This Sunday night, the road to WrestleMania 31 continues with WWE Fastlane live from the FedEx Forum in Memphis in a night that will have huge implications on the "Show of Shows."
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There are seven matches booked for the card, including four title bouts and a main event that will pit 2015 Royal Rumble Match winner Roman Reigns against Daniel Bryan to determine the No. 1 contender for Brock Lesnar's WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 31.
With the biggest show of 2015 drawing closer, Sunday's show should be a very important one as the WWE finally sets up its main event for WrestleMania 31.
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Here are some predictions for the show in the projected order that the matches will take place.
WWE Intercontinental Championship: Bad News Barrett (c) vs. Dean Ambrose
This feud has the ability to be something special and turn into a long-term rivalry between these two and it's nice to see Ambrose going after the Intercontinental Championship.
I was hopeful this would be saved for WrestleMania to make it seem like more of a big deal, but it is still possible the company extends this feud beyond Sunday night, likely with some kind of false finish or outside interference.
This is the problem with February events as they often waste matches that could be saved for 'Mania and also devalue the Rumble winner with the main event stipulation.
Hopefully this feud with make the Intercontinental Championship feel important again.
Ambrose has gotten the shaft since the split of The Shield as Roman Reigns has been booked as a top face and Seth Rollins as a top heel while the "Lunatic Fringe" has jobbed a lot -- especially during his feud with Bray Wyatt.
Since Barrett vacated the gold with his shoulder injury in June, it has changed hands seven times, so it seems to make sense to keep the gold on him a little while longer, especially since he just won it on Jan. 5. Barrett should win here, but perhaps Ambrose will get the gold next month at WrestleMania.
The Pick: Bad News Barrett
Singles Match: Goldust vs. Stardust
The WWE pulled the trigger on the breakup between the brothers, likely due to the influx of new tag teams in the division, but it's interesting to see where they go from here with each Superstar.
It seems as though they've committed to Stardust since he has said Cody Rhodes is dead, while it also appears Goldust's time in the ring could be over with pretty soon.
It was always assumed these two would clash at WrestleMania, but the WWE opted to have them clash at Fastlane instead. It is always possible, as with the IC match, that a rematch looms next month, but the WWE can't just repeat Fastlane for its biggest show of the year.
With Goldust likely wrapping up his career, it makes sense for his younger brother to go over here.
The Pick: Stardust
Tag Team Championships: The Usos (c) w/ Naomi vs. Tyson Kidd & Cesaro w/ Natalya
These two teams have been feuding a lot over the last couple of months and the Divas have gotten involved throughout the rivalry as well.
The Usos have been tag champs since December, and could have another lengthy run in them while it is also possible the WWE could run with the Cesaro and Kidd pairing. It's still such a shame to see how far down the card Cesaro continues to plummet and how the WWE wastes his talents.
Cesaro's Twitter was recently hacked and the person wrote about frustration with the way the "Swiss Superstar" has been booked and wished cancer on Vince McMahon.
It is hard to believe it will have any bearing on this match, but you never know with the WWE.
Still, it seems like The Usos are bound to retain here to head into WrestleMania with the gold, especially with The Ascension -- a heel team -- rising up the ranks.
The Pick: The Usos
United States Championship: Rusev (c) w/ Lana vs. John Cena
This is another match that likely should have been saved for WrestleMania, but was probably pushed up to help the effort of getting more people to subscribe to the WWE Network for free in February as a way to garner more buys for WrestleMania.
The WWE has booked Rusev as an unstoppable monster up to this point as he's been able to manhandle Cena and hasn't been pinned or made to submit in the ring.
Cena is selling an eye injury, which would be an easy way for the WWE to have Rusev go over him by going after the ailment.
It's hard to bet against Cena as he always seems to overcome all the odds, though him standing tall against Rusev on last week's RAW could indicate that the mighty Russian is set to get his heat back.
The United States Championship should be beneath him at this point, but Cena going after it and possibly winning it could bring some much needed prestige to the title. A successful defense for Rusev could also do the same.
These two are likely clashing again at WrestleMania, so the WWE will probably go with some sort of disqualification finish to preserve the feud, though they could have Rusev go over Cena to lead to the rematch next month.
It's possible that Rusev may just attack Cena to cancel the match and preserve it for next month.
If the WWE is to make Rusev lose cleanly, they'd save such a historic moment for WrestleMania, not Fastlane. Then again a loss here and win over Cena next month could be just as huge.
The Pick: Rusev
Six-Man Tag Match: Seth Rollins, Kane and Big Show vs. Dolph Ziggler, Ryback and Erick Rowan
The WWE pretty much threw this match in on Thursday's SmackDown with very little buildup and fanfare, but it should be a decent encounter.
