WWE Fast Lane 2016

Are you excited for Wrestlemania? That has been the question on most wrestling fan’s lips since Fast Lane took place and events unfolded on the following evening’s episode of Raw. By the end of the Monday night show, WWE Had significantly shaped this year’s ‘Showcase of the Immortals’ by announcing the three headlining matches- the first of these was confirmed at the pay-per-view when Roman Reigns overcame Dean Ambrose and Brock Lesnar in the main event and booked his place in the WWE Title match versus Triple H. Ambrose vs. Lesnar and Undertaker vs. Shane McMahon were then confirmed the following night. Whatever your thoughts on that line up (and don’t worry, I’ll be getting to that later on in this piece) WWE at least went some way to beginning to generate some buzz around Wrestlemania over the course of the 2 nights. Shane McMahon returned to the company after a 5 year absence and was immediately positioned in one of the main spots going into the big event, Lesnar and The Undertaker’s roles at the big one became a little clearer and Triple H and Roman Reigns, two men who have been on a collision course for months, finally stepped up their feud with a trademark Triple H attack and the addition of Reigns spilling some crimson. Wrestlemania season had finally arrived.

WWE Royal Rumble 2012

It’s not very often that a Royal Rumble event comes across as not being of any real significance when you look back at it. Given what is at stake in the main event of the show each year, its status as the most commercially successful gimmick match in pro wrestling and its position in the calendar coming just a couple of months prior to Wrestlemania, the Royal Rumble usually has a major part to play in the shaping of the year ahead- whether it be for the better or worse. In 2012 however, WWE was entering the finishing straight of a 1 year build to the main event of Wrestlemania 28 between John Cena and The Rock and as a consequence, the Rumble would play little, or no part in shaping the match between the two. Of course, there was still the small matter of two World Title matches to take place, and the rumble match itself which would determine a challenger for one of those belts at ‘Mania, but the Rumble’s abiding value was already being undermined by the coming Cena/Rock contest as it was clear that this year’s winner would not be earning themselves a main event spot at ‘The Showcase of the Immortals’.  What’s more, a cursory glance through the field of potential participants for the Rumble exposed just how low on likely winners the match was.