WWE FASTLANE 2016 REVIEW

After Fastlane 2015, I was left with a very unpleasant taste in my mouth. It was an uninspiring and boring event that almost held me to ransom. By the looks of the fan reception, this stigma I held  last year has carried over to the masses twelve months on. 2015's edition was a two match card, that failed to deliver, just like this years according to some. The question is, would the negative stigma surrounding this event remain, or will it spring itself into a new light, and prove its worth as the major show that WWE proclaims they're trying to make it? Lets find out as I take a look at the last PPV on the "Road To WrestleMania".

SPOILERS AHEAD: IF YOU DON'T WANT TO HAVE THE RESULTS RUINED, DON'T READ ON!

If you've never seen The CC Network's video reviews of WWE events before, then my review system will be new to you. Matches are given star ratings in accordance with an average, accumulated score of 5 rating factors: Psychology (in-ring story), Move Variety, Crowd Reaction, Match Length and Pacing, as well as my overall enjoyment as a result of those factors. 

A REVIEW VIDEO WILL NOT BE RELEASED DUE TO ONGOING WORK COMMITMENTS.

Now time to get into the show. As I don't review the Pre-Show Match as part of the whole televised package, here's the result of that match:

Kalisto (c) def Alberto Del Rio by two falls to one, in a 2 Out Of Three Falls Match to retain the WWE United States Championship (14:58)

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SASHA BANKS & BECKY LYNCH def NAOMI & TAMINA (9:46)

PSYCHOLOGY: 1.5

MOVE VARIETY: 1

CROWD REACTION: 2

MATCH LENGTH AND PACING: 1.5

MY ENJOYMENT: 1.5

CORRECT PREDICTION?: YES

FINAL RATING: *

Well, here's something that you rarely see, a women's match opening a PPV. It shows how much confidence WWE has in its female competitors that it would give them the task of livening up the crowd. While that same crowd were into Banks & Lynch, which drove the match forward, it was all that gave the match life, in a bout that failed to impress.

For a match that opens the card, it has to excite, keep a steady but quick pace and have enough action to substantiate itself. This match despite the performers involved was far from that in its entire near 10 minute run time. While Banks & Lynch didn't show that much cohesion as a team unlike their opponents, squabbling about who will start the match, they still came out looking more powerful despite of their opponents being on the offensive for most of the bout. Taming & Naomi dominating proceedings did allow for Becky to do a beautiful job selling her beating as the face in peril, but it slowed the match down, which neutered the crowd after a very quick start. Very little move variety came through despite difference in styles from all performers being on show, with a Cutter over the top turnbuckle by Naomi being the sole standout.

This match had the performers to be decent, yet for an opener it didn't live up to its expectations. It could have easily gone on the pre-show, and did little to convince me that it deserved to be here. For an opening match, this was a pretty sorry excuse for one. While it did have enough to make me not out and out hate it, it still started this event on quite a bad note indeed.

KEVIN OWENS (c) def DOLPH ZIGGLER TO RETAIN THE WWE INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP (15:14)

PSYCHOLOGY: 2.5

MOVE VARIETY: 1

CROWD REACTION: 2.5

MATCH LENGTH AND PACING: 3

MY ENJOYMENT: 2.5

CORRECT PREDICTION?: YES

FINAL RATING: **1/2

When you've seen a match between two competitors many times, it takes a lot to ensure it doesn't get stale. In the case of Kevin Owens and Dolph Ziggler, their matches have been of decent quality, but they just needed that something extra on PPV to ensure it doesn't get added to a stagnant pile that has been getting bigger since December. This 'rubber match' gave a solid showing for both men, that ultimately lived up to but didn't manage to surpass their previous encounters.

Owen's aggressive psychology and methodical pace is what has defined his style in WWE since he arrived, however it hindered as much as it helped this match. The sheer amount of mat offence by Owens slowed the match down so when Ziggler got VERY quick offence, it looked completely unrealistic. While the crowd were into it, those pacing issues meant the crowd lost interest whenever it was grounded for longer than a minute, meaning a match that should have felt larger, was made to look quite small despite a good rally at the end. The match had a decent amount of momentum shifts, with Owens retaining control allowing suspension of disbelief that Ziggler could fight back to come in briefly and with the match lasting well longer than expected but not feeling like it was overdone. While I will give credit to Ziggler for selling the punishment to a degree, he no sold his chest which had been frequently targeted. Once again Owens' simple heel psychology that you rarely see in WWE, with him berating the referee and shouting out to Cole, as well as targeting Ziggler's neck and head was a nice touch. It may be repetitive from match to match with Owens, but at least its effective in helping a match get some merit.

