WWE Fastlane 2021 preview and predictions

The last stop on the Road to WrestleMania!

Forrest Hollingsworth and Shan O’Blivion

March 20, 2021

Tomorrow WWE will host Fastlane 2021, the last stop on The Road to WrestleMania, and there’s a lot of the line. Perhaps most notably being WWE’s transition to NBC Universal’s Peacock streaming service, which will co-host its first WWE pay-per-view tomorrow night alongside the WWE Network — which will be shut down before WrestleMania next month — which means that this is a hugely important test run for Peacock.

Besides the fate of WWE’s decision to sunset their own network for a big pay off, there’s also some belts on the line at Fastlane: the Women’s Tag Team Championships, the Intercontinental Championship, and the Universal Championship. Toss a few grudge matches on the pile and we’ve got ourselves a pay-per-view.

You can watch WWE’s Royal Rumble 2021 pay-per-view this Sunday, March 21, at 7 ET/4 PT on the WWE network. Get a head start on the action by checking out the full card and our team of expert’s predictions below. You can stay up-to-date on all the weekly WWE action by listening to our weekly wrestling podcast PTW.

Seth Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

WWE

Forrest Hollingsworth: I wish there was a world where Nakamura and Cesaro got to beat Seth up back to back “how many times do we have to teach you this lesson old man” style, but I think it’s clear that Seth will carry the win here into a Mania match hopefully at least as good as his one with Kevin Owens last year.
Winner: Seth Rollins

Shan O’Blivion: I agree with Forrest that Nakamura deserves better, unfortunately I don’t see that happening any time soon. Nakamura will just be another stepping stone on Rollins’ road to Wrestlemania.
Winner: Seth Rollins

Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler (c) w/Reginald vs. Sasha Banks & Bianca Belair (Women’s Tag Team Title match)

WWE

Forrest: Unfortunately, I really can’t get myself excited for this. Shayna would be better off in a singles feud with Asuka (Dave Batista give me what I want gif), Nia would be better not on TV, and bringing down the contenders in a Wrestlemania main event match with the arbitrary Reginald connection doesn’t do anyone any favors. That being said, even with the debut of the new NXT tag titles allowing some more flexibility in women’s tag booking, I just don’t see Banks and Belair entering Mania with them.
Winner: Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler

Shan: I don’t know how to say this nicely, so I wont. I wish I could live the rest of my life without seeing another Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax match. I don’t even need to make a prediction, I know what is going to happen. Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair will start off strong, Reginald will interfere, Shayna will do that elbow thing, and the match will end in submission.
Winner: Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler

Big E (c) vs. Apollo Crews (singles match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship)

WWE

Forrest: Apollo has stepped up in a huge way over the past few weeks and I think it will be rewarded, if only to further justify his in-ring legitimacy going into what I expect to be a fantastic, and potentially title-run-defining, re-match for E.
Winner: Apollo Crews

Shan: With the New Day current information holding the Red Tag Team Championship, I really don’t see Big E losing his title any time soon.
Winner: Big E

Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus

WWE

Forrest: Drew doesn’t even have a title right now and he’s in all the Peacock acquisition ads.
Winner: Drew McIntyre

Shan: Yeah I mean, I guess I could see another match with these two. I guess.
Winner: Drew McIntyre

Roman Reigns (c) w/Paul Heyman vs. Daniel Bryan (WWE Universal Championship match – Edge as special guest enforcer)

WWE

Forrest: Look, there’s a very real possibility this is all building to an Edge/Roman/DBry triple threat match and that I can get into. This, however, feels like little less than a pitstop on the way. I think Jey is bound for a Tag Title run when Jimmy gets back, so I’ll call Edge as the enforcer being a significant component of this, but the obvious winner is the rightfully over Roman who may finally get the chance to prove he can maintain his streak without interference.
Winner: Roman Reigns

Shan: There’s no doubt this is going to be an entertaining match, but as Forrest said it feels more like a build up to WrestleMania. I do think Bryan might get the win on this.
Winner: Daniel Bryan

Alexa Bliss vs. Randy Orton (Intergender match)

WWE

Forrest: I haven’t even fully unpacked the time Scarlett Bordeaux attacked Keith Lee with a fireball hidden in a book and you expect me to know what’s going on here? I just hope Cena emerges from the Black Lodge to embrace the new Fiend, Randy Orton when it’s all said and done.
Winner: Alexa Bliss

Shan: I was a huge fan of the Firefly Funhouse match last year. I would die to see Randy Orion’s career broken down in the same way. But Orton and Bliss’ feud hasn’t gotten that weird yet. I’m hoping this match changes that. I’m not sure the Fiend will reappear at Fastlane, but either way I think we’re in for a treat.
Winner: Viewers like you!