Roundtable: WWE Fastlane 2019

How do you feel about Kofi Kingston being replaced in the WWE Championship match?

David Gibb: Whack attack. There’s a difference between delaying gratification and pulling the ball away.

Anthony Mahalis: If it is all part of a grand plan to have Kofi win at Mania, I am all for it. If Kofi is just getting screwed, then it is absolutely stupid.

Juan Bautista: If it leads to Kofi getting the match at Mania and possibly even winning, then I’m fine with it. It helps Fastlane feel more like a marquee event on the road to WrestleMania, like No Way out or even New Year’s Resolution used to. It’s also good to see Kevin Owens back, specifically in this position because even if he doesn’t win the title, his future is hopefully still bright.

John Corrigan: I don’t like it. There wasn’t enough reasoning for Mr. McMahon to replace him with Owens, a man who not only has feuded with his son over the past year, but fucking busted open Vince not too long ago! If the kayfabe argument is that Owens is a bigger attraction for pay-per-view, is that even true? Aren’t New Day more known to casual viewers due to all their absurd merchandise?

Chad Gelfand: I’m looking at the bigger picture, which hopefully leads to Kofi Kingston challenging Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania. The time is now to strike while the iron is hot with Kofi and I think WWE realizes that as well. I also have a feeling the New Day will be up to some shenanigans during the WWE title match at Fastlane.

Steven Jackson: I don’t follow WWE as regularly as I used to, but I’ve always been a huge supporter of Kofi Kingston. This is Kofi’s time and the organic genesis of his rise to the main event should be capitalized on rather than being brushed aside. On this basis, I feel very disappointed that Kofi is not in the WWE Championship match.

Troy Taroff: It’s fine for storyline purposes as long as it culminates with the match at Mania.

Jack Goodwillie: I’m fine with holding him til Mania, as that’s the match that has the heat right now, but the storyline reason for replacing him with Kevin Owens is right up there with some of WWE’s most egregious storyline decisions over the last couple of years. That says a lot. Didn’t Kevin just do the job to a pineapple pizza a couple weeks ago?

Should Kevin Owens use the stunner as his finisher from now on?

Gibb: Sure, why not? It’s a lot easier to take than a powerbomb.

Mahalis: No. No. No. No. No.

Bautista: Maybe for brief stints. The pop-up power bomb has been devalued. It’s a pretty solid stunner – I don’t want to see it full time, but breaking it out once in a while will be great.

Corrigan: Absolutely. Owens went away and “learned a new hold,” as J.R. would say. Plus, it’s not like Stone Cold will be using it anytime soon.

Gelfand: I’ll be honest, it was weird when he pulled it out to beat Daniel Bryan on SmackDown. But now that it appears KO will be a babyface, every man-type character, I like him using the stunner.

Jackson: Kevin Owens using the stunner isn’t doing it for me. In an ideal world, I’d love to see Kevin use the package piledriver. Unfortunately, WWE won’t let this happen, and I understand the reasoning, but I’m not feeling the stunner.

Taroff: The ode to Stone Cold has been awesome. So, yeah, why not? Anything is better than just a simple power bomb.

Goodwillie: If he’s going to use it (based on my school of thought), it has to be his finisher. The package piledriver was really perfect for him, but you know how that goes. Pop-up powerbomb? A good finish, but maybe not for him? I know you’ve got the forward momentum and all, but I feel like it would take a guy whose strength is actually part of his character to really get that one over. Not to say that it’s not over! But I do think it’s perfectly reasonable to evaluate Owens’ finisher, especially with him returning anew.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nL1-lZF1pI

How would you book Roman Reigns’ return to the ring?

Gibb: Give him a feel-good victory over a Miz-level heel to start off; then get him in competitive matches with Aleister Black. Let him win people over in a new way.

Mahalis: I’d keep him away from the title for a while. He could easily feud with the likes of McIntyre, Lashley and Corbin. Seth will presumably win at Mania, so I don’t think that feud makes sense. Seth should not turn heel anytime soon. Since we know Roman isn’t going to turn heel, let’s just keep him on the upper mid card for a bit.

Bautista: Slowly migrate him back into the picture and build him up over the summer. I’m not sure who will be the champion going into SummerSlam, but Roman is definitely challenging. Anything sooner than that is kinda risky. Despite the feel-good story, good karma won’t last. Any NASCAR fans know this after the Kyle Busch situation, where he broke his leg and foot and started receiving a chorus of boos not even two weeks back on the track.

