WWE SmackDown Grades: Rusev Day Chasing The WWE Championship
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1. Five-Man Gauntlet Match
The WWE Championship has been the focal point of a feud between AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura for a few months. But after Styles defeated Nakamura in a Last Man Standing match at Money In The Bank to retain his title again, it was announced that a new challenger would be crowned last night.
But instead of a normal match to determine the number one contender, the winner would have to emerge victorious from a five-man gauntlet match. The participants were Daniel Bryan, Big E, Samoa Joe, The Miz, and Rusev and what a match it would end up being. It started with Bryan and Big E and these two stole the show and the match itself.
Big E showed how great he can be as a singles competitor and Bryan did his thing, but the number of creative moves in this match were really surprising. Bryan outlasted Big E only to see Joe join the match next. He took it to Bryan in a big way, but Bryan’s craftiness got him the win after he won via count-out. However, The Bludgeon Brothers made a surprise appearance and laid out Bryan, just in the nick of time for The Miz to enter the match and pin Bryan.
It then came down to Miz and Rusev and after another very good battle, Rusev got arguably the biggest win of his career by making The Miz tap out and he became the new number one contender for the WWE Championship. It will be Styles vs. Rusev at Extreme Rules, but this match was outstanding. The Bludgeon Brothers involvement was a bit odd, but it should lead to the sought-after Bryan vs. Miz feud.
Next: WWE SmackDown Review For June 19 Show
Rusev Day will be celebrated in a big way at Extreme Rules when The Bulgarian Brute challenges for his first-ever world title.