Cody Rhodes has successfully defended the WWE Undisputed Championship against Gunther, but the victory was marred by controversy surrounding the final pinfall.
The match opened the Clash in Italy premium live event on Sunday at Turin’s Inalpi Arena.
Rhodes secured the victory after hitting his signature Cross Rhodes. However, replays showed that Gunther’s foot was underneath the bottom rope when referee Dan Engler began his count.
Gunther immediately protested the decision to the referee once he realized what happened. When Engler insisted the decision was final, a furious Gunther spat on the mat and stormed to the backstage area.
The controversial finish followed an encounter that saw Gunther repeatedly lock in his Gojira Clutch submission hold. Rhodes managed to survive the first attempt by falling backward into a senton, but the challenger immediately reapplied the hold. The champion was eventually able to break the grip by reaching the bottom rope.
Gunther dominated the early portion of the match by utilizing his size advantage and stiff chops. He intercepted a springboard attempt from Rhodes with a mid-air chop and later executed a high-angle powerbomb for a near-fall.
Rhodes eventually mounted a comeback utilizing his speed. He executed a snap powerslam, a Bionic Elbow, and a Pedigree to swing the momentum.
Following an exchange of clotheslines late in the contest, Rhodes managed to hit a Cody Cutter to set up the controversial finish.
