Gunther clashes with Cody Rhodes over SmackDown contract signing
Gunther confronted Cody Rhodes during Friday Night SmackDown after Paul Heyman arranged a title match between the two for Clash in Italy. Rhodes set up the tables and chairs in the ring while Gunther accused him of turning the segment into a personal showcase. The exchange ended when Royce Keys interrupted and offered to sign the contract himself.
Gunther said Rhodes had interfered with his planned approach to joining SmackDown. Rhodes replied that Gunther had already used Heyman to secure the opportunity and told him to enter the ring and sign the documents. Keys reached the ring first but was stopped when Gunther took the pen.
SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis ruled that Gunther had lost the guaranteed title shot. He scheduled Gunther against Keys for the main event. Solo Sikoa accompanied Keys and tried to persuade him to join his group during the match.
Gunther defeated Keys after a referee bump allowed Sikoa to slide a chair into the ring. Keys threw the chair back at Sikoa, creating the opening for Gunther to land a powerbomb and secure the pin. Rhodes then attacked Gunther from behind as he celebrated the victory.
