Will ‘The American Nightmare’s’ Third WWE Title Reign Fade to Black Against ‘The Ring General’?
After successfully defending his Undisputed WWE Championship against Randy Orton in the main event of Night One of WrestleMania 42, Cody Rhodes was poised to find his next challenger. Even with a black eye he had suffered courtesy of ‘The Viper’ following a vicious punt, ‘The American Nightmare’ still walked towards the ring and offered the opportunity to anyone who would step up to him. A debuting Ricky Saints answered the call, and the two delivered a great match on SmackDown. The Saints came up short against Rhodes, but it’s what happened after the match that had people talking. As Rhodes was celebrating his victory, he was suddenly put in a sleeper hold by ‘The Ring General’ Gunther. Rhodes was put to sleep, and Gunther stood over him, holding the belt high in the air. Despite being a Raw superstar, Gunther had made his intentions clear: he wanted the Undisputed WWE Championship.
Gunther, being the next potential challenger to Rhodes’ championship title, came out of nowhere as he had just finished owing a favor to ‘The Oracle’ Paul Heyman, taking care of Seth Rollins in their match at WrestleMania 42. Gunther had told Heyman that he would owe him a favor in return, and many speculated that the favor could be that he would request a match against Brock Lesnar, with ‘The Beast Incarnate’s’ career on the line. However, those plans seem to have changed, as Lesnar seemingly put an end to his career following his loss to Oba Femi at WrestleMania 42. Lesnar would remove his gloves and boots and leave them in the ring as he walked to the back. If it is to be believed that Lesnar’s career has indeed come to an end, then it makes sense that WWE would push Gunther towards a new direction. However, Gunther, a member of the Raw roster, going after SmackDown’s top champion seems out of the ordinary. Regardless, WWE was able to incorporate the favor between Gunther and Heyman into this story by making Gunther’s favor that he be transferred to the SmackDown brand and that he would automatically earn a world title opportunity. Rhodes might not have had a decision in this outcome, but he definitely is looking for a fight now with Gunther following the attack.
Gunther was very close to giving up his world title opportunity, as he decided to play mind games with Rhodes and attempt to attack him from behind once again. Gunther refused to sign the contract and went another week, making Rhodes wait. What Gunther didn’t expect was that Will Hobson would come out and try to steal his title opportunity. Gunther and Keys squared off in the main event, where the winner would challenge Rhodes for the title at Clash in Italy. Gunther picked up the victory, but after the match, Rhodes would get one over Gunther by connecting with a Cross Rhodes. The match was now made official, with Rhodes looking to continue the momentum he’s garnered since taking the title off of Drew McIntyre in March 2026.
Rhodes is no stranger to Gunther, as the pair have fought against each other before in singles competition. At Crown Jewel 2024, Rhodes pinned Gunther to become the inaugural Crown Jewel Champion. It was a surprise win as Gunther had Rhodes in a sleeper hold, only for Rhodes to barely escape and roll Gunther up for the win. This time around, Gunther will try to avoid making the same mistake again. Rhodes now has to deal with a more ruthless version of ‘The Ring General’, the one who retired Goldberg, John Cena, and A.J. Styles in a span of a year. Rhodes won’t have to worry about his career being on the line, but Gunther will surely do whatever it takes to take the title off of Rhodes.
Gunther has a bit of home-field advantage, as the Austrian will have his title opportunity in Italy. Gunther knows that the crowd could swing in any direction, but he won’t let that deter him from using his strengths to hurt Rhodes and put him to sleep. Rhodes, on the other hand, has to play it smart and avoid being put in that sleeper hold by any means necessary. Should Gunther manage to become the new champion, SmackDown will have a new obstacle standing at the top of the mountain.
