Cody Rhodes Addresses Sami Zayn Leaving Him To Get Choked Out By GUNTHER On WWE SmackDown: ‘I Am Unfazed By His Petty Ass’

WWE

Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes has addressed Sami Zayn leaving him to get choked out by GUNTHER on the May 22 episode of SmackDown.

Sami Zayn’s character has been gradually shifting throughout 2026, with a lack of world title success, combined with fans growing tired of him, leading to Zayn taking shortcuts and abandoning his previously strong moral code inside the ring.

Cody Rhodes has been someone who has called Zayn out on his attitude, and after Sami spoke out about WWE’s “golden boy” behind his back on this past Friday’s SmackDown, the pair met inside the ring in the show’s main event match.

With Rhodes just one week away from defending his WWE Title against GUNTHER at Clash in Italy, “The Ring General” interfered in the closing stages of the bout, something Zayn attempted to capitalize on, only for Cody to dodge Zayn’s attack and roll up his former friend for the win.

However, after the bell GUNTHER resumed his attack on “The American Nightmare,” and, not for the first time in recent weeks, he locked in a Rear-Naked Chokehold on Cody.

Zayn would then rush back into the ring, seemingly to help out Cody, but soon had a change of heart and left the Undisputed WWE Champion to succumb to GUNTHER’s Chokehold once again.

Speaking on ESPN First Take ahead of Clash in Italy, Cody was asked about Zayn’s “betrayal” by Stephen A. Smith, to which Rhodes said:

“Betrayal is a dramatic word. I like a bit of drama but I am phlegmatic in my outlook on Sami Zayn. I am unfazed by his petty ass and that’s all it is. It’s petty. 

“…You said I’ve moved on (from Sami Zayn) in WWE you have to move on… Looking at WrestleMania 40 for example, I’m up on everyone’s shoulders. Everyone one in that ring with me at this point has turned on me since WrestleMania 40.

“That’s what you have to do if you’re going to be in the Ric Flair spot. If you’re going to carry the chip, the best title in all of the game, you’ve got to get used to that.

“People want you to have success, but not that much success. You got to move on. GUNTHER is what’s in front of us, that’s the mountain to climb.”

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Since WrestleMania 40, Cody Rhodes has indeed feuded with some of his closest friends who shared a ring with him on that night, with Randy Orton and Kevin Owens being the two most notable examples.

Whilst discussing his health status after suffering an orbital bone injury at WrestleMania 42, Cody took aim at Orton, saying his former mentor hit him with his best shot but he still returned to the ring a week later.

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• GUNTHER
• Clash In Italy
• wwe
• Cody Rhodes
• Smackdown
• Sami Zayn

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