00:20Almost 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 looking to test Cody early on.
00:50Cody Rhodes saying we've done the handshake part,
00:53let's stop playing around here, let's throw down.
00:58We go way back, close friends,
01:01although that friendship has been massively frayed over the past two or
01:04three months as Sami Zayn's career at times has spiraled.
01:14Cody quick to it.
01:18Slam Zayn, now he says you wanna shake now?
01:23You wanna shake?
01:32Come on, come on, come on.
01:38Cody was so red hot earlier after overhearing what Sami had to say as Sami was
01:43making his argument that he deserves the chance.
01:47But it was the implication that for some reason,
01:49Cody gets an easy ride around here.
01:51And I'll tell you right now, if you're the champ,
01:53you should get at times advantageous support from management.
01:57You should at times get an easy ride.
02:00But Cody undoubtedly has taken a long and arduous path to get to be the champ.
02:06And he's earned every piece of his status as the number one in this entire industry.
02:12And 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 time.
02:38The horrible injury against Sami Zayn in ring, who is a zero time world champion.
02:45And how much does that irritate Sami Zayn?
02:48For the moment it would be if he could put away the current WWE champ tonight.
02:54I imagine he would skip the showers and go straight to the door of Nick Aldis,
02:59and start making some demands on championship opportunities.
03:03He's earning it as he continues to work on that left leg of Cody Rhodes.
03:07The 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.
03:21Simply no way to hide that level of pain, and Sami Zayn acutely aware of what is damaged on Cody
03:28Rhodes.
03:28Now he's gonna attack relentlessly.
03:31One, two, three, four, and one.
03:40Sami Zayn, this referee has been a little overzealous in getting between the two fighters.
03:47just gonna 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
04:04hide and B protect that injury from your opponent and Cody's in such a bad way
04:10he's simply not in a position to do so
04:12a great turnaround by Cody but still doesn't have total stability on that
04:18left knee a little taste of his own medicine therefore Zayn it was kind of
04:21the same thing that caught Cody earlier in the match but Cody unable to
04:26capitalize on the advantage that he got himself thanks to that busted knee
04:32Sami 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 just can't understand why there's that reaction
05:05well we're gonna torture that left knee of Cody Rhodes you know there's no quitting Cody
05:09but severely hampered in his 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
05:31of Cody Rhodes and how impacted he is he's trying to find stability and support as Sami Zayn
05:37has targeted that leg well Cody's got no option at this point in the match to play anything other than
05:43defense he simply doesn't have offensive capabilities because Sami Zayn has completely taken that out of
05:50the champ but somehow Cody does that digs down and finds enough but how do you follow that up with
06:02one bad leg struggling now to even get up to a vertical base he's just about there but wobbly
06:09look at how much attention he's having to give to that left knee and that attention on the knee means
06:15it's attention you simply cannot focus on your opponent although giving it a good old try now is Cody
06:22and delivering but still stumbling around and it's those beats in between moves that can be
06:30oh Cody cutter
06:36Sammy just beats the count Cody still dealing with that injury just when I write off Cody Rhodes a
06:42one-legged springboard leap off that middle rope and a Cody cutter almost gets the job done
06:49Cody in a bad way physically but that fighting spirit still living on nine days to clash in Italy
06:56Sammy overheard that Gunther still hasn't signed the contract arguing that he deserves a chance
07:02Cody was enraged in some of the things that Sammy said that he overheard with Nick Aldis earlier
07:08so this came his way Cody's quite clear he's having to fight anyone but you know his target has to
07:13hook up
07:14oh no he just blasted the champ all the way across our announce desk while Cody landing hard on the
07:24desk ribs and side first and then with the bounce
07:27he lands knee first on the floor too and Cody's in a world of trouble here
07:33oh the distance traveled Wade already
07:36Joe that count is climbing we're on four already
07:39and that injured left knee of Cody Rhodes can he beat the count on that bad leg
07:46we're on seven Joe
07:49will he make it in
07:52Cody does it
07:53by the skin of his teeth
07:56but look what's awaiting him in there
07:58Sammy Zayn and now Cody Rhodes with that busted up knee probably some busted ribs for good measure
08:05looks like a beaten man
08:07I cannot believe what he just had to endure
08:11he went flying he got sent all the way from the ring
08:16oh Halufa's lined up
08:17he's got Halufa lined up
08:20Cody's just a sitting duck now
08:24Cody able to get on the way for a moment
08:28oh and he delivers the cutter again
08:30this time from the very top
08:32a super cutter by Cody
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 but it's Sammy Zayn who is completely away with the fairies now
09:02there are certain qualities that a champion possesses
09:05Cody is showing you that
09:07oh look at this brilliant counter by Zayn
09:11almost stealing it there from Rhodes
09:15blue thunder bomb could he do it
09:19and now it is Cody once again struggling to cling on as despair is in the eyes
09:26of Sammy Zayn who 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
09:42with 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
10:02after everything that's happened to that left leg
10:07now this
10:10now the will of Cody really being tested
10:20he's trying his best I think to reverse this
10:23can he get that leverage can he turn that corner
10:28Sammy's trying to hold up but Cody does
10:31all the pressure now on the knee of Sammy Zayn
10:35Cody turns it over
10:37Sammy's looking for that rope break
10:39and he gets it as referee Ryan Tran forces the break
10:45both men on about five percent battery life at this point in the match
10:48struggling to even stand up
10:52well this is really a test of will and a test of grit for both competitors
11:00ready right hands
11:02you can still see the effect of the damage to that left leg
11:10Cody disaster kick
11:11Cody having to block out the pain and go on autopilot here but it is crucially working
11:17a disaster kick may turn things around for Cody Rhodes
11:23Gunther's up on the apron
11:24Gunther is here
11:26the rifle he's missing the entirety of it
11:29oh no
11:32Rhodes
11:34Ross Rhodes
11:37he did it
11:41here is your winner the undisputed WWE champion
11:46Gunther's right back in their way
11:48Gunther came here tonight on a mission to take down Cody Rhodes
11:52and by hook or crook he will complete said mission
11:56that lariat and now puts him in position for that signature power bomb
12:02nine days to clash in Italy
12:26sleepers in
12:30as Sammy watches on
12:46Sammy Zane exits the ring
12:49as Gunther
12:53has the sleeper locked in
12:55on Cody
12:56Sammy is destroyed that he lost the match
13:00now Gunther has free reign to do whatever he wants to the carcass of the WWE champ Cody Rhodes
13:08as 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
13:49we'll be right back to this game
13:49Michael
13:49the
13:49the
13:49the
13:49the
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