Ziggler built a lot of momentum at the Survivor Series with his great performance, but I'm afraid he's going to follow the same path that Cesaro did after his huge WrestleMania Moment in last year's Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.
Rollins has been the top heel in the WWE with World Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar being a part-time performer, and he has been a breath of fresh air on television as one of the most compelling Superstars on the roster.
Rollins has excelled in the ring and on the microphone over the last couple of months and has grown into one of the best in the business.
The other four Superstars are just kind of there as big guys, and this might be better as a one-on-one match between Ziggler and Rollins. Nevertheless, it's a six-man match.
I've had my fill of Kane and Big Show for a lifetime and I am getting sick of the WWE constantly using them in storylines as they've pretty much done all they'll ever do in the WWE at this point.
Rollins invited Jon Stewart to Fastlane and it will be interesting to see if he will actually show up to this match.
As for the winner, the faces could use a measure of revenge, but I could see Rollins being an opportunist and sneaking in a pinfall win.
I originally picked the heels to win, but upon further review I'm switching it to the babyfaces. Randy Orton's absence has been conspicuous and with Rollins out of most rumors for 'Mania, it would make sense that "The Viper" seeks revenge Sunday night and sets up a clash with "Mr. Money in the Bank" at the "Show of Shows" by helping the faces win.
The Pick: Dolph Ziggler, Ryback and Erick Rowan.
WWE Divas Championship: Nikki Bella (c) w/ Brie Bella vs. Paige
Paige has been a great addition to the Divas division over the last few months, but it's unlikely the WWE is set to unseat Bella as the champion at this point.
The WWE has gone full scale on the Bella Twins heel turn, and it seems like the arc will continue with a dominant heel Nikki Bella on top of the division.
The Pick: Nikki Bella
Singles Match to determine the No. 1 contender for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 31: Daniel Bryan vs. Roman Reigns
Well, it seems the WWE has painted itself into a corner here with the Bryan and Reigns match as they will either have to change their plans entirely or once again alienate Bryan fans.
The WWE has been hell bent on getting Reigns over -- despite his lack of skills on the microphone and his limited in-ring ability -- and they had him win the Rumble Match as a way to set up the Reigns vs. Lesnar encounter.
The WWE also buried Bryan at the Rumble event, booking him to come out as No. 10 and get eliminated at No. 11, leading to the fans turning on the match.
The fans mercilessly booed the remainder of the contest and made their displeasure even more known when Reigns emerged victorious.
It appeared to set up a Reigns vs. Lesnar match, despite the leader of the "Roman Empire" only being a singles wrestler since June and missing September-December with an injury.
Now the WWE may just stick with its plan by having Reigns go over and at the same time risk the fans turning on Reigns again and possibly the main event and biggest match of the year at WrestleMania 31.
The WWE Universe may opt to cheer Lesnar at the "Show of Shows" and unless a heel turn is coming for Reigns, that's a big risk for the WWE.
If the company opts to have Bryan go over, it would also continue a pattern of the WWE allowing fans to take control of the creative direction, which could be another dangerous game.
There is always a possibility that the WWE has some sort of twist ending to this bout, setting up a Triple Threat Match between Bryan, Reigns and Lesnar at the "Show of Shows."
While this could happen, it would seem too similar to what happened last year with the WWE throwing Bryan into the main event with Randy Orton and Batista at WrestleMania XXX.
The WWE has paid Lesnar a large sum of money with the intent to have him lose to Reigns, the company's hand-picked new top babyface, at WrestleMania 31 in order to make their next big star at the biggest show of the year.
Then again, with Lesnar being rumored to re-sign with WWE, perhaps he's not yet set to drop the gold.
Vince McMahon still has the final say and if the WWE was stubborn enough to have Reigns win the 2015 Rumble Match, it's not hard to believe they'll continue on Reigns' path to Superstardom -- at least in their eyes -- no matter how upset some fans might get.
It's quite possible Bryan was used as a pawn by the WWE to generate more subscriptions by the WWE Network by teasing him possibly going over Reigns in this match. Keep in mind, "The Beard" was all set to job to Bray Wyatt at this event prior to the WWE's change of heart, according to various reports.
It's hard to believe the WWE would change its mind this late in the game, despite how many fans may boo Reigns or turn against him on the long, winding road to WrestleMania 31.
The Pick: Roman Reigns
It's the final WWE Network special and pay-per-view stop on the road to WrestleMania 31 when the company presents Fastlane live this Sunday from the FedEx Forum in Memphis.
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