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WWE SMACKDAWN 22 MAY 2026 SAMI ZAYN VS CODY RHODES FULL MATCH

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Transcript
00:11Cody, Cody, Cody, Cody, Cody, Cody, Cody, Cody, Cody.
00:19Well, almost universal approval for Cody Rhodes here tonight in this arena.
00:25The Sami Zayn ride or dies are thin on the ground.
00:29Sami Zayn not deterred whatsoever.
00:36Sami Zayn looking to test Cody early on.
00:50Cody Rhodes saying we've done the handshake part,
00:52let's stop playing around here, let's throw down.
00:57We go way back, close friends, although that friendship has been massively frayed over
01:03the past two or three months, as Sami Zayn's career at times has spiraled.
01:14Cody quick to it.
01:18Slam Zayn.
01:21Now he says, you wanna shake now?
01:23You wanna shake?
01:32Come on, come on, come on, come on.
01:37Cody was so red hot earlier after overhearing what Sami had to say.
01:42Sami Zayn was making his argument that he deserves the chance.
01:47But it was the implication that for some reason, Cody gets an easy ride around here.
01:51And I'll tell you right now, if you're the champ, you should get at times advantageous support
01:56from management.
01:57You should at times get an easy ride, but Cody undoubtedly has taken a long and arduous path
02:04to get to be the champ, and he's earned every piece of his status as the number one in
02:11this entire industry, and I think that is what rankled with Cody Rhodes earlier.
02:15Sami, quick to send him down.
02:19The hot out of the blocks there with Sami Zayn, who now has an advantage.
02:25Cody Rhodes, the three-time undisputed WWE Champion.
02:31A performance at WrestleMania 42 in Vegas, and then the attack afterwards that cost him
02:37time, the horrible injury.
02:40Sami Zayn in ring, who is a zero-time world champion, and how much does that irritate Sami
02:47Zayn?
02:48What a moment it would be if he could put away the current WWE champ tonight.
02:54Imagine he would skip the showers and go straight to the door of Nick Aldis, and start making
03:00some demands on championship opportunities.
03:03That would be earning it, as he continues to work on that left leg of Cody Rhodes.
03:08The recent United States Champion, Sami Zayn.
03:14Cody looks in real trouble here.
03:16The damage to that left knee is quite clear to anyone watching, simply no way to hide
03:23that level of pain.
03:24And Sami Zayn acutely aware of what is damaged on Cody Rhodes.
03:28And now he's going to attack relentlessly.
03:31One, two, three, four, and one.
03:34Be looking at me, be looking at me.
03:36Be looking at me.
03:41Sami Zayn, this referee has been a little overzealous in getting between the two fighters.
03:47Just going to further irritate the mindset of Sami Zayn.
03:53Chop after chop, and you can see how much Cody is favoring that leg.
04:00I mean, your job as someone with an injury in the ring is to try and A, hide and B,
04:05protect
04:05that injury from your opponent.
04:08And Cody's in such a bad way, he's simply not in a position to do so.
04:12Oh, great turnaround by Cody.
04:15But still, doesn't have total stability on that left knee.
04:19A little taste of his own medicine there for Zayn.
04:21It was kind of the same thing that caught Cody earlier in the match.
04:25But Cody unable to capitalize on that advantage that he got himself, thanks to that busted knee.
04:32Sami Zayn.
04:33Sami slams him down and he can feel all the momentum.
04:40The bruise ring out and Sami is now searching for the one or two fans that are still believing in
04:49Zayn at this point.
04:54Sami Zayn just can't understand why there's that reaction.
05:04Now we're gonna torture that left knee of Cody Rhodes, you know there's no quitting Cody, but severely ampered in
05:12his abilities to fight back here is the champ.
05:25Story of this match between Sami Zayn and Cody Rhodes has been the attack on the left knee of Cody
05:32Rhodes and how impacted he is.
05:34He's trying to find stability and support as Sami Zayn has targeted that leg.
05:39Well, Cody's got no option at this point in the match to play anything other than defense.
05:44He simply doesn't have offensive capabilities because Sami Zayn has completely taken that out of the champ.
05:52But somehow Cody does that, digs down and finds enough.
05:59But how do you follow that up with one bad leg struggling now to even get up to a vertical
06:06base?
06:07He's just about there but wobbly.
06:09Look at how much attention he's having to give to that left knee.
06:13And that attention on the knee means it's attention you simply cannot focus on your opponent.
06:18Although, giving it a good old try now is Cody.
06:22And delivering.
06:24But still stumbling around.
06:27And it's those beats in between moves that can be a count.
06:31Oh!
06:31Cody Cutter!
06:33One, two, three!
06:35Woo!
06:36Sami just beats the count.
06:38Cody's still dealing with that injury.
06:40Just when I write off Cody Rhodes, a one-legged springboard leap off that middle rope.
06:46And a Cody Cutter almost gets the job done.
06:49Cody in a bad way physically but that fighting spirit still living on.
