WWE FASTLANE
PREDICTIONS
So here it is, the last mainline WWE PPV on the road to the 'Granddaddy of Them All' Wrestlemania 34.
The fourth Fastlane PPV will be taking place at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio tonight and much like I feel like the crowd in the arena won't give off much of a hot atmosphere, I'm pretty much not very hot with excitement for this PPV as it is pretty much as rushed and cobbled together card that is just used to get us to the target destination that is Wrestlemania 34.
If i'm gonna be completely honest, Smackdown has not been an interesting show in a very long time, even though it did show huge promise way back when the WWE draft returned and split the two rosters once again, the booking on Smackdown in recent times has been very stale and has once again reverted back to being that show you can easily miss because you know nothing of importance is going to happen, which was the big problem that Smackdown suffered before the WWE draft came back in near the end of 2016 and gave the show a much needed boost injection after being such a tired product for so long.
But forward to the current day, the show finds itself having the same problem yet again.
Which is why WWE Fastlane is going to mostly be skippable material.
But it's not to say there aren't a few things that intrigue me about the card as it I am wondering how Ruby Riott will perform in the biggest match of her career in WWE so far when she takes on Charlotte Flair for the WWE Smackdown Women's Championship, as it ticks two boxes that you need when you hype up a PPV match: 1) It's a fresh match up 2) It has a big stake on the line going into Wrestlemania which is the WWE Smackdown Women's Championship.
Ruby Riott (left) taking on Charlotte (right) for the WWE Smackdown Women's Championship does hold some weight on the card as it will be Ruby Riott's first true test on the roster
The United States Championship match between champion Bobby Roode and Randy Orton is another fresh match up that holds weight on the card because it will be interesting to see how Roode and Orton will mesh against each other in the ring, even if the lead up into the match has been lacklustre between the two.
Randy Orton (left) and Bobby Roode (right) have traded blows with each other in the past weeks but I can't help but think a feud between these two should be so much more than what it is right now, it is however a solid fresh match up that United States Championship has needed for a long time
And then we have the Main event of what will be a WWE Championship Six Pack Challenge, which is a random cobble of superstars vying to have one last chance to capture big one and go into Wresltemania as WWE Champion, and will most likely provide a lot of near finishes and edge of your seat stuff.
In true modern WWE style we have a spur of the moment thrown together sic pack challenge main event for the WWE Championship but in this case, spur of the moment may just lead to an exciting match even though it has the whiff of the obvious when it comes to what the outcome will be
And now without further ado, let's run down the card and get into my thoughts and predictions for how I feel the event will play out on the night:
Tag Team Match:
Becky Lynch and Naomi vs Natalya & Carmella
Which team will win bragging rights?
As of writing this, I'm not too sure if this is going to be the Pre Show match as there seems to be no official announcement of one going into the PPV.
I don't think there is really much that can be said about this women's tag team match as there isn't really any stakes going into it and I'm not sure why it isn't Becky Lynch and Naomi taking on the other two members of the Riott Squad in Sarah Logan and Liv Morgan as they should be the the stars of the Smackdown Women's roster getting a push.
I am however a big fan of Carmella so it's not really a big deal for me here.
This should be a solid women's tag team match for what it will be and it might just be a setup for the team that comes away with victory to be elevated into contention for a shot at the WWE Smackdown Women's Championship after Wrestlemania 34.
What Will Happen: Natalya and Carmella will defeat Becky Lynch and Naomi.
What I Want To Happen: Same as above.
Singles Match:
Shinsuke Nakamura vs Rusev
Will Shinsuke Nakamura (left) be able to get past a big roadblock in Rusev (right) on the way to the WWE Championship main event at Wrestlemania 34?
In what sounds like an interesting match up on paper, we have the No.1 contender for the WWE Championship Shinsuke Nakamura taking on perhaps the most entertaining superstar on the Smackdown roster, Rusev.
I very much believe that Rusev should be in a much higher position on Smackdown as his 'Rusev Day' gimmick has been immensely entertaining and funny.
Sinsuke Nakamura on the other hand has not been setting the world on fire on the back of his Royal Rumble win and there have been some reports that WWE may just change his one on one WWE Championship match with AJ Styles into a Triple Threat Match for the title, as faith and intrigue for Nakamura has fallen a bit.