Despite the two men involved, this felt like a run of the mill match to get Owens back into gear as Intercontinental Champion, while allowing Ziggler another chance to prove his popularity with the crowd. While these were both done, it was at the expense of creativity, with only a body scissors choke hold by Owens coming out of the move pool to really make me sit up. The match did its job and made Owens look strong going into his WrestleMania feud. While I can be happy with that, I just can help but feel this match had potential that was wasted. It could've been a lot better than this, for sure.

RYBACK, KANE & BIG SHOW def THE WYATT FAMILY IN A 6-MAN TAG TEAM MATCH (10:36)

PSYCHOLOGY: 1

MOVE VARIETY: 1

CROWD REACTION: 1.5

MATCH LENGTH AND PACING: 3

MY ENJOYMENT: 2

CORRECT PREDICTION?: NO

FINAL RATING: *1/4

I am hoping that 6-Man tag team matches don't become a regular occurrence at this event, because after two of them, with four of the same participants, WWE really needs to find a better way to utilise its talent on these events. If the idea of repetition wasn't apparent enough, Big Show & Kane are once again on the winning team. Looks like that feeling of deja vu I had predicting the match yesterday really has come to some semblance of truth.

When looking in comparison to last years encounter, I come bearing good news, this one was better. While it had less psychology, it at least showed more cohesion with The Wyatt Family systematically tagging frequently in order to regain control. The crowd were more into this than their 2015 predecessor, in shock of Strowman's decimation of Kane as well as Big Show and Ryback's late rally to victory, which got a muted response once the three count hit. Most importantly, the match was fast. Which is surprising when you consider the participants involved. Ryback was mostly responsible for this, moving at a much quicker pace than I've ever seen from him. This added a lot of life to the match as a whole, which Rowan and Harper also helped with. The match didn't outstay its welcome, with a lot of momentum shifts and frequent tags keeping it interesting, and lasting just enough time to where it didn't become laboured and tiresome. Overall, the competitors did all they could to make this match of behemoths seem like an even contest, which it didn't look like in the build-up.

However even with that unexpected level of pace making this match quite fun to watch, getting the crowd into it slightly, it still showed that the match was lacking on all other fronts. While the athleticism of the performers was re-enforced, it's all the match seemed to do, as in my humble opinion the wrong team won, therefore making all the good the match had seem worthless in the broader scheme of things. I understand WWE want their old warhorses and their valiant young steed in Ryback to look strong going towards WrestleMania, but why do it at the expense of a team that needed to establish their dominance going forward? While I'm sure The Wyatt Family will get their revenge on RAW, it is crazy to think they couldn't put these three away. Not being able to suspend my disbelief cost this match, but all in all, it did enough to keep me satisfied, unlike one year ago.

CHARLOTTE (c) def BRIE BELLA TO RETAIN THE WWE DIVAS CHAMPIONSHIP (12:27)

PSYCHOLOGY: 2.5

MOVE VARIETY: 1

CROWD REACTION: 2

MATCH LENGTH AND PACING: 2

MY ENJOYMENT: 2

CORRECT PREDICTION?: NO

FINAL RATING: **

Going into this match, there was a sense that Charlotte's reign would end, and a brief wave of crowd optimism would go across this event, with the sight of Brie Bella fulfilling the build-up's main target, by winning the Divas Championship for her husband and sister. Fast forward 12 minutes, and a solid match ends in the most anticlimactic fashion, making you wonder why WWE didn't pull the trigger. Almost a full # hours later, I understand why, but that doesn't mean I'm necessarily pleased with it.

