Add as a preferred source on Google Cody Rhodes will make his first WWE SmackDown appearance since retaining the Undisputed WWE Championship against Gunther at Clash in Italy.
WWE has confirmed that The American Nightmare will appear on tonight’s show, which takes place at the Unipol Arena in Bologna, Italy.
Rhodes’ appearance stands out mainly because of the controversial finish to his match with Gunther. At Clash in Italy, Cody retained the title after hitting Cross Rhodes and scoring the pinfall, but Gunther’s foot was under the bottom rope during the count.
Referee Dan Engler did not see it, allowing Rhodes’ victory to stand and leaving The Ring General visibly frustrated after the match.
TONIGHT on #SmackDown: @CodyRhodes returns STILL your WWE Undisputed Champion after a controversial victory over Gunther at #WWEClash!
— WWE (@WWE) June 5, 2026
📺 8e/7c on @USANetwork pic.twitter.com/dVG4JAlNkX
The match had been building since early May, when Gunther attacked Rhodes on Friday Night SmackDown and made it clear that he was coming after the Undisputed WWE Championship.
Last week, on the final show before Clash in Italy, Rhodes taunted Gunther by saying he would find out the hard way that maybe he was not as good as he thought he was.
Along with Cody’s return, tonight’s SmackDown will also feature first-round matches in the King of the Ring and Queen of the Ring tournaments. Damian Priest, Trick Williams, Bron Breakker and Dominik Mysterio will face off in a Fatal 4-Way Match, while Bayley, Raquel Rodriguez, Jacy Jayne and Kiana James will compete for another spot in the women’s tournament.
It remains unclear whether Gunther will appear to confront Rhodes right away. With Night of Champions set for June 27, however, the fallout from Clash in Italy is likely to remain one of the top stories on the show.