The Edge Dilemma, 'Mania Madness for Fiend and Hot Takes from 2021 WWE Fastlane

WWE has an Edge dilemma following Sunday's Fastlane, a pay-per-view that ended with more people talking about Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns tearing the house down than anything the 2021 men's Royal Rumble winner has done since his inspiring comeback at the January extravaganza.

The status of the Hall of Famer's championship aspirations and WrestleMania main event match is just one of the topics generating buzz in the wake of the latest WWE spectacular.

From the use of Apollo Crews to the ridiculousness that awaits fans on wrestling's biggest night when The Fiend and Randy Orton settle their monthslong feud, there are plenty of hot topics to keep the WWE Universe intrigued.

Daniel Bryan would not be anywhere near the main event scene on SmackDown if WWE had complete faith in Edge and his journey to the Universal Championship at WrestleMania 37.

On Sunday night, Bryan and Roman Reigns delivered a 30-minute masterclass of in-ring storytelling, producing a brilliant main event that reminded fans of the challenger's excellence between the ropes and, more importantly, just how easy it is to get lost in his story.

Throughout the main event, the WWE Universe undoubtedly wanted Bryan to realize his dream yet again and win the Universal Championship from the self-proclaimed Big Dog. He came close while Edge looked on from ringside, almost seeing the prospects of a pyro-heavy celebration of his world championship win slipping away.

The layout of the Bryan-Reigns match, down to the controversial finish that saw Bryan tap Reigns out, only to be screwed by Edge, is indicative of a company that realizes its plans to bring back a Hall of Fame talent to headline WrestleMania had not garnered the excitement or intrigue it had hoped.

Sound like 2014? 

It should.

History is repeating itself. Like Batista, who was welcomed back with general apathy by a fanbase more enthralled by the emotional journey of one of its heroes, Edge finds himself an afterthought on a Road to WrestleMania he was meant to pave.

Instead, Bryan has re-emerged as the fans' choice to hoist the top prize on SmackDown. The argument could be made that Reigns, as excellent a heel as he has been since August, is even more preferred a choice than the Rated R Superstar.

That's not because Edge isn't beloved or because he has done anything wrong. More, it seems, because he walked back on to the scene in WWE and was immediately booked to win everything en route to a WrestleMania main event.

Just like Batista.

Met with shoulder shrugs by fans not nearly as invested in Edge's return as they were a year ago, WWE has made the necessary adjustments to include a star who is far hotter and ready to make the WrestleMania stage his once more.

What that means for Edge remains to be seen.

If the temper tantrum he threw after bashing both Bryan and Reigns on Sunday is any indication, a heel turn prior to Night 1 of WrestleMania on April 10 should not be ruled out.

Apollo Crews has exceeded all expectations in his new role as a villain on Friday nights. The intensity, ferocity and aggression he has demonstrated have been on point, as has the utilization of a new accent to pay homage to his Nigerian ancestry.

What has not is his win-loss record, which took another hit Sunday night.

Sure, Crews recovered with a post-match beatdown of Big E, but at some point he has to accumulate some victories to pay off the time and effort put into his new character.

If the only intention WWE has with this new persona is to get a few months of story out of him and Big E, there is no reason to continue past Fastlane. That is the old Crews, who lost matches all the time. This change in attitude was supposed to spark a winning streak that helped him amass victories and titles.

To this point, both remain elusive.

If that does not change, this will go down as yet another missed opportunity for WWE to make the most out of Crews' superb in-ring talents.

And, ultimately, the opportunity to repair a reputation damaged by years of stop-start booking.

Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair will make history when they clash over the SmackDown Women's Championship in one of the best matches on the WrestleMania 37 card.

It will come despite the booking that precedes it.

Rather than allowing Banks and Belair to tell the story of a world-class champion and her upstart challenger, WWE Creative has forced a makeshift tag team program on them. It also shoehorned lovable loser Reginald into the program, oftentimes to the point that his involvement overshadows the talent meant to headline one night of WrestleMania.

For all that the writing team has done to undermine the program, intentionally or not, there is still confidence that they will deliver under the brightest lights known to sports entertainment.

Why? Because Banks is one of the best big-match performers in WWE. She has repeatedly proved as much, dating back to her first WrestleMania appearance in 2016.

Belair, conversely, is a confident, adaptable star. She works well with a variety of opponents and has confidence between the ropes. She is willing to try new things and seemingly embraces the pressure of every major moment.

She will create magic with Banks, and the result will be a match that excels in spite of the booking that focused on everything but its two stars and the top prize on the SmackDown women's roster.

As if the creative leading into Sunday's "match" between Alexa Bliss and Randy Orton did not dictate as much, The Fiend's return foreshadowed a chaotic, horror movie conclusion to his feud with The Viper at WrestleMania.

As it should.

After Orton set fire to The Fiend in a Firefly Inferno Match at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, there is nowhere to go but up. There has to be an escalation of gimmickry and an elevation in stakes. There cannot be a regular match, a basic street fight or any other overused stipulation.

There's literally a dude vomiting black bile every week on the show. Alexa Bliss is out here dropping light rigging from the ceiling. The Fiend is back like Jason Voorhees in Friday The 13th, Part VII: The New Blood. Booking anything less than some otherworldly gimmick match will feel like a complete letdown given everything that preceded it.

Does that mean it will be everyone's cup of tea? Absolutely not, but it will make sense within the context of the chapters presented to the audience to this point while also providing the spectacle fans have come to demand from WrestleMania.

Is it almost guaranteed to produce an internet meme or GIF more than a Match of the Year candidate? Of course. But if you expected the latter, you probably have not been paying attention.

A smarter Orton, a more interesting form of the Bray Wyatt character and an opportunity to redeem themselves after a lackluster WrestleMania 33 match should help this one exceed expectations.