4 reasons why Kofi Kingston got double-crossed by Vince McMahon after the Gauntlet match

On SmackDown Live, the most anticipated match-up and event was the Gauntlet match that would pit Kofi Kingston up against five other superstars to earn a WWE Championship match against Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania.

While it was an obvious scheme to trick Kofi Kingston over, he managed to overcome the obstacle in yet another jaw-dropping performance that lasted a good part of an hour or so. He would go through Sheamus, Cesaro, Rowan (by DQ), Samoa Joe and Randy Orton to win the match.

He was even assaulted two times post-elimination, one by Rowan and the other by Samoa Joe. Yet, through it all, Kingston managed to do it...until Vince McMahon came out. He said that Kofi's performance was fantastic, but he needed to beat one last opponent to secure his spot at WrestleMania - and that was none other than WWE Champion Daniel Bryan himself.

Bryan ended up beating Kofi Kingston with ease after being fresh himself. But why did Vince McMahon trick Kingston out of yet another opportunity? Here's why!

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#4 So he can overcome more obstacles next week

Kofi Kingston has all of a sudden become the biggest babyface on SmackDown. He's the typical underdog and he's been made to overcome obstacle after obstacle in order to get a WWE Championship match.

He was tricked out of a well-earned title match at Fastlane, and Vince McMahon then continued to toy around with him throughout. Essentially, when Kofi Kingston jumps over the final hurdle, McMahon keeps placing another one in front of him.

With only two episodes of SmackDown remaining until WrestleMania, it's going to be interesting to see what other obstacles Kofi Kingston is going to have to overcome in order to get the WWE Championship opportunity that he deserves so much. WWE really keeps making us want it more.

#3 To make Kofi Kingston as sympathetic a babyface as possible

It's crazy to think that Kofi Kingston has become the biggest babyface on SmackDown Live out of pure chance. All it took was an opportunity for him to grab, and he seized it in a way that nobody would have expected.

He's been a babyface for the last three years with The New Day, but he never reached this level of popularity as a singles star, and it's crazy to think that all of this would have happened had it not been for Mustafa Ali getting injured.

With all these obstacles being put in front of him, it's clear that WWE is trying as hard as they can to make Kofi Kingston the most sympathetic babyface. And we can't fault what works, because that's clearly what's happening, as the support for the New Day member keeps growing by the week.

#2 The B+ Player storyline

What's really going under the bar is about how great this storyline really is. Daniel Bryan has been on fire since his heel turn, and he's been so good that he's undoubtedly won his place back as one of the very best performers in the world.

It's a credit to how great this storyline has been, and Bryan calling Kofi Kingston a B+ player while being pals with Mr McMahon makes it all the better. He's essentially become the antithesis of what he was five years ago and what it was that made him so popular.

It was Bryan who was the B+ Player and it was Bryan who was continually getting tricked over by the Authority. Now, the script as flipped in a way that nobody would have imagined, and Bryan is no longer an underdog, but an obstacle for another underdog to overcome.

#1 He's isn't Vince McMahon's "type"

Another great part of the storyline is that Kofi Kingston clearly isn't Vince McMahon's vision of a WWE Champion. In reality, of course, it's different because Kingston seems to be on course for a WWE title win, but in story, McMahon is willing to do everything in his power to make Kofi Kingston's life a living hell.

He's the opposite of what McMahon considers a poster boy in WWE and one to represent the brand. We've seen it happen quite a few times before in the past, but those are the very ones who ended up rising to the top in the most spectacular way possible.

Ultimately, Kofi Kingston not being McMahon's type only means that he'll be in line for a major push this year, and it's safe to say that he's getting one right now. This is the most important phase of his career.