WWE Wrap-Up
This week in WWE: Seth Rollins shines bright in Raw’s Gauntlet Match
Feb 21, 2018, 3:16 pm
The Architect lasted over an hour on Raw’s big Gauntlet Match. Photo by WWE.com
This is a weekly look at the action in the WWE:
Raw
Raw opened with a Gauntlet match featuring all seven competitors from the Men’s Elimination Chamber Match. Shield members, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins, started the match. The two went for over 20 minutes until Rollins rolled up Reigns to eliminate Reigns. Rollins, then, faced John Cena for almost 40 minutes. Cena did all he could to put away an exhausted Rollins, but nothing worked. Rollins finally put Cena away with a Stomp. Elias rushed to the ring to attack an exhausted Rollins, and he was successful eliminating the man who was in the Gauntlet match for over an hour.
Finn Balor was the next competitor to enter the match. Elias looked to dominate the match, but a Coup De Grace to his injured ribs allowed Balor to pick up the win. The Mizterouge distracted Balor as Miz, Balor’s next opponent in the match, attacked him from behind. Balor looked to put Miz away with a Coup De Grace, but a pair of distractions from The Mizterouge helped the Miz pull Balor off the ropes and hit him with a Skull Crushing Finale to put him away. Unfortunately for Miz, the final entrant in the match was none other than Braun Strowman. Miz tried to run away, but Strowman was not having it as he chased him back to the ring. Miz did all he could, even hitting Strowman with a Skull Crushing Finale, but the Monster Among Men picked up the win after a Running Power Slam. The entire Gauntlet match took two hours, making it, according to Michael Cole, “The longest match in WWE history."
The one, the only, Jeff Jarret was revealed as the latest member of this year’s WWE Hall of Fame class. Before her match on Raw, Asuka spoke about her match with Nia Jax at Elimination Chamber. Nia Jax tried to surprise her from behind, but Asuka was ready. Jax got the last laugh, though, hitting her with a Samoan Drop and a barrage of Leg Drops. Needless to say, Asuka’s match on Raw never happened. Titus Worldwide did it again, surprising The Bar with a win after Apollo rolled up Cesaro. A Six Women’s Tag Match saw Sasha Banks, Mickie James and Bayley defeat Alexa Bliss, Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose after Banks submitted Bliss with a Banks Statement. Absolution did not take too kindly to their loss and began attacking the winning team. When it looked like they were going to turn on Bliss, Mickie James came in from the outside to help out her former partner.
Smackdown Live
AJ Styles opened the show explaining how he’s beaten all four of his opponents at Fastlane individually, but a Fatal Fiveway will be a difficult challenge. Baron Corbin reminded him that it was him who defeated Styles for his United States Championship. Kevin Owens made his presence felt, too, when he came out to insult Corbin. Shane McMahon had enough of their childish banter and issued a pair of matches—Kevin Owens vs Dolph Ziggler and the main event, AJ Styles vs Baron Corbin. Dolph Ziggler was impressive the whole match, but a distraction from Sami Zayn allowed Owens to hit Ziggler with a monster Super Kick and win the match. Jinder Mahal and Bobby Roode exchanged words in the ring. Per usual, Mahal tried to instigate a fight between Roode and Randy Orton. It worked, as Orton came out and a brawl between the three ensued where Mahal got the last laugh.
Charlotte, Naomi and Becky Lynch tagged against The Riott Squad. Ruby Riott pinned Lynch after hitting her with a big kick. Sami Zayn “thanked” Kevin Owens backstage for getting him out of the rut he was in. He vowed to “lay down” for Kevin Owens at Fastlane so that he can become the WWE Champion. In a rematch from last week, The New Day defeated Benjamin and Gable. The Bludgeon Brothers did what they do every week—destroy whatever enhancement team gets in their way. The Champ that Runs the Camp, AJ Styles, defeated Baron Corbin in the main event after a Phenomenal Forearm. Owens and Zayn congratulated Styles by attacking him from behind. Corbin got the last laugh, though, as he hit both men with a pair of End of Days.
