WWE SMACKDAWN 19 JUNE 2026 CODY RHODES VS GUNTHER FULL MATCH
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SportsTranscript
00:12Sami in strikes, the self-proclaimed last real good guy, Wade.
00:19Yeah, well, the point of Sami Zayn being brought into this match as the referee by
00:25Gunther is to make sure there is no repeat of what happened at Clash in Italy
00:31when Gunther was pinned despite his thought being under the rug.
00:36Zayn is here to call it down the middle, Joe.
00:38A guy's going to call it down the middle who recently picked up a steel chair
00:42to potentially harm Cody Rhodes.
00:44Oh, okay.
00:45Now he's going to officiate a Cody Rhodes championship match.
00:48There is a drastic difference between picking up a chair to potentially harm Cody Rhodes
00:54and then someone who picks up the chair and puts it down and walks away
00:59and acts as the bigger man, Joe Tess.
01:02No injuries were incurred by Cody Rhodes.
01:05It's stunning to see and to hear Sami as he goes about his business in a certain way lately
01:10convinces himself that the crowd reactions are off, that he's in the right, humble and righteous.
01:33And here's the man, the challenger, who came up with one of the craftiest moves of all,
01:38the ring general, who chose Sami Zayn as guest referee.
01:43Will the third time be a charm for Gunther against Cody?
01:47Of course, the other two matches in this career versus Cody are the biggest spotlights.
01:52Brown Jewel in 2024 when they were both champs.
01:55And of course, three weeks ago in front of that all-time great crowd in Turin, Italy.
02:00Well, a little nod and a wink from Gunther in the direction of guest referee Sami Zayn
02:06as we saw on that entrance.
02:08Gunther knows as well as anybody exactly what Cody says.
02:13As the champ, easy to find, hard to beat.
02:16And when you are hard to beat, Gunther wants no mistakes from the official this time around.
02:24Look at the smirk.
02:25Smile on Gunther.
02:27Seeing Sami.
02:29As the referee.
02:31It's also a mind game being played with Cody, let's face it.
02:34Cody in his head, does he really trust Sami Zayn?
02:37Yes.
02:40Royal fan.
03:02The focused and determined champion has arrived to KC.
03:08The crowd is here, about to blow.
03:11Made for me to stop the show.
03:15I'm a gun like to walk the ball.
03:19Whoa!
03:24Cody Rhodes, one of only four men to ever defeat Gunther
03:29and the only man weighed on the roster to do it twice.
03:34Yeah, no doubt about that.
03:36I will give Cody all of the credit in the world.
03:39A lot of people are just happy to get any form of victory
03:42over somebody as accomplished and dominant as Gunther.
03:46Cody was not happy at all with the nature of that finish at Clash in Italy.
03:52Cody does not appreciate any shadows being cast over his reign
03:57as the WWE champ.
03:59He wants to be QB1 because he's the best.
04:02And tonight is the night that he clears up any doubt once or for all.
04:08Hear the crowd on the toes
04:11Ready for me to start the show
04:14As the curtain lights go up and boom
04:19Whoa!
04:23Clearing up the doubts of May 31st.
04:26That controversial finish when he pinned Gunther
04:28while Gunther's foot was under the bottom rope
04:31of Cody Rhodes acting like the true champion he is.
04:34This rematch happening,
04:36but with the stipulation that Gunther has
04:39Sami Zayn as Def referee.
04:43For the official introductions of this championship match,
04:46here's Mark Nash.
04:53The following contest is scheduled for one fall
04:57and is for the undisputed WWE Championship.
05:05Introducing your special guest referee, Sami Zayn.
05:14And now, the challenger from Vienna, Austria,
05:20weighing in at 250 pounds,
05:25the ring general, Gunther.
05:30Good evening, Asia.
05:35And his opponent,
05:38from Atlanta, Georgia,
05:40weighing in at 222 pounds,
05:44he is the undisputed WWE Champion,
05:51the American Nightmare,
05:54Cody Rhodes!
05:59Undisputed championship match here in Kansas City
06:02to open up SmackDown,
06:04as we told you,
06:05the 1400th episode of SmackDown.
06:19And Sami presents the ultimate prize on the line.
06:24The undisputed WWE Championship.
06:28You know, it was in this city where SmackDown debuted,
06:31and when it did,
06:32the very first SmackDown also had the championship on the line,
06:36and also had a guest rep.
06:37It was August of 99.
06:38Triple H defeated The Rock to retain.
06:41Shawn Michaels was one of the guest referees that night.
06:44Yeah, always a major wrestling town right here,
06:48and they've got one of the biggest matches of the entire year kicking off before our eyes.
06:53You know, you mentioned this being a big wrestling town.
06:55Cody was quick to mention to us today that sometimes he feels like there's a little bad mojo
07:00for the Rhodes family here in KC, going back to 1981 with his dad.
07:03Yeah, no doubt about it.
