Cody Rhodes has a warning for Gunther days before the two meet for the Undisputed WWE Championship at Clash in Italy. Speaking with The Rich Eisen Show, the champion questioned whether his challenger is built for the kind of match waiting for him in Turin.
Rhodes pointed to Gunther’s recent run as proof, framing those wins as showcases rather than real tests.
“Gunther has that skill, and when he walks in a room and you see how physically impressive he is, he has a whole style to him that’s different from anybody else in the game. But these are the type of matches he hasn’t been in in a while. He’s been in nostalgia matches. Goldberg, AJ Styles as he was leaving the company, John Cena retiring. I think this is a prize fight. It’s a different type of match, and it’s not one he’s ready for.”
He also pushed back on the idea that an Italian crowd gives the Austrian a built-in edge, a point both men have traded on heading into the title match set after a tense SmackDown contract segment.
“There’s an element of hooliganism to it that’s beautiful that we don’t always get domestically. I think for me it’ll be fun to see if they consider my opponent Gunther one of them, because everyone keeps saying we’re going to be in Europe, but Gunther is Austrian. He’s not Italian. So I’m curious to see if it carries over. I don’t think it will.”
Rhodes carried the same confidence into a direct message for the challenger, calling the WWE Championship the richest prize in the game and ranking the event among the company’s biggest.
“He’s wrestling for the richest prize in our game at Clash in Italy, which in my mind is starting to become one of the big four. I am easy to find and I am hard to beat. If he takes the title at Clash in Italy, then he can be the one to come back on your show and have it. But I think the way it will go is hopefully I’ll show up in a few weeks and I’ll have the title in tow.”
Then came the sign-off, with Rhodes placing Gunther outside what he called the sport’s top tier, for now.
“Have fun being a tourist in Italy, Gunther. There’s a few prizefighters left in the WWE space. You’ve got a CM Punk, you’ve got a Roman Reigns, you’ve got a Jey Uso, you’ve got myself the WWE Champion, you got Seth Rollins, Drew McIntyre. Whenever you’re up against those guys, you’re gonna make the rounds. So Gunther hopefully gets into that golden circle at some point. Good luck.”
Cody Rhodes defends the Undisputed WWE Championship against Gunther on Sunday, May 31, at the Inalpi Arena in Turin. The bout headlines a card that also features two title matches airing during the ESPN simulcast hour, with at least one Hall of Famer already pitching a Rhodes loss.