Just as I suspected, Raw blew this week out of the water with their go home show. The two hour Gauntlet Match totally paid off. Of course, the star of the match was Seth Rollins, the guy who is coming off of a bland tag team run. Rollins needed a boost, and boy, did he get it. I do not think he will win on Sunday, but this match did so much for him it should propel him to a great match come ‘Mania. Mickie James helping Bliss on Raw was interesting, but I totally expect her to turn on her on Sunday.
The Blue brand seems to be building to another multi man match at Fastlane, a Triple Threat for the US Championship. Frankly, I think that match sounds great. I cannot say I’m crazy about Orton or Mahal, but Roode defeating both men would be huge for him. Fastlane is still a few weeks away, but we already have some interesting matches on the card. I expect something big to happen within the next few weeks in the women’s division. Hopefully it is some sort of heel turn, the women deserve an awesome match for theSmackDown Live Women’s Championship.
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A month into the 2025 season, the Houston Astros have emerged as one of MLB’s most confounding teams. Their offense ranks near the bottom of nearly every key category, yet they remain competitive thanks to a pitching staff that has quietly become one of the most formidable in baseball.
Despite winning back-to-back games just once this season, Houston’s pitching has kept them afloat. The Astros boast a top-10 team ERA, rank seventh in WHIP, and sit top-eight in opponent batting average—a testament to both their rotation depth and bullpen resilience. It’s a group that has consistently given them a chance to win, even when the bats have failed to show up.
Josh Hader has been the bullpen anchor. After a rocky 2024 campaign, the closer has reinvented himself, leaning more heavily on his slider and becoming less predictable. The result has been electric: a veteran who’s adapting and thriving under pressure.
Reinforcements are also on the horizon. Kaleb Ort and Forrest Whitley are expected to bolster a bullpen that’s been great but occasionally spotty—Taylor Scott’s 5.63 ERA stands out as a weak link. Lance McCullers Jr. missed his last rehab outing due to illness but is expected back soon, possibly pairing with Ryan Gusto in a piggyback setup that could stretch games and preserve bullpen arms.
And the timing couldn’t be better, because the Astros' offense remains stuck in neutral. With an offense ranked 26th in OPS, 27th in slugging, dead last in doubles, and just 24th in runs scored, it's clear the Astros have a major issue producing consistent offense. For all their talent, they are a minus-two in run differential and have looked out of sync at the plate.
One bright spot has been rookie Cam Smith. The right fielder has displayed remarkable poise, plate discipline, and a polished approach rarely seen in rookies. It’s fair to ask why Smith, with only five Double-A games under his belt before this season, is showing more patience than veterans like Jose Altuve. Altuve, among others, has been chasing too many pitches outside the zone and hardly walking—a troubling trend across the lineup.
Before the season began, the Astros made it a point to improve their pitch selection and plate discipline. So far, that stated goal hasn’t materialized. Many of the players who are showing solid discipline—like Isaac Paredes or Christian Walker—were already doing that on other teams before joining Houston. It raises the question: are the Astros’ hitting coaches being held accountable?
The offensive woes are hard to ignore. Catcher Yainer Diaz currently owns the second-worst OPS in baseball, while Walker ranks 15th from the bottom. Even a star like Yordan Alvarez has yet to find his groove. The hope is that Diaz and Walker will follow Alvarez's lead and trend upward with time.
With so many offensive questions and few clear answers, a trade for a left-handed bat—whether in the outfield or second base—would be ideal. But with the front office laser-focused on staying below the tax threshold, don’t count on it.
For now, Houston's path forward depends on whether the bats can catch up to the arms. Until they do, the Astros will remain a team that looks good on paper but still can’t string wins together in reality.
We have so much more to get to. Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday!
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