GUNTHER Defeats Royce Keys On WWE SmackDown, Will Face Cody Rhodes At Clash In Italy

Gunther defeated Royce Keys in the main event of "WWE SmackDown."

Keys got his match earlier in the night as Gunther continued to play games rather than signing the WWE Championship contract for Clash in Italy, coming out to fill the spot until Gunther changed his mind with the opposition. Nick Aldis thus decided they would compete in the main event for the WWE Championship opportunity. 

Keys dominated most of the early half of the bout, absorbing Gunther's opening flurry and overpowering the "Ring General" to smash him multiple times against the announcer's desk and superplex him back in the ring. 

The tide changed quickly as Gunther cinched in the sleeper hold in the middle of the ring, dropping Keys to the floor and looking to have the match won. Solo Sikoa then emerged at ringside and started to rally for Keys, thus distracting Gunther and prompting a comeback run where he got back up and dropped Gunther for a near-fall. 

Gunther went back to the sleeper again in the middle of the ring, dropping Keys to his knees until he once again found his feet. Keys sent Gunther into the referee and Sikoa grabbed a steel chair for him to use, but Keys hit Sikoa instead to reject his help. That allowed Gunther the time and space to drop Keys with a lariat, following up with a powerbomb to get the winning pinfall and the title shot.