8 Ups & 2 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (June 19)

3. A Thrilling Final Fall

The Miz Rusev
WWE.com

The gauntlet's final fall was every bit as solid as you'd expect a match between Miz and Rusev to be. They worked hard, set a good pace, and had the crowd in the palm of their hand for the majority, before racing towards an exciting closing stretch that pushed the tempo into overdrive.

'The Bulgarian Brute' countered out of a Skull Crushing Finale attempt, then scored a close two-count with a Superkick. Miz bailed, Rusev went into the ring steps, then almost got pinned himself. Then came 'The A-Lister's' soft style kicks and a DDT, before Rusev turned the tides again, knocking Miz's head off with the Machka Kick, before locking his opponent in the Accolade for the victory.

The face/heel dynamic was strong, with the audience firmly behind Rusev for the duration. It helped that he was in there with SmackDown's most effective heel, of course, but the crowd support took the fall to the next level. Still, it wasn't quite the gauntlet's most exciting segment...

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.