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With the show of shows less than a month away, WWE is firing on all cylinders in regards to the build-up to Mania. After Kofi's back to back thrilling performances in the gauntlet match and inside the Elimination Chamber last month, he ran the gauntlet again on tonight's show.
After witnessing a head-scratching decision on Monday Night Raw in the form of Angle's Mania opponent, let's look into 5 things WWE ended up doing right tonight.
#5 The Miz might work well as a babyface
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As previously announced on WWE's official website, The Miz addressed Shane McMahon's actions at Fastlane and his challenge for The A-lister at WrestleMania.
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He went on to state how Shane was just like his father: A conniving, vile and disgusting human being. Mike was destined to flip burgers, but scratched and clawed to reach where he is.
At the end of The Miz's address, a "you deserve it" chant broke out and the challenge was accepted! Judging by the crowd reaction, it's clear that The Miz can pull off the babyface persona. It would be interesting to see these two face off against each other at WrestleMania, with the roles having been completely reversed.
#4 SmackDown women get into the mix
The Iiconics came out and began belittling Sasha Banks and Bayley, mocking them for going back to NXT. A tag team match followed with the SmackDown duo managing to stand tall at the end of the bout.
This win hints that the Women's tag team match at WrestleMania might turn into a tag team open, with the SmackDown women coming into the mix. With three teams from the red brand already being rumored to compete in the match, we might get more additions from the blue side as Mania approaches.
#3 Bryan's story comes full circle
Back in 2014, Daniel Bryan's Yes Movement resulted in tons of mainstream attention for WWE, followed by him winning the WWE World Heavyweight title in the main event of WrestleMania 30.
Bryan spent the entirety of the build-up to Mania, being called a B+ player by The Authority. This was the perfect recipe for one of the biggest underdog stories of all time, with Bryan getting the kind of reactions Superstars like Austin and The Rock got in their heydays.
Bryan came out before Kofi's match tonight and berated him, labelling Kofi as a B+ player at best. Bryan is on the other end of the stick this time and is nailing the role of a dastardly heel to perfection.
Also read: 3 reasons Drew McIntyre interrupted Lesnar on Raw
#2 Becky and Charlotte hold their own
Last night, Ronda Rousey wreaked havoc on Raw, when she injured Dana Brooke and proceeded to attack security. Her husband Travis Browne lent her a hand and the duo went on to exit the arena amidst a series of boos.
Becky and Charlotte didn't appear on Raw, but were guests on the new and improved Kevin Owens Show. Owens stated that the crowd didn't want them to talk anymore, and it was time to fight.
This led to a staredown, followed by a back and forth between Becky and Charlotte. Security came out to contain these two, but was disposed of in quick fashion. The segment managed to make these two look like a million bucks with both of them holding their own against the newly turned ruthless heel in Ronda.
With the way these three women have been built up until this point, it's almost a lock that the triple threat is going to headline The Show of Shows.
Also read: 6 Superstars who might return at Mania
#1 Kofi's storyline is getting better as we approach Mania
The Gauntlet match kicked off with Kofi taking on Sheamus. As The New Day and The Usos watched on a screen in the backstage area, Kofi managed to pin Sheamus after a Trouble in Paradise.
As more and more Superstars joined in to watch Kofi's performance, he disposed of Cesaro in quick fashion. Rowan came out next and got himself disqualified after hitting Kofi with a chair, followed by a Bearhug and a thunderous drop on the announce table.
Kofi next pinned Samoa Joe in a huge upset, leading to the irate Joe applying a submission hold on Kofi, leaving him unconscious.
A ruthless Randy Orton came out and began taking his liberties with Kofi. In a shocking turn of events, Kofi managed to pin Orton and win the whole thing!
A smiling Vince McMahon came out and stated that Kofi would have to beat another Superstar to advance to Mania. The Planet's champion, Daniel Bryan came out and the gauntlet match resumed. An exhausted Kofi failed to come out on top this time, as Bryan pinned him after a running knee to the head.
As of now, Kofi Kingston's dream to have a WWE Championship match at Mania will not come to fruition.
Also read: 3 shocking ways Triple H vs Batista could end
