Gunther vs Cody Rhodes in Italy could reset WWE

Gunther vs – WWE is sending Gunther and Cody Rhodes into Clash in Italy on Sunday from Turin, with the match’s spot on the card still unclear. The fight carries more than storyline weight, because both men have been stuck in booking that has felt unstable—after Cody’s titl

Sunday night in Turin is supposed to belong to the big show. Instead, the most intriguing question hanging over WWE’s Clash in Italy isn’t just who wins—it’s where the match will even land.

Gunther and Cody Rhodes are set to battle on Sunday at Clash in Italy. The card includes major names like Roman Reigns vs Jacob Fatu and Oba Femi vs Brock Lesnar, among others. That same depth is exactly why the matchup’s placement feels like a tell: the match could open the event. be pushed into a mid-order role. or even serve as a cool-down before the main event. potentially landing second-to-last.

That flexibility isn’t just a scheduling quirk. In WWE, swerves have to justify themselves. When they’re used for the sake of being unpredictable. they can make the whole booking feel inauthentic—like the story is backed into a corner it can’t smoothly get out of. In this case. the matchup involves two performers who don’t really need to be moved around just to fill space.

For Gunther. the gap between who he is supposed to be and what fans are currently able to recall is the problem. Gunther is the man who retired John Cena. Yet the days after that defining moment—what has come next—has been hard to pin down as anything truly coherent. Since then, his run has been tangled up in matches with L.A. Knight and Sami Zayn, and even a “career-threatening match” with AJ Styles at the Royal Rumble. None of those opponents are weak choices on paper. The issue is the direction they signal—what feels like momentum without a clear long-term arc.

Cody Rhodes has been pulled by a similar kind of instability, just in a different direction. Rhodes had a “story” angle across multiple WrestleMania main events that. in the telling of WWE’s own booking. was repeatedly interrupted by outside meddling and weird decisions. By the time the title ended up around his waist. the story shifted into the familiar rhythm of weekly-show champion work—until it didn’t.

Rhodes unexpectedly lost his title to Drew McIntyre on an episode of SmackDown through outside interference. Rhodes then “desperately” needed the title back from McIntyre before WrestleMania, and he got it. But the payoff didn’t behave like a satisfying conclusion. On Night 1 of WrestleMania. Rhodes was spotlighted in one of the worst WrestleMania main events in modern history. beating Randy Orton in a feud involving Pat McAfee and Jelly Roll. After that match, Orton beat Rhodes down and stood tall—despite being the loser.

It’s the kind of ending that leaves a trail. Gunther vs Rhodes in Italy might look. at first glance. like more of the same—more movement that doesn’t feel like it’s going anywhere. Even during what the source describes as an “offseason” stretch for WWE. the booking has looked like it’s refusing to commit.

There’s a specific path that makes sense here, and it starts with who should be chasing.

Rhodes, the argument goes, is best in pursuit mode. Years of WWE booking have treated him that way: when Rhodes is the hunter—underdog. title-seeker—he’s positioned to matter. Unless he suddenly makes a heel turn that would instantly make him compelling in a new role. Rhodes is at his sharpest when he’s chasing rather than setting the pace.

That’s where Gunther fits. A straightforward, long-term picture is sitting right there: Gunther as the top-title holder, taking on challengers in a final-boss role. The story would give both men something they’re missing. Rhodes would get the chase he’s built for. Gunther would get the spotlight that matches his status—especially after fans remember him for retiring John Cena. only to wonder what the retirement of that legacy has actually become.

This is also where the match connects to something bigger than Italy.

Oba Femi is currently in a feud with Brock Lesnar. and if Lesnar is pulled into the orbit of another major spectacle later—like a “retirement” match at SummerSlam—it would still be separate from what Gunther needs right now. The idea here is simple: Gunther can defend his title at SummerSlam and beyond without needing a Lesnar bump. Lesnar’s story can continue with Femi; Gunther’s story doesn’t have to be interrupted to prove anything.

And a Gunther win doesn’t just reset one storyline. It creates room. If WWE actually rebuilds Gunther—reestablishing him. despite the fact that his threat level should already be obvious—it could also make a difference for up-and-comers on the roster like Je’Von Evans and Bron Breakker. Femi would benefit too.

But none of that works unless WWE is willing to step out of its comfort zone. The booking required for a real reset would mean treating Rhodes differently at the top of the card—using him as a believable headliner, and then following through with good booking that looks beyond the next stop.

There’s no reason, the argument insists, that Rhodes should have had such shoddy booking around WrestleMania. There’s no reason Gunther was even close to the risk of missing the event outright—when injury happenings last-minute shifted the WrestleMania card and freed up Seth Rollins for a match that “stole the show.”.

For the company to change course, this is the moment. A Gunther win in Turin could be the clearest signal yet that WWE can start getting back on track without outside interference turning every turn into a detour.

Clash in Italy is already stacked. The question is whether this match ends up feeling like a cornered swerve—or the kind of pivot that finally brings the storyline forward instead of sideways.

WWE Clash in Italy Gunther Cody Rhodes Roman Reigns Jacob Fatu Oba Femi Brock Lesnar Drew McIntyre AJ Styles WrestleMania John Cena Seth Rollins