Fastlane comes to you liveeee from the Nationwide Arena in Colombus, Ohio tonight. It is FINALLY the last major main roster event before WrestleMania and holy crap, I never thought it would come. Raw has been in Mania mode for a few weeks, while Smackdown has struggled to keep any sort of momentum going. Clearly, they’ve turned back to old feuds in an attempt to chug along, but the build to this show has not been the greatest. Hope the boys and girls can turn it around.

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Main Card

Match #1: The Usos vs New Day- Smackdown Tag-Team Championship match

These two teams had what was arguably, the rivalry of the year in 2017. I’m all for reopening great feuds when necessary, but not just a few months after a Hell In A Cell match that is supposed to be the be-all, end-all of major programs. Not just for them, but for everyone who participates. How do you compete in “Satan’s structure” and then continue on like it never happened?

That being said, I have no doubt that the boys will deliver yet another classic. This is only happening because there is literally NO competition (with the exception of the Bludgeon Brothers, who I guess WWE does not want to shoot the rocket off of yet) for the Usos and the tag-titles need to be kept relevant. I can’t see what either of these teams will be doing at Mania, which is a shame, because both teams have been the work horses of the company for months now.

Winners: The Usos

Match #2: Becky Lynch and Naomi vs Carmella and Natayla

A throwaway, and most likely a repeat of something done multiple times already. I can only hope that creative has something planned for Becky Lynch for Mania, instead of just sticking her in something random. Carmella STILL has the Money In The Bank briefcase and really done nothing in months to appear like a threat, so I hope that creative at least has SOME idea of what they’re going to do with her.

Winners:

Match #3: Bobby Roode vs Randy Orton- United States Championship match

Never in my life did I think a feud with Bobby Roode and Randy Orton, a match that I’ve wanted to see for years, would include Jinder Mahal. It’s a mystery as to why he isn’t in this match himself so that Orton/Roode proper can happen at Mania itself, but maybe he’ll be added later on. Booby Roode hasn’t had that one great singles feud yet on the main roster to really cement his status, but this could definitely be it. Defeating Randy Orton (I’m assuming), a guy who defines this generation of WWE, will do wonders for him with the casual fan.

Winner: Bobby Roode

Match #4: Shinsuke Nakamura vs Rusev (w/Aiden English)

Welp, this is “the rumble winner needs a filler arc before Mania” kind of thing. It’s a shame it has to be done at Rusev’s expense, but I have no doubt that Shinsuke will give him a lot of shine. I haven’t watched Smackdown in a week or two but apparently the match is happening because Nakamura defeated English in a match and now Rusev wants to avenge English’s “vocal chords”….alright then Road Dogg can you please stop sucking the life out of this show?

Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura

Match #5: Charlotte vs Ruby Riot- Smackdown Womens’s Championship match

I’m actually a huge fan of this match and I wish it wasn’t the last pay-per-view before Mania, where we are sure to see Charlotte vs Asuka, so that we could actually be a little skeptical about Charlotte retaining. Ruby is FAR superior to the other members of her “squad”….she proved how badass she is in NXT and even though she’s been watered down since coming up to the main roster, she’s still coming across as very dangerous. An uninterrupted match between the two of them could be excellent, so let’s see what they do.

Winner: Charlotte

Match #6: John Cena vs Kevin Owens vs Sami Zayn vs Baron Corbin vs Dolph Ziggler vs AJ Styles- Six-Pack Challenge for the WWE Championship

The WWE Championship picture is a literal MESS right now. We know that we’re getting Shinsuke Nakamura vs AJ Styles at Mania, but the crap that we’ve had to go through to get to that point has been unbelievable. We went from a handicap match to a triple threat all the way to six-pack challenge, which is great, but there’s NO mystery to the match whatsoever. The only mystery that surrounds this is whether or not The Undertaker is going to come out on RAW tomorrow night to face John Cena, as the latter teased a few weeks ago. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, who have spent the better part of the last six months dominating and carrying Smackdown, will spend Mania working the Andre The Giant Battle Royal, which I guess they’re ok with, as will Ziggler, and as a major fan of his I’m kind of ok with too, as I can’t see anything else for him at Mania either.

So yeah, can’t wait for Shinsuke/AJ. Have fun with it though boys….kill it.

Winner: AJ Styles