WWE’s European Summer Tour started on Thursday night in Liverpool, England, and the main event made a big statement before WWE Clash in Italy. Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes defeated Gunther at the M&S Bank Arena just days before their title match at Clash in Italy.
The Liverpool show was the first stop of WWE’s European tour and featured several big matches, including Trick Williams defending the WWE United States Championship against Carmelo Hayes, Danhausen facing The Miz, Jacob Fatu battling Solo Sikoa in a Street Fight, Charlotte Flair, Rhea Ripley, & Tiffany Stratton facing Fatal Influence, and more.
The main event of the night was a Tables match between Cody Rhodes and Gunther.
Cody Rhodes picks up early momentum over Gunther ahead of Clash in Italy
At the end of the match, Rhodes escaped a powerbomb, hit a Cross Rhodes and then sent Gunther through a table to pick up the win. The result was important because Gunther had been nearly unbeatable in singles matches for months. Before this, his last singles loss came against CM Punk at SummerSlam 2025, where Punk won the World Heavyweight Championship.
Rhodes now joins a very short list of superstars who have beaten Gunther one-on-one in recent years. More importantly, he heads into Clash in Italy with major momentum on his side.
The two rivals will meet again this Sunday, but this time the Undisputed WWE Championship will be on the line. Unlike the Liverpool match, their match in Turin will take place under regular rules. Even so, Thursday’s match gave fans a strong preview of what they can expect at Clash in Italy.
The feud between Rhodes and Gunther heated up on the May 1 episode of SmackDown after Rhodes defended his title against Ricky Saints. After the match, Gunther attacked Rhodes from behind and locked him in a sleeper hold until he passed out.
The rivalry became even more interesting when Paul Heyman helped Gunther get the title opportunity. In storyline, Heyman owed Gunther a favor after The Ring General previously protected him from an attack by Seth Rollins. Gunther later cashed in that favor to secure a championship match in Italy.
Since then, both Rhodes and Gunther have traded insults and physical attacks.
Read more: WATCH: Cody Rhodes Makes Elderly Fan’s Day at WWE Liverpool Live Event
