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The final PPV on the road to WrestleMania 35 is done and dusted with, and we're a month away from the grandest stage of them all. Although tonight's Fastlane PPV managed to shock the viewers in more ways than one, no one expected that the WWE title match would be turned into a triple threat bout at the last minute.
The Superstar whose injury led to Kofi's rise to the top, was abruptly added to the match. Mustafa Ali came out to the utter delight of the fans in the arena and proceeded to steal the show with Bryan and Owens. Let's see why WWE made the right decision by adding Ali to the match.
Also read: 3 reasons why we'll get Kofi vs Owens vs Bryan at Mania
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#3 Ali deserved a chance to shine
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Several weeks ago, Mustafa Ali was slated to feature in a gauntlet match on SmackDown, followed by the Elimination Chamber match for the WWE title. A sudden injury changed all that, as Ali was replaced by Kofi, who proceeded to tear the house down on two separate occasions.
Tonight, Ali finally got his chance on the big stage and managed to wow the audience with his incredible athleticism, even though the fans clearly wanted Kofi Kingston.
Mustafa Ali was pinned by Bryan to retain the WWE title, but this performance by the former 205 Live will go a long way in cementing him as a top performer on the blue show.
#2 Bryan vs Owens isn't enough to keep the fans glued
Even though Kevin Owens came back as a face, fans weren't thrilled one bit when he came in as a replacement for the more deserving Kofi Kingston. The sea of fans on SmackDown booed Mr. McMahon out of the building when he screwed Kofi Kingston out of the WWE championship.
Although Owens received a fine reaction, the fact remains that his return cost the white-hot, fan favorite Kofi, a chance at the coveted title. The matches on recent SmackDowns pitting Kevin Owens and Bryan on opposite ends have gotten a mind response at best.
The match at Fastlane would have bombed had it been a traditional one-on-one encounter. Turning it into a triple threat bout not only made it a better match, but gave the fans a full blown babyface to cheer for in the form of Ali.
#1 Kofi Kingston is destined to win now
Mr. McMahon abused his authority on last week's SmackDown by taking away Kofi's shot at the WWE title. Tonight, Mustafa Ali got to showcase his skills by being added to the big match at the very last moment.
Also read: 3 reasons Bryan vs Owens at WrestleMania is a huge mistake
This irked the fans even more, as the fans were clearly pissed off at Kofi Kingston being excluded from the match. The triple threat match at Fastlane was met with a chorus of boos on multiple occasions, especially during the early moments of the match. WWE is starving the fans long enough that when Kofi Kingston finally wins the big one at WrestleMania 35, the moment will be met with a loud roar from the 80,000 fans in the stadium.
Kofi will surely get his chance at Mania, and his exclusion from tonight's match did nothing but help his cause going forward. As an added bonus, Ali got to show the fans that he is the future of the blue brand.
