Fastlane feels like it will set a foundation for WWE to build from for the rest of 2023.
John Cena and LA Knight enter the picture during a pivotal time in the Bloodline story. Iyo Sky, Asuka Charlotte Flair and Bayley all feel intertwined around the WWE women’s championship and the stability of The Judgement Day and their hold on plenty of gold always feels in question. Seth Rollins’ reign has World Heavyweight champion has never felt more in jeopardy.
With more at stake than it looks at WWE Fastlane, The Post’s Joseph Staszewski does his best to predict how it will all go down at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Saturday night (8 p.m., Peacock).
Bobby Lashley and Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford) over the LWO (Rey Mysterio, Santos Escobar TBD)
This is pretty much a must-win for Lashley and the Street Profits. The group is trying to establish itself as a dominant faction in WWE and this is the first time all three men will be teaming together since they’ve joined up. Sure, you can have Ford or Dawkins again hesitate in defeat as they struggle to tap into their aggressive side, but that would unnecessarily drag out this story. It’s time for the new group to plant its flag and move forward. The LWO’s Joaquin Wilde and Cruz Del Toro were taken out in an angle on SmackDown and the belief is Carlito will return to take their spot in the match.
Damian Priest and Finn Balor of The Judgement Day (c) over Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso to retain the Undisputed WWE tag team championship.
Dominik Mysterio regaining the NXT North American championship made this harder to read as WWE never seems quite ready to tear down The Judgement Day’s dominance — turning this into the hardest match to call on the card. I’m not sure how much value having Rhodes and Uso be tag champions adds other than a little bit of joy with a short run. Maybe it causes more tension between them and Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens as they head to a potential WarGames match. DIY’s return, the Street Profits, Zayn and Owens leave plenty of future opponents for Balor and Priest. Uso slips up ever so slightly in defeat.
Iyo Sky (c) over Asuka and Charlotte Flair to retain the WWE Women’s championship
Sky’s reign feels way too new to put the championship back on a familiar face, with Asuka having last held it and Flair already being a 14-time world champion. WWE likely needs to create a reason for Flair and Bayley to launch a personal-issue feud so Sky and Asuka can continue theirs separately. So Bayley, after getting Sky into this mess finds a way to screw Flair out of winning so her Damage CTRL teammate can retain.
Shinsuke Nakamura over Seth Rollins (c) to win the World Heavyweight championship (Last Man Standing)
Nakamura and Rollins deserve a trilogy. No matter how much the champion retaining would prove his toughness, Nakamura has been rejuvenated as a heel and WWE would risk wasting that should Rollins prevail a second time. Nakamura will find a devious way to win his first world championship in WWE to protect Rollins, who doesn’t need to be pinned to win. They can then run it back at either Survivor Series or a later date in Hell in a Cell, a cage or an Ironman match — where Rollins can win it back.
John Cena and LA Knight over The Bloodline (Solo Sikoa & Jimmy Uso)
This one feels pretty open and shut. Uso has been taking some liberties above his pay grade in The Bloodline, like making matches without Roman Reigns’ approval and cutting off Paul Heyman on the microphone. The Bloodline needs to fall here to give Reigns even more reason to be livid upon his return. Also, LA Knight is arguably WWE top babyface right now and should be in a position for a pay-per-view match against the Tribal Chief at some point. Knight pinning one of his cousins would give Reigns a reason to need to handle the business his relatives could not.