This match could go either way from an in ring perspective, it could either be a entertaining stiff smash mouthed affair or end up being a really slow and flat affair that could end up being a drag.
What Will Happen: Shinsuke Nakamura will defeat Rusev.
What I Want To Happen: Rusev picks up a shock win over Sinsuke Nakamura.
WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championship Match:
The Usos(c) vs The New Day
Which team is the hungriest for going into Wrestlemania 34 as WWE Smackdown Tag Team Champions?
A great tag team feud has officially been re-ignited with The New Day once again finding themselves in line for The Usos WWE Smackdown Championships, and I for one don't mind that this match up is happening again, as it was thoroughly entertaining and the best tag team feud in the company in 2017.
I expect more of the same fast paced smashed mouth action in this one and i'm really hoping that The Usos will be walking into Wrestlemania as the WWE Smackdown Tag Team Champions.
What Will Happen: The Usos will retain the WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championships.
What I Want To Happen: Same as above.
WWE United States Championship Match:
Bobby Roode(c) vs Dolph Ziggler
Will it be a 'Glorious' United States Championship defence for Bobby Roode (left) against a hungry Viper Randy Orton?(right)
A feud that should be lighting up the upper midcard on Smackdown is that of Bobby Roode and Randy Orton, but in a way I'm not surprised that it hasn't really been anything to sniff at as it has been put together very randomly and out of nowhere just like Randy Orton hitting Bobby Roode with an RKO 'Outta Nowhere' which was making me think that Orton had made a heel turn.
But it turns out nope, Orton is still babyface and Bobby Roode is babyface and this has caused a stale and confusing feud between the two so far, there hasn't been an explanation as to why Randy Orton has suddenly set his sights on the United States Championship.
Not to mention that Bobby Roode as a babyface just does not work and Orton as a babyface has dragged on for a bit too long now.
I'm not really holding out much hope for this one, but it does have the fresh match feel going for it which may count for something.
Maybe just maybe this match might surprise me though, it has the potential to.
What Will Happen: Bobby Roode will find a way to retain the WWE United States Championship.
What I Want To Happen: Same as above.
WWE Smackdown Women's Championship Match:
Charlotte Flair(c) vs Ruby Riott
Can Ruby Riott (right) step up to the occasion and pull off a shocking win to become the new WWE Smackdown Women's Champion?
I've got to admit there is some intrigue in this WWE Smackdown Women's Championship match and it is down to the fresh match up feel, and we also have a fresh face in Ruby Riott going after the Smackdown Women's Championship.
I'm expecting Ruby Riott to put on a strong performance here against Charlotte and be the dominant of the two in the ring with Charlotte's veterinary instincts kicking in to unsurp her.
Despite an obvious outcome, this will definitely be one to keep your eyes on.
What Will Happen: Charlotte Flair will retain the WWE Smackdown Women's Championship.
What I Want To Happen: Same as above.
WWE Championship Six Pack Challenge Match:
AJ Styles(c) vs John Cena vs Kevin Owens vs Sami Zayn vs Baron Corbin vs Dolph Ziggler
Can AJ Styles (middle left) survive with the WWE Championship into Wrestlemania?
And here we have it, the main event, which should provide excitement and a bit of unexpectedness as we have a big wide mix of Smackdown superstars all gunning for AJ Styles's WWE Championship.
I have no doubt that this will most likely be match of the night with all the talent featured in this one and I expect strong performances from Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn & Dolph Ziggler especially as they will want to cement themselves as Main Event mainstays for the foreseeable future and beyond Wrestlemania 34.
It will be interesting to see how Baron Corbin capitalizes on the big opportunity that he has been given to redeem himself as a major player for the Smackdown brand in this match too.
What Will Happen: AJ Styles will retain the WWE Championship.
What I Want To Happen: Same as above.
And there you have my predictions for what should be a below average to decent PPV on the last main stop before Wrestlemania 34.
Feel free to leave your comments and opinions on what you think will happen at tonight's PPV.
-Simeon Barrett
And there you have my predictions for what should be a below average to decent PPV on the last main stop before Wrestlemania 34.
Feel free to leave your comments and opinions on what you think will happen at tonight's PPV.
-Simeon Barrett
