WWE Fastlane 2019 predictions

Here are my predictions for tonights WWE ppv FASTLANE:

SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match: The Usos (c) vs. The Miz and Shane McMahon
-> No automatic rematch clause, but this is happening anyway, because why not? This in Cleveland, so either WWE plans on having The Miz and Shane win the titles back and get a major babyface pop, or they want to have The Miz or Shane turn heel to play with the crowd. I haven't quite figured which side I lean.

PREDICTION: The Usos retain. Hardyz vs Usos at WrestleMania

WWE Championship Match: Daniel Bryan (c) vs. Kevin Owens
-> This started off as Kofi Kingston before it was changed to Kevin Owens. The only way I can see that being justified in their minds is that they wanted to go with KofiMania and had originally planned on Owens, so they just swapped the two.

PREDICTION: Daniel Bryan retains the title.

WWE Women's Tag Team Championship Match: The Boss & Hug Connection (c) vs. Nia Jax and Tamina

It won't be an "easy" victory for Sasha Banks and Bayley, but it's an "victory" for those two, for sure. There's no way they're dropping the titles right now. They're carrying them at least into WrestleMania, if not after that point.

PREDICTION: Bayley and Banks retain the titles.

SmackDown Women's Championship Match: Asuka (c) vs. Mandy Rose

Wow, they really don't care about Asuka heading into WrestleMania, do they? One pin from Mandy Rose is going to be the only thing they bother with to set up a match between those two for filler.  Then, they're probably going to have Lacey Evans fight Asuka at WrestleMania.

PREDICTION: Asuka retains the title. 

The Shield vs. Baron Corbin, Bobby Lashley, and Drew McIntyre

I can understand why they went with The Shield against those three, but I also think it's weird that they looped in Elias on the heel side and Finn Balor, Braun Strowman and Kurt Angle on the babyface side. Seems to me like it would almost make more sense for Lashley to fight Balor for the Intercontinental Championship, while Elias teams with Corbin and McIntyre, right?

Anyway, the story here is The Shield reuniting. Unless there's a turn from Dean Ambrose to set up a match between he and Roman Reigns, I have to imagine the babyfaces are winning this.

PREDICTION: The Shield wins. 

Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch

So for the sixth time, I've had to change this. Now, it's back to the thing I had said it would be months ago, wherein Becky Lynch wins and she gets inserted in the WrestleMania match, but if she loses, it's just Ronda Rousey against Flair.

PREDICTION: Becky Lynch wins with the help from Ronda Rousey.

 Raw Tag Team Championship Match: The Revival (c) vs. Aleister Black and Ricochet vs. Bobby Roode and Chad Gable

Despite how poorly The Revival have been booked since...well, pretty much ever...I don't think they're dropping the titles here. In fact, I think the entire purpose of Roode and Gable being in this match is to give Dash and Dawson people to pin to avoid having to beat Black and Ricochet.

PREDICTION: The Revival retain the titles by pinning Roode/Gable.

Kickoff: Rey Mysterio vs. Andrade

Nothing on the line? No stipulations? Very strange that they'd go ahead and do that when they still have the Intercontinental and United States titles without any matches on the card, but okay, at least we know this match will be good.

PREDICTION: Flip a coin. Since there are no stakes, it doesn't matter. Let's go with Andrade winning to offset his pinfall loss to Samoa Joe on SmackDown.

Kickoff: The New Day vs. Rusev and Shinsuke Nakamura

I still don't get the booking philosophy behind these kickoff matches. Why is this happening here instead of on SmackDown? Is it to do something with Kofi Kingston? If not, then it's just an odd mistake, as we don't have Finn Balor, Braun Strowman, Elias and others on the card who would have made more sense. Rusev and Nakamura weren't even interacting with Big E and Xavier Woods on this week's SmackDown, they were up against The Hardy Boyz and Aleister Black and Ricochet. Am I missing something here, or am I just applying logic to WWE while knowing that the company doesn't follow logic all the time?

PREDICTION: The New Day wins.


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