That, right there, is the million dollar question we ponder during Tuesday’s SmackDown Live: Can Kofi run the gauntlet? There will surely be other matches and other newsworthy items, but the main focus should be Kingston’s match. As it stands as the show is starting, Kingston must defeat five other WWE Superstars in order to advance to a possible WrestleMania match against WWE Champion Daniel Bryan. It’s time to get through this show and get to the meat and potatoes, that delicious main event. Let’s crack open this Nutshell and get right to it!

Best Match of the night:

This one basically wrote itself from the time the match was announced. Kofi Kingston went through five Superstars-Sheamus, Cesaro, Rowan via DQ, Samoa Joe and Randy Orton. The match to that point was five minutes shy of an hour. Fans were exuberant. And then Mr. McMahon came striding down to the stage and declared that, well, Kingston needed to go through one more man in order to actually punch his WrestleMania ticket. That Superstar? Daniel Bryan. Unfortunately for fans of KofiMania worldwide, Bryan defeated Kingston, derailing Kofi’s WrestleMania dreams…at least for now.

Worst match of the night:

I get having the IIconics win, as it solidifies their claim to be in the WrestleMania match for the Women’s Tag Team Championships. That said, I think WWE did not need to have the faces lose here.

Also, not an atrocious match, but there was not another option for a bad match tonight, so there you have it.

Crowd Chants of the Night:

Miz

You deserve it

Kofi

No

Let’s go Kofi

Star of the Night

Undeniably, Kofi Kingston. No debate, no confusion, no other choices tonight.

Spot of the Night:

I’d probably go for the Iron Claw through the table here.

Jobber of the Night:

No traditional jobber, but have to give props to the men who were in the gauntlet match and lost. The had a job to do (putting Kofi over) and they did it.

Upset of the Night:

As you’d assume by design, McMahon wanted to send fans home unhappy. I have to think that it was a feeling of “mission accomplished” for Vince following the end of the show…so I’d say fans were upset.

Holy Sh** Moment of the Night:

I could say this for the match going an hour (though I figured it would).

I could say this for Kofi winning

I could say this for Mr. McMahon

Botch of the night:

Graves sold the running charge by Rowan as “not pretty”, but that charge looked more like a screw up to me. Like, someone was not where he was supposed to be, or something. Will I go so far as to declare it a botch? Not necessarily…but I will at least agree with Graves that it was an ugly spot.

LOL Moment of the night:

Nothing to laugh about tonight.

Noteworthy Moment:

Miz had himself his coming out party as a face. Sure, it seemed some fans were still apprehensive about it (and I can’t say I blame them, based on Miz and his long track record of heel things, plus WWE’s recent history of moving someone quickly from face to heel and back).

Anyone taking bets on how involved Rey’s son Dominic becomes during the United States Title match? I mean, kid is training, right?

Charlotte and Becky mixed it up quite nicely, except for I don’t think Charlotte came off as a super heel here. Now, the obvious explanation is that Rousey is the mega-heel in this match (because she now is). Assuming Rousey really is leaving after ‘Mania, whether for good or until SmackDown starts on FOX, you’d think Flair assumes the big bad heel mantle..so this was a bit of a pickle.

Overall lowlights:

By design, the big low was Kofi’s win snatched away. Our high, seeing Kingston victorious, was crushed and ended when McMahon added “one more Superstar”. It’s rather formulaic…WWE picks a guy, or the fans pick a guy for WWE, and then damn if the powers that be don’t do everything they can to screw him out of that title opportunity. It makes fans crazier and hotter for that elusive match, with the payoff being a big win on a big stage. So, here’s to hoping…

Overall highlights:

There were good things at the first hour of the show. Miz was good, and will get better in the face role. I think it will help if more people tune in to the TV show, as he is genuinely entertaining.

Not jazzed about Mysterio in the title match, but I am intrigued in thinking having Dominic there tonight was not happenstance.

The main event was good. Bordering on great (forget Graves and his hyperbole). The payoff now is, with only 2 more blue brand shows left, how to we get from here to actually booking Kofi in the title match for ‘Mania?

After the final bell:

Well, that was a teaser wasn’t it? Just when we thought KofiMania was happening, it was cancelled…or at least put on hold until further notice. As others have pointed out, after all this, unless Vince wants to be hated even more than he is, Kofi just has to go over in The Meadowlands, doesn’t he?

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