Gunther chokes out Cody Rhodes in Tulsa — Wwe News
Wwe news in Tulsa turned on one post-match attack at the BOK Center on Friday, May 1, 2026. Cody Rhodes beat Ricky Saints with a clean Cross Rhodes, then Gunther appeared and choked Rhodes out after the bell, putting himself directly in the Undisputed WWE Championship picture.
Cody Rhodes Opens
Rhodes said he was medically cleared and ready to move forward before Saints interrupted his opening segment and forced the match on the spot. Saints also used the mic to say, “change is coming,” and the rookie’s first main-roster appearance ended with Rhodes handling the assignment in clean fashion.
The clean finish mattered because Rhodes did not need help to beat Saints, but the post-match attack changed the frame of the segment fast. Gunther did not wait for an interview or a stare-down; he cut straight through the result and made the title picture the story before SmackDown could move on.
Gunther Steps In
Gunther’s choke-out was the kind of angle that tells the audience exactly where management is heading next. Instead of a standard post-match tease, he asserted himself over the champion immediately, which leaves Rhodes dealing with a fresh threat from a wrestler already positioned in the Undisputed WWE Championship picture.
That sequence also gave Saints a useful launch without overstating his role. He got the first main-roster exposure, the surprise match, and the clean loss, while Gunther took the bigger swing that will drive the next championship conversation on SmackDown.
Solo Sikoa Swings
After Friday’s WWE Tag Team title match, Solo Sikoa and Talla Tonga attacked everyone involved and warned Jacob Fatu, and The Usos arrived after the assault. Jey Uso called the Tongan Death Grip a sacred, last-resort move, while Solo Sikoa sent a message that Roman Reigns is not his Tribal Chief.
That family fight keeps spilling into everything around it, which is why the night felt crowded even with Rhodes and Gunther at the center. The stronger read is simple: Gunther’s attack was the most direct move of the night, and it pushed the championship lane forward in a way that no backstage speech could match.
Rhodes walked in saying he was cleared and ready to move ahead, and he left Tulsa with Gunther having made the next title challenge impossible to miss.