While this match was all surrounded by Daniel Bryan, Brie had this match to show herself of, which she did by controlling the early going and giving Charlotte a bit of a beating, with the crowd in full support with her, however once Charlotte gained control, it looked increasingly unlikely that Brie would be able to do it. She showed that she could handle Charlotte's taunting by mocking her Dad and beating Charlotte hard enough where she bled from the nose and arm, while showing she could take the hard hitting punishment that the champion was dishing out. She showed some great aerial offence and proved to be a worthy challenger on the night, especially when she transitioned a Figure 8 into a Single Leg Boston following Charlotte's own counter out of a YES Lock.

All came through for Brie, but in her defeat, WWE wanted to show that she could hang with the best and prove that the companies' time investing in the twin tandem wasn't the waste that many proclaimed. She was strong, but not strong enough to beat the champion that beat her sister twice, makes sense, but given the background, Brie getting the win would've been better than her tapping out. While the story came through well, the rest of the match struggled, with sloppy pin attempts and a very slow pace that once again coupled with Charlotte's submission based offence to simultaneously kill the crowd too, who had really gotten into it. Brie selling the leg and Charlotte working it to end the match was nice, but it should have been an element that was there from the start to really add to the drama of a match that had more substance BEFORE the match... which says something.

While I'm happy that both Bella's had good matches with Charlotte, this match did show that you need much more than a simply executed story and a decent crowd to make it work. Charlotte's matches with Nikki late last year are prime examples of that. Why this match couldn't have lived up to them may be an example of the different but genetically identical competitor, but we won't know. This match did enough, but could have been better. I feel with Charlotte's PPV matches, we're getting very similar results and each time. Hopefully for WrestleMania, this can change, because they're starting to become tiresome.

AJ STYLES def CHRIS JERICHO (16:25)

PSYCHOLOGY: 3

MOVE VARIETY: 2.5

CROWD REACTION: 4

MATCH LENGTH AND PACING: 4

MY ENJOYMENT: 4

CORRECT PREDICTION?: YES

FINAL RATING: ***3/4

After the two matches that Styles and Jericho had, I was enjoying them but not fully convinced of their quality. The RAW match was slow, a little sloppy and didn't show Styles off in the best light on his first weekly show. The Smackdown effort was faster but focused more on Jericho's desire to win, which overshadowed it, making it look like they were holding back move wise for the inevitable third. So, along comes the third, and low and behold both men almost knocked a home run while perfecting what the other two bouts failed on. 

The crowd were hot for it, having become convinced of Styles ability and placement since arriving, duelling chants throughout the match, into almost everything. Why was this the case? The match was kept relatively simple, but kept a high intensity, fluid and fast pace for almost the entire match. Momentum shifted cleanly as both men countered multiple moves and pin falls, showing they'd learnt from their previous encounters. As the match went on, through its 16 and a half minute run time, Jericho got mor frustrated and disrespected Styles, making him look smaller and Styles bigger in retrospect, which was a small yet smart move. Speaking of smart moves, this match finally broke the monotony of move variety by throwing in a few unique counters, especially the Tiger Bomb into a Frankensteiner into a Styles Clash, along with Styles springboard reverse DDT to really add to a match that seemingly couldn't do no wrong. Even with that, it wasn't all it cracked up to be though.

While both men had a begrudging but needed handshake after a thrilling back and forth match, it sums up my opinion of the match as a whole. It was one that was very good, but it almost looked like both knew they could have done a little better. Alas, they could have by adding some body psychology and an outside spot to really bring it up to four star territory. That doesn't mean I'm not impressed with everything else because of what little wasn't executed though, as it got the pace balanced, had just enough simple psychology to tell a good story, had the crowd invested, had me on the edge of my seat despite how predictable the outcome was, and felt perfect for its run time despite one or two slow moments. It was a match that delivered on all we knew these two could do and was a great launchpad for Styles going into WrestleMania. Where either man ends up is still a mystery, but I would love to see who they face knowing that both men are near and over forty respectively and can still pull of good matches like that.

CURTIS AXEL def R-TRUTH (2:09)

PSYCHOLOGY: 1.5

MOVE VARIETY: 1

CROWD REACTION: 1

MATCH LENGTH AND PACING: 1

MY ENJOYMENT: 1

CORRECT PREDICTION?: NO

FINAL RATING: ZERO

Really? We don't have a mid-card title match on the main show, yet a throwaway match between the WWE's Worst Team and a man going through an identity crisis with Goldust makes the card? Wow... I can't believe WWE sometimes.

