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Cody Rhodes and Gunther faced off to end “Friday Night SmackDown,” as the former will defend the WWE Undisputed Championship against the latter at Clash in Italy on Sunday.
Rhodes had a lot to be angry about. Gunther was forced into a title fight thanks to a favor Paul Heyman owed him. Gunther attacked Rhodes from behind several times over the following week. Gunther promised that the sneak attacks were over as he left to address Rhodes.
Gunther had spoken words directed at Rhodes, again.
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Gunther and Cody Rhodes face off 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 I quickly discovered that this show has to be all about you,” Gunther began. “And if it’s not about you, you find a way to make it about yourself. And it may not be your fault, Cody, because you’re simply a product of the culture you grew up in, where selfishness, narcissism, and nepotism are rewarded. It puts you ahead of everyone else. And it’s so fitting that your name is ‘American Nightmare’ because, right now, you’re the perfect symbol of the crumbling American dream.
“I know what you’re thinking, this may be low-hanging fruit. But I’m talking about the concept of the American dream. What I was told as a child is that if you want to maximize your life, you have to leave your home behind, you have to move to America and with discipline, hard work and sacrifice, you can achieve anything. I’ve done it. I’ve earned the position I’m in. Whereas for you, everything was just a phone call away.”
Gunther looked back at Rhodes’ professional wrestling career and everything he did was just a phone call away. He said that made Rhodes “an entitled little brat.” Gunther said that to 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” for himself.
Rhodes said Gunther was a “liar.”
“Yeah, because every kid dreams of becoming a professional 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 Clash card in Italy. You don’t want to be on the first hour of ESPN in the featured match. You don’t want the third party appearances, the talk shows, the media, you don’t want the weight that comes with the WWE championship. You don’t want a crowd that knows and signs every word of your song. Don’t you want that?”
“I’m going to tell you something: I know you want it. Otherwise, I’d be talking to a 330-pound version of you in front of a couple hundred people at an indie show. But instead, I’m talking to the most polished, most dangerous, fittest athlete you’ve ever created.”
Rhodes said he was going to come “so close” to what Gunther “desperately” seeks and that he was going to discover the worst thing he could ever discover.
“You’re just not that good,” reminding Gunther that he was “easy to find, but hard to beat.”
Gunther responded that he eliminated legends like Goldberg, AJ Styles and John Cena and that Rhodes would be next on his list.
A ‘lesson’ from Sami Zayn
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 sleeping position as Zayn turned his back and walked the ramp following his own loss to the undisputed WWE Champion.
Zayn addressed Rhodes earlier in the night. Rhodes and Zayn met in the back. The “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 to fight you,” Zayn said. “I didn’t want to fight my friend. You asked for that fight. And yet, despite that, despite everything that happened between you and me, when Gunther got involved last week and started strangling you, what did I do? I took care of you. I took care of him. I did the right thing. I tried to help you. And how did you pay me? “You stuck the Cross Rhodes into me from behind like a knife in my back.”
Rhodes questioned Zayn’s feelings. He reminded Zayn that he was the one who saw him being drowned.
“I wanted to help, Cody. Every instinct in me was like, ‘Help him. Help him.’ I wanted to do that. You know why? Because that’s how I’m wired. I’m a good guy,” Zayn said. “Apparently I’m the last good guy around here. And it took everything in me not to help you right there. Do you know why I didn’t? Because as I watched the life fade from your eyes, my instinct at that moment was to leave you there so you could learn a lesson.”
Rhodes, apoplectic, said that when he was done with Gunther, “I wish I could teach you a lesson too.”
Zayn continued having 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 disrespected. Zayn challenged Cardona to a match before the night was over.
Jade Cargill and Rhea Ripley exchange words before 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 hyped for Rhea Ripley as Jade Cargill, Michin and B-Fab came down to the ring to address the fans in Barcelona. Cargill reminded them that she was “one of one” and did not need their approval. Michin said that “the future is now.” Just as the Cargill group was warming up, Ripley interrupted them.
Ripley and Cargill will meet for the WWE Women’s Championship at Clash in Italy on Sunday, a week after Cargill pinned the champion in a six-woman tag team match on Saturday night’s Main Event.
“Jade, every week you come here and try to prove your dominance by acting like 90% of your success isn’t using people to try to make yourself look better,” Ripley said. “And the thing 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 show your self-proclaimed dominance, because when the match is over, you’ll be looking at your true champion.”
Cargill smiled as the crow joined behind “Mommy.”
“Do you hear how stupid you sound?” —Cargill asked. “Do you really think this division revolves around you? No, these women you talk about, they are with me because they want a piece of power and you, you are so weak that you need 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 confuse his own “exaggeration with ignorance.” Bliss agreed that Cargill had the “ego of a legend”, but against Bliss and Flair, he had the “résumé of a rookie”.
SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis came and made a match between Bliss and Cargill after they exchanged fighting words. The four women outside eventually brawled as Cargill and Bliss continued to fight in the ring. Bliss was lost in Twisted Bliss. Cargill hit Jaded and pinned Bliss for the win.
Cargill added another blow, slamming Jaded on Bliss into a chair again. Ripley and Flair returned and kicked out Cargill before he could do any more damage.
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Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes get closer and closer to the game
Carmelo Hayes and United States Champion Trick Williams face off 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 he debuted on the SmackDown roster a few months ago. He has taken advantage of every opportunity given to him, including winning the United States Championship at WrestleMania 42 over Sami Zayn.
Williams said there has been no better superstar to prove that he is the future of professional wrestling than him. He declared himself a participant in the King of the Ring Tournament
As his legacy grew, the ghosts of NXT’s past haunted him. Carmelo Hayes continued to hover around Williams, as it seemed like the two had been on a collision course for quite some time. Hayes interrupted Williams’ speech just after issuing his decree.
Hayes said that King of the Ring was “a grown-up business” and that once he took care of Ricky Saints, he would take care of Williams. But Williams said Hayes was being “melodramatic” and suggested Hayes was making excuses.
“If you grew an inch for every time you made an excuse, then maybe… you could look at Trick Williams face to face, face to face, man to man and realize that I’m better than you,” Williams said as the two stood face to face.
Santos came out and said that no one wanted a “soap opera” and they wanted to see it. Saints said that once he was done with Hayes, he would go after the American title. Williams said the Saints made him “sick.” As Saints responded, Williams hit him with a backhand. He said the winner between Hayes and Saints would get the next title shot.
Hayes and Saints would be eliminated in their game.
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SmackDown match results:
- Jade Cargill defeated. Alexa happiness.
- Axiom def. The lady.
- Talla Tonga and Tama Tonga defeated. Damian Priest and Royce Keys.
- Sami Zayn defeated. Mateo Cardona.
- Carmelo Hayes and Ricky Saints reach a tie due to double counting.
- Chelsea Green defeated. Nia Jax.
