Cody Rhodes faces the possibility of losing the Undisputed WWE Championship before SummerSlam, potentially setting up a clash with an unexpected opponent at the pay‑per‑event.
Rhodes will defend the title against both Sami Zayn and Gunther at this Saturday’s Night of Champions in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
In the latest episode of his Notsam Wrestling podcast, WWE analyst Sam Roberts suggested that Rhodes could lose the championship to Gunther, noting that Gunther might pin “The Last Real Good Guy” to capture the title.
I very much, very much want Gunther to win the WWE Championship in this match. I want Gunther to win the WWE Championship at Night of Champions. We’ve got this Triple Threat. Gunther has now lost to Cody Rhodes twice.
You can put asterixis next to it all you want, but the fact is that he is not undefeated since beating John Cena. Gunther retired Goldberg, Bill Goldberg, then he retired John Cena, then he retired AJ Styles, and he beat Seth Rollins at WrestleMania. Asterixis, nonetheless, but Cody beat him twice.
I think that Gunther going into this thing and coming out the WWE Champion is what it was all for. And Gunther now going to SummerSlam as WWE Champion opens the door to so much. I want Gunther to win the WWE Championship because it’s a Triple Threat. Gunther can pin Sami Zayn to win this title.
Sam Roberts Speculates Cody Rhodes vs. Sami Zayn Match at SummerSlam
Roberts explained that if Sami Zayn interfered at the final moment, preventing Cody Rhodes from winning at Night of Champions before being pinned by Gunther, the fallout could generate significant animosity between the two.
At 42, Roberts added that the storyline could evolve into a grudge match at SummerSlam between the reigning Undisputed WWE Champion and his former ally.
Roberts stated that such a matchup would not require a specific stipulation, though he proposed it could be contested under No Holds Barred conditions.
So, now there’s real animosity with Sami Zayn and Cody Rhodes because Sami Zayn’s gonna turn around and go like, Look, I was watching your back in that Triple Threat match. That’s the only reason you were a distraction and you cost me that match. And by the way, a week before that Triple Threat match, I saved your title. You never would have had that title. We wouldn’t have even had the Triple Threat match if I hadn’t saved that title and put it around your waist.’
So, Sami still feels this sort of, you know, justification around the whole thing. And that leads us into a match that I feel like, and we can talk about where you’re gonna go with Gunther and I have other ideas and we’ll get there, but, like, to me, if you go in that direction, now you’ve got the ability to put on Sami Zayn versus Cody Rhodes at SummerSlam. A pure grudge match. You can make it No Holds Barred or not make it No Holds Barred. It doesn’t need a stipulation. It’s just about two guys that have this animosity towards each other. And I feel that to me has the potential to steal the show. [26:15 onwards]
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