Gunther and Cody Rhodes are set to face each other after WWE confirmed the match on the latest episode of SmackDown. Paul Heyman, cashing in a favor owed to Gunther for handling the Seth Rollins situation before WrestleMania, brokered a contract for an Undisputed WWE Championship match at Clash in Italy. The premium live event is set to take place on May 31 at the Inalpi Arena in Turin.
The Ring General had already attacked The American Nightmare last week. He blindsided the WWE Champion when he was celebrating his win over Ricky Saints and locked him in a sleeper hold, leaving Rhodes unconscious on the mat.
Thanks for the submission!
Tonight, The Ring General tried to attack Cody again, but this time, the latter was prepared and fought him off. Rhodes then tried to force an immediate match on SmackDown, but The Oracle shut it down.
Since moving to the Friday Night Show, Gunther is now positioned as the most dangerous challenger Cody Rhodes has faced since winning the title in March 2026.
In this article, we will look at four reasons why Gunther is challenging Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship at Clash in Italy.
#4. WWE title changing hands
Gunther has spent the past year building one of the most credible resumes in recent WWE history. He has retired John Cena, Goldberg, and AJ Styles, and backed it up with a dominant win over Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 42. That is not a midcard arc. That is a sustained effort to position Gunther as a career-ending force heading toward the top prize.
Rhodes’ Undisputed Championship reign has had momentum but no serious long-term challenger since Randy Orton. The reign has felt reactive, filling gaps rather than building toward something.
Gunther’s reign might be exactly the direction WWE needs, specifically because the title picture has lacked stability.
The Ring General winning the Undisputed WWE Championship in Italy will position him as a conquering force, make him a dominant titleholder, and give WWE a clear direction heading into SummerSlam.
#3. Brock Lesnar-Gunther match not on the cards
The most obvious expectation surrounding Heyman’s favor to Gunther was a retirement match against Brock Lesnar. The Oracle has been Lesnar’s advocate for most of his WWE career, and a Gunther-Lesnar bout was widely discussed as a dream bout.
Reports noted that many assumed the favor would result in a final match against The Beast Incarnate, particularly with SummerSlam set for U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Lesnar’s home state.
That match is no longer possible. At WrestleMania 42, Brock Lesnar lost to Oba Femi and removed his boots and gloves from the ring in the classic retirement gesture.
WWE subsequently moved Lesnar from the active roster page to the Alumni section. The Lesnar-Gunther match is gone. With that option eliminated, the Undisputed Championship became the most logical prize for Paul Heyman to give. The favor had to be enormous, and a world title shot is exactly that.
#2. To set up Randy Orton’s return
Randy Orton’s punt kick to Rhodes at WrestleMania 42 Night One, after losing the title match, was not a closing moment. It was an opening. Bodyslam reported that WWE always planned to continue the Rhodes-Orton feud after The Show of Shows, which is why Rhodes retained the title instead of Orton winning it. The punt kick was meant to advance the story rather than serve as the payoff.
The Apex Predator had been dealing with a back injury going into WrestleMania. He has been absent from regular programming since. The promotion is clearly holding Orton’s return for the right moment. The Gunther match at Clash in Italy provides the ideal re-entry point.
The American Nightmare could survive a brutal title defense against Gunther, after which Orton could return to deliver another Punt without warning.
This will reset the feud, position Orton as the next major challenger, and use the Gunther match as a bridge between WrestleMania and a summer showdown.
#1. Cody Rhodes was running out of challengers
Cody Rhodes said it himself on tonight’s edition of SmackDown, though aimed at Paul Heyman, he called out the fact that Brock Lesnar retired on him, Roman Reigns wants nothing to do with him, and CM Punk discarded him. Heyman fired back, saying Rhodes is the one out of options.
The American Nightmare has beaten Roman Reigns twice, as well as AJ Styles, Logan Paul, Solo Sikoa, Kevin Owens, and Randy Orton on the WrestleMania stage. Punk is currently absent from WWE TV, and Brock Lesnar is gone.
Dave Meltzer reported that the promotion made “a significant creative change” by moving Gunther into the Undisputed Title picture, confirming it was a deliberate pivot. The Ring General has not previously challenged for the Undisputed Championship in a singles match. He and Rhodes met at Crown Jewel 2024, where Rhodes won, but that was a Crown Jewel Championship, not the Undisputed Title.
The rematch with elevated stakes gives Gunther a genuine reason to chase it, and Rhodes a fresh high-stakes challenger as he is running out of opponents.
Get all the hottest wrestling news FIRST by clicking here
Edited by Neda Ali
