Gunther accuses Cody Rhodes of making his SmackDown arrival about himself ‘just like a typical American’

Gunther and Rhodes clash over SmackDown title contract

During the May 15, 2026, edition of SmackDown in Columbia, South Carolina, Gunther confronted Cody Rhodes over the terms of a championship match at Clash in Italy. Rhodes had arranged the tables and chairs in the ring after Paul Heyman secured the bout for Gunther, who had not yet signed a SmackDown contract. Gunther accused Rhodes of centering the moment on himself.

Rhodes countered that Gunther had benefited from Heyman’s intervention and demanded he sign the contract inside the ring. The exchange ended when newcomer Royce Keys interrupted and attempted to claim the opportunity, prompting Gunther to seize the pen and reject Keys’ involvement.

General manager Nick Aldis ruled that Gunther had forfeited an automatic title shot and scheduled a main-event match between Gunther and Keys. Solo Sikoa accompanied Keys to the ring and tried to influence him during the bout, but Gunther defeated Keys with a powerbomb after a referee distraction.

Rhodes attacked Gunther from behind as the latter celebrated the victory, leaving the status of the Clash in Italy title match uncertain heading into the next SmackDown episode.