07:05Dusty Rhodes, the American dream, losing to Ric Flair in this very building.
07:10And if that does not code well for Cody Rhodes,
07:13then maybe Cody needs to slip Danhausen and little human monies to lift that curse.
07:20But Cody now right in the clutches of Gunther from the very word going this way.
07:27By the way, Wade, it is noticeable, the physical prime shape that Gunther is in
07:33for this championship rematch.
07:35He looks incredibly fit.
07:36Yeah, no doubt about it.
07:37You have to be at your absolute best if you're going to defeat the version of Cody Rhodes
07:42we have in the year 2026.
07:45And I mean, that's great refereeing.
07:49Everyone's booing.
07:50But you cannot hit on the break like Cody just attempted to do.
07:53You cannot knock Sami Zayn for calling down the middle.
07:56Which is what he's there to do.
07:58Everybody's booing and one guy is smiling and that's Gunther.
08:01He's finally got a good referee and like that clown that clashed in Italy.
08:05He got us into this mess in the first place.
08:09Oh, man, what a nice edge chop by Gunther that just flattens Cody Rhodes.
08:15Well, there's that power game of Gunther coming right to the four in the early go into this one.
08:20And Cody knows it so well already.
08:28Gunther getting a festival all the way out.
08:30Just brutalizing that chest of the American Nightmare.
08:34It's part of what Gunther does so well.
08:36You can fire five shots at him.
08:38When he replies with one, suddenly it stops you in your tracks.
08:42Sami.
08:44Cody backs him up with right hand after right hand.
08:48And Sami quick with the count and break.
08:51And then Gunther plays in a giant boot.
08:57Well, to be clear, again, as the boos ring out, Sami Zayn for my money was doing his job there.
09:03They were tied up in the corner.
09:04He has to break them up.
09:05It was Gunther who took a cheap shot when Sami wasn't looking.
09:10He drives him like a blocking slip.
09:13Tees him up for Gunther to deliver a big boot.
09:15Steady on.
09:16That's a little stiff there, Joe.
09:17I think he was simply getting in.
09:18Just administer the five count.
09:19Look for the break.
09:20Getting in between two competitors.
09:22But clearly Gunther is laser focused on dropping Cody for good tonight.
09:28Glad to be bringing you this undisputed championship match commercial free here
09:31to open up Friday night's SmackDown.
09:37And he is brutalizing him early.
09:40Here's the lateral press.
09:42Yeah, and this is part of a problem when you're in a match with Gunther
09:44and you get behind early on.
09:46Once Gunther has that upper hand, it's nigh on impossible to turn it around.
09:50And from this point on, you struggle to see how Cody is going to get a sustained series of offense
09:57going the way of the big Austrian.
10:01Driving down that elbow to the center of his forehead.
10:05Yeah, nobody is more dominant from this position than the ring general.
10:09We've seen it for years now.
10:10One, two, three, four.
10:13Now he administers the five count.
10:16Doesn't push Gunther back, does Sami.
10:24You got to have consistent officiating.
10:27We are getting consistent.
10:28At this level of an undisputed championship match, there has to be consistency.
10:31Well, Sami just chastised the ring general, Gunther there.
10:34And Gunther taking his eye off the ball.
10:36Oh, Cody with the cutter.
10:39The Cody cutter hits.
10:44And there's that game-changing moment for Cody Rhodes.
10:47Gunther taking a few too many verbals at the ref.
10:50And this one spun a 180.
10:54The American Nightmare now revving that engine.
11:04Well, poison eye directed at the referee, Sami Zaynay.
11:08I'd argue Sami has not done too much wrong.
11:09Keep your focus on Gunther.
11:16He gets a big kick in against that left knee.
11:19And it chops him down from behind.
11:21Small attacks there from Gunther.
11:25Oh, he's locking him up.
11:25Figure four.
11:26Figure four is locked in.
11:28Center of the ring.
11:30Cody's in a tough spot based on that ring position, Wade.
11:33Well, you mentioned Ric Flair and the American Dream Cody Rhodes.
11:36Excuse me, American Dream Dusty Rhodes.
11:38This may well have been the offense
11:41that caused the ending of that particular match.
11:43And it might well do Cody Rhodes' championship reign in right now.
11:48That was in Cody's mind today, being here in Kansas City, 1981,
11:52when Flair defeated his death.
11:53Flair's first world championship.
11:55And now, look at him use the ropes for leverage here.
11:58Well, Sami Zayn did that.
12:00Now he did.
12:04What the hell?
12:05What are you doing?
12:06You mean what I'm doing?
12:07Sami Zayn, the hand-picked guest referee.
12:18I'm looking for a quick one here.
12:21That distraction right now is serving Cody Rhodes.
12:26These things are getting frayed between Gunther and what he thought to be.
12:29I'm not telling you to.
12:31A friendly referee in Sami Zayn.
12:33Oh, pass of Lariat.
12:35Hooking the leg to win the championship.
