The road to WrestleMania 42 took another turn on the March 9 episode of WWE RAW, where six competitors battled in a high-stakes gauntlet match to determine who would challenge AJ Lee for the Women’s Intercontinental Championship.
With the title opportunity on the line, the match brought together several top names from the division. Each competitor entered one at a time under the gauntlet format, meaning the winner of each fall remained in the ring to face the next challenger.
By the end of the night, only one competitor was left standing — and the title picture for AJ Lee finally became clear.
WWE RAW Gauntlet Match Determines AJ Lee’s Title Challenger
The match began with Lyra Valkyria and IYO SKY starting the action. The two exchanged fast-paced offense before SKY eventually secured the first elimination with her diving moonsault.
Raquel Rodriguez entered next and used her power advantage to slow the momentum, but outside interference from Liv Morgan complicated matters. Stephanie Vaquer arrived to neutralize the distraction, allowing SKY to score another elimination with a quick inside cradle. Rodriguez unleashed her frustration on SKY despite her elimination and put SKY on a plate for the next contestant.
Ivy Nile entered and took advantage of a weakened SKY, pinning her to stay alive in the match.
Bayley entered next and immediately found herself under pressure from Nile, who attacked her before the bell even fully settled. Despite the early disadvantage, Bayley battled back with a combination of strikes and counters.
The turning point came when Bayley delivered a Bayley-to-Belly to eliminate Nile, keeping her run alive as the match continued into the final stages.
As the dust settled, Bayley outlasted the rest of the field — which included Valkyria, SKY, Rodriguez, Nile, and Asuka — to win the gauntlet and secure the No. 1 contender spot.
The victory officially sets up a championship clash between Bayley and AJ Lee for next week’s edition of WWE RAW.
AJ Lee captured the Women’s Intercontinental Championship by defeating Becky Lynch at Elimination Chamber on February 28.
Now with Bayley stepping into the spotlight and Becky Lynch still in the mix, the women’s division could record a rise in starpower at WrestleMania.
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