Corrigan: I certainly wouldn’t have him competing at Fastlane. Even though he appears healthy, it makes more sense to hold off his in-ring return until WrestleMania. Let anticipation build over the next few weeks, have somebody on Raw who could use some spotlight (EC3, perhaps) attack him, and then let Roman get revenge on the Grandest Stage.

Gelfand: I would ease him back in both for the sake of Roman’s health and so that his character doesn’t get overexposed. A really good story can be told out of Roman slowly working his way back to the top, instead of being immediately hot shotted back to the main event.

Jackson: This is really difficult question as so much has happened since Roman’s debut with The Shield in late 2012. I’d want him to be back as the enforcer of The Shield, the muscle in the background who gradually gets the fans’ approval. Rushing his return will only lead back into the resentment fans have unfairly had over the past several years.

Taroff: Definitely not throwing him into the Universal Title picture right away. That shouldn’t happen until at least May or June. Another option would be switching him to SmackDown until the Fox deal starts. He’s faced everyone on Raw already. Let’s see some fresh match ups.

Goodwillie: Can’t turn him heel now! I would have held off on showing Regins’ face on TV until after WrestleMania. See, there is an incorrect perception that Roman Reigns is a big ratings mover for the company, hence why they rushed him back to Raw and created fanfare behind his “announcement.” He’s not, and it’s not his fault, either. Rather, it’s a consequence of the construct WWE utilizes, aligning its brand as more important than the stars who make it all possible. It also makes you wonder if he’s “totally cleared.” If he’s not, you just created some unnecessary plot holes to fill. Even if he’s not ready now, though, it does appear he’ll be ready for WrestleMania, so you may as well make the Dean Ambrose match while you can. How’s that gonna work? I don’t know, I’m not the one who completely botched the Ambrose heel turn. It just makes sense to give him someone with a little more significance than Baron Corbin and Dean fits the bill, even if he’s back to being a face all of a sudden.

Who wins: Boss & Hug Connection or Nia Jax & Tamina?

Gibb: Boss & Hug. If Jax and Tamina win, it’s just to give the titles back at WrestleMania.

Mahalis: Boss and Hug better win. Nia and Tamina stink.

Bautista: Boss and Hug Connection

Corrigan: Nia & Tamina destroy the champions, take the titles and then lose them right back at Mania.

Gelfand: You have to keep the titles on the Boss & Hug Connection going into WrestleMania, so I’m going with them.

Jackson: I hope it is a successful title defense for the Boss ‘n’ Hug Connection leading into WrestleMania. However, you never know sometimes with WWE!

Taroff: Never put a title around Tamina’s waist. So go Sasha and Bayley.

Goodwillie: Sasha and Bayley. Are they really calling them that now? If so… smh.

Who will Asuka defend the SmackDown Women’s Title against at WrestleMania?

Gibb: Shayna Baszler. Their dominant runs as NXT Women’s Champions are just similar enough (and just different enough) to create a great story, and it wouldn’t take much time at all to do it.

Mahalis: Are we actually looking at Mandy Rose or Sonya Deville? It sure seems like it right now. What are the other options? Vince should have just left Becky vs. Ronda alone and we could have gotten a stellar rematch of Charlotte and Asuka.

Bautista: This is the biggest issue by having a triple threat for the Raw Women’s Championship because it leaves Asuka on an island of her own. She is the only top tier women’s wrestler on SmackDown. There are two scenarios that I can see happening: a legend such as Trish Stratus comes back or Shayna Baszler brings the NXT Women’s Championship to SmackDown and tries to become a double champion.

Corrigan: She won’t…because Mandy Rose is going to defeat her at Fastlane!

Gelfand: This is tough because there doesn’t seem like an obvious challenger at this point. If Ember Moon was healthy, I would have said her. Carmella and Naomi are both former Women’s Champions, and Asuka and Carmella already feuded, so I’m going with a friendly match between former tag team partners Asuka and Naomi.

Jackson: For once I am stumped. I rarely watch SmackDown now, so I have no idea who will face Asuka. It will have to be a surprise to me!

Taroff: My guess is it’s going to be a 6-woman ladder match at Mania. There really isn’t a woman on SmackDown right now that would give Asuka a worthwhile one-on-one match (except maybe Naomi).

Goodwillie: Your guess is as good as mine. I’ve been banging the drum for a Charlotte-Asuka rematch for maybe six or seven months now, but that appears to be off the docket. If we’re to believe the rumor and innuendo about Lacey Evans and her big push inbound, I could definitely see that match. I can also see Lacey’s potential, though I do question her readiness and I really, really detest her gimmick. I get that it’s the whole point of a heel character to dislike them, I just don’t think the whole “My Fair Lady” thing plays in 2019. At least she looks like Charlotte. That has to count for something, right?