This match didn't last very long, thankfully, but what happened was of little substance, not really worth talking about. Sure, I will give credit to the smallest bit of psychology in Goldust accidentally costing R-Truth the victory making this match have SOMETHING good to talk about, but it could have all panned out on RAW tonight rather than on a show that needed the bigger title match to give the card some weight. Sometimes the lesser feuds don't need to be showcased on PPV, this match is a poster child for that.

ROMAN REIGNS def BROCK LESNAR & DEAN AMBROSE IN A TRIPLE THREAT MATCH TO BECOME #1 CONTENDER FOR THE WWE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (16:49)

PSYCHOLOGY: 3.5

MOVE VARIETY: 2

CROWD REACTION: 4

MATCH LENGTH AND PACING: 3.5

MY ENJOYMENT: 4

CORRECT PREDICTION?: YES

FINAL RATING: ***1/2

WWE did it. They actually did it. Once again, they went ahead with their plans, doing it without a smidgen of intrigue or excitement to finish the match off, making the whole wrestling world riot again. Am I in the same group? No. However, I do realise the problem the company has in trying to prevent the main event of WrestleMania now falling to similar problems this match had, especially in the lacklustre finish that killed the whole vibe the match built up. That being said, the match up until that point was pretty good, to say the least.

The reason for this matches quality stack up firstly from the psychology, with both Reigns and Ambrose saving each other from Lesnar's destructive onslaughts, but remembering that they promised to not hold anything back once The Beast Incarnate was out of the picture, via double power bombs through TWO announce tables, big spots indeed. As a result he friends hit each with all they had, including their finishers, weapons and the like. Even Lesnar managed to get in on the 'family feud', by not only suplexing Ambrose and Reigns to kingdom come (including two beautiful overhead belly to bellys) but also hitting a German on Reigns as he hits a Samoan Drop on Ambrose. It all comes together combined with a quick and balanced pace with fluid momentum shifts as an aggressive, intense and chaotic bout that never died down, especially with the many near falls, which mean the crowd had reason to stay invested. They were cheering Lesnar as well as their fellow Ohioan in Ambrose, especially when he had the gaul to slap The Beast in the face to incur his anger. Reigns on the other hand was booed, heavily, which did impact on the feel of the match but not enough to become distracting.

While all sounds good, it's not all there. I've already acknowledged he ending was anticlimactic against the run of play, and after the Cutting Edge Peep Show took twenty minutes, to see this big match do under that and finish with 15 minutes left on the event was criminal. If given more time for the weapons and body psychology to evolve into the match, it could have really finished by hitting the ground running, instead of whimpering out at a moment where it should have delivered on more drama. Some blood and interference from The Wyatt Family were things that many believed would come out of this match to really give this some extra meat, looking at the time left and the matches' ending, those elements were sorely missed in taking this bout to the next level.

What more can I say? These three did their best to deliver an intense match, but in the end, complacency and a desire for a certain result neutered this match from achieving what it rightfully should have.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Firstly, lets address the elephant in the room: Fastlane 2016 did better than its 2015 counterpart. That's a great thing in my opinion. With that being said though, this event could have done a lot more to ensure it didn't fall flat on some of its results, timing and card structure.

While the matches in most cases were solid or mediocre, with two living up to expectations, many had winners that didn't make sense for the story, or if they did came across at a detriment to the crowd and the build-up. The idea of sticking the US title match on the pre-show while two less meaningful matches went on the card was appalling, having the Cutting Edge Peep Show segment come to NOTHING of merit was a colossal waste of time, and with the bigger matches not breaking the 20 minute mark was disappointing considering what was at stake. As this event improved in quality of matches in comparison to last year, it still has get more out of the matches storylines and order them so they're not causing problems.

While I'm not entirely disappointed with this event, it could have been a lot better if these irksome problems were ironed out. We could have seen another average or above show if they weren't present, which is irritating and disappointing for sure.

FASTLANE 2016 GETS A 4.25 OUT OF 10!

