Penta botch was worse than an AEW-level spot, ex-WWE star says

Penta defeated Chad Gable and Dragon Lee on the May 26 episode of WWE RAW. Reacting to the show, former WWE wrestler Stevie Richards heavily criticized a risky move that occurred during the Triple Threat match.

The 10-minute bout featured a spot where Penta held Dragon Lee on his back before lifting Gable into an Underhook Piledriver position. The 40-year-old then slammed both men to the mat, causing Gable to land awkwardly on his head.

Richards said on The Stevie Richards Show that Penta should not attempt to perform high-risk moves on two opponents at the same time. He also claimed the spot was worse than something fans would see at an AEW event.

“What are you trying to do with all this stuff?” Richards said. “This is crazy. I hate to say it because we’re not trying to make fun, this is beyond even an AEW-level spot, as far as this makes no sense whatsoever.” [0:48 – 1:00]

Gable finished the match after appearing to tell the referee he was okay to continue. Following the show, the 2012 Olympian posted a picture of a nasty cut on his forehead.

Stevie Richards questions the logic behind Penta’s WWE RAW move

The match ended with Penta pinning Chad Gable after hitting him with a Penta Driver. The popular star also performed a Mexican Destroyer on Dragon Lee moments before the finish.

Given that WWE fans usually react positively to the Mexican Destroyer, Stevie Richards sees no reason why Penta should perform other high-risk moves:

“Why? First of all, why are you even doing a Piledriver in the first place? You do the Mexican Destroyer, right? Which is a lot more impactful, looks a lot more exciting than this, so why are you doing a Piledriver when the finish is the Mexican Destroyer towards the finish, right?” [1:43 – 2:05]

As a result of his victory, Penta qualified for the Men’s Money in the Bank ladder match on June 7. On the same day, Gable will face El Hijo del Vikingo for the AAA Mega Championship at Worlds Collide.

Please credit The Stevie Richards Show and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.

About the author

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alt=”Danny Hart” height=”72″ width=”72″>

Danny Hart is a journalist who has been reporting on pro wrestling (WWE) at Sportskeeda since 2017. He grew up as a massive fan of football/soccer and wrestling, leading him to pursue a career in sports journalism.

Before assuming his current role, Hart worked as a football writer at Goal.com between 2009 and 2016. He prides himself on writing original content that is fact-based and highly accurate. Hart thoroughly proofreads his work before submitting it and relies only on credible sources for information.

Hart’s favorite pro wrestler is The Undertaker. He admires the 2022 WWE Hall of Famer’s ability to reinvent his character and remain relevant across his decades-long career. If given the keys to WWE’s creative department, he would bring back The Phenom for a farewell bout against AJ Styles in a stadium full of fans. Not only that, but he would love to have the multi-time world champion’s greatest rivals seated at ringside for the spectacle.

When not watching and covering sports, Hart enjoys long-distance running, playing video games, and listening to audiobooks and podcasts.

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