The road to Clash in Italy became official on this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown, as Cody Rhodes finally got Gunther to put pen to paper for their Undisputed WWE Championship showdown.
After arriving on SmackDown last week, Gunther was presented with a title match against Rhodes at Clash in Italy, courtesy of Paul Heyman. However, “The Ring General” refused to sign the contract at the time, choosing instead to leave the situation unresolved.
That changed on Friday night.
Cody Rhodes came to the ring carrying the contract and once again attempted to get Gunther to make the match official. Gunther, though, decided to play mind games with the champion before agreeing to anything.
Gunther demanded Rhodes say “please” before he would sign.
“The American Nightmare” reluctantly complied, but Gunther still wasn’t satisfied. He mocked Cody again and demanded he ask with more respect, continuing to drag things out in front of the crowd.
That opened the door for an unexpected interruption.
Royce Keys made his way out and inserted himself into the segment, claiming that if Gunther didn’t want the opportunity, he would gladly take it himself. Keys even attempted to sign the contract on Gunther’s behalf before Gunther stormed into the ring and ripped the pen away from him.
Moments later, SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis appeared and announced there would be consequences for Gunther refusing to handle business professionally.
Aldis declared that Gunther had lost his guaranteed title opportunity, and the new challenger for Clash in Italy would instead be determined later in the night when Gunther faced Royce Keys one-on-one in the main event.
Things escalated quickly once the match got underway.
Late in the bout, Solo Sikoa appeared at ringside seemingly looking to assist Keys. Solo tossed a steel chair toward him, but Keys immediately threw it back in frustration, creating enough of a distraction for Gunther to capitalize.
One big opening was all Gunther needed.
“The Ring General” blasted Keys with a clothesline before following up with a powerbomb to score the victory and officially reclaim the title opportunity.
With the win, Gunther vs. Cody Rhodes is now locked in for the Undisputed WWE Championship at Clash in Italy.
Friday’s SmackDown also featured a nice homecoming for Trick Williams, who appeared alongside Lil Yachty and the GameCocks mascot for an opening segment that included his family at ringside. He would be confronted by The Miz and Kit Wilson, leading to a singles match that he would go on to win.
A new six-woman tag-team bout was added to the upcoming WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event show on May 23, with Jade Cargill, B-Fab and Michin taking on Charlotte Flair, Alexa Bliss and Rhea Ripley.
Finally, it was announced that Talla Tonga vs. Shinsuke Nakamura will take place on next week’s WWE SmackDown on May 22 in Lexington, KY.
For those interested, you can check out our complete WWE SmackDown Results 5/15/26 here at WrestlingHeadlines.com.
GUNTHER is headed to ITALY. 👊
No thanks to Solo Sikoa, @Gunther_AUT takes down @RealRoyceKeys to become the NEW No. 1 Contender! pic.twitter.com/v8dThFyeaP
— WWE (@WWE) May 16, 2026