In relation to other 2016 events, it lines up as follows:

ROYAL RUMBLE: 6/10
FASTLANE: 4.25/10

(WWE Network Specials and the NXT Takeover Events aren't taken into consideration).

I've been Freddy Thomas, you've been people reading, this has been the Fastlane 2016 Review for The CC Network Blog, and I'll see you next time.

WWE FASTLANE 2016 PREDICTIONS

Fastlane as an event, is trying to become something major, as we're now on the FAST LANE towards WrestleMania. However, after last years show, which disappointed with sub-par matches that had pacing that bored me to sleep, that helped it win my Worst PPV of the Year Award despite having a strong looking card; you can understand why I am not in the best of moods as 2016's event comes forward tonight.

However, with the Rumble proving to be worth its weight in gold last month, there is a sense of optimism and expectation amongst fans and critics to have this event be just as good to keep the momentum for an unpredictable yet sizeable WrestleMania from stopping in its tracks. While the card may not be the best that it could be, with the limited roster WWE has, after The Rumble, I have more faith than I usually would do, that this event can deliver, lets hope it can.

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THE CUTTING EDGE PEEP SHOW FEATURING THE NEW DAY

I bet you're wondering, why am I starting this posts' analysis by looking at something that isn't a match and won't be reviewed in depth come the review tomorrow? The reason, is that unlike many other non-match segments that appear on PPV, this one could have major significance in regards to the direction of The New Day and the WWE Tag Team Championships going forward to WrestleMania 32. Hell, if it's not happening on the Pre-Show, and WWE's website page and their television coverage are hyping it to be significant, then you know this has to be more than just a simple segment that takes up time.

So you may be asking, what could this segment do? We all know this is a chance for arguably the most over group of wrestlers on the roster outside of Dean Ambrose and Brock Lesnar will once again get the chance to stand their own with two of the most charismatic WWE legends, with hopefully hilarious results. What we don't know is what it will lead too... will the heel Dudley Boyz come in and turn The New Day into a face team, with Edge & Christian helping the champions escape punishment? Will Edge & Christian stake their position for ONE LAST WrestleMania match to be the proper send-off that neither man had? Will it be the set-up for a new team to debut from NXT and spoil the fun for the Tag Team Champions, giving them a new opponent to fight and lose the titles to at WrestleMania? Or, is it just a chance for WWE to once again put their marquee legends of the past over new talent because money and viewership talks?

Those are all viable options considering this segment will take up at least fifteen to twenty minutes of the show, and for a PPV like Fastlane to feel like a bigger deal than the usual, this segment needs proper substance to not be considered a waste of time. After the WWE Tag Team Championships have been defended in two great multi-team matches on the pre-show of the last two WrestleMania's, it will be great to see them defended on the main show itself for the first time since WrestleMania 29. Hopefully this segment will go some way towards making that a reality... otherwise for me, it will be seen as a waste of talent and time.

UNITED STATES CHAMPIONSHIP "2 OUT OF 3 FALLS" MATCH: Kalisto (c) VS Alberto Del Rio (PRE-SHOW)

I understand that WWE want to have as many people glued to the pre-show as possible to ensure their Network and PPV numbers go up. It's simple business marketing for the "homeowner" to attempt to lure the "mice" out of their hole with a nice wedge of cheese. The cheese in this case is a 2 Out Of 3 Falls Match that will end the rivalry between 'Lucha Dragon' Kalisto, and "League Of Nations State Representative" Alberto Del Rio over the WWE United States Championship.

One thing immediately sprung to my mind upon finding out that a feud-ending match of particular intrigue through is match type would be on the pre-show: ARE WWE OUT OF THEIR MINDS?

This match has had at least one and a half to two months of build to it, and was on the main show of the Royal Rumble PPV last month.  So why, would we have a match that would excite and liven up an anticlimactic card, be rooted in a place where many wouldn't watch especially considering the circumstances, we are unlikely to see a title change? It's a decision that is rightfully baffling, and makes a potential show stealer feel completely meaningless, despite its build. Which is sad, as I was looking forward to reviewing this match which I can't do, as I don't review the Pre-Show bouts on my blog or video reviews.

