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Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Welcome to the Busted Open Podcast. This is Dave LaGreca. On today's episode, myself and Bully Ray talk Friday Night Smackdown. Gunther, Cody Rhodes, Sami Zayn.
Chapter 2: What are the key storylines involving Cody Rhodes, Gunther, and Sami Zayn?
What does this mean moving forward for not only your champion, but your challengers? We discuss right now on the Busted Open Podcast. This is the Busted Open Podcast. I want to talk about something that you said I hope they do on SmackDown Friday. Do you know what I'm referring to, by the way? Does this have to do with Gunther and Cody? It sure does.
So we open up SmackDown with Gunther, and Gunther's raged because of everything that took place at Clash in Italy in his match with Cody Rhodes. And he calls out Cody Rhodes, and out comes Cody Rhodes. Now, the whole time that Gunther is raging, he's on the microphone. He's talking and telling the crowd about how Cody Rhodes cheated. That his foot was under the rope.
There should never have been a count at all, much less a three count, which ended the match at Clash in Italy. And he's pissed off and he's angry. Out comes Cody Rhodes. And Cody takes the mic and the first thing Cody says is exactly what you said on this show last week and that he owned up to it. He says to Gunther, he goes, you're right. You're absolutely right.
And he said, I am willing to give you a rematch, which is what you said. The other thing that Cody said that I kind of liked was like, hey, Gunther, and he didn't say this specifically, but in Cody jargon, this is what he was saying. Hey, man, shit happens. Like, shit happens. And you could go back to his match, Gunther's match with AJ Styles, where he outsmarted AJ Styles.
Cody kind of did the same thing to Gunther at Clash in Italy. I love the fact that Gunther was angry, as he should be, because that decision wasn't the decision that should have been made. But I like even more what Cody did, which is exactly what you said you wanted to see. Where Cody's like, yep, you're 100% right. That's exactly what happened. I shouldn't have won.
And you shouldn't have got pinned. Oh, well.
So... Just remind me, AJ never brought up, I'm sorry, Cody never brought up to Gunther the AJ Styles match, did he?
No, no, he didn't.
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Chapter 3: How did Gunther react to his match with Cody Rhodes at Clash in Italy?
But that would have been a perfect thing to bring up to him. Hey, Gunther, remember when? And that would have made Gunther stop right in his tracks. And that's when you turn around and you go, so what I'm trying to say, Gunther, is shit happens.
Yeah. And, of course, Cody's never going to say that. But he did it in Cody's verbiage. And now we're going to find out. because of Gunther's and his complaints and his legal team. We're going to get some kind of stipulation for this match, which is going to be announced next week.
And then in two weeks on SmackDown, we're going to get the match between Gunther and Cody Rhodes, which I love even more. It's not going to happen at a PLE. It's not going to happen at SummerSlam or Night of Champions. But actually on SmackDown, we're going to get this title match between Gunther and Cody Rhodes.
I love the fact that it's on SmackDown based on the gripe. Based on Gunther's gripe about Gunther's legs being underneath the ropes. What should the max stipulation be?
It's a great question because it's very rare, Bully, that we get this where the heel is the one that's coming up with the stipulation. Because usually when we talk about Oba and Brock, what that stipulation could be, it's the heel that has the gripe.
The heel, he said that if... Gunther said in not so many words, if that mistake never happens, I go on to beat you, Cody. So if I'm Gunther, it's not like he can just say, let's have a Hell in a Cell match. Let's have a TLC match. Let's have a Last Man Standing. Let's have a Bunkhouse Stampede. It would sound like Gunther would want to have a... No count out, no disqualifications match.
Or a submission match. And the only reason I bring that up is because of what Gunther's been doing, just putting lights out. So I can see something like where there's no pinfalls at all. No pinfalls. I don't want this shit. And we didn't really get into it. But last week for the WWE was the week of the foot. For some reason, in three... We did get into it. Oh, we did? Okay.
Because in three different matches, because not just that clash in Italy, but also on Monday Night Raw, the foot on the rope or under the rope was a factor in three different matches last week. So I would have to think that Gunther's like, no more pinfalls. Like, you know, it'd have to be like a submission match.
The suggestion of a submission match works perfectly. I love that idea because that plays right into Gunther constantly putting Cody to sleep.
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Chapter 4: What did Cody Rhodes say in response to Gunther's accusations?
And now there are no pinfalls in which you can wiggle your way out of some kind of, you know, mistake.
But is it a weirdo bully that we're having this discussion and it's the heel that's coming up with this stipulation?
No, I like it because it's different. I like anything different. Dave, I'm very bored with pro wrestling for the most part. Nothing really gets me going. Every once in a while in the WWE, every once in a while in AEW, every once in a while in TNA, something catches me. Something resonates with me where I'm emotionally invested. But for the most part, I'm very bored.
Everything is very cookie cutter. Everything is very safe. I would say maybe AEW, if there's risks to take, AEW will take some more of the risks. So having the heel make the stipulation, you're like, isn't this weird? It's different. And I'll take different right now. I'll take anything that doesn't look like the same old, same old.
So in this match, so now Gunther's bitching, moaning, and complaining. And he has a legit gripe. Cody comes back and he goes, you're right. That's exactly what happened. He should have reminded him that that's exactly what happened when you defeated AJ. Because you tapped, bitch. So now Cody turns around and goes, all right, whatever you want to do, you name it. So now he names the match.
Now, if they can figure out a way where Cody ā can defeat Gunther in an interesting finish where Gunther winds up passing out for some reason. I don't know. Where Gunther never actually submits, but he passes out and he wins again. And if he bitches and moans again, and Cody's like, wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute. You complained on the first one.
I agreed with you and I told you you're right. I gave you another match and now you lost this one too to the stipulation that you made and you're still complaining?
It's... I like it. It's not... And this is what I kind of like. Because I can't complain about it because I'm enjoying what they're doing with Gunther. I know this is not the Gunther that we expected in 2026. We expected a very dominant Gunther because of what he did to Goldberg and what he did to Cena and what he did to AJ Styles. But I kind of like where we're getting this Gunther where...
He has these legitimate gripes. It's very much like what we were saying about Drew McIntyre this time last year where Drew McIntyre had these legitimate gripes. Well, Gunther has those same kind of gripes when it comes to Cody. And it's very interesting because you just said it. It's different. It's not cookie cutter. Listen, there is nothing about Cody Rhodes.
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Chapter 5: What stipulations might be introduced for the upcoming rematch?
Because that's what the WWE would be worried about. If they don't keep Cody strong. The little kids are going to lose hope. Then they stop spending money. I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about Gunter choking him out every week. Choking him out every week. Put him to sleep. Give that fucking heel something. Something. I want to see...
I loved Gunther when he first started with the flowing robe and the entrance music and everything that made him feel like a gloom and doom, black cloud, Darth Vader-esque heel that could crush you in an instant. He had an aura. He had a presence. There was something to him. And then he got in the ring and he manipulated you. And he stretched you. And he choked you out. And he beat you.
And he stood there proud. We ain't got that guy anymore, do we?
No, we don't. You talked about unpredictability and playing it safe. Is the WWE really playing it safe by having their baby face champion win the way that Cody Rhodes won at Clash in Italy?
Chapter 6: How does the concept of a heel choosing stipulations impact wrestling narratives?
Dave, what about a couple of years ago with the Super Bowl on the last play? The flag on the last play. Is that the way you want to win the Super Bowl?
No.
They still won the Super Bowl. They got their rings, and they're still the champions.
True, but they're planting it as a seed. Listen, once that game is over, that game is over. There's no going back to it. But with this, it's part of the story. The story is that Cody Rhodes should not have won that match. Gunther has a legitimate gripe. And Cody's response is, well, shit happens.
Dave, who is the heat on for the match ending the way it did? Who's responsible for the match ending the way it did?
The referee.
Correct. What did Cody do? Me and you always talk about people who apologize, right?
Yes.
Dave, if I, if I wronged you and I say, Dave, and I come clean a minute, Dave, I'm sorry. I messed up. I, uh, I'm sorry. What happens to, what happens? It all goes away, right? We're done. We're done. We apologize man to man. I took responsibility. I was accountable for my actions. Sorry I made you feel a certain way. Sorry I did this to you. Sorry I hung out with Violetta when you weren't home.
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