Ricochet is headed to SummerSlam to once again challenge AJ Styles, and you can’t say he didn’t earn the opportunity: The former (and possibly future?) United States Champion was the last man standing in a Gauntlet Match that featured Rey Mysterio, Cesaro, Andrade and Sami Zayn — a who’s-who of Raw’s most hard-working, under-the-radar Superstars, all of whom have been circling the U.S. Title picture for some time.
Despite the poetic justice that’s now on the table for Ricochet, it seemed like it might be Rey Mysterio’s night after the former champion defeated Cesaro and Sami Zayn in the first two stages of the Gauntlet. The Ultimate Underdog somehow survived a brutal onslaught from Cesaro and surprised Zayn with a flash pin, but the combined effort left him too drained to surpass a fresh Andrade.
The former NXT Champion heaped disrespect upon Mysterio after his victory, tearing the legend’s mask off his face before Ricochet came to Rey’s rescue. For all his swagger, however, Andrade’s confidence proved to be premature: Ricochet withstood everything Andrade threw at him and soared to victory with a beautiful 630. AJ Styles now lies in wait, not that he’s worrying about it: The Phenomenal One responded to Ricochet’s post-match speech about the power of belief with a hearty belly laugh backstage. It’s not unreasonable given Styles’ own in-ring skill, as well as his record against his challenger. But if nothing else, Raw showed that the gap between the two could be slimmer than the champion might care to admit.