I still have to put a prediction forward for it, and its simple. Kalisto will either defeat Del Rio 2-0, or come from behind to win 2-1. There is no way this title will be flip-flopped around this time, as that's so last month.

PREDICTION: Kalisto to retain.

TAG TEAM MATCH: Becky Lynch & Sasha Banks VS Naomi & Tamina

Sasha Banks split from Team B.A.D. was as anti-climactic as her appearance after Becky's title loss last month was surprising. It showed that WWE had realised their concoction for the much maligned "Divas Revolution" was a failure, and swept its last remnants under the rug by giving Sasha the face turn that her crowd receptions had been clamouring for. In the process, this match exists with one sole purpose, to make Sasha look strong for an upcoming WrestleMania programme.

Don't get me wrong, she's already got the in-ring prowess and the mic skills to match the best of them, but her main roster match repertoire pales vastly in comparison with her NXT work. Sure, this match will not be able to be held in the same regard due to story, time and competitor constraints, but it will be a great place to showcase Sasha's abilities that the uneducated viewer would not have seen before. If Sasha is to go onto WrestleMania looking like a viable threat to Charlotte (or whoever the Divas Champion is come April), this will need to be done.

While Naomi and Tamina are going to be solid opposition, they will be no match for the most over of female tandems. Becky lost to Charlotte at the Rumble and will need something to spring her back up. While it's not the Steel Cage Match against Divas Champion that the story of Becky's feud was playing towards, it's still a spot on a PPV that isn't for the Divas title, so it's not too much of a step down when you think about it.

PREDICTION: Sasha Banks & Becky Lynch.

6-MAN TAG TEAM MATCH: Ryback, Big Show & Kane VS The Wyatt Family (Luke Harper, Erick Rowan & Braun Strowman) w/Bray Wyatt

Am I the only one feeling a little déja vù coming on with this match? I swear Ryback, Big Show, Erick Rowan and Kane were all involved in a 6-Man Tag Team Match at last years event. A quick look on these here interwebs will confirm that this is indeed the case. I could call lazy booking, but with a roster so vastly depleted, it's an opportunity for everyone to make a statement... right? Not so in this match unfortunately.

Even though I can go in-depth with many matches when looking at its build-up and where it could lead a match, this is what I would call a formality, and therefore not much is needed to get to a solid prediction. The Wyatt Family are going to run through three giants to look strong going into an apparent WrestleMania feud with Brock Lensar. Destroying two giants of yesterday and one of today will be a great statement. While we know this will be the result, how they get there is where WWE can be creative. Lets hope the match is good, but knowing the competitors involved, I highly doubt it.

PREDICTION: The Wyatt Family.

DIVAS CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: Charlotte (c) VS Brie Bella

This match is happening for the reason that many a title match are made, the champion is pinned in a RAW or Smackdown match by a person who isn't in the title picture. While it is nice to see Charlotte go against ANOTHER member of the women's roster, it came at a price by stopping the feud between Becky & Charlotte, that was progressing towards a blow-off match at this event. What we get instead is a match that before two weeks ago, no one batted an eyelid at because of the challenger involved, but now, is shrouded in intrigue.

With Daniel Bryan's retirement causing a ton of support and sympathy to be put on her, Mrs. Danielson comes into tonight's match with all the momentum in the world. She's fighting not just for the honour of her in-ring work, but also that of her husband. For the last year we've been lambasting Brie for not advancing as much in the ring as her sister Nikki, and have frequently forgotten about her. Now with her husband permanently on the sidelines, and a despicable heel reminding her and the audience of that sad fact, Brie has been shoved right back into the spotlight where she now has a chance to show how good of a wrestler she has become. Charlotte on the other hand, has the simple decision on whether to use her Dad in the way he's been utilised since October, or give Brie a fair fight for the sake of story. We won't know that direction until the PPV itself, but one thing's clear, this match isn't an open and shut case anymore. There's no surefire way of confirming whether Charlotte will come out of Fastlane still holding the title.

