Add as a preferred source on Google Cody Rhodes remains the Undisputed WWE Champion. At WWE Clash in Italy on Sunday at the Inalpi Arena in Turin, Italy, “The American Nightmare” defeated Gunther in a highly controversial finish.
The match opened the premium live event and was part of the first hour that aired on ESPN, with the full show streaming on the ESPN App through the ESPN Unlimited plan.
The rivalry between the two had been building since Gunther attacked Rhodes on Friday Night SmackDown, making it clear he was targeting WWE’s top title. After that, “The Ring General” used a favor from Paul Heyman to secure a contract for a championship match.
As for the match itself, Gunther punished Rhodes with chops, knee strikes, a powerbomb and several sleeper hold attempts, coming very close to making the champion pass out. Rhodes, however, fought through it and managed to survive the toughest moments.
The closing stretch came after Rhodes escaped, hit a Cody Cutter, followed it up with Cross Rhodes and scored the pinfall to retain the title.
The controversy came from Gunther’s positioning during the count. The challenger had his foot under the bottom rope, which should have invalidated the pinfall.
Don't leave without reading these
Now, the question is whether WWE will treat the result as a simple referee mistake or if Gunther will use what happened to demand a rematch for the Undisputed WWE Championship.