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Cody Rhodes and Gunther faced off to end “Friday Night SmackDown” as the former will defend the Undisputed WWE Championship against the latter at Clash in Italy on Sunday.
Rhodes had enough to be sad about. Gunther was forced into a title match thanks to a favor Paul Heyman owed him. Gunther attacked Rhodes from behind several times in the week since. Gunther promised that the sneak attacks were over when he came out to speak to Rhodes.
Gunther had again pointed to Rhodes.
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Gunther and Cody Rhodes face each other during Friday Night Smackdown at the Olimpic Arena in Barcelona, Spain on May 29, 2026. (Rich Freeda/WWE)
“I’m pretty new to ‘SmackDown,’ but figured out pretty quickly that this show is all about you,” Gunther began. “And if it’s not about you, you’ll find a way to make it about yourself. And maybe it’s not your fault, Cody, because you’re just a product of the culture you grew up in, where selfishness and narcissism and nepotism are rewarded. That gives you a leg up on everyone else. And it’s very fitting that your name is the perfect Nightmare symbol for the now-crumbling American dream.
“I know what you’re thinking, it might be low-hanging fruit. But I’m talking about the concept of the American Dream. What they told me as a boy is that if you want to max out your life, you have to leave home behind, you have to move to America, and from discipline, hard work and sacrifice, you can achieve it all. I’ve done it. Where I’ve just earned the position I’ve earned in a position. away.”
Gunther reviewed Rhodes’ professional wrestling career and everything he did was just a phone call away. He said it made Rhodes “a little entitled brat.” Gunther said, for him all that was unnecessary. He said his goal was to “protect this sacred sport” from people like him and that he was a “brand” to himself.
Rhodes said Gunther was a “liar.”
“Yeah, because every kid dreams of being a pro wrestler, of wearing the ‘chip and not getting that attention, right? You don’t want the attention that comes with carrying the WWE Championship. You don’t want to be on the poster for the Clash in Italy. You don’t want to be on the first hour of ESPN on the featured match. You don’t want the media, the third party, to show that they don’t want the weight that comes with the WWE Championship. You don’t want an audience that knows and signs every word in your song.
“I want to tell you something—I know you want it. Otherwise, I’d be talking to a 330-pound version of yourself in front of a few hundred people at an indie show. But instead, I’m talking to the most refined, most dangerous, peak form of an athlete you’ve made yourself.”
Rhodes said he would get “as close” as Gunther is “desperately” seeking and that he would find out the worst he could ever find out.
“You’re just not that good,” reminding Gunther that he was “easy to find but hard to beat.”
Gunther shot back that he took out legends like Goldberg, AJ Styles and John Cena and that Rhodes would be next on his list.
A Sami Zayn ‘lesson’
Sami Zayn wins his match during Friday Night Smackdown at the Olimpic Arena in Barcelona, Spain on May 29, 2026. (Andrew Timms/WWE)
Sami Zayn left Cody Rhodes in the ring to be attacked by Gunther last week on “Friday Night SmackDown.” Gunther put Rhodes in a sleeper hold while Zayn turned his back and walked down the ramp after his own loss to the Undisputed WWE Champion.
Zayn approached Rhodes early in the night. Rhodes and Zayn met in the back. “American Nightmare” said he had nothing to say to Zayn after last week.
“Maybe you should. Maybe you should start by saying you’re “sorry”. Last week I didn’t ask for a fight with you,” Zayn said. “I didn’t want to fight my friend. You asked for that fight. And even still, despite that, despite everything that’s been going on between you and me, when Gunther got involved last week and he started choking you, what did I do? I had your back. I took care of him. I did the right thing. I tried to help you. And how did you pay me back behind my back?”
Rhodes questioned Zayn’s feelings. He reminded Zayn that he was the one who saw him choke.
“I wanted to help, Cody. Every instinct in me said, ‘Help him. Help him.’ I would like to. Do you know why? Because that’s how I’m wired. I’m a good guy,” Zayn said. “I’m apparently the last real good guy around. And it took everything in me not to help you right there. Do you know why I didn’t? Because when I saw the life drain from your eyes, my instinct in that moment was to leave you there so you could learn a lesson.”
Rhodes, apoplectic, said that when he was done with Gunther, “hopefully I could teach you a lesson too.”
