WWE SmackDown on Friday, 5 June 2026, opened with an explosion.
Gunther arrived at the Unipol Arena in Bologna, Italy, not with a microphone and a prepared speech, but by tearing apart the ringside announce tables in a fury. He believed, with justification, that he had been robbed of the Undisputed WWE Championship at Clash in Italy five days earlier.
His foot was clearly under the bottom rope during Cody Rhodes’ winning pinfall. However, the referee missed it. Therefore, the title stayed with Rhodes. And Gunther has absolutely no intention of letting that go.
What followed was a very compelling opening segment that SmackDown has produced in months. Cody Rhodes came out, acknowledged that Gunther was right, and offered him a rematch on the spot. Then Sami Zayn walked down to remind everyone that he is still owed his opportunity too.
Three egos, three legitimate claims, one championship, and not enough patience between them to last five minutes. By the time the segment ended, Gunther had put Rhodes in a sleeper hold, Zayn had pulled Gunther off, and Rhodes had accidentally flattened Zayn with a suicide dive. The title picture on SmackDown has rarely felt this alive.
SmackDown also advanced the King of the Ring and Queen of the Ring tournaments, with two quarterfinal Fatal 4-Way matches delivering surprises in both brackets. Raquel Rodriguez and Dominik Mysterio advanced, with Mysterio’s win in particular raising eyebrows given the level of outside interference involved.
Meanwhile, Chad Gable made a significant return, and Finn Balor’s move to SmackDown was confirmed for next week. Bologna gave WWE a passionate crowd and the show used it well.
Table of Contents
Quick Results: WWE SmackDown, June 5, 2026
- Queen of the Ring Tournament: Raquel Rodriguez defeated Bayley, Jacy Jayne, and Kiana James
- Talla Tonga defeated Royce Keys via pinfall (Chokeslam)
- Jade Cargill and Michin defeated Charlotte Flair and Tiffany Stratton via pinfall (Jaded)
- Ricky Saints defeated Carmelo Hayes via pinfall (tights-assisted rollup)
- Lash Legend defeated Chelsea Green via pinfall (Lash Extension)
- King of the Ring Tournament: Dominik Mysterio defeated Damian Priest, Trick Williams, and Bron Breakker
Rhodes, Gunther, and the Most Interesting Problem on SmackDown
By a significant margin, the opening confrontation was the best thing on the show. Gunther’s destruction of the announce area before even picking up a microphone set the tone instantly. He is not here to negotiate. He wants the title that he believes should already be his.
Rhodes handled it well. He acknowledged the foot-on-the-rope controversy, called Gunther a 20-year professional who should conduct himself better, and offered a rematch on the night. That offer had the crowd buzzing. Then Zayn arrived and complicated everything.
Zayn’s argument is legitimate. He has a win over Gunther. He has been pushing for a world title shot for months. Yet every time he gets close, Rhodes finds a reason to look past him. This frustration is real, and the crowd feels it. When Gunther blindsided Rhodes, Zayn had a choice: watch or help. He helped. Rhodes then accidentally knocked him down with a dive while going after Gunther.
However, the champ offered his hand. Zayn refused it and walked off. That image, more than anything else in the segment, explains why this storyline is so compelling. Backstage, SmackDown GM Nick Aldis confirmed the Rhodes vs Gunther rematch for 19 June, with Gunther’s legal team demanding he gets to name the stipulation next week.
Zayn’s position as the odd man out is the most interesting thread on SmackDown right now. Meanwhile, the Rhodes vs Gunther rematch is the right match. But Rhodes vs Zayn is the feud that could change both men’s 2026.
The Tournaments Deliver Surprises
Raquel Rodriguez advanced in the Queen of the Ring tournament with a Tejana Bomb on Kiana James to win the Fatal 4-Way, but the story after the match was equally significant. Giulia, who had been supporting James, was blamed for a miscommunication that cost her ally the match. James shoved her. Giulia responded by attacking her. A partnership that had been building for weeks collapsed in seconds.
However, the King of the Ring quarterfinal produced the bigger upset. Dominik Mysterio advanced despite Bron Breakker dominating large portions of the match. Breakker sent Trick Williams crashing through the announce table. Damian Priest hit South of Heaven on JD McDonagh after interference from Judgement Day. Then Mysterio capitalised on the chaos, connected with a 619 and a frog splash on Priest with Liv Morgan’s assist at ringside, and took the pin.
Breakker looked the strongest of the four and walked away with nothing. The crowd wants him as a babyface, and the booking keeps him in Judgement Day-adjacent chaos. That tension is building towards something.
Key tournament semifinal matchups now confirmed:
- King of the Ring: Oba Femi vs Dominik Mysterio (Femi advanced on Raw, 1 June)
- Queen of the Ring: Raquel Rodriguez faces her semifinal opponent next week alongside Sol Ruca, Lyra Valkyria, Charlotte Flair, and Jade Cargill competing in the other quarterfinal
Everything Else of Note
Three other moments shaped the landscape heading into next week:
- Chad Gable returned to SmackDown and apologised to Rey Fenix backstage for mocking lucha libre culture during his El Grande Americano persona. Fenix accepted. Gable then met with GM Aldis to discuss his future on the brand.
- Fatal Influence attacked Brie Bella and Paige backstage, holding the Women’s Tag Team Championships above the fallen champions. A title match appears to be building.
- Solo Sikoa approached Royce Keys backstage, suggesting that with Jacob Fatu now acknowledging Roman Reigns and Damian Priest keeping his distance, Sikoa is the only family Keys has left. The MFT alliance is evolving, and Keys is at its centre, whether he likes it or not.
Bologna Signs Off, Night of Champions Calls
SmackDown used its second consecutive night in Italy to move several important stories forward simultaneously. The Rhodes vs Gunther rematch on 19 June will be the next major title match on SmackDown, with Gunther’s unnamed stipulation adding a layer of unpredictability. Zayn remains on the outside looking in, and that situation cannot hold for much longer without a decisive resolution.
For Nigerian fans tracking Oba Femi’s King of the Ring campaign, Dominik Mysterio is the next obstacle. Dom pointed directly at Femi on his way up the ramp after winning, telling the Ruler to count his days. The semi-final is set, and the winner takes a guaranteed world title shot. Femi versus Mysterio, with that prize on the line, is exactly the kind of high-stakes match his post-WrestleMania run has been missing.
