WWE SmackDown Live: 4 things WWE should not do in Kofi Kingston's gauntlet match

Vince McMahon puts Kofi Kingston in a gauntlet match
Vince McMahon puts Kofi Kingston in a gauntlet match

After Kofi Kingston asked Vince McMahon for one last chance, the chairman of the company put him in a gauntlet match. If Kofi wins the match he will have his wish to face Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania 35 for the WWE Championship.

Kofi Kingston has a huge task at hand. He has to defeat superstars such as Randy Orton, Samoa Joe, Sheamus & Cesaro, and Rowan in a gauntlet match next week on SmackDown.

These opponents will be able to bury Kingston's WrestleMania dream for good. However, speaking from an optimistic point of view, Kingston will become a huge star if he defeats all of them and proves himself an exceptional talent on the road to WrestleMania.

Week after week, Kingston's road to WrestleMania becomes more interesting than the two major WrestleMania title feuds on WWE RAW. It is a good sign that a storyline from SmackDown is gaining more momentum ahead of WrestleMania 35.

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The possible Gauntlet match victory will be career-defining for Kofi. However, it all depends on how WWE depicts it.


#4 Outside interference

AJ Styles will take on Randy Orton at WrestleMania 35
AJ Styles will take on Randy Orton at WrestleMania 35

Outside interferences look likely to take place during Kingston's Gauntlet match. Remember that each superstar who Kingston battles have active feuds as of now. Randy Orton is on a collision course with AJ Styles at WrestleMania 35. Samoa Joe is embroiled in a feud with R Truth, Rey Mysterio, and Andrade after winning a fatal four-way match for the United States title. Daniel Bryan might very well interfere in the match to help Rowan.

Interferences from the rivals of his Gauntlet opponents would be unnecessary. Kofi winning without any interference would be momentous. If he wins with the interferences or loses due to distractions, it would be unimpressive.

New Day should also be kept away from the Gauntlet match. Kofi scaling the mountain without any help would give him so much momentum on the road to WrestleMania 35.

#3 Implosion of New Day

The New Day confronting Vince McMahon
The New Day confronting Vince McMahon

Big E and Xavier Woods seem to stand by Kofi's side as his loyal friends and brothers. However, jealousy would be tough to overcome for these superstars. Kofi Kingston winning the gauntlet match would make them jealous from a storyline perspective.

Vince McMahon said to Kofi Kingston on SmackDown (March 12, 2019) that Kofi would be a part of the Hall Of Fame only as a member of the New Day and not as a WWE Champion. This clearly shows that Kofi will go one step further than his brothers if he defeats Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania 35.

Thus, WWE might possibly give us a surprising twist with Big E and Xavier Woods turning on Kingston.

It might very well start on the last match of Kofi in the series of Gauntlet matches. Something like this should not happen, as it further complicates storytelling. The implosion of New Day can be a huge moment if it is saved for post-WrestleMania SmackDown, or even after that.

#2 Giving Kofi a storyline injury

Kofi Kingston and the New Day after the Elimination Chamber
Kofi Kingston and the New Day after the Elimination Chamber

There is a possibility of Kofi Kingston getting a storyline injury after the gauntlet match. As he would face multiple superstars at once, WWE might be tempted to show him as a wounded warrior after the battle. Bringing the injury angle into this storyline has to be avoided at any cost. We already have an injured Becky Lynch going into WrestleMania.

Showing Kofi Kingston as an injured wrestler with the mission to overcome all the odds at WrestleMania would be a cliche. The kind of narrative seems overused by WWE and it would not suit Kingston at the moment. Also, it would show Kingston as a vulnerable underdog instead of showing him as a credible threat to Bryan's title.

Kingston should defeat all the superstars with some difficulty, but still, in the end, he should be fit and one hundred percent. That would portray him as a credible title challenger.

#1 Vince McMahon coming up with another obstacle after Kofi's victory

Vince McMahon announces that Kevin Owens will challenge Daniel Bryan at Fastlane
Vince McMahon announces that Kevin Owens will challenge Daniel Bryan at Fastlane

Kofi Kingston is facing roadblock after roadblock on his road to WrestleMania, courtesy of Vince McMahon. The storyline would definitely benefit Kingston so much. Vince has a Midas touch when attempting to put over stars himself.

However, Vince needs to stop getting involved in Kofi's WrestleMania storyline after he finally overcomes the odds in the gauntlet match. The narrative would become monotonous if Vince sticks his nose in Kofi's business repeatedly.

Once Kofi beats every competitor in the gauntlet match, the focus should shift towards the heat between Kofi Kingston and Daniel Bryan. These two need to make their rivalry more intense and personal in order for the storyline to gain momentum.

Also, Bryan was not Vince's favorite when he won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 30. So Vince showing prolonged hostility towards Bryan's opponent at WrestleMania 35 will not be coherent with his character after all.

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Edited by Anthony Akatugba Jr.
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