WWE Fastlane 2023 Predictions

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WWE Fastlane is scheduled to go down inside the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. After a wildly successful year for the WWE, especially following a summer of stacked cards in Money in the Bank and SummerSlam, the shoes that need to be filled put us in a position of fairly high expectations. Recently, Payback displayed its struggles in measuring up to some of the year’s prior cards. This, however, doesn’t mean Fastlane 2023 can’t exceed expectation. If anything, the card has the potential to be a great deal of fun from top to bottom.

Luckily for us fans, there are plenty of solid storylines on WWE television right now. Fastlane has been put together featuring a series of fun matches, notably the presence of one of wrestling’s biggest stars, a big-time Triple Threat Match, and a Last Man Standing contest that is bound to be a barn burner. The likes of John Cena, Seth Rollins, Shinsuke Nakamura, IYO SKY, Asuka, LA Knight, Cody Rhodes, both Uso brothers, and The Judgement Day are all set to appear and deliver a night packed with action.

With this line-up, our team at The Scrap will preview this upcoming event alongside each of our own predictions as to who walks out on top at Fastlane 2023…

World Heavyweight Championship Last Man Standing Match Seth Rollins(c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

Joey: I’ve gone back and forth with this one for some time now. I want Seth Rollins to win, but part of me feels that Shinsuke is finally going to get the job done, and Rollins may get some well-deserved time off. The other part of me feels like Seth retains because WWE wants this first reign to be a long and great one to establish the new belt. I truly think it could go either way, which is the best part of this feud. I’m going with Nakamura winning. But the celebration will be short because Damien Priest is cashing in shortly after.

Mishal: A feud that started lukewarm turned into something a lot more entertaining than I was expecting, between two stars who seem to have an absolute blast working together. Shinsuke has been a credible, engaging threat to Rollins who, up to this point, has been a fantastic champion in comparison to the big man over on SmackDown. Having Rollins lose here seems highly unlikely, and should it go that route, isn’t the time to pull the trigger on a title reign that is hitting its stride.

Katie: This feud has been so entertaining, but I just can’t see Seth Rollins losing at Fastlane. WWE needs an active, dominant reign while Roman plays part-time and Seth is still so over, it would be a dumb move on their part unless they follow it up with something big.

The LWO vs. Bobby Lashley & The Street Profits

Joey: This should be a fun match. I’ve been wanting a newly reformed Hurt Business ever since that picture surfaced with The Street Profits, Carmelo Hayes, Omos, and MVP. Getting Bobby with The Street Profits was even better. As they continue their story toward becoming full-blown heels, I can’t see them losing to the LWO at Fastlane. I’m going with Bobby and The Street Profits. If Melo interferes and joins on that night, it would just be the icing on the cake.

Mishal: All signs here point towards our Latin American heroes securing a victory, but what’s more intriguing, is the tease of a potential return or debut that will come alongside this match. The potential of a Jade Cargill appearance, the return of a past legend, or maybe another surprise debut we’ll never see coming. As much as I love Bobby Lashley & The Street Profits, this feels like it’s LWO’s time.

Katie: Word on the street is Jade Cargill is in town for the PLE. Though she should be a massive babyface star upon her debut, imagine she joins Bobby, Montez & Angelo to help them beat the LWO? I mean, a girl can dream… Obviously that won’t happen, but despite that, I think they still defeat the LWO because Legado Del Fantasma turns heel to make room for new members in the group.

John Cena & LA Knight vs. The Bloodline (Jimmy Uso & Solo Sikoa)

Joey: There’s no way WWE can bring John Cena back to lose again. Especially when he’s about to put LA Knight even more over… I just can’t see them losing, so I’m going with Cena and LA, with Knight likely picking up the win for them.

Mishal: WWE has a tendency to make us wait for big victories & moments by pilling on the losses first, and I hope that pattern doesn’t reoccur here. The Bloodline winning isn’t necessarily a deal breaker or full-stop on this feud’s momentum dying by any means, LA Knight just needs a match, a victory of this size on his resume right now. Everything he and Cena seem to be touching is pure magic, so I’m hoping they mark this pretty cool moment with a nice 3-count.

Katie: Only because I think everyone will go with Cena & Knight, I’m picking The Bloodline. You have to believe that for several reasons, one being because on SmackDown we saw a partnership form with The Judgment Day. The other is because Paul Heyman will be cornering Bron Breakker on Tuesday. If Roman is not available, I can see Roman’s wise man taking matters into his own hands and ensuring there is some backup.

Triple Threat Match for the SmackDown Women’s Championship IYO SKY(c) vs. Asuka vs. Charlotte Flair

Joey: This is going to be a fun match, regardless of the outcome. I don’t think we’ll see Charlotte claim her 14th women’s title at Fastlane, so it’s been tough choosing between IYO and Asuka. Could Fastlane mark the official breaking point for IYO with Damage Ctrl? I think so. So I have a feeling she loses the belt to Asuka who gets a little bit of assistance from her former tag team partner, Kairi Sane. With rumors that Kairi is headed back to WWE, there is no better time to return than now.

Mishal: Planting Asuka in this mess sets up a scenario I’m not a particularly big fan of, seeing the former SmackDown Women’s Champion be the placeholder in this match to eat the final pinfall. Charlotte Flair, as talented as she may has run stale at the championship level and needs to be re-planned in the role she serves in WWE in general. IYO SKY isn’t just my prediction, she’s who this division desperately needs to carry things forward, provide fresh matchups, and move the title picture past two stars who had their time.

Katie: Something is clearly brewing with Damage Ctrl and the tipping point has to be IYO SKY losing that belt because of Bayley. Fastlane is gearing up to be a very big night, and to make it even bigger, Charlotte wins the title and extends her historic record of title wins in WWE.

RAW Tag Team Championships Match Judgement Day(c) vs. Jey Uso & Cody Rhodes

Joey: As long as JD McDonough and/or Rhea Ripley are ringside, The Judgment Day is not losing those titles. I say that because the way everyone came together to help Dom Mysterio win back The North American Championship was picture-perfect. Everyone played a part and it was smooth. I think that’s the only way they beat Cody and Jey here, by playing smart and using their numbers advantage. Who knows, maybe The Bloodline will get involved somehow if JD and Rhea get banned from Ringside.

Mishal: The only match on the card I just can’t find myself caring about, partly because I think Cody Rhodes belongs elsewhere at this point in his career. Another match that without question will be good, most likely great, but another scenario where going with anyone but The Judgement Day feels like a colossal mistake.

Katie: I just can’t see Cody & Jey winning the belts and that being the first title Cody wins upon his return to WWE. Something is going to happen in this match, I don’t know what, but The Judgment Day is retaining.

Which match are you most looking forward to? Let us know in the comments.

About Post Author

Joey Torres

Joey Torres is a Co-Founder of The Scrap, is obsessed with MMA, and holds a Masters of Science in Integrated Design, Business and Technology from University of Southern California.

thescrapnews@gmail.com