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WWE Drops Gunther Bombshell

By Kaushik Das • Published May 15, 2026 15:33 EDT
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Gunther on SmackDown - Image credits: WWE.com

Gunther has a big decision to make on WWE SmackDown.

The former World Heavyweight Champion stunned everyone by attacking Cody Rhodes on the May 1, 2026, edition of SmackDown, following the latter’s match against Ricky Saints.

Last week, it was revealed that Paul Heyman set up an Undisputed WWE Championship bout for Gunther against The American Nightmare at Clash In Italy. However, before the contract could be signed, Gunther launched a sneak attack on Rhodes.

Cody Rhodes managed to avoid the sleeper hold a couple of times and forced Gunther to walk away. The official X handle recently announced that The Ring General will have to decide tonight whether he wants to officially join SmackDown. If he does make the move, the Undisputed WWE Title match against Rhodes in Turin will be confirmed.

Lineup for the 15/5 edition of SmackDown (as of this writing):

  • Gunther must decide his SmackDown future in order to challenge Cody Rhodes
  • Jade Cargill to address the attack on Rhea Ripley last week
  • Trick Williams returns to the University of South Carolina for a special homecoming celebration

Gunther makes a WWE confession

While speaking during an interview with Enry Lazza, Gunther opened up about his love for a heel character in the sports entertainment juggernaut.

The Ring General also mentioned that a lot of the wrestlers struggle to play the role of a bad guy.

“It is and I feel like it’s a struggle that a lot of my colleagues sometimes have, when they struggle to get negative reactions, because it cannot feel nice, but I enjoy it, I have to say. I like to be the one that creates chaos and stirs the pot and that worked out really well with John (Cena).”

Cody Rhodes is probably the biggest babyface in WWE currently, and Gunther is on the complete opposite end of the spectrum. It will be interesting to see how a feud between the two unfolds in the coming weeks.

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