06:54Nine days to clash in Italy.
06:56Sami overheard that Gunther still hasn't signed the contract.
07:00Arguing that he deserves a chance.
07:03Cody was enraged in some of the things that Sami said that he overheard with Nick Aldis earlier.
07:08So this came his way.
07:10Cody's quite clear he's having to fight anyone but you know his target has to hook up.
07:14Oh no!
07:15Geez!
07:16He just blasted the champ all the way across our announce desk.
07:22Well Cody landing hard on the desk.
07:24Ribs and side first.
07:26And then with the bounce, he lands knee first off the floor too.
07:31And Cody's in a world of trouble here.
07:33Oh, the distance traveled Wade already.
07:36Joe, that count is climbing.
07:38We're on four already.
07:39Five!
07:39And that injured left knee of Cody Rhodes.
07:43Can he beat the count on that bad leg?
07:46Seven!
07:46We're on seven Joe.
07:48Eight!
07:49Will he make it in?
07:51Nine!
07:52Cody does it!
07:54By the skin of his teeth.
07:56But look what's awaiting him in there.
07:59Sami Zayn.
08:00And now Cody Rhodes with that busted up knee.
08:03Probably some busted ribs for good measure.
08:05Looks like a beaten man.
08:07I cannot believe what he just had to endure.
08:12He went flying.
08:14He got sent all the way from the ring.
08:16Oh, Halufo's lined up.
08:17He's got Halufo lined up.
08:20Cody's just a sitting duck now.
08:24Cody able to get on the way for a moment.
08:27Oh, and he delivers the cutter again.
08:30This time from the very top.
08:33A super cutter by Cody.
08:35One, two, three, four.
08:37And a millisecond away from victory.
08:40The difference there being how long it took Cody
08:43to cover after connecting with this top rope Cody cutter.
08:48The body just not cooperating in time, but Cody now believes.
08:56Still stumbling around.
08:58But it's Sami Zayn who is completely away with the fairies now.
09:02There are certain qualities that a champion possesses.
09:06Cody is showing you that.
09:07Oh, look at this brilliant counter by Zayn.
09:11Almost stealing it there from Rhodes.
09:15Blue thunder bomb.
09:17Could he do it?
09:19And now it is Cody once again struggling to cling on as despair is in the eyes of Sami Zayn.
09:27Who thought he got it done with this blue thunder bomb.
09:35They have pushed each other to the limit.
09:38Perhaps in the case of Cody past the limit with the damage he has taken here in Lexington.
09:46And now right back to that damaged left leg.
09:51Oh no.
09:53Figure four.
09:55A move that Cody has made his own at times.
09:58Now torturing QB1 in the center of the ring.
10:03After everything that's happened to that left leg.
10:07Now this.
10:10Now the will of Cody really being tested.
10:19Cody trying his best I think to reverse this.
10:23Can he get that leverage?
10:26Can he turn that corner?
10:28Sami's trying to hold up.
10:30But Cody does.
10:31All the pressure now on the knee of Sami Zayn.
10:35Cody turns it over.
10:37Sami's looking for that rope break.
10:39And he gets it.
10:41As referee Ryan Tran forces the break.
10:44Both men on about 5% battery life at this point in the match.
10:49Struggling to even stand up.
10:52And this is really a test of will and a test of grit for both competitors.
10:57One, two.
11:01Right hands.
11:02You can still see the effect of the damage to that left leg.
11:10Cody disaster kick.
11:11Cody had to block out the pain and go on autopilot here but it's crucially working.
11:17A disaster kick may turn things around for Cody Rhodes.
11:23Gunther's up on the apron.
11:25Gunther is here.
11:26The referee's missing the entirety of it.
11:29Oh no.
11:32Rhodes.
11:34Crossroads.
11:38He did it.
11:41Here is your winner.
11:43The undisputed WWE Champion.
11:46Gunther's right back in their way.
11:48Well Gunther came here tonight on a mission to take down Cody Rhodes.
11:52And by hook or crook, he will complete said mission.
11:56Well that lariat, he now puts him in position for that signature powerbomb.
12:02Nine days to clash in Italy.
12:04Come this内奏!
12:17Come this way!
12:21In and of course be sauve.
12:21Come this way!
12:26Come this way!
12:28Now look ho 넣고.
12:30Come this way!
12:30As Sammy approaches on.
12:32Now, we sit on the
12:34line came here foray andulty.
12:45Sami Zayn exits the ring as Gunther has the sleeper walked in on Cody.
12:56Sami has distraught that he lost the match but now Gunther has free reign to do whatever
13:04he wants to the carcass of the WWE champ Cody Rhodes.
13:09As he has done so many times over the course of the past year to so many legends at the
13:17end of their careers.
13:22And now that undisputed WWE championship held high by the man who earned a championship shot at it.
13:49The Program Copyright A lista in 2011
13:49Parisel B greens plane consider catching 2 each-5 minutes left.
13:49leaks grandkids
13:50communes
13:50Creature
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