WWE Fastlane Predictions And 2K16 Simulation [VIDEO]

This weekend is WWE Fastlane, that weird Pay-Per-View that WWE is STILL trying to make a thing. It's basically a speed-bump between the Royal Rumble and Wrestlemania. Instead of using it for what it SHOULD be (a way to tie up loose ends or resolve and mistakes made at the Rumble) they keep trying to make it a PPV that matters. Trying to create matches that we actually think will change the game-plan for Mania.

We honestly should drop the main roster PPV from February, and create a new NXT PPV concept that can be positioned as the NXT version of Wrestlemania. It could be held every February, and can be used to finish up the NXT careers prior to wrestlers making the leap to WWE in time for Mania.

I guess as long as they're going to continue to force this upon us, we should at least do something with it. I'm going to lay out MY predictions for the results, then we're going to turn it over to the guys from WhatCulture for their 2K16 simulations:

2 Out of 3 Falls WWE U.S. Title Match on the Kickoff Show:
-Kalisto (c) vs Alberto Del Rio

I WANT Del Rio to get the belt back, because Kalisto has been a botch-mess since he's picked up the belt. With the new cruiser-weight program that HHH is setting up for The Network, it would make sense to lift the belt from Kalisto to open him up for that.

But I know WWE is making a lot of money on $50 Kalisto masks at merch tables. So I'm torn.

Prediction: Kalisto wins and keep the belt

6 Man Tag Team Match:
-Kane, Big Show and Ryback vs The Wyatt Family

Why are we being subjected to this? All of 2015 was spent building Bray Wyatt up just to crush him. I was really hoping this whole "Anyone but you Roman" story-arc would lead to Bray getting strapped up with the Big Belt in 2016...but this isn't an era of WWE where they're comfortable with the scary guy having a belt.

Kane and Show are at the points in their careers where any botch, especially from a guy the size of Braun Strowman, could end a career. Ryback is also the kind of guy who could botch something and CM Punk anyone who's in the ring with him.

This feels like a total throwaway match to fill some time.

Prediction: Wyatt Family wins to continue the build to nothing

-Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch vs Tamina Snuka and Naomi

I don't know much of what they're looking to do here. This feels like one of the biggest squash matches in a while. Tamia and Naomi are going to job here...OR Sasha and Becky are going to go nuclear on each other and set up a match between each other at Mania.

I hope for the second option, but either way no one will care about Tamina or Naomi after the match

Prediction: Sasha and Becky win (even if they lose and go at each other, they're going to have all of the attention)

-Chris Jericho vs AJ Styles

If Kevin Owens name wasn't on the card, this would be the match that would steal the show.

Jericho hasn't had the best return this time around, but he's still better than 70% of the roster in the ring, and is better than 99% of the roster on the mic.

AJ Styles is a breath of fresh air in the WWE ring. I still don't think he's as great as people believe him to be, but at least it's something different.

This match will be good, Styles should finally hit some top-rope moves, Jericho can sell like it's 1998, and the crowd should be really into this one.

Prediction: Styles wins. He needs to get over, and Jericho has never had a problem handing the shovel over to anyone who needs the push.

WWE Divas Title Match:
-Charlotte (c) vs Brie Bella

WWE is going to take advantage of every ounce of the Daniel Bryan retirement momentum they can. Having Bryan's wife Brie featured in their Divas Title Match will lead to some big "YES!" chants around the match, BUT...we also now know that Brie is planning to step away from WWE soon. Knowing that Brie won't be with the company long, it doesn't make much sense to give her the belt.

Though it would be a very solid move to give her the title during Fastlane, even if she drops it Monday night to Charlotte again.

I think Brie being champ for 24 hours accomplishes two solid goals for WWE: first, it gets Brie one last bump as a "thank you" (not that they're known for that) but secondly, and more importantly for WWE it would make Charlotte a "2 time Divas Champ".

See, WWE still wants to use the "___ time champ" metric like it matters. "John Cena is a 15 time World Champ" just means he's LOST the title 15 times. In the context of the results being pre-determined, it's actually impressive that the company writers felt strongly about someone enough 15 different times to strap them up, but in the context of being competition, it sucks. So getting Charlotte a second title run (even only 24 hours apart) gets her one step closer to having the most Divas titles in history, since her dad, Ric Flair, is the record holder on the men's side at 16 times.

Prediction: Charlotte wins anyway. We'll see her and Sasha Banks either straight up, or in a three-way at Wrestlemania

WWE Intercontinental Title Match:
-Kevin Owens (c) vs Dolph Ziggler

This will probably be the match of the night. Even though it's a throwaway.

Dolph Ziggler isn't about to take the IC title off one of the hottest properties on the WWE roster. KO will win this match, but what happen between the bells will be fun.

Who knows, AJ Styles, or some old NXT rival, or someone we're not planning on, could interrupt the match to set up KO's match at Mania. What I really don't want to see is an extension of this rivalry into Mania.

Prediction: KO wins

Triple Threat Match, with the winner facing Triple H for the WWE World Title at WrestleMania 32:
-Roman Reigns vs Brock Lesnar vs Dean Ambrose

OK, we've made it to the portion of the card that appears to be a no-win situation for WWE.

Brock Lesnar is still the beast that was created when he broke Undertaker's streak at Wrestlemania 30. The thought of him losing to either Roman Reigns or Dean Ambrose still seams impossible.

Dean Ambrose is clearly the fan-favorite right now. His cheers drown out Roman's almost anywhere in the country. The smarks on the internet consider him to be a better option than Roman. Also, the fact that Fastlane is taking place in Ohio, Ambrose's home state, should give WWE pause that anyone winning besides Ambrose could set up their #1 contender getting boo'd out of the building. (Which isn't a problem for Brock, but would be for Roman when they're trying to make him their poster-boy baby-face)

Roman Reigns is the likely winner. WWE have been crafting the HHH vs. Roman story since before TLC in December. Clearly this is what they want to headline Mania. The crowd knows it, the internet knows it, and no one is really too happy about it.

I figure the only reason that you have a triple threat match in this situation is to allow Roman to win by pinning someone besides Brock.

See, if Roman pins Brock, it lessens the "Beast" appearance he currently has. So if you're going to have Roman win, it has to be at the expense of Amborse...which is going to create even more issues for Roman. They want Roman to be their superhero, but when he got boo's raining (ha, get it) down on him after the Royal Rumble in 2015, WWE realized there was an issue. What happens when the boo's come flying down on him at the end of the PPV before Mania?

This would be the best moment to unleash the Roman Reigns heel-turn.

Roman decides the only way he can win, and keep, the WWE Championship is to join The Authority. HHH and the League of Nations (haven't mentioned them yet, like they wanted us to forget) interfere, allowing Roman to win. On Monday, we see Finger Poke Of Death Version 2.0 when HHH heads to the ring to let Roman pin him for the belt.

Ambrose goes even further off the deep end. Being COMPLETELY accepted by the crowd now as THEIR champ, he now has to fight his former "brother" at Wrestlemania for the title. This plan also sets up something WWE has been working on at house shows, Brock vs. Sheamus at Mania.

Prediction: I don't want to see it, but I expect Roman Reigns to pin Ambrose for the win. We'll leave the night with HHH vs. Roman and Ambrose vs. Brock at Wrestlemania 32.

Now that I have dropped my ideas, let's see what the guys at WhatCulture came up with on their 2K16 simulation: