A controversial finish that gave Rhodes the victory but handed Gunther a legitimate grievance
In the ancient city of Bologna, where history has long witnessed contests of ambition and legitimacy, WWE's traveling spectacle arrives to continue its King and Queen of the Ring tournament — a ritual of competition that, in professional wrestling, is never merely about who wins, but about who deserves to. A disputed championship finish from days prior casts a long shadow over the evening, reminding us that in storytelling, as in life, unresolved grievances rarely dissolve on their own — they accumulate, and eventually demand a reckoning.
- Gunther's foot beneath the rope went unseen by the referee, and that single missed moment has transformed a championship loss into a cause — one that Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia may be forced to answer.
- Sami Zayn, once an ally of Cody Rhodes, now watches the champion's controversial reign with the calculating patience of a man deciding which side of history he wants to stand on.
- The King and Queen of the Ring tournament presses forward with Fatal 4-Way matches across both brackets, each one a crowded, volatile scramble where a single pin can redirect an entire career trajectory.
- Finn Balor and Lyra Valkyria carry the weight of European identity into their home-continent matches, giving Bologna's crowd a reason to invest personally in the outcomes.
- The semifinal picture is only partially drawn — Oba Femi and IYO SKY have claimed their spots, but the remaining seats belong to whoever survives Friday night's chaos.
WWE's European tour arrives at Bologna's Unipol Arena on Friday night, with SmackDown broadcasting live as the King and Queen of the Ring tournament continues its first-round matches. Oba Femi and IYO SKY have already secured semifinal berths from Raw, but the field remains wide open for the rest of the contenders.
The evening's deeper current runs through what happened at Clash in Italy just days earlier. Cody Rhodes retained his Undisputed WWE Championship against Gunther, but the finish was tainted — referee Dan Engler missed Gunther's foot under the bottom rope before counting three. In wrestling's grammar, a finish like that is rarely the end of a story; it is usually the beginning of the next chapter. Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia stands as the logical venue for that dispute to be revisited.
Sami Zayn adds another layer of tension. Once aligned with Rhodes, Zayn has been drifting toward antagonism for weeks. The controversial nature of Rhodes' latest title defense gives him the narrative leverage he needs — a way to question the champion's legitimacy and, perhaps, finally stop resisting the role the crowd has been nudging him toward.
The tournament brackets are populated with compelling matchups. On the men's side, Finn Balor — recently traded to SmackDown — enters a Fatal 4-Way alongside Jey Uso, LA Knight, and Royce Keys. Two other four-way matches feature Dominik Mysterio, Bron Breakker, Trick Williams, and Damian Priest in one; Seth Rollins, Je'Von Evans, Talla Tonga, and Ricky Saints in another. The women's bracket carries its own regional resonance, with Ireland's Lyra Valkyria and Becky Lynch both competing in a tournament unfolding on their side of the Atlantic.
SmackDown airs on tape delay at 8 p.m. EST on USA Network, with a live stream available on Netflix at 2 p.m. EST. Bologna sets the tone — and what happens here will shape the semifinal landscape heading into Saudi Arabia.
WWE's European tour rolls into Bologna on Friday night, with SmackDown broadcasting live from the Unipol Arena. The King and Queen of the Ring tournament, which has been building momentum across Raw and SmackDown for weeks, continues its first-round matches. Two competitors have already punched their tickets to the semifinals: Oba Femi secured his spot on Raw, as did IYO SKY, leaving the field still wide open for the remaining contenders.
The real story threading through the evening, though, centers on what happened at Clash in Italy just days earlier. Cody Rhodes retained his Undisputed WWE Championship against Gunther in a finish that left room for argument. Referee Dan Engler failed to see Gunther's foot beneath the bottom rope when he counted the final three, a miss that gave Rhodes the victory but handed The Ring General a legitimate grievance. In professional wrestling, controversial finishes rarely stay controversial for long—they tend to become the foundation for rematches, and Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia looms as the logical next stage for this dispute.
Gunther's loss also intersects with another simmering tension. Sami Zayn, who defeated Matt Cardona last week in Barcelona, has been watching Rhodes closely. The two men were once aligned, but that bond has frayed in recent weeks. What transpired at Clash in Italy—a finish that benefited Rhodes through what could charitably be called luck—gives Zayn ammunition. He can point to the controversial nature of Rhodes' reign and use it to chip away at the perception that The American Nightmare operates with clean hands. For Zayn, this moment could be the turning point toward embracing the role of antagonist, finally leaning into the crowd's skepticism rather than fighting it.
The tournament itself will likely feature at least one first-round match from each bracket. The European setting creates natural storyline possibilities. Finn Balor, recently traded from Raw to SmackDown, hails from Ireland and will face a Fatal 4-Way against Jey Uso, LA Knight, and Royce Keys. Two other Fatal 4-Way matches round out the men's side: Dominik Mysterio against Bron Breakker, Trick Williams, and Damian Priest; and Seth Rollins against Je'Von Evans, Talla Tonga, and Ricky Saints.
On the women's side, the tournament features its own Irish contingent. Lyra Valkyria and Becky Lynch both call Ireland home, adding regional flavor to the proceedings. Three Fatal 4-Way matches will determine the remaining semifinalists: Liv Morgan against Lynch, Alexa Bliss, and Chelsea Green; Sol Ruca against Valkyria, Charlotte Flair, and Jade Cargill; and Bayley against Raquel Rodriguez, Jacy Jayne, and Kiana James. Each match carries weight not just for the tournament itself but for positioning heading into Night of Champions.
Beyond the tournament, smaller storylines continue to develop. Danhausen's ongoing experiment will progress, while The Miz and Kit Wilson plot their next move against Axiom and Nathan Frazer. These secondary narratives provide texture to the evening and keep the roster engaged even when they're not in the main tournament picture.
For viewers in the United States, SmackDown will air on tape delay at 8 p.m. EST on USA Network, though those with access to Netflix can watch the live broadcast earlier at 2 p.m. EST. The tournament's momentum builds toward Saudi Arabia, where Night of Champions will see the semifinals and finals take shape. Bologna's crowd will set the tone for what comes next.
Notable Quotes
Gunther has a valid claim to a rematch after his foot was under the bottom rope when the referee counted three— Tournament context and storyline implications
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does a controversial finish in a championship match matter so much in professional wrestling?
Because it creates a legitimate reason for a rematch without making either competitor look weak. Gunther didn't lose cleanly—the referee made a mistake. That's different from being beaten fairly, and it gives him grounds to demand another shot.
And Sami Zayn is watching all this unfold?
Exactly. He sees Rhodes benefiting from a questionable decision, and he can use that to suggest that Rhodes isn't the clean-cut hero everyone thinks he is. It's a way to turn the narrative against him without Zayn having to do anything overtly villainous.
So the controversial finish serves multiple storylines at once?
It does. It keeps Gunther in the title picture, it gives Zayn an angle to work, and it plants seeds of doubt about Rhodes' character. One moment of referee error ripples outward.
What about the tournament itself—does the European location actually matter?
It matters for storytelling. Having Finn Balor and Lyra Valkyria and Becky Lynch compete in Italy gives those wrestlers a natural advantage in the crowd's eyes. They're fighting at home, or close to it. That emotional connection shapes how people react to the matches.
Is there a favorite to win either bracket?
The source doesn't specify, but Jade Cargill and Charlotte Flair are established names on the women's side, and Gunther's already in the conversation on the men's side even with his loss. But the tournament is designed to elevate whoever wins it, so the outcome is genuinely uncertain.
What happens to the winner?
They get a championship opportunity at Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia. That's the payoff—the tournament isn't just about bragging rights. It's a direct path to a title shot.