WWE Raw: Sami Zayn Wins Gauntlet Match, Will Face Gunther for Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 40

On this week’s WWE Raw, a gauntlet match was held for a shot at the Intercontinental Championship (currently held by Gunther) at WrestleMania 40. The field consisted of former Intercontinental Champions Shinsuke Nakamura and Sami Zayn, Chad Gable, Bronson Reed, Ricochet and Judgment Day’s JD McDonagh. 

As the match got underway, McDonagh and Ricochet start. McDonagh gets some great offense in, including a moonsault and a chokeslam but when the match comes back from break, Ricochet shows some impressive moves of his own. He delivers a Death Valley Driver to McDonagh on the apron before going for a springboard moonsault and a suplex. Before he goes for a pin, he hits a brainbuster, and although McDoangh kicks out it doesn’t take long for him to get eliminated. 

The next man in the match is Reed who gets a big surprise when Ricochet catches him off guard with a tope suicida. He hits multiple enzuigiri’s but is ultimately eliminated when Reed hits him with a tsunami to finish him off. Zayn enters the fold next and he’s clearly motivated to win the match. The size advantage would work in Reed’s favor under normal circumstances but not with someone as resilient as Zayn. After hitting Zayn with a jumping knee and a twisting neckrbeaker and Zayn kicks out, he tries a running senton instead. Zayn expertly moves out of the way and when he starts to get some momentum, Reed counters. However when Zayn is on his shoulder, he counters into a sunset flip powerbomb, eliminating Reed from the match. 

Nakamura is fired up as he hits Zayn with multiple kicks to his chest. Zayn catches him mid-strike which Nakamura uses as an opportunity to land an enzuigiri. Zayn eventually advances with a Helluva Kick. Gable is essentially the final boss and the freshest in the match when he makes his way to the ring. Gable goes for the Ankle Lock early but Zayn is able to crawl his way to the bottom rope to break the hold. They continue back and forth for awhile until they hit each other with a few strikes and Gable once again goes for that Ankle Lock. Zayn breaks the hold again and lands an exploder. He sets up for another Helluva Kick but his ankle gives out from Gable working it the entire match. Gable uses that to his advantage and puts him in the hold once again but this time it’s deep. Zayn eventually claws his way out and eventually picks up a pin when he reverses yet another Ankle Lock into a roll-up pin. 

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