Gunther Targets WWE Title After Sneak Attacking Cody Rhodes on SmackDown

Gunther launched a surprise attack on Cody Rhodes on this week's SmackDown.

Gunther Targets WWE Title After Sneak Attacking Cody Rhodes on SmackDown

Gunther put Cody Rhodes in a sleeper hold on SmackDown [via- WrestlingNews/@X]

In Short
  • Gunther attacked Cody Rhodes on SmackDown, signaling his intent to pursue the Undisputed WWE Championship.
  • Several referees intervened to separate Gunther from an unconscious Rhodes after the attack.
  • Randy Orton's absence from WWE programming raises questions about his future rivalry with Rhodes.

Gunther made his intentions crystal clear about putting some gold around his waist once again. He told Jackie Redmond on Raw after WrestleMania 42 that he had his sights set on the World Heavyweight title. But something has apparently changed since then, and he’s now after the other world title in WWE, which he made obvious by attacking Cody Rhodes on this week’s SmackDown.

‘The Ring General’ blindsided the Undisputed WWE Champion and locked in the sleeper hold before dropping Rhodes to the mat. Gunther would once again squeeze the air out of Rhodes’ lungs with his python-like grip around the champ’s neck and throat. Several WWE referees had to barge in to get the Austrian off an unconscious Rhodes.

Gunther had a smirk on his face, and he lifted the Undisputed WWE title up high to make it obvious that he’s next in line. Before getting ambushed, Rhodes overcame a debuting Ricky Saints in a non-title match. ‘The Absolute One’ looked impressive in his main roster debut against ‘The American Nightmare’, and it does bode well for Saints’ future in the company.

Rhodes kicked off this week’s SmackDown to declare that he was medically fit to compete again. Having put Randy Orton in the rearview mirror, at least for now, Cody Rhodes was excited to know what was next for him. Just as he said it, Saints’ music hit, and he gave a pretty good account of what Ricky Saints is all about in his first in-ring promo on the blue brand.

Rhodes had a big smile on his face seeing Saints doing his signature taunts during his entrance. They go back in time with their previous meeting coming in AEW many moons ago, and a lot has changed since then. Lost in the euphoria of his real-life friend finally getting to shine on such a grand stage, Rhodes wouldn’t have expected to have his night ended the way it did when Gunther decided to go after him.

Has WWE dropped the Randy Orton rematch with Cody Rhodes after Gunther’s integration on SmackDown?

A ton of fans were expecting Randy Orton to ambush Cody Rhodes in his match with Ricky Saints on SmackDown so as to resume their rivalry. After all, the 14-time world champion laid Rhodes out with that vicious punt kick after having lost the match. However, it’s been two weeks since that moment, and Orton is nowhere to be found.

Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes
Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes [via- WWE]

It’s rumored that The Viper’s back is hurting again, and WWE is being extremely cautious with the 46-year-old, which explains his on-screen absence post-WrestleMania. It appears like the company was looking to insert Rhodes in a major program in the meantime while Orton is off recovering. And they came up with Gunther as the backup.

For the record, Rhodes and Gunther have had one singles match in WWE that came back in 2024 at Crown Jewel in a champion vs. champion format for the inaugural men’s Crown Jewel Championship. After putting on a clinic, which was expected with these in-ring technicians, ‘The QB1’ pulled a fast one on ‘The Ring General’ to roll him up for the win.

Circling back to the current scenario, Gunther isn’t even technically a SmackDown-exclusive talent, but that logic doesn’t hold up in WWE these days. Moreover, many fans noticed that Paul Heyman was speaking to GM Nick Aldis in the background while Fraxiom were confronting the WWE tag team champions, R-Truth & Damian Priest.

That should ring a bell, as it’s known that Heyman owes Gunther a huge favor for saving him from Seth Rollins‘ onslaught. At first, there was speculation that the said favor would see ‘The Career Killer’ threaten Heyman to convince his client Brock Lesnar to come out of retirement against Gunther in a career-threatening match at SummerSlam.

It seems like a long shot from happening, though it could change closer to the biggest party of the summer. But as things stand, ‘The Wiseman’ has apparently used his stroke to put Gunther in a world title feud against Cody Rhodes. Things will get more clear when the former Imperium leader gets to address his actions on SmackDown next Friday.

Also Read: