*This article was written by Guest Writer D.M. Levin
I get the feeling there will be plenty of conflicted wrestling fans come Sunday night at WWE Fastlane. Who do they root for – Roman Reigns and his quest for another shot at the WWE World Title, or Dean Ambrose, who is so over right now the company should ride the wave of momentum into a WrestleMania 32 showdown with current titleholder, Triple H? It’s kind of like being torn between two lovers. Each one has some quality to like that the other does not have. Then when you finally make your decision, there is still doubt whether or not you made the right one. WWE has either hit pay dirt with its plan to showcase both performers in a Triple Threat match with Brock Lesnar, or it has fallen on the same sword it continues to stab itself with. There is a term for that – I think it’s called idiocy. There is no real way to look at this in any other fashion but success, if this match is pulled off properly. There has to be some conflict between Ambrose and Reigns – as evident by the tease on Raw. There also has to be some kind of connection between Lesnar and Bray Wyatt that leads to a WrestleMania moment. Here’s something to ponder. Would Wyatt interfere in the match, costing Lesnar the chance to win, where Reigns pins the Beast Incarnate? How does that work with Ambrose in the match? What happens if Lesnar is taken out of the match by Wyatt and his “family” which leads to Ambrose and Reigns slugging it out? Would it lead, if Ambrose loses, to a heel turn and vice versa if Reigns loses and cannot main event in Dallas? The stakes just got a bit higher and to steal a phrase from Jim Ross, business just picked up a bit. Since Fastlane is the final destination before WWE’s biggest event of the year, there has to be some surprise that catches us all off guard. There hasn’t been that kind of “event” since Randy Orton cashed in his MITB briefcase against Daniel Bryan, thus forming the Authority. The best (and worst) thing about this match – should it come down to the former Shield members involved in the pin, is fans don’t care about the implications as much as they care about what comes out of the results. The mood of the wrestling fan is so much more different than it was just 20 years ago when the title in WWE or WCW meant everything and the titleholder was perceived to be the biggest god of the promotion. Tell that to Vince McMahon today. Reigns had the title, but Ambrose, Wyatt and Lesnar are much bigger draws. John Cena is on the shelf and he would still get more pops from the crowds for defending his US Title – which became bigger than the belt and the top strap in the company. Sensibilities prove fans care about feuds, emotions, backstories and the all-important potential for an Attitude Era rebirth. Fact is WWE’s belts mean nothing now. They are there for adornment. Appearance and promotion reign supreme (no pun intended). WWE will have a hard time convincing us Roman Reigns is still best for business when Ambrose and Lesnar’s confrontation last week on Raw tore the roof off the arena in Washington and until Daniel Bryan came out and retired, it was the biggest moment of the year, so far. The company needs a “moment” at Fastlane that fans can ride going into WrestleMania 32. Five weeks is a long time between pay-per-view events. Here’s hoping Reigns and Ambrose do not lose sight of each other once this match comes to an end.
*Kayfabe Kickout (2012 - 2020) has since rebranded in July, 2020 and is now known as 'Pro Wrestling Slam!'
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