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Smackdown presents Fastlane on Sunday night. Here’s our take on what will happen.
WWE champion AJ Styles vs. John Cena vs. Baron Corbin vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens.
Dave: If they screw the Mania fans out of Styles vs. Nakamura, or even add Cena to that mix, they will deserve the reaction that I think those hardcore fans will give them on April 8. The right move here is to have Styles win. And given how Cena came in a few weeks ago, beat the champ and then laid out the other guys in the match, they should all gang up on him, beat him down and get rid of him. Then on Raw, Cena can come out and do another crybaby promo about not having a path to Mania and Undertaker can show up and tell him he has a path after all. If that doesn’t happen, Cena playing the Taker card on Raw makes no sense at all.
Mike: Under NO circumstances should Styles lose. He will win. I'd like to see this laid out so we get a lot of near falls where Cena almost wins, Zayn and Owens cancel each other out, Cena hits an AA on Corbin but Styles pins Ziggler (since he always gets pinned) to get the win before Cena can get the win, sort of a photo finish where John just misses his chance to 'go to Wrestlemania."
Richard: I still have a feeling they could add a few more people into this match the way that Shane screws over AJ. To tease AJ vs Nakamura as a singles 'dream match' only to have it go away because AJ loses the title or to make it a Triple Threat match with the new champion sprinkled in would be a mistake. The story of this match should be the build from the end of Smackdown with Zayn getting the pin over Owens and Sami's comments about how he proved he was the best on Tuesday and that he belongs in the match instead of being 'the guy hanging out with Kevin Owens'. Sami did say that he would lay down for Kevin, but in his delivery and body language, it feels like the same situation with Bayley and Sasha where you would expect one to turn, but it is the other who does it. If John loses, can he get down to 205 pounds before Wrestlemania to interject himself into the Cruiserweight Tournament final, or does he find a way into the North American Title Match on Takeover. Let John wrestle for every title on Wrestlemania weekend.
WWE Smackdown Women's champion Charlotte Flair vs. Ruby Riott.
Dave: Part of the reason I am so eh on this show is that I am not into much of what they have booked. That holds true here. Charlotte should not be losing the Title a month before Mania. If the plan is to have Asuka challenge her, then she retains anyway. The only way Riott wins is if they choose to do the rematch at Mania.
Mike: Charlotte has to win. Her momentum going into Wrestlemania is far more important than giving Riott a win here. It's pretty awesome to see how quickly Riott ascended in WWE. This should be really fun inside the ring, but at the end of the day, Charlotte is a Wrestlemania franchise and she's going into Mania as champion.
Richard: The most important thing about this match will be Ruby's performance because I don't see them taking the title off Charlotte going into Wrestlemania. If Ruby holds her own, then it will allow for her to stay in the title picture instead of the 'conglomeration of other women on Smackdown'. I would have Charlotte win the match and while the announcers are suggesting whether Naomi or Becky deserve the next title match at Mania, the lights go out and Asuka's mask graphic appears on the TitanTron. Give us the tease for Raw to have them ask her what that meant and Asuka can respond with 'find out tomorrow'. Then they can have Carmella recreate Seth Rollins' cash in from Santa Clara and let Charlotte lose without being pinned.
WWE United States champion Bobby Roode vs. Randy Orton.
Dave: I am not really into this feud either. I could see something happening that will rematch these two at Mania. There isn’t really an obvious match for either of them if they just do a one and done here.
Mike: Unless they planning to turn Orton here in a major way, I feel like this is a really cold match. I am sure it will be entertaining inside the ring but to me, if there's no real story or issue, it's going to be really hard to bring the audience into the match. My guess is Orton turns and wins with the RKO and we'll see a rematch at Mania.
Richard: This will be a wrestling match. If you listen to the Fastlane preview, you might hear Andrew and me talk about this match for a little less time that it took you to read this sentence. Roode retains. For the love of all that is good and decent in this world, do not add Mahal to this match. How will this match affect the Top Ten rankings?
WWE Smackdown Tag Team champions The Usos vs. The New Day.
Dave: These two always have great matches so this should be fun to watch. The Usos have been great as champions and should keep the belts. I could see them retaining and then the Bludgeon Brothers attack, setting up a Mania match. What that leaves for New Day, well that is another story. I guess they could play Mania host again.
Mike: The only real question is how good the match will be, because these two teams rarely, rarely fail to have a great match. Remember the Summerslam Kickoff show? To me, the thing I want the most out of this feud is for it to continue until Wrestlemania, so to me, The Usos should retain after doing something terrible to New Day. That said, this being WWE (and with a book for them coming out next week), I can see a New Day win.
Richard: This should be a great match, even if it seems like we have seen it the last 12 pay per views (even the Raw branded ones). I liked the confrontation they had two weeks ago and it would be nice to see the New Day get the win, but the Usos are on a roll with their in ring work. Also, an Usos victory should (could .. . might . . . may) give them a match ON the Wrestlemania PPV. If they do, I would love to see Rowan and Harper face them since they have had great PPV matches before. The pancakes will be in the same room as the Rusev Day victory parade.
Rusev vs. Shinsuke Nakamura.
Dave: Rusev Day has gotten over organically so of course that means WWE won’t push him. Don’t ask me to explain it, it makes no sense to me either. What also makes no sense is to have Nakamura lose this match since he is challenging for the Title next month. The odds of Rusev winning are nil. So, the guy who is really over with the fans gets to lose again. Brilliant.
Mike: I love Rusev, but under no circumstances should Nakamura be losing to anyone prior to challenging for the WWE championship. The more important story, to me, is whether Nakamura can have a dynamite match that makes him look strong, because he hasn't been focused on or featured strongly since winning the Royal Rumble, That needs to change.
Richard: I like that this match is happening but I have a better chance of winning this match than Rusev because there is no reason that Nakamura should lose since he has a match at Mania. I am a proud celebrant of Rusev Day but the victory parade will be put in the back with Byte This. Give this match a lot of time, please. Maybe they can have Rusev do the 'Good Vibrations' kicks instead of the single MACHKA stomp.
Becky Lynch & Naomi vs. Natalya & Carmella
Dave: Does this one really even matter? I mean, Becky and Naomi have been fighting the Riott Squad and they just throw this together. Flip a coin. The babyfaces win.
Mike: On paper, this could be really good, but only if WWE gives them time to have a good traditional back and forth tag team bout. Lynch and Naomi should win.
Richard: I wonder if they add Sarah and Liv into this match because other than Lana, they are the only two women not wrestling on the show, but they may get involved in the Women's Title Match. Carmella (still) has the briefcase, but that won't matter in this match. Give Becky and Naomi the win so they can tease one of them potentially challenging Charlotte at Mania (only if they don't do the Asuka stuff I suggest above)
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