WWE Championship tension turns into chaos after Clash in Italy controversy
Summary
– Cody Rhodes offered Gunther a WWE Championship rematch on SmackDown
– Sami Zayn interrupted and reminded both men they had wronged him
– Gunther sparked a brawl that ended with Cody accidentally taking out Sami
The WWE Championship picture turned chaotic on the June 5 episode of SmackDown after Gunther demanded justice from Cody Rhodes.
Gunther opened the segment by destroying furniture around ringside and tearing apart the announce area. He was furious over the controversial finish at Clash in Italy, where his foot was under the rope during the pinfall.
The Ring General argued that Cody did not truly beat him. He said the referee should have stopped the count and accused Cody of taking advantage of the situation to keep the WWE Championship.
Cody Rhodes then came out and admitted that Gunther was right about his foot being under the rope. Still, Cody reminded him that controversial endings happen in wrestling and challenged him to settle things immediately in Bologna.
Before the rematch could become official, Sami Zayn made his way to the ring. Sami thanked the Italian crowd and explained that he tried to stay out of the issue, but could not ignore what was happening.
Sami said both Gunther and Cody had wronged him. Gunther dismissed him by saying the matter was WWE Championship business and did not involve him.
Sami fired back by reminding Gunther that he knows how to beat him for championships. That shifted the tension from Cody and Gunther into a three-way argument over respect, opportunity, and past grudges.
Cody also questioned which version of Sami he was dealing with. He brought up Sami choking him out weeks earlier and walking away, while also acknowledging Sami’s recent win over Matt Cardona.
Sami told Cody that their friendship is strained because Cody keeps looking past him. He then warned Cody that the biggest threat to his championship might be standing right in front of him.
The situation finally exploded when Gunther shoved Cody into Sami from behind. Gunther locked Cody in a sleeper, but Sami broke it up instead of walking away as he had done before.
The fight spilled out of control as all three men brawled around ringside. Gunther later shoved Sami into Cody’s path, causing Cody to hit Sami during the chaos accidentally.
The segment ended with Cody trying to explain that the shot was not intentional. Sami was left frustrated. Gunther had created more damage, and the WWE Championship scene became even more complicated.
SmackDown did not deliver a clean answer, but it did raise the stakes. Cody still has Gunther on his tail, Sami feels overlooked, and one mistake may have damaged Cody and Sami’s friendship even further.
