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WWE Fastlane is a few days away and there are several exciting matches scheduled for the pay-per-view. Since it is the final stop before WrestleMania, these match results will have a huge impact on the biggest storylines on both RAW and SmackDown. All the superstars booked for the show have a tremendous opportunity ahead of themselves. A victory on Sunday can change anyone’s fate for the rest of the year, but some of those names need that win more than their counterparts.
In this article, we will take a look at six superstars who desperately need to win at the pay-per-view.
#1 Roman Reigns (Universal Championship match at WWE Fastlane)
Roman Reigns is set to put his title on the line at WWE Fastlane in a match against Daniel Bryan. The latter previously challenged Reigns for the Universal Championship at Elimination Chamber. Back then, The Tribal Chief successfully defended his title as he had a huge advantage over his opponent, who had just walked out of a grueling Elimination Chamber match.
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Bryan was not satisfied with the match and demanded another shot at the title. He eventually defeated Jey Uso in a Steel Cage match to win another opportunity at WWE Fastlane. This could be the last WrestleMania for Bryan before he turns into a part-time performer, and thus, he wants to get his hands on a world championship at least once before distancing himself from the ring.
Meanwhile, Reigns has been enjoying the run of a lifetime ever since he turned heel. He has been one of the best performers in WWE since his return at SummerSlam last year. He deserves a chance to carry the Universal Championship into WrestleMania, where he is slated to face Edge. He will have to defend his title at all costs on Sunday at WWE Fastlane.
Either Edge or Jey Uso will act as a special enforcer during this title match. That will be determined by a match between them on WWE SmackDown tonight. It's interesting to note that Reigns has needed Uso in almost all of his title defenses. He will desperately want to have Uso by his side at WWE Fastlane as well.
Bryan will have the opportunity to win the title later this year, and he can always get over with the crowd. Reigns, on the other hand, has finally managed to please both his fans and critics. It would be a mistake to take the title away from him at WWE Fastlane. He should at least keep his title until the much-awaited Spear vs. Spear match at The Grandest Stage of Them All.
#2 and #3 Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler (Women’s Tag Team Championship match at WWE Fastlane)
At WWE Fastlane, Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax will look to defend their titles against Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair. The two teams previously met in a title match at Elimination Chamber, and the champions successfully retained their titles. They will be keen on doing the same once again at the upcoming pay-per-view.
Jax and Baszler have been decent as the women’s tag team champions. They have had the upper hand in some of their encounters leading up to WWE Fastlane and will look to capitalize on that momentum. It wouldn’t make sense for Jax and Baszler to lose their titles to two superstars who don’t actually compete as a team. Instead, they should be allowed to retain the title at Fastlane so that they can engage with other teams in the women’s division.
It wouldn’t make sense to reduce the competition around these championships just a few days after NXT introduced its exclusive women’s tag team titles. If anything, it should fuel the creative to make the main roster competition even more intense, and it could all start at WWE Fastlane.
More than anything, Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler's victory would create more tension between Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair. Banks and Belair have been on good terms but are bound to be involved in a heated rivalry ahead of their title match at WrestleMania. Sustaining a loss at WWE Fastlane will force the two SmackDown superstars to blame each other, and it will eventually turn one of them into a heel.
#4 Drew McIntyre (Singles match against Sheamus at WWE Fastlane)
Drew McIntyre is scheduled to face Sheamus at WWE Fastlane in a singles match. The two former best friends started feuding when McIntyre was still the WWE Champion. Sheamus’ betrayal left McIntyre in shock, and they have continued their brutal encounters on RAW over the last month.
McIntyre and Sheamus have already given us a taste of what to expect from their in-ring encounter at WWE Fastlane. Their matches on RAW were very entertaining, especially when it came down to their chemistry. Since they both know each other’s plan of attack well, it was great to see them come up with creative counters and spectacular moves.
Things won't be any different at WWE Fastlane. However, the match should end with Drew McIntyre picking a victory as he can use the momentum before he challenges Bobby Lashley for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania. Sheamus and McIntyre can continue their feud and eventually face each other in a title match when McIntyre potentially reclaims his gold in a few months.
#5 Apollo Crews (Intercontinental Championship match at WWE Fastlane)
It is highly unlikely that Big E will lose his Intercontinental Championship at WWE Fastlane. However, the champion will actually benefit from a loss. Big E is set to face Apollo Crews at the upcoming pay-per-view, and the latter desperately needs to walk out of the event with the title. He has recently turned heel and is at a bigger risk than any other name on this list.
It is important to note that Crews has challenged and failed against Big E several times. Out of frustration, he turned into a heel and attacked the champion. He then adopted the gimmick of a Nigerian Prince and promised to create a legacy of his own. But all of this will account for nothing if he fails to get his hands on the title at WWE Fastlane.
After winning the title, Crews and Big E can continue their feud, leading to a WrestleMania match. Between WWE Fastlane and The Show of Shows, the creative will have enough time to make this feud as intense as it can get. After that, Big E can reclaim the gold, or he can bow out of the IC title picture that will finally set him free to engage in a feud with Roman Reigns on SmackDown.
Thus, a loss for Big E won’t exactly do much harm to the New Day member. However, Crews will be back to square one if he loses again at WWE Fastlane. Even if that happens, Crews should at least be booked strongly at the upcoming pay-per-view so that he can still make the most of his new gimmick in the coming weeks.
#6 Riddle (Possible United States Championship match at WWE Fastlane)
The United States Championship match has not yet been confirmed for WWE Fastlane. Mustafa Ali challenged Riddle for the US title on the go-home show of RAW before the pay-per-view. Riddle ended up retaining the title after a distraction by RETRIBUTION member T-Bar cost Ali the match.
Following the defeat, Ali demanded another title match against Riddle at Fastlane, and he might get that opportunity. We expect that this would be one of the last-minute additions to the upcoming event.
Riddle has been feuding with Ali ever since the former won the title after beating John Morrison and Bobby Lashley in the triple-threat match at Elimination Chamber. Keith Lee was originally booked for this match as well, but he had to miss the event. It is expected that Lee will eventually challenge and beat Riddle for the title. Before that happens, the latter deserves to have a good run with the United States Championship, and a good title defense at Fastlane will help his cause.
This result at WWE Fastlane could also be a blessing in disguise for Mustafa Ali. Both him and RETRIBUTION have struggled on RAW over the last few months. His loss might finally prompt other RETRIBUTION members like T-Bar to challenge Ali’s leadership and create an interesting rivalry on the Red brand.
