Another RAW In A Nutshell and this week there is a wonderful burning question we have to ask…who will run the gauntlet?
Simple, but very important.
The gauntlet in this case refers to our gauntlet match. GUNTHER needs an opponent to fight for his Intercontinental Championship.
So, who will run the gauntlet? Will Bronson Reed take a big step toward WrestleMania?
Or will JD McDonagh stun us all? How about Sami Zayn?
Maybe it’s Gable’s chance for another shot? After all, Philly loves an underdog…
By the end of the show, we will know.
Read More: 10 Worst WrestleMania Matches, Including Michael Cole vs Jerry Lawler
Of course, that isn’t all that we have in front of us. WrestleMania is just a few weeks away, with plenty of the card left to be locked in.
On top of that, we had a crazy good Friday…so what will the fallout be for Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins?
Especially considering Cody slapped his boss?
Let’s get right into it…it is time for…
RAW In A Nutshell: Who Will Run The Gauntlet?
Let’s see who can pull it off!
Best Match of the night:
At the very least, Becky Lynch and Liv Morgan deserve a share of this. If this is a harbinger of things to come, then Lynch and Ripley in Philly should cook.
The gauntlet match absolutely delivered, as you’d expect. Gave six Superstars a chance at GUNTHER, and a nice window on RAW to shine.
As much as I wanted to see Gable run the gauntlet, it’s hard to hate Sami Zayn getting his shot.
Worst match of the night:
The women’s tag wasn’t great. Solidifying Candice turning heel was it’s mission, which went fine and dandy.
Crowd Chants of the Night:
Lots of chants for Cody, and against The Rock.
Star of the Night
Becky and Liv were top notch.
Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre were as well. Have to keep that other title match in focus too.
Cody…wow. Heck of a promo.
Sami was awesome in victory. Gable was just as good in defeat, and he should have his chance soon enough.
Spot of the Night:
I mean…never seen a contactless finisher, but Candice has me thinking.
Jobber of the Night:
I mean, we knew Truth was not going to win, so maybe?
But he was funny, worked well, and went nearly 10 minutes here…so not truly a jobber.
Upset of the Night:
Maxxine Dupri was crushed by Candice’s words. Then she turned into a big boot from Indi.
Holy Sh** Moment of the Night:
Candice LeRae with the most vicious and brutal finisher in a women’s match…and she never laid a finger on Maxxine.
She referenced some recent fan incidents of booing the still-sorta-green Superstar, and then insinuated that the girls in the back didn’t care for her either.
Even mentioned her dead brother. Yes, she really does have a deceased brother, who passed away about 7 years ago.
I have to think that the invocation of such a personal topic was cleared with her first…but damn.
Candice turning…are we going to see The Way once more?
Not that this would be a super shock, but Jey challenged Jimmy to a brother versus brother blockbuster match in Philly.
I have to say…when it was first floated last August that they’d hold this one off until WrestleMania…it was hard to believe. And here we are.
Botch of the night:
Maybe not quite a botch…but when Truth dove from the top to the floor, it sure seemed like he hit more of the floor than of the Superstars.
Commentary of the night:
Forget the commentary. Tip of the hat to Michael Cole’s interview of Cody Rhodes.
Honestly, when I saw this segment listed as an interview, I figured pre-recorded. Did not expect a sit-down in-ring thing, but it was and it was nicely done.
LOL Moment of the night:
How long until we get Re-Generation X shirts? It’s funny, as is most things R-Truth does.
Like…him forgetting today was Monday and he missed his media stuff.
Noteworthy Moment:
We didn’t get split tag titles yet…but perhaps we will by the end of WrestleMania.
Aldis and Pearce announced a six pack ladder match, with three teams from RAW and two from SmackDown taking on Judgement Day.
My expectation here? one set of belts is grabbed by one team, with the other by someone else.
The GMs confer and decide to separate the titles, as should be done.
Overall lowlights:
I get it, heels do mean things, but understanding the story of Maxxine’s brother’s tragic passing…not really liking going there.
Somewhat bummed for no Gable-Gunther in Philly, but Sami should be good enough.
Overall highlights:
Liv and Becky had a banger.
Lots of good mic work. The promos can do a lot to keep us focused on matches, and we had that in spades.
Heck of a gauntlet match.
After the final bell:
Now we have the answer to “who will run the gauntlet”. Sami Zayn did it, with he and Chad Gable making it to the final two.
