The mess in Bologna: Rhodes vs. GUNTHER

Cody Rhodes walked out of Unipol Arena on May 30 with the Undisputed WWE Championship still around his waist. He did not leave with his reputation unscathed. The 25-minute heavyweight clash against GUNTHER was billed as a technical masterpiece, but it devolved into a chaotic scramble that left the Italian crowd audibly frustrated.

The finish was as muddy as a weekend festival in the rain. As reported by Wrestling Inc, the ringside shenanigans overshadowed what was otherwise a stiff, hard-hitting exchange of chops and counters. We expected a clean coronation of wrestling excellence; we got a booking headache instead.

Defining the finish

Rhodes attempted his trademark Cross Rhodes midway through the final sequence, only for GUNTHER to transition it into a sleeper hold. The sheer power on display kept the crowd white-hot until the interference began. A series of distractions at ringside prevented the referee from seeing a clear tap-out.

When the official finally turned around, he caught Rhodes dropping into a pinfall combination while GUNTHER was still visibly dazed. It was a three-count that felt like a mistake given the flow of the match. The ringside clock stopped at the 25-minute mark, barely giving the audience time to process the botched optics of the final pin.

Why this booking hurts the title picture

WWE is pushing Rhodes as the face of the company, but these constant "controversial" escapes are starting to ring hollow. GUNTHER has been positioned as the most dominant force in the ring, a man whose offense is built on credibility and surgical precision. Losing to a distraction-riddled pinfall doesn't make Rhodes look like a fighting champion; it makes him look like he needs an escort to keep his gold.

The booking team needs to decide if they want Rhodes to be a protagonist or a situational winner. If this is the plan for the summer leading into the World Cup months, the tension is going to leak out of the main events quickly. You cannot keep undercutting a monster like GUNTHER without eventually damaging the prestige of the very title Rhodes is holding.

The intensity in the final five minutes was off the charts. We saw a brutal exchange where GUNTHER landed three consecutive powerbombs that nearly folded Rhodes in half. If the story had concluded with a clean, hard-fought victory—regardless of who won—the fans would have accepted it as a classic. Instead, the anticlimactic closing sequence left a sour taste.

We are now left wondering where the Ring General goes from here. GUNTHER does not take losses well, and history suggests he will turn his aggression toward whoever caused the distraction at ringside. Interference is a narrative crutch that WWE continues to lean on despite its diminishing returns. It doesn't elevate the champion; it merely delays the inevitable rematch.

Comparing the pacing to previous title defenses this year, this was a regression. The match structure felt rushed, as if the producers realized they had ten minutes left and just mashed the 'finish' button. Elite athletes like Rhodes and GUNTHER deserve better than being forced into a finish that relies on a referee’s back being turned. It feels like the writing room is playing it safe when they should be letting the talent blow the roof off the arena.

Ultimately, Cody Rhodes remains the man at the top of the mountain. Whether he is there by design or by the grace of convenient timing remains a question only the next PLE will answer. For now, the Undisputed WWE Championship tour continues, but the polish on the belt is getting a bit dull thanks to creative decisions like this one.