK in this feud too. I'm glad that we're not going to have to see Sasha Vs Charlotte for the 1000th time as it became a little stale but, unfortunately this feud has done nothing much for me at all. I expect Nia just to dominate over Sasha and set her up to be included in the title match for Wrestlemania.
3. Samoa Joe Vs. Sami Zayn
This match promises to be a great hidden gem of a match that could steal the show. Samoa Joes coming to RAW has been a long time coming and now that he's here I think it's only a matter of time before he's in the main event. I think this match was probably set up to include Seth Rollins originally but, due to his injury Zayn has taken his spot. I feel Zayn has really been over looked in the past year and deserves to be a whole lot higher on the card.This should be hard hitting and lead to the first main roster win for Joe. I think this might also set up a rematch between the two at Wrestlemania.
4. WWE Raw Tag Team Championships: Gallows And Anderson(C) Vs. Enzo and Big Cass
The tag team division has been a little stale since New Day dropped the championships a couple of months ago. Cesaro and Sheamus had a forgettable run as champions and now I feel like that the writers might do that with Gallows and Anderson, through no fault of their own I might add. Gallows and Anderson are one of the best tag teams I've watched in a long time, both being as hard hitting and talented as each other. They really deserve a lot more attention and exposure than they have been getting. Enzo and Big Cass are another team that have been overlooked. The fact that they never held the NXT tag team championship baffled me and the fact that they've never really had a fair run at the RAW tag team championships. This should be a great match with Gallows and Anderson retaining the gold.
5. WWE Raw Womens Championship: Bayley(C) Vs. Charlotte Flair
Bayley is finally getting the recognition she deserves as an integral part of the womens division. She reminds me of Sami Zayn a little as she is sold to the audience as the scrappy underdog that you can't help but route for. Charlotte is without a doubt one of the best heel performers not only in the women's division but, RAW in general. She has really gone from being a mediocre dynasty character like Ted Dibiase Jr to a stand alone villain. I fully expect Sasha Banks and Dana Brooke to both be involved in some way, maybe even seeing Brooke turn on her former mentor. I think Charlotte will win but, by DQ keeping the belt on Bayley going into Wrestlemania and Charlotte retaining her unbeaten PPV record.
6. WWE Cruiserweight Championship: Neville(C) Vs. Jack Gallagher
This feud has been one of my favourite feuds on WWE television of late. Neville really has come into his own as a heel, performing consistently well week after week. Jack Gallagher has really become one of the most enntertaining parts of 205 Live. I do agree with part of the storyline with Gallagher being one of the most hammy, over exaggerated British characters ever in the WWE. This should be a brutal match with some incredible spots throughout. I'm not overly sure which way this match will go. I would like to see Neville go into Wrestlemania as champion as long as the Cruiserweight division actually gets the match it derives at Mania perhaps making them a featured ladder match or something similar and not merely a filler or battle royal match on the pre show.
7. Roman Reigns Vs. Braun Strowman
I'm really struggling to care about this match in general. Both men are being forced down the audiences throat on a weekly basis. Strowman is an OK monster heel guy and has had some OK matches of late against Big Show and Mark Henry but, I feel like he has been thrust into the main event picture far too quickly. Roman Reigns is just boring to watch, a throwback to the 90s style anti hero good guy that just doesn't appeal to me, I'm in the wrong demographic to be a fan. I don't have high hopes for this match and I think Strowman might come out with the win.
8. WWE Universal Championship: Kevin Owens(C) Vs. Goldberg
I've said it before and I'll say it again: I really don't care about Goldberg. I was never a fan of Goldberg as I missed him in WCW and didn't really care much for his first WWE run. I think it's crazy that WWE are using RAW to push pay day guys coming in for one match every so often and going away. I would be dissapointed if Goldberg comes out with the Universal Championship but, at this point it wouldn't surprise me. I fully expect Jericho to get involved maybe inadvertently costing Goldberg the win. I really hope that the main event from RAW at Wrestlemania is Owens Vs. Jericho for the Universal Championship but, I don't see that happening.
Overall not a strong final PPV before Wrestlemania. RAW has really been dwindling lately and is a bit of a chore to watch. The Cruiserweight matches and Joe Vs. Zayn look like promising matches and even Bayley Vs. Charlotte has the potential to be great. The rest of the card is just very dull. Hopefully I'm proven wrong but, I doubt it. Thanks for reading.
Spear, jackhammer, 1,2,3 (maybe a bit of time wasted and an interference)
ReplyDeleteTaker to interfere on Reigns
I'm really struggling to be positive about RAW as a whole. Taker vs Reigns would be good at Mania but, would have rather seen Cena Vs Taker. I just don't get Goldberg and the hype. It's maybe just me I just don't care. I'd rather see Owens vs Jericho for the title much more entertaining.
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