Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes returned to action on “WWE SmackDown” after suffering an orbital injury at WWE WrestleMania 42 in his match against Randy Orton, but after he defeated a debuting Ricky Saints, he was taken out by GUNTHER. Saints tried to make a big impact on his first edition of the blue brand when he interrupted Rhodes’ show-opening promo.
Rhodes announced he was cleared before Saints came out to challenge him, and the match was set for later in the night. The pair shook hands to begin the match, with Saints hot to start with shoulder tackles to take down the champion. The fast-paced battle saw Saints knock Rhodes out of the ring numerous times and he tried to stay in control of the match through a picture-in-picture break.
The champion hit a Disaster Kick, followed by a Cody Cutter, but it didn’t keep Saints down at all. Saints hit a Revolution DDT, then went for the Roshambo, but Rhodes countered into a Cross Rhodes and pinned him for the victory.
Almost immediately after the bell, GUNTHER ran into the ring to attack Rhodes and locked in a sleeper hold on the champion. Rhodes was out almost immediately, but GUNTHER locked it in again as Rhodes hit the canvas. He raised the Undisputed WWE Championship to end the segment, signifying he’ll be Rhodes’ next opponent.
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