Zayn continued to have his therapy session with Johnny Gargano. But Gargano was still catatonic. Matt Cardona interrupted the chat and Zayn tried to show Gargano that he was still being disrespected. Zayn challenged Cardona to a match before the night was over.
Jade Cargill and Rhea Ripley exchange words before the Clash
Jade Cargill addresses the WWE Universe alongside B-Fab and Michin during Friday Night Smackdown at the Olimpic Arena in Barcelona, Spain on May 29, 2026. (Joe Maher/WWE)
The crowd was hot for Rhea Ripley as Jade Cargill, Michin and B-Fab came down to the ring to address fans in Barcelona. Cargill reminded them that she was “one-of-a-kind” and did not need their approval. Michin said that “the future is now.” Just as Cargill’s group was warming up, Ripley interrupted them.
Ripley and Cargill will go head-to-head for the WWE Women’s Championship at Clash in Italy on Sunday – a week after Cargill determined the champion in a six-woman match at Saturday Night’s Main Event.
“Jade, every single week you come out here trying to flaunt your dominance and act like 90% of your success isn’t using people to try to make yourself look better,” Ripley said. “And the detail you keep forgetting is when it’s just you and me in this ring, I beat you. I beat you at WrestleMania and this Sunday I’ll beat you again. So you can continue to flaunt your self-asserted dominance because when the match is over, you’ll be looking up to your true champion.”
Cargill smiled as the crow gathered behind “Mami”.
“Do you hear how stupid you sound?” Cargill asked. “Do you really think this division is about you? No, these women you’re talking about, they’re with me because they want a piece of power, and you, you’re so damn weak you have to work with women who don’t even like you.”
Ripley didn’t come alone. As soon as Cargill mentioned Ripley’s cronies, Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss came down to the ring. Flair told Cargill not to mistake his own “hype for ignorance.” Bliss agreed that Cargill had the “ego of a legend”, but against Bliss and Flair she had the “resume of a rookie”.
SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis came down and made a match between Bliss and Cargill after they exchanged words. The four women on the outside eventually got into a brawl as Cargill and Bliss continued to fight in the ring. Bliss missed on Twisted Bliss. Cargill hit Jaded and pinned Bliss for the win.
Cargill added another punch and hit Jaded on Bliss again on a chair. Ripley and Flair came back and chased Cargill out before more damage could be done.
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Trick Williams, Carmelo Hayes inch closer to matchup
Carmelo Hayes and United States Champion Trick Williams face each other during Friday Night Smackdown at the Olimpic Arena in Barcelona, Spain on May 29, 2026. (Andrew Timms/WWE)
Trick Williams has been on fire since making his debut on the SmackDown roster a few months ago. He has taken advantage of every opportunity he was given, including winning the United States Championship at WrestleMania 42 over Sami Zayn.
Williams said there had been no better superstar to prove he is the future of pro wrestling than him. He declared himself a participant in the King of the Rings tournament
As his legacy grew, the ghosts of NXT past haunted him. Carmelo Hayes continued to hover around Williams as it appeared the two have been on a collision course for quite some time. Hayes interrupted Williams’ speech just after he delivered his decree.
Hayes said that King of the Ring was “grown people business” and that when he took care of Ricky Saints, he would deal with Williams. But Williams said Hayes was being “melodramatic” and suggested Hayes make excuses.
“If you grew an inch for every time you made an excuse, then maybe … you can see Trick Williams face-to-face, eye-to-eye, man-to-man and realize I’m just better than you,” Williams said as the two got nose-to-nose.
Saints came out and said no one wanted a “telenovela” and they wanted to see him. Saints said that once he was done with Hayes, he was going after the US title. Williams said the Saints made him “sick.” When the Saints answered, Williams hit him with a backhand slap. He said the winner between Hayes and Saints would get the next title shot.
Hayes and Saints would both be counted out in their match.
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SmackDown Match Results:
- Jade Cargill def. Alexa Bliss.
- Axiom def. Miz.
- Talla Tonga and Tama Tonga def. Damian Priest and Royce Keys.
- Sami Zayn def. Matt Cardona.
- Carmelo Hayes and Ricky Saints come to a double count.
- Chelsea Green def. Nia Jax.
