The June 19 episode of WWE SmackDown kicked off with a high-stakes Undisputed WWE Championship rematch between Cody Rhodes and Gunther, but the result quickly spiraled into controversy.
Gunther entered the match looking for redemption after his disputed loss at Clash in Italy, where his foot was under the bottom rope during the deciding fall. To counter that, he requested Sami Zayn as the special guest referee, hoping prior tensions between Zayn and Rhodes might influence the outcome.
Referee Chaos Leads To Two Controversial Finishes
From the opening bell, the spotlight was on Zayn’s officiating. While he called the early action down the middle, tensions soon escalated. Rhodes struck first with a Cody Cutter, while Gunther responded with his signature power-based offense.
Gunther attempted to gain an advantage by using the ropes during a Figure Four, but Zayn immediately intervened and forced a break. Later, Rhodes connected with Cross Rhodes and appeared to have the match won, only for Zayn to stop the count after spotting Gunther’s foot under the rope, mirroring the finish from their previous encounter.
Frustration boiled over. Rhodes confronted Zayn, who shoved him into a sleeper hold from Gunther. The challenger nearly secured the victory before Rhodes reached the ropes. When Gunther delayed releasing the hold, Zayn stepped in again, leading to a physical altercation. Gunther shoved Zayn repeatedly, Zayn responded with a slap, and Gunther delivered a powerbomb to the referee.
A replacement official entered as the match continued. Rhodes rallied with a top-rope Cody Cutter and another Cross Rhodes, but Gunther kicked out. Moments later, Gunther hit a powerbomb of his own, seemingly sealing the match, until Zayn recovered and pulled the replacement referee out of the ring.
Still visibly angry, Zayn then assisted Rhodes with a quick roll-up and counted an extremely fast three-count, allowing Rhodes to retain the Undisputed WWE Championship under questionable circumstances.
Match Restart Ends In Disqualification
The situation did not end there. Backstage, Rhodes, Gunther, Zayn, and Nick Aldis argued over the outcome. Unsatisfied, Rhodes returned to the ring and demanded a restart with a new referee.
Gunther accepted immediately after attacking Zayn, who protested the decision. The second match began, but it ended abruptly when Zayn interfered once again, delivering a Helluva Kick to Gunther and causing a disqualification.
During the aftermath, Zayn accidentally struck Rhodes with the championship belt. Realizing the situation had worsened, he left the ringside area as tensions remained unresolved.
With two disputed finishes in one night, the Undisputed WWE Championship picture is now unclear. Gunther made his case to Aldis for another opportunity, pushing for a rematch at Night of Champions.
Cody Rhodes vs Gunther SmackDown controversy
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