Many will claim that Brie, much like Jeff Jarrett, Rey Mysterio and Christian, will be given a title to capitalise on their nearest and dearest departing the WWE or in the case of the former two, this life. That alone makes this match predictable for them. However, after finding out that Brie will be leaving WWE between tonight and WrestleMania to support her husband puts the brakes on that theory getting its momentum going. Will Fastlane be the last time we see Brie on WWE television? Will WrestleMania be her last hurrah before leaving? We just don't know. As a result, the likelihood of Charlotte retaining wouldn't be a stretch to consider. If Charlotte is indeed facing Sasha Banks at Mania, she will need the title to remain strong and as a result, Brie will not win here.

It's a difficult balancing act to get right when it comes to a prediction. However, the overwhelming amount of momentum in Brie's corner is too big to ignore. Even if her final reign is a short one, for Charlotte to regain back immediately, this would be the best time for it to make sense and not have the fans revolt against it.  Therefore, Brie will get the nod here.

PREDICTION: Brie Bella to become new champion.

INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: Kevin Owens (c) VS Dolph Ziggler

The build for this started in December at The Slammy Awards, with both Kevin Owens and Dolph Ziggler throwing insults and punches at one another. They've had matches on RAW which have had either man secure victories in the month since. Now that they finally have a match on PPV to decide the rubber match, an extra log has been thrown onto the fire in the shape of the WWE Intercontinental Championship.

Kevin Owens won the title for a second time after defeating Tyler Breeze in a 5-Man Match on RAW this past week, seemingly to make an inevitable match between WWE's hottest prospect and their greatest supplementary talent. There's no doubt that both of these men go in the ring, their two RAW matches have proven it. With a title now on the line, the quality of the match has to increase tenfold to ensure it doesn't end up like carbon copy of their previous encounters. Whether the decide some big spots are necessary or some interference from a potential WrestleMania opponent will come into play to spice this one up.

Whichever way you think about it, regardless of what happens, the result is a certainty. Dolph Ziggler's appalling start to 2016 will carry his disastrous 14 months of bad form further down the hole as Owens just won the title. If Owens hadn't lost the title to Dean Ambrose two months prior, I would give The Show-Off a chance, however he will have no chance against a determined champion willing to prove a point.

PREDICTION: Kevin Owens to retain.

GRUDGE MATCH: AJ Styles VS Chris Jericho

Professional wrestling is funny sometimes. The main event of this show has a seemingly predictable winner, and the crowd are losing their minds. Yet, knowing how predictable the result of Jericho VS Styles is, you'd expect fans to criticise WWE for making this star studded rubber match lack creativity? Of course not, because AJ Styles is not just a wrestler of stature but importantly he is one of their indy darlings that the fans love to covet. If he does well, they remain happy, and therefore an inevitable victory will be welcomed. That being said, it's up to WWE to ensure the result of this match is anything but predictable.

While both of Jericho and Styles' matches so far have been stellar but unspectacular affairs, they need to step up their game on PPV. In my humble opinion, the match needs a natural progression of pace, starting fast and ending with a flurry with exhaustion aplenty to sell it all. Give them both 20 minutes and multiple counters owing to both men knowing each others move sets from previous matches, and you have a recipe for what could be not just a show stealer, but a match of the year candidate. What also makes this match an intriguing one is that both men could win it regardless of how predictable it is. Jericho lost out in the Rumble and hasn't looked good in this feud with Styles, yet Styles needs a big win to cement himself on the main roster. WWE has plans for both men going into WrestleMania, what those plans are is unknown. I can see Jericho fighting for a mid-card championship, or being involved with a semi-main feud. While Jericho could be in a multi-man match for the US or IC title much like Styles could, a loss here would easily cement his fate. After being eliminated by Dean Ambrose at Royal Rumble, it would't surprise me if losing to Styles here is the catalyst for him exacting revenge on his one time partner to set up a great match in the making.

While Jericho winning would be nice, it would be anticlimactic and honestly make no sense. Even with me trying to pull something together to make it sound like Jericho needs the win, I know he doesn't. This match is all about Styles, and nothing more. Unless The Miz interferes and costs "The Phenomenal One" his first major singles match, we are unlikely to see anything other than a victory for the former TNA, ROH and NJPW stalwart.

PREDICTION: AJ Styles.