12:38What shoulder got up in time?
12:40Cody survives it.
12:41The Undisputed WWE Championship.
12:45He's got it!
12:46He's got it!
12:51He's got it!
12:59It seems to be under the impression there is an implied agreement with Sami Zayn for
13:04some refereeing leniency towards the challenger here.
13:08Sami Zayn, I'm not sure, fully agrees with that.
13:10Yeah, that's hard to believe after Sami and Cody had heat exchanges recently,
13:14slapping each other, nearly using a steel chair.
13:16Meanwhile, Crossroads is lined up.
13:19Crossroads delivered.
13:22Could this be it to retain?
13:28Well done, Sami Zayn.
13:31That was almost a carbon copy of what we saw at Clash in Italy.
13:36Nearly the same exact position in the ring as well.
13:40Well, clearly we have a correct official in the Stripes tonight,
13:44and that was a sterling job by a hugely inexperienced ref in Sami Zayn.
13:50Very bit of awareness by Sami.
14:10Oh, God.
14:11Oh, God.
14:12He pushes him right into the sleeper hole.
14:14Well, Cody technically put his hands on the ref first, but it might be irrelevant now.
14:18Cody is going to sleep.
14:20The sleeper is locked in.
14:22Look at Sami Zayn's reaction.
14:24And that championship may well be about to change hands.
14:28Cody fading fast.
14:34Jimmy is taking a look here.
14:36Such a devastating hole, and Cody needs to find something rapidly.
14:41All that oxygen jipped right in front of him.
14:43Oh, he reaches to the road.
14:45Oh, he reaches to the road.
14:46Come from refusing to relinquish that hole.
14:50Come on, hey, come on.
14:52Come on.
14:53He's got to get off of him.
14:55Come on.
14:56Oh, oh.
15:05I mean, that's a disqualification if Sami Zayn wants to call this.
15:20Sami Zayn slaps him.
15:21This is going off the rails now, Joe.
15:24Sami's a fighter at heart.
15:29Gunther, power bombs Sami.
15:33His hand-picked guest rep is out.
15:39What the hell is going on here?
15:42We've got no referee right now, but the match is going on.
15:47Cody back on his feet and looking to gain control.
15:52Super cutter.
15:53And an absolute bullseye.
15:56Gunther has no clue where he's at right now, and I don't think Sami Zayn does either.
16:01That's the problem.
16:02No referee has as a crossroads lands again.
16:06Cody calling for a new referee.
16:08Sami's down and out.
16:10We've got a ref.
16:11Oh.
16:13To a change.
16:14Got a split second away from a successful defense, and had this referee not have to sprint the entire
16:22airway to get there, Cody would be home and dry.
16:28I mean, that's a solid eight count that Gunther was down for, but kicking out just in the nick of
16:34time, and keeping
16:35his dreams of championship goal tonight alive.
16:40Sami powerbombed by Gunther and taken out.
16:43He's out on the floor, knocked out.
16:45Cody continues.
16:46Look at Cody looking down at Sami Zayn as he climbs up the ropes.
16:50I don't think Cody quite knows why Sami Zayn got taken out.
16:53The truth is, it was that powerbomb from Gunther, and what a twist in turn this one has taken.
17:00That was a hand-picked ref by Gunther, now taken out by Gunther.
17:04One, two, three.
17:07Sami who just moments before that did such a good job at his discretion to see the foot
17:12under the rope.
17:14And now, Cody, Gunther gets out of the way.
17:16One, two, three.
17:17Gunther with a shotgun dropkick and now lines up the powerbomb on Cody.
17:24Stack pin cover.
17:26One, two, one.
17:27Sami drags out the second official.
17:31Sami Zayn back from the dead.
17:42Can you believe this?
17:45Sami by now could have disqualified Gunther, but he's allowing this to continue.
17:51Cody trying to get the best of Gunther here.
17:53Gunther trying to keep his balance and does hold on to that top rope.
17:56Meanwhile, Sami Zayn's back in there, kicks him away.
18:00And he retains.
18:02Here is your winner, and still undisputed WWE Champion,
18:10The American Nightmare, Cody Rhodes.
18:16Well, the great master play of Gunther by bringing in his own potentially biased referee,
18:23Sami Zayn has completely blown up in his face.
18:28Sami Zayn just got pushed too far tonight by Gunther.
18:33And Sami reached breaking point.
18:36And you can see Cody's reaction itself.
18:39This is how it ended.
18:40Well, that right there is a rope break.
18:43Sami Zayn had seen enough already.
18:45And a very fast count by Sami Zayn, who was powerbombed earlier by Gunther.
18:51And now, he and Nick Aldis is irate over the officiating.
18:55Aldis blowing his top.
18:56That was not what this was supposed to be about.
18:59But as far as Zayn is concerned, it's job gone.
19:02A job done dealing with Gunther, Nick Aldis.
19:06Gunther's going back there irate.
19:08Gunther!
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