The path to WrestleMania 32 is clear, but what will actually happen at the biggest show of the year isn’t.
With about six weeks until WWE holds the biggest WrestleMania ever, there is still plenty of mystery of what the card will look like. In years past, most of the matches had been built up to some degree. However, thanks to a rash of injuries up and down the roster the card is still fluid.
But things should clear up after Fastlane this Sunday in Cleveland, Ohio. Fastlane is WWE’s final pay-per-view before WrestleMania and the card will hopefully start to come into focus.
Now let’s take a look at what might happen at Fastlane and how that will set things up at WrestleMania.
Preshow: Kalisto (c) vs. Alberto Del Rio in a two-out-of-three falls match for the United States Championship
It’s a shame that a potential match of the night has to be relegated to the preshow. It’s understandable from WWE’s point of view that they want people to turn into the preshow but this match shouldn’t be the sacrifice. However, Kalisto and Del Rio’s feud has lost a bit of steam since their encounter at the Royal Rumble. The spark between these two men has faded a bit but that shouldn’t stop them from having a good match at Fastlane.
Pick: Kalisto
Main Card: Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks vs. Team B.A.D. (Naomi and Tamina)
This feud has been getting plenty of air time on WWE television the past couple of weeks. Unfortunately there’s just not much here for fans to get invested into. It’s an OK storyline about how Banks left Team B.A.D. and now they’re battling because of it. I’m personally glad that Banks is gone from Team B.A.D. because she was being wasted in that role. Now let’s hope this feud wraps up nicely with a win for Banks and Lynch.
Pick: Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks
Kevin Owens (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler for the WWE Intercontinental Championship
Even though this match hasn’t had any time to build up at all, fans should be excited about. Both Owens and Ziggler have a penchant for putting on strong matches and this shouldn’t be any different. This is one of the feuds on the card that has the potential to go until WrestleMania. A rematch at WrestleMania between these two would be better than a seven-way ladder match for the title, but that’s just my opinion.
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Pick: Kevin Owens
AJ Styles vs. Chris Jericho
So far, Styles run in the WWE has been a bit underwhelming. The main gripe that I have Styles booking is WWE not letting him on the mic enough. Styles has wrestled the world over and is a capable talker. He cuts good promos on a nightly basis and just because he has a Southern accent it shouldn’t stop him from running his mouth on the mic. Regardless, his feud with Jericho has been enjoyable thus far and has seemed to rejuvenate Y2J. A five-star classic might not happen but good, hard hitting match is what fans should expect.
Pick: AJ Styles
Charlotte (c) (with Ric Flair) vs. Brie Bella for the WWE Diva’s Championship
This little storyline between Charlotte and Brie Bella is actually quite intriguing. Brie is battling Charlotte not only for the title, but to win a championship for her husband Daniel Bryan, who retired from wrestling just last week. Whether or not Brie is getting the title shot just because of Bryan is beside the point. This feud hasn’t had much time to build up but it’s been given enough time to give fans a reason to watch. Everything points to a Brie win and her sailing off into the sunset with her husband.
Pick: Brie Bella
Ryback, Big Show and Kane vs. The Wyatt Family (Luke Harper, Erick Rowan and Braun Strowman) (with Bray Wyatt)
Honestly, this really is just a waste of The Wyatt Family talents. The storyline is lackluster – Ryback, Big Show and Kane want revenge for getting beaten up – and the match will probably be the same. It’s still hard to fathom that this angle ended Raw on Monday. As for the match, there might be a spot or two worth watching but this really is the “popcorn” match. This feud will thankfully be over as soon as the fight ends and that’s about the only good thing coming from this. What will really matter for the Wyatt’s is the main event.
Pick: The Wyatt Family
Dean Ambrose vs. Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar to determine the No. 1 contender for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 32
It seemed so certain just a few weeks ago that Roman Reigns would be headlining WrestleMania against Triple H for the title. Thankfully the WWE has made this match much more interesting with the booking the past several weeks. Each competitor has looked strong at different points and it feels like the outcome isn’t as predetermined as everybody thought. WWE actually has an opportunity to flip the script and not be painfully predictable.
Now will WWE go in that direction and give Ambrose the win? Probably not. Hell, even a win by Lesnar would still be pretty surprising. WWE is all in on Reigns and he will most likely get the victory. That doesn’t take anything away from the WWE and let’s hope the company can keep up this kind of intrigue until WrestleMania 32. Also, don’t be surprised if there’s a couple of run-ins from several wrestlers during the match.
Pick: Roman Reigns
Thomas Romero-Salas is the culture editor for the Daily Lobo. He writes a weekly wrestling column among other things. He can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @ThomasRomeroS.