TRIPLE THREAT MATCH TO DETERMINE THE WWE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP #1 CONTENDER: Roman Reigns VS Brock Lesnar VS Dean Ambrose

This match, just like the Royal Rumble Match last month, is hard to predict. Even though the field has been minimised and concentrated, it's still challenging to definitely pick who will face Triple H in the main event of the biggest WrestleMania ever. The reason why this is the case, is because all three have a valid claim to it.

Brock Lesnar is the only one of the three to not just have faced Triple H one on one, but at a WrestleMania event, in a losing effort at WrestleMania 29. While that match was let down by pacing, crowd and psychology issues that made it one of the flops of the event in my opinion, the sight of Lesnar destroying Triple H in a physical, violent match would be fun. Alas, it is the most unlikely because as I've already stated, we've seen it before. Would it really lead to a surge in ticket sales and network subscriptions before the event? Will it make people happy that a part-timer has beaten a part-timer for the greatest prize? It doesn't sound appealing, especially when this is a period of WWE's history that has been steadily built on new, emerging talent. It's unbelievable to say this, but Brock Lesnar categorically will not win a match that he is a part of. That is something I never thought I'd type, especially given his current run, where he hasn't been pinned since he lost to Triple H at that aforementioned WrestleMania three years ago.

We are then left with two men: Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose. Both are good friends and babyfaces, both with a point to prove. Reigns wants revenge against Triple H for the hell he's been put through since November, while Ambrose wants to prove he can go toe to toe with the best and claim the ultimate prize. Reigns is the favourite, with the current storyline and supreme endurance helping him look strong in the face of any opponent. Ambrose, having lost the Intercontinental Championship this past week, will need to regain momentum, fast, by performing well and possibly winning here. While tensions have been built between these two, who are both relishing the opportunity to main event the grandest event of all, it sets up many possibilities with how their interactions will shape the match's conclusion up. Either man could turn heel to help themselves or Lesnar win, work each other so hard that both men earn the spot through a fluke double pin fall, or Triple H could easily poke both men with a metaphorical stick before the event to ensure one of them snaps. It's how the psychology will be implemented that will drive this matches' success, lets hope it delivers.

When it finally comes to picking a winner between Ambrose and Reigns, it's down to whether WWE wants to continue with the story they laid out months ago to its natural conclusion, or have a unique and deranged spanner be thrown into the works to spice up interest. Having Reigns go to face Triple H and win would make the most sense, but is also apparent that a smart crowd will not be the most accepting of a victory for the heir apparent to John Cena's place. After having those bases covered at WrestleMania 31 due to Seth Rollins' Money In The Bank cash-in, there will be a very limited amount of options for which to replicate that kind of swerve. It will be very difficult to satisfy the smart crowd in Arlington come April, but WWE would need to be more creative than their writers titles state in order for it to work. Then we have Ambrose, who came so close to winning against Triple H in the Rumble Match itself, him winning would set up the perfect anti-establishment figure for The Game to fight, especially knowing how unpredictable the Lunatic Fringe will be. However, would Ambrose facing Triple H at Mania be an enticing match? Would it only really exist to allow a Reigns or Ambrose heel turn after the latter's most glorious moment. While that is something that would change WWE's landscape, which WrestleMania has built itself on in the past, it wouldn't entirely make sense without context. Luckily, this match at Fastlane will allow some set-up for that context to come to fruition a month and a half down the line. Finally, Ambrose could also be undone by Jericho like I mentioned earlier, but with the dissension between Ambrose and Reigns over the championship proving much larger than this scenario, WWE may need to take us on a different path.

Overall, when looking at the two former Shield members and their prospects of winning, it boils down to which one would I rather see at WrestleMania? The answer to that is Ambrose's scenario, of course. However, when the question is which of the scenarios I THINK WWE will go for? Reigns scenario wins, obviously. I know they don't want Afa & Sika to protest like they did last year after Reigns lost, that would just be a slap in the face to a family whose members seem to be in WWE's good books for the foreseeable future.

PREDICTION: Roman Reigns to become #1 Contender.

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I've been Freddy Thomas, you've been people reading. This has been the Fastlane 2016 Predictions for The CC Network Blog